Funny Frq Responses Ap Us History
Tackling the AP® US History exam is a tough undertaking, but having the best AP® US History tips can help. On the 2019 exam, only 11.8% of students scored a 5. One reason the test seems so difficult is the sheer amount of history you must become deeply familiar with and memorize. There is a ton of information to be gleaned from the AP® US History timeline and its historical eras, many skills to master, and not a whole lot of time to do it all.
We're here to help you ace the APUSH exam. Below, we've provided a comprehensive list of AP® US History tips. You'll find an assortment of AP® US History resources and tips as well as clear breakdowns of AP® US History DBQ examples, practice tests, and more. We can help you supplement your course and ace your exam!
Overall How To Study for AP® US History: 11 Tips for 4s and 5s
1. Create a daily study routine early in the school year
We aren't your parents, and we aren't going to nag you about doing your homework. But you must get an early start on preparing for your APUSH exam. Within the first month of the school year, create flashcards on Quizlet for each unit covered, form study groups with friends, and consult our study modules and take practice exams from the College Board .
There is a lot of information to learn, but it is only daunting if you are trying to learn it all in one night. Get out ahead of the game and start chipping away at it. You will be able to spend more time on each idea and will learn and remember the things you are studying. When you frantically cram for an exam, you usually only remember the stuff for that day.
2. Create a yearly outline of the course
The College Board has provided a breakdown of the entire AP® US History course , and it's a great place to begin thinking about your exam. An outline is beneficial because it breaks the class into nine different periods, ranging from 1491-present. These preset periods make it super easy for you to study chunks of history at a time.
A beneficial thing to do when outlining the course is to write a paragraph summary of each section and then explain how each time period transitioned into the next. These summaries help you establish some continuity in your thinking.
3. Use a giant whiteboard when studying
This is one of our favorite study tips, especially for APUSH, in particular. Whiteboards allow you to think about things on a big picture scale to consider history holistically. Additionally, they work great for group study environments where each student can helm a review over specific periods, concepts, or movements.
When you use a whiteboard to diagram historical ideas, those ideas become ingrained in your visual and auditory memory. A giant whiteboard essentially allows you to "map out" history into a diagram of events and periods, which makes digesting the enormous catalog of historical knowledge more manageable.
4. Study with friends
This is a pretty dangerous game because friends can sometimes be the biggest distraction from studying. But if you do it right, they can also be a huge help! Being able to talk about ideas helps you better understand them. And if there is a part of history that you are just really struggling with, chances are you have a friend who is pretty knowledgeable about it.
Using the whiteboard technique or a course outline can be very effective when studying with friends. Just be sure to pick your friends wisely and don't waste your time together watching funny cat videos on YouTube. Try and meet weekly or bi-weekly to maintain a professional and academic schedule, too.
5. Choose a review book to supplement your studies with
Review books are typically broken into chapters with summaries and review questions at the end of each one. Another great feature of AP® review books is that they usually include test-taking strategies or techniques to succeed. They also, typically, have practice tests included to put those techniques to good use. This review book site outlines which review books to check out if you decide to go old school. If you're looking for the best online AP® US History practice questions, check out our site .
6. Create a study game over historical periods
No matter how interesting (or boring) you may think APUSH is, studying any type of material for a long time can grow very tiresome. Sometimes, you just need to mix things up, and making a game out of it is an excellent way to do so.
A lot of people do Jeopardy-style review for history, and it can work wonders for unit reviews and more. JeopardyLabs lets you make your own jeopardy-style game. You can also create your own game, too. For example, with your study group, go through asking each other various questions, and for every question one of us gets wrong, we have to do three push-ups. Or we win a couple of Skittles for each correct answer. Whatever it takes to mix things up. It can be silly as long as it is effective.
7. Meet with your teacher to discuss difficult periods, concepts, or units
When you find yourself lost, schedule a meeting either before or after school with your teacher. For instance, if you don't quite understand the Gold Standard Act, shoot your teacher an email outlining your difficulties, and your questions. Whatever your challenge may be, inform the teacher before the meeting.
