1. Advanced Placement United States History
Mrs. Slear
Spring 2015

2. About the test May 8, 2015 Section 1:
Multiple Choice – 55 minutes 55 questions
40% of the final score
Four short Answer questions minutes
20% of the final score
Section 2: DBQ and Long Essay – 1 hour 35 minutes 40% total; DBQ = 25%,
Long Essay = 15%

3. Nine skills tested in all types of questions on the exam.

4. Multiple Choice Questions come in sets of 2 – 6
Each question has 4 possible answers
Questions based on a stimulus:
Primary source – text
Primary source – image
Secondary source – text
Chart/graph
Map
Questions designed to test historical thinking skills

5. Sample Multiple Choice Question Set
“We conclude that in the field of public education the doctrine of ‘separate but equal’ has no place. Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal” Chief Justice Earl Warren, writing the unanimous opinion of the US Supreme Court in Brown v. Board of Education (1954)
1. Which of the following was the most immediate result of the Brown decision?
A. Radicals critiqued government action as doing too little to transform the racial status quo.
B. Education advocates raised awareness of the effect of poverty on students’ opportunities.
C. Civil rights activists became increasingly divided over tactical and philosophical issues.
D. Segregationists in southern states temporarily closed many public schools in an effort to resist the decision.

6. A. promote greater racial justice. B. revitalize cities.
“We conclude that in the field of public education the doctrine of ‘separate but equal’ has no place. Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal” Chief Justice Earl Warren, writing the unanimous opinion of the US Supreme Court in Brown v. Board of Education (1954)
2. The Brown decision most directly reflected a growing belief after the Second World War that the power of the federal government should be used to
A. promote greater racial justice.
B. revitalize cities.
C. foster economic opportunity.
D. defend traditional visions of morality.

7. “We conclude that in the field of public education the doctrine of ‘separate but equal’ has no place. Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal” Chief Justice Earl Warren, writing the unanimous opinion of the US Supreme Court in Brown v. Board of Education (1954)
3. Which of the following sets of Supreme Court decisions demonstrated the strongest continuity with the ideas expressed in the excerpt?
A. Decisions endorsing the constitutionality of the
death penalty, such as Gregg v. Georgia.
B. Decisions limiting affirmative action programs,
such as Regents of the University of California v.
Bakke.
C. Decisions defining individual rights and
protections, such as Miranda v. Arizona.
D. Decisions defining election laws, such as
Citizens United v. FEC

8. “We conclude that in the field of public education the doctrine of ‘separate but equal’ has no place. Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal” Chief Justice Earl Warren, writing the unanimous opinion of the US Supreme Court in Brown v. Board of Education (1954)
4. The Brown decision reversed which of the following earlier decisions?
A. Marbury v. Madison, which established the principle of judicial review.
B. Worcester v. Georgia, which established that the federal government rather than individual states had authority in American Indian affairs.
C. Dred Scott v. Sanford, which proclaimed that slaves could not be citizens.
D. Plessy v. Ferguson, which endorsed racial segregation laws.

9. Historical Periods

10. Sample Short Answer – 4 total; paragraphs
1. Answer a, b, and c.
A. Briefly explain ONE example of how contact between Native Americans and Europeans brought changes to Native American societies in the period 1492 – 1700.
B. Briefly explain a SECOND example of how contact between Native Americans and Europeans brought changes to Native American societies in the same period.
C. Briefly explain ONE example of how Native American societies resisted change brought by contact with Europeans in the same time period.

11. DBQ – Document Based Question – one question, 7-8 documents.
Combination of all historical skills.
15 minutes of reading time for planning and outlining. 45 minutes to write.
Thesis
Use all documents
Identify audience, purpose, contest or POV for each doc.
Include historical examples to support (outside info)
Connect relevant historical trends or processes to your thesis.
Write a persuasive essay

12. Long Essays – Choose one of two
Sample Questions:
1. Some historians have argued that the American Revolution was not revolutionary in nature. Support, modify or refute this interpretation, providing specific evidence to justify your answer.
2. Some historians have argued that the New Deal was ultimately conservative in nature. Support, modify or refute this interpretation providing specific evidence to justify your answer.

13. Scoring Section 1 – Multiple Choice Section II Free Response
Total number answered correctly = ______/ 55 x .40
Score on Short Answer = ________/ ?? X .20
Section II Free Response
Question 1 (DBQ) _______ x .25 = _________
Question 2 (Essay) _______ x .15 = _________
(all FRQ’s out of 9)
Sum = ____________ (do not round)
Your Composite Score
Section 1 + Section 2 = Composite score (rounded)

14. Previous AP Grades by Score Range
AP Grade Composite Score Range 5
114 – 180 4
91 – 113 3
74 – 90 2
49 – 73 1
0 - 48

15. Advice for students
Get your head around the idea of AP – purchase a review book.
Pace yourself
Do not procrastinate
Manage your time
Gather your materials
Plan your study area, style and schedule
Familiarize yourself with the book website
Sign up for Feldmeth’s question of the day
Stay focused in class
Get enough sleep, eat healthy and wear
sunscreen!

16. One pagers

17. Ask for help!