Lesson 1 Understanding the

Essay Prompt

Modified from K Wood, MHS AP U. S. History1

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All AP essays are written in response to an essay “prompt.”

Understanding what this prompt asks you to do is the first

important skill you need to acquire.

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•These notes will be collected.

•You should review these notes before writing on Friday.

Things to bring on Friday:

•ACCESS Sheet for Ch. 3 and 4

•This set of notes

•Black or blue pen

Sample DBQ prompt: How successful was organized labor on

improving the position of workers in the period from 1875 to 1900? Analyze the factors that contributed to the level of success achieved.

Sample free response prompt: Compare and contrast United States

foreign policy after the First World War and after the Second World War. Consider the periods 1919-1928 and 1945-1950.

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The first thing you need to do is to read the WHOLE prompt, every word of it. This is especially true if the prompt is in two sentences like this one…How successful was organized labor in

improving the position of workers in the period from 1875 to 1900? Analyze the factors that contribute to the level of success achieved.

The first mistake that many students make is in reading and answering only part of the prompt.

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Having read the whole prompt, circle or underline the VERBS. These words will give you your task.How successful was organized labor in

improving the position of workers in the period from 1875 to 1900? Analyze the factors that contributed to the level of success achieved.

The impact verb, and thus your task, is in the second sentence: ANALYZE.

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For instance:Compare and contrast United States

foreign policy after the First World War and after the Second World War. Consider the periods 1919-1928 and 1945-1950.

You must compare AND contrast these periods to successful complete the task. Doing only one or the other will lower you score.

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This word will tell you what you are expected to do.

The following is a list of commonly used verbs and explanations for the tasks they indicate. These are verbs the College Board has used recently.

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Analyze Explain how AND why something occurred.

Any question that uses “how” and/or “why” is an analysis question even if the word “analyze” is not in the prompt.

o Assess the Validityo How true is the statement. The statement

doesn’t have to be all true; it can be true in one instance or circumstance and false in another.

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Evaluate Which factor was most important. You usually need to rank several events or factors and specify which is most and which is least.

To what extentThis prompt frequently requires you to specify a cause and effect relationship and then state which causes were more important.

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Compare and ContrastTo do this correctly you need to discuss BOTH similarities AND differences between the two events or periods. It is important to both in a balanced way without shortchanging either.

Discuss or ConsiderThese are frequently used in free response prompts. They should be written as analysis essays.

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Write a prompt, using the tips and the verb phrases, that covers the materials in chapters 3 and 4.

Send it in on Socrative and share it with the class.

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For instance, a recent essay prompt asked students to assess the validity of this statement: “Reform movements in the United States sought to expand democratic ideals.”

Jot down some “democratic ideals” and be prepared to explain how they are democratic. Failing to do so will lower your score.

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If the prompt asks you to discuss reform between 1865 and 1900, you must must include information for the whole time period.

You can help yourself do this by listing information from the last 10 years of the time period in the prompt FIRST, then working backward with your details.

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After you are clear as to your task (analyze, evaluate, etc.) sketch out a quick, informal outline of how you are going to proceed. This is very important to guaranteeing that you cover the whole prompt.

For instance, if you were writing the following prompt …Compare and contrast United States foreign

policy after the First World War and after the Second World War. Consider the periods 1919-1928 and 1945-1950.

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You might jot down a simple outline like this one.

You would list things that were similar in BOTH periods

Then list the differences in BOTH periods

Your essay would then either four body paragraphs as indicated by the circles.

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1919-1928 1945-1950

similarities

differences

OR You might have TWO

longer paragraphs as indicated by the two ovals.

In either case, you would have organized your thinking so that you cover all of the material you need to address in the prompt completely.

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1919-1928 1945-1950

similarities

differences

Read the WHOLE prompt! Mark the VERBS and the

CONJUNCTIONS in the prompt Think about the verb. What, EXACTLY,

are you being asked to do – what is your TASK?

ORGANIZE your thinking BEFORE you being writing.

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