1. Writing Essays for the AP World History Exam
Document Based Question
Change and Continuity
Comparative

2. APWH essays 3 essays Doesn’t matter which essay you write first
Label the essay so that a reader can figure out which one you are writing
½ or 50% of total test score and each essay is equally weighted
Must not spent all of your time on one essay although the DBQ will take a little longer as you must read the documents
Every single point count and even if you are running out of time you write whatever you can

3. Document Based Question
Know the rubric
Quickly tackle the documents to look for categories to form your thesis
Draft your thesis and note your groups
Draft your issue sentences (list the possible documents that relate to this issue)
Find your evidence (from the documents)
Make a quick list of the documents or devise a manner to determine when you have used all of the documents
Tackle your documents again for POV (a 3rd time)
Finish your outline, THEN write your essay

4. Rubric You can score 9 points on the DBQ.
You can score 7 points on the Core.
In you earn all 7 points on the core, you might be able to earn 2 bonus points.
Don’t worry about the expanded core as it will be there if you follow the steps to writing the DBQ

5. Thesis
If you don’t have a thesis or you have a really bad one it could cost you THREE points.

6. Using Documents
EVERY DOCUMENT must be mentioned at least ONE time in your essay.
You cannot “double-dip” for document points (besides mentioning them). You must use documents more than once for it to count more than once.
Understanding means you interpret it correctly (discuss/analyze it).
You then use the document as evidence.
To get points for grouping, you only need to put it in a group.

7. Specific question: Start with thesis…
If it includes dates, they are important – You must make your points inside the time frame. You can mention events outside the time frame but these will not get points.
Should include the dates in the thesis statement
Factors: Identify the time period or region or even the issue and you might have some clues.
Start with systems (Social, Political, Economic, Cultural, Educational, and even Technology, Intellectual or Religious issues) then narrow down the issues within this system.

8. Attack the Documents and look for factors…that is your question and will guide your thesis…
READ THE DOCS AND PULL OUT COMMON THEMES, CONCEPTS AND WRITE THEM AROUND EACH DOCUMENT

9. Attack the documents and look for issues and factors and common themes
Attack the documents and look for issues and factors and common themes. That will shape your thesis. Fine tune the issues and factors by creating narrow categories
Factors, factors?
PEACE or nationalism???

10. Another Factors…factors…
Nationalism or the economy!! Notice you might be able to use document in several categories

11. Continue identifying factors & issues
Oh… this is also about making money – economics – earnings, profits, etc…2 documents make a group.

12. Thesis Think of your thesis in three parts…
Answer the question that is asked in one sentences (this is your argument and what you assert).
Indicate the grouping and categories that you will use to address the question. You will have more groups than just 3 – more later.
Define your categories as to what you will address in each group (especially if it is a very broad category) by narrowing the category using words like type (of profits) methods (of earnings)
Leave space around thesis so that as you write you can place new phrases or alter the thesis based on what you proved

13. One sentence and preferably at the end of the 1st paragraph.
Thesis
The initial goal of the modern Olympics planned in was to promote world peace, but from 1892 to issues such as corporate profit, the rise of nationalism and feminism, as well as cold war issues that required the demonstration of political and military power influenced the individual and overall goals of late 19th and 20th century Olympics.
One sentence and preferably at the end of the 1st paragraph.

14. Improve this to get points

15. This also requires tweaking

16. More Thesis Information
These are historical INFORMATIVE essays and the only thing that matters is if you use evidence to support your argument.
You must make an assertion then prove your assertion

17. Application
The initial goal of the modern Olympics planned in 1892 was to promote world peace, but from 1892 to 2002 issues such as corporate profit, the rise of nationalism and feminism, as well as cold war issues that required the demonstration of political and military power influenced the individual and overall goals of late 19th and 20th century Olympics.
Group 1 concept Sentence
Group 2 concept Sentence
Group 3 concept Sentence
Evidence from Docs and when possible POV
Evidence from Docs and when possible POV
Evidence from Docs and when possible POV
Conclusion and if you have not done additional document do it NOW!!

18. Application
The initial goal of the modern Olympics planned in 1892 was to promote world peace, but from 1892 to 2002 issues such as corporate profit, the rise of nationalism and feminism, as well as cold war issues that required the demonstration of political and military power influenced the individual and overall goals of late 19th and 20th century Olympics.
One of the factors that shaped the Olympics was the rise of nationalism.
Nationalism created a new role of women and the Olympics created an environment where this role could be promoted
Nationalism sometimes dictated the demonstration of political and military power.
Evidence from Docs and when possible POV
Evidence from Docs and when possible POV
Evidence from Docs and when possible POV
Conclusion and if you have not done additional document do it NOW!!

19. Point of View must be analysis and not just a statement
WHO/WHAT says it… WHAT does he/she say (this could be used as evidence to support your thesis) WHY does he/she say it (this is the POV and this is where you get POV points.

20. Examples

21. Point of View
This is a POV.

22. No point for this because incorrect
This is incorrect. The Cold War did not end in 1980.

23. You don’t have to do POV for every document
Attempt to do POVs for EVERY document…Yes, every document.
Do enough correctly and you get into the expanded core!!!!

24. Example of Point of View

25. Example of Point of View
Willy Brandt, Chancellor of West Germany expressed great support for the ECC. Brandt stressed the importance of the ECC and how it might lead to lasting peace in Europe. According to Brandt, the ECC would be as significant to Europe as the Marshall Plan was; however, since Brandt made these comments at Harvard University, he might have chosen the American Marshall Plan to highlight so that he could better connect with the American audience (doc. 9).

