1. AP Writing:
REMEMBER: In all 3 essay types (SAQ, DBQ, and LEQ), the only thing you are doing is making an argument & Answering the Prompt
You are arguing to show that your answer is correct
To make an argument, you need: 
1. An opinion
2. Evidence to convince people your opinion is correct
3. An explanation for why your evidence shows your opinion is correct
**THIS IS ALL YOU NEED TO MAKE A BASIC ARGUMENT, AND KNOWING HOW TO USE THESE THREE PARTS WILL GET YOU ALL THE POINTS IN ALL THE WRITTEN RESPONSE QUESTION OF THE AP EXAM**

2. HOW TO DBQ

3. RECAP DBQ = Document Based Question
You will be given a (probably relatively random) prompt and seven documents that will help you answer the prompt.
The prompt will have one question, it will come from 1200 CE – 2001.
25% of exam
You will have 60 minutes to read the documents and write an essay that utilizes the 7 documents to answer the prompt.
15 minute reading period, 45 minutes to write.

4. HERE’S THE KICKER
The DBQ is not about you answering the question correctly.
The DBQ is about you being a historian
You will be using ALL of these documents to draw a conclusion related to the prompt
In using the documents, you should consider HAPPY – because that’s what historians actually do
To answer the prompt you should group the documents into THREE categories to specifically answer the question.
And based on the evidence you collect from the documents, you write your essay.
And what do historians do? They use documents to come to a conclusion.

5. OMG I DON’T KNOW THIS! DBQ is usually designed to scare you!
This is to force you to use the documents rather than only outside info
FOR THE MOST PART, YOU DON’T NEED TO KNOW MUCH ABOUT THE TOPIC!
Understand the game, and DON’T PANIC
“I think I put down
something wrong!”
That’s ok. You’re a kid.
We know this. Just prove it!

6. How is it graded?
AP World essays are graded basically by checklist – “did the student do _____?”
There are four things to remember
Thesis (1 pt)
Contextualization (1 pt)
Evidence (1 or 2 pt)
Uses min. 3 documents to address topic (1 pt)
Uses min. 6 documents to support an argument in response to prompt (2 pt)
Analysis and Reasoning ( 1 or 2 pt)
1 point = HAPPY a min. of 3 documents
1 point = Showing complex understanding – taking it to the next step; example comparing to another region, similarities AND differences, causes AND effects, etc.

7. Rubric

8. HOW DO I USE DOCUMENTS?
It’s your job as a historian to organize, interpret, and analyze the documents.
Don’t freak out.
Organize = can you group the docs into a couple of categories?
Interpret = do you know what the document is telling you based on the prompt you’ve been given? (HAPPY)
Analyze = can you use the document to help you come to a conclusion?

9. Use of Documents (Rule of Three)
In the past they used to award points for document grouping
While they don’t anymore, it is still not a bad idea
Many of the documents will have similar topics or be written by similar people or in similar times or, or, or….
It will probably help you to organize your thoughts if you organize the documents into 3ish groups.
Those three groups will probably be titled in your thesis. How easy is this!
Consider AP Themes! Do the documents have any common threads? How is 1 like 5?
After you treat all of the documents and have rewritten the question, think of 3 groupings of how you can answer the question. TEST YOUR GROUPINGS! Are they directly answering the question?

10. LET’S DO IT

11. Contextualization
Describe what is leading up to the event described in the question
Why did that event in the question happen? What caused it to be part of history? What information does the reader need in order to understand what you are about to write in your essay? Write that in your contextualization.
View it like an upside down triangle; the first sentence of your contextualization is the least specific. Your next sentence is more specific than the first, and your third sentence (if you manage to have the third sentence) will be even more specific than your second sentence
This way, it is like you are NARROWING IN on the points you are making in your thesis
REMEMBER TO KEEP THE BALANCE

12. Thesis:
Restate the question, including the time period, and answer the question with your groupings.

13. Thesis
This is usually one sentence, but can be longer. Will probably tie with contextualization to make intro
MUST be in first or last paragraph. (Recommendation put it in both!)
A historical thesis is an argument. Think about how you would win an argument with your parents!
Use specific points in your thesis
“the blankity blank is blank because blankity, blankity and blankity”
“while some blankity believed blank, others believed blank, while people from blankistan believed blankity”
Someone should be able to read your thesis and tell you that you’re full of beans!
MUST answer the prompt. MUST NOT reword the prompt
If asks you about a relationship, think about how you could define a relationship
Typically “compare, contrast, change, continuity or context

14. THESIS STATEMENT
Thesis statement MUST include your 3 groupings – how specifically are you answering the prompt (by categorizing your different documents) Remember, in your first paragraph your contextualization will come first and then your thesis statement. Your thesis statement needs to directly answer the prompt, including the time period and region(s) as well as your three groupings.
People at your group probably have different themes. THAT’S PERFECT – YOU KNOW WHY? CAUSE THERE’S NOT ONE RIGHT ANSWER.

