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My class hasn't worked on free response questions that much, so I'm not sure how to write a good essay for it. We've done a few DBQs and I manage to do okay on them, scoring a 7 or an 8. I just got a free response question essay back and I ended up with a 70. Do you have any tips to improve my essays?
"If electricity comes from electrons, does morality come from morons?"
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my advice for an essay is to always do a plan for the essays. They give you 35 minutes and i spent 3-5 minutes planning for my essay. In my class, my teacher requires us to write 6 paragraph essays so i typically do a plan based on the paragraphs. In your plan, include the key points your planning to put into each paragraph and try to write down as many facts about the prompt as you can. That way, you don't have to worry about forgetting them due to the stress of managing the time. Also make sure if you know any key statistics (like in 18XX the South exported XX pounds of cotton while in 18XX they exported XX pounds) write them down so you dont have to waste time later trying to remember them! keep in mind that you don't have much time so do anything you can to save yourself time. Don't worry about the conclusion as graders typically know you are running out of time. Try to focus key facts first and make sure you ELABORATE on everything! i think too many students assume that the graders know what you're talking about but the graders really want to see what you know! Lastly, don't stress about the essay! before you write it take a deep breath and close your eyes for a few seconds just to relax! your mind doesn't work as well when it's stressed out! good luck on raising your grade with essays! if u need any practice prompts let me know. My APUSH teacher gave us ALOT of essay prompts and we have to do plans for them so feel free to ask for anythign!
Thanks! I usually write down points I want to mention, but I guess I just don't elaborate enough. What about if you're not sure about a fact or point and you don't have many other facts to back up your point? How would you approach that then? I would really appreciate it if you could send some practice prompts, if it wouldn't be too much trouble to you.
"If electricity comes from electrons, does morality come from morons?"
if you aren't sure about certain facts, i would still put it down especially since AP does not take off points for wrong answers (unless it's something COMPLETELY off like Lincoln was responsible for the embarge of 1807 or something that will make you look stupid haha). If you aren't sure about names of acts or agencies you can just generalize on their functions. For example, if you forgot the TVA (tennesse Valley Agency) you can just put FDR often created agencies that were in charge of regional planning which were responsible for lowering the prices of public goods like electricity in a region. That works just as well as stating TVA then elaborating on it. Remember your main goal in your essay is to sound smart and to include as many facts as possible. If your debating whether an idea fit or not, put it in! you never know what AP might give credit too.
Here's 5 essay prompts for my class's Unit 5 (topics are steps leading up to Civil War, Lincoln and Reconstruction)
1. Why did the South support slavery? What arguments did they put forward in defense of the institution? What arguments in favor of the abolition of slavery were put forward by the abolitionists?
2. Explain why the Missouri Compromise, the Compromise of 1850, and the Kansas-Nebraska Act all failed to successfully solve the issue of slavery?
3. What caused the American Civil War?
4. To what extent can Abraham Lincoln be considered a racist?
5. Was Radical Reconstruction a success of failure?
I'll post more later! let me know if u need help answer any of them. i can probably sent you some notes on it. i probably can't do it this weekend cuz im going out of town for a FBLA competition but ill get you info (if you need it) as soon as i can