26. Another example

27. Hints for POV Consider the following about each person
Title, position, or job (economic motives, political motives, etc.)
Male/female
Country or religion of the person (in favor of country or historically doesn’t like people from a different country; supports or dislikes a religious group)
Date the statement was made (around a war)
Consider the type of document and why it was created…
Political speech, diary entry, newspaper article) what type of paper)
Maps, graphs, charts – who created it and why???
Pictures, paintings – who paid for it?

28. Additional document: Allows for another voice to be heard
The additional document…
Something that might change the outcome of your argument
This is simple, if you do it right…you are really saying whose voice is NOT heard and what their voice would add to the discussion.
Women
Poor
Those who “lost”
Workers
Ethnic Groups
Look for obvious omissions

29. Where can I put the additional document?
Officially, anywhere, but just like POV, about ½ of the “additional documents” are wrong, so I say include one per group – REMEMBER TO SAY WHY – ANALYSIS

30. Relate the factors to the Olympics
Another one
Relate the factors to the Olympics

31. Another prompt
So any additional document would have to apply to attitudes toward technology…

32. Does this count?

33. Why does only one of these count?

34. Notice what counts here

35. Another example

36. All this counts…

37. Expanded Core Forget about it…
You are going to provide POV for each document and at least 3 additional documents (one per group) – your Expanded Core is met!!!

39. Notice that they usually give the rubric..

40. DBQ Essay Writing In Brief
3 or more groupings
Point of View (dates, writer, writer’s background)
3 types they can ask
Comparison, cause and effect, continuity and change
On the Documents
Write grouping on top
One sentence summary on right (important)
P.O.V. on left
Hi-light the date

41. DBQ Essay Writing In Brief
Don’t rewrite the documents – show an understanding
Grouping
2 Documents make a group
All documents must be used (at least mentioned)
Put document #s after you refer to them
Thesis is a high bar issue – going to be graded tough
Know centuries (18th = 1700s)

42. DBQ Essay Writing In Brief
Important – Make sure you at least mention all documents even if you can’t interpret them (need to show a basic meaning for all of them except one or two)
Use three groupings minimum
If you do more they will look for three correct ones. If you have more than three correct ones, you get the bonus point
Additional Document
Good one is to use something from the present
Additional documents get you into expanded core
Try to blend additional documents into each argument

43. DBQ Essay Writing In Brief
Steps and Techniques
Write down numbers 1-10 and cross out as you use them
Practice POV
Practice groupings
Include groupings in introduction
Again; if you’re not sure where to group any documents, still refer to them, maybe in an extra paragraph in the end.

44. Change AND Continuity Over Time

45. Rubric
Same as DBQ for thesis (groups and time period); the global issue is the topic
Evidence – Rule of 3 – include three pieces of evidence (facts, dates, names, etc) to prove your thesis. These must be discussed and/or analyzed in order to count!!!
What happened in the world that made this happen. Include something outside of the region.
How/why was this a change? What happened? What was the process that led to change and how/why did some things STAY THE SAME?

46. Look closely at the prompt
Know that something changed and something stayed the same or they would not have asked the question.
Note the topic – formation of national identities.
Time Period – what is the significance here (hint it has something to do with war)
Specific countries in the region – do you know at least 3 countries in each of the regions? What about empires in the region and time period. If no, learn them before the test.

47. Regions Middle East – Egypt, Israel, Iran, Iraq, Turkey
Southeast Asia – Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia
Sub Sahara Africa – Nigeria, Sudan, Ethiopia, Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Africa

48. Brainstorm

49. Map it out – Outline, tables, graphics
Thesis – follow same rules – groups; include time period; answer question; provide broad defining categories about what changed and what stayed the same over time; include key changing event
What it was like at the beginning?
What were the key changing phenomena or events
What was like after the change?
Evidence of what the conditions were like
Why did the key event occur (relate to phenomena) and how did it cause change
What was the same and what was different as must address continuity also Now either here or in the conclusion state how the event caused changed
Conclusion and make sure that the issues of the first paragraph are the same as the issues in the last paragraph.

50. Common Mistakes Wrong Regions Wrong Time periods
Not saying what stays the same
No/little analysis – what did change and why did they NOT change
Make a global or world connection – mention something that is happening in another region or something that is worldwide
Not addressing the question (or all parts of the question)

51. Compare and Contrast

52. Rubric Comparison means to say what is the same and what is different
This says at LEAST on – you need THREE – Rule of 3!!!
Analyze means to say why – why is there a difference or similarity

53. Tackle the question

54. Brainstorm

55. Format of essay
Remember you only get points for pointing out the similarities and differences.
Consider the following…

56. Where are you going to compare and contrast???
Problems…
Where are you going to compare and contrast???

57. More problems
Can work, but not always

58. This requires a lot of prewriting – if you have time, do this but not using the broad social, economic or political categories. Narrow them to themes and concepts
Best format

59. Try to map it out or use tables or outline
Thesis – Same as before – address question, use groups, include time period if noted and give defining categories
Political (in a more defining category) Goals and Outcomes
Political (in a more defining category) Goals and Outcomes
Political (in a more defining category) Goals and Outcomes
Evidence
Evidence
Evidence
Conclusion with some historical context

60. Common problems
Describing the two things/events separately (with great evidence) but never comparing and/or contrasting – NO POINTS FOR DESCRIBING
Confusing dates, people, and places
Running out of time and not finishing

61. GENERAL PROBLEMS NOT ADDRESSING THE PROMPT SIMILAR BUT NOT DIFFERENT
CHANGE BUT NOT CONTINUITY
LOSING FOCUS
GIVING UP
GOOD LUCK AND NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, GIVE UP