15. Body Paragraph Formula
Topic Sentence (Answer the prompt directly with one of your groupings from your thesis.
For example….
This is because/this shows (my argument) because…..
HAPPY the document
Explain how the HAPPY correlates to the document
Connect your document to a HTS
Outside Evidence

16. Breakdown of body paragraph
Topic Sentence
For example…..
This is where you describe the information that was specifically stated in one of the documents (this document you are describing must belong to the first grouping you stated at the beginning of the paragraph)
This is because/ this shows (my argument) because….
This is where you link the information from the document to your argument.
Why does the document show your argument is correct? That is what you are explaining here.

17. Use of Documents (How to use)
In your body paragraphs you must support your thesis with evidence from the documents
MAKE SURE TO USE PARANTHESES TO SPECIFY WHICH DOC YOU ARE USING – OMG DON’T MAKE ME GUESS (Doc2)
Don’t quote the documents, write about what they say
How you “use” the document backs up your body paragraphs point. The point of your paragraph should be directly linked to the thesis. Don’t get off topic! Remember ANSWER THE PROMPT!
QUOTES

18. Breakdown of body paragraph
Topic Sentence
For example
This is because
HAPPY the document:
“This document was written in…”
“This document was written to…”
“This document was written for…”
“This document was written from the perspective of…”
You need to choose a part of HAPPY that is present in the document that will help prove your grouping/answer
Explain the HAPPY
What about the HAPPY of the document shows that your answer/argument/opinion is correct? That is what you are writing here
Ex. What about the point of view of the document shows that you are correct?

19. Breakdown of body paragraph
Topic Sentence
For example
This is because…
HAPPY the document
Explain the HAPPY
Connect a HTS
Show how the events in the document are similar yet different, changed/remained the same over time, cause/effect. Try to go outside of the time period to emphasize your HTS.
Explain how the event in the document is similar/different, etc. to another event in history
Outside Evidence
Take a piece of knowledge that is NOT already stated in one of the documents to help you prove your argument or your original grouping answers the prompt!

20. GO BEYOND THE DOCUMENTS!
Now that you’ve outlined your entire essay, relate THREE of your arguments within that essay to a different historical period, situation, or geographical region. Go beyond the information in the documents and give outside evidence as to why that document answers the prompt.
Remember, this needs to be more than one sentence – minimum of two, if not three.
It can go anywhere! And it can be about anything that relates to your argument and the prompt.
(Rubric Part C and D)

21. Outside Evidence
Must use some sliver of outside evidence that backs up your thesis statement
Cannot be close to anything in the documents, but should be relevant to the topic

22. Ending each body paragraph
Restate how all the documents in your grouping/topic sentence answered the prompt! Explain the WHY!

23. Conclusion Restate the thesis! (In different words from introduction)
After writing you entire essay, you are more likely to understand your argument; therefore, you are more likely to get the thesis point here in the case that you made a mistake in the thesis that is in the introduction.

24. YOU JUST DBQ’D Overall: Must use at least 6 of the 7 documents!
1st paragraph, contextualization and thesis
Groupings are included in this paragraph
2nd paragraph, address first grouping – Topic Sentence, use at least 3 documents to answer the prompt
Topic Sentence (grouping, answer prompt)
HAPPY first document
How does this doc directly answer prompt – DO NOT SUMMARIZE!
Explain why this doc answered the prompt:
Similarity and difference, change and continuity, cause and effect
Outside information from doc that also supports your argument/usage of this document
Remember ask WHY after every sentence you write, if you can continue answering the “WHY?” Continue writing
3rd paragraph – next grouping
4th paragraph – next grouping
5th paragraph – conclusion. Wrap it up and RESTATE THESIS IN DIFFERENT WORDS. Use your groupings again to directly answer the prompt!
Must use at least 6 of the 7 documents!
Must have three groupings with a minimum of 3 documents in each!
Do Not Summarize Docs, use them to answer the question. Your answer is the Star feature, the docs are just supporting characters
Reread your essay – did you make the reader HAPPY?