Your teacher teaches the class for a reason, and they are probably not only super knowledgeable but also passionate. Most teachers would be thrilled to give you an extra hand or a piece of advice. They are such an untapped resource that students generally don't take advantage of. If they offer any kind of after-school help or study hours, take the opportunity! It certainly isn't going to hurt, and if anything else, it's always great to be in good graces with your teacher.
8. Watch extra review videos
Crash Course, a YouTube channel, has a series of videos dedicated to helping you understand US History. They are each anywhere between 10-15 minutes long and are great ways to learn. They are quick and entertaining but also incredibly informative. They can serve as a great introduction to a topic or a good summary after you have finished reviewing it. And there are many more videos like these out there.
Besides helping you learn actual information from the course, there are also a lot of videos to help with test-taking strategies. Tom Richey has created a great AP® US History review page here .
9. Make a timeline
This goes along with making a course outline, but this is more about testing yourself than using the course description. Take critical events without looking at their dates, and try to put them in order. Some people use a whiteboard for this or just try to organize flash cards. Basically, this is just a good way of seeing how things fit together. As you make the timeline, try to pay attention to the sequence of events, or any cause and effect relationships that may be at play.
10 . Maintain a journal or log of which eras and periods you find most difficult
Specific units of APUSH are going to be more difficult than others, and those units are going to add up throughout the year. When it comes time to review for the exam, you'll need a clear chart of which units to pay special attention to. So you should maintain a log of which units you will need to return to before the exam. For instance, if you found the Revolutionary War particularly confounding, add that to the log and detail specific moments you simply could not grasp. Acing the exam will be much easier if you know where to focus your studies.
11. Think about history as a series of cause and effect events
Human history is essentially a long series of cause and effect. An entity does something, and then the world faces the impact of that action. The British overtax the colonists, and then the colonists rebel. Japan bombs Pearl Harbor, the US enters WWII, so on and so forth. Understanding this typical pattern will help you grasp American History as a whole, and it will also ground your understanding of the APUSH timeline in a clear, organized pattern.
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AP® US History Multiple Choice: 9 Tips
1. Thoroughly mark up the questions as you read
AP® US History multiple-choice questions are designed to stump you, so you must spend time with each question. One way to unlock these questions so to speak is to mark them up as you read. By this, we mean underline, circle, highlight, or ex out certain parts that stick out to you. You could also create a system in which underlines, circles, highlights, or exes denote a specific thing. For instance, an underline could represent dates, a circle could represent causes, and a highlight could equal effect, so on and so forth.
There are 55 source-based multiple-choice questions and 55 minutes to complete them, so you have a minute per question. This is enough time to read the question and mark them up carefully.
2. Cross out obviously wrong answers
No matter what, you should know that Theodore Roosevelt did not sign the Declaration of Independence. Immediately cross his name off the list of answer choices. This is beneficial because it brings you one step closer to the right answer, and it tells your brain that you are doing something. It is an excellent way to build confidence, which is going to help you score much higher.
The image depicts women in the workplace, constructing what looks like a WWII-era airplane. Notice how answer choice A includes the word "repression." Does this image look like repression? Not really. Cross it out. How about B, the US as a world power? Eh, sort of but not totally. Put a circle next to it as a maybe. C? Limited access to consumer goods? No, definitely not. Cross it out. And D? Wartime mobilization of US society? Well, these are women mobilized during the war. Decide between B and D. Which answer is more true? D.
3. Use context clues to deduce an answer
If you are unsure of an answer, just try to approach it from a logical perspective. You may not know the exact date of a particular event, but when you put that event in the context of other events that you do know the dates for, it can help you narrow down your choices.
For instance, if the question asks you about the nature of the Gettysburg Address, consider the context of American history in which the Address takes place. Think about the Civil War, slavery, state's rights, abolitionism, etc. When you think of history as a giant puzzle that you are trying to put together, you can use all the pieces you know to try and figure out what you don't know.
4. Look for moments in the preceding questions that give you clues and answers
Sometimes history questions on the history exams can actually help answer each other. For instance, say question 5 asks you about the Civil Rights Act of 1964, then question 8 asks you about the general nature of American culture in the mid-60s. You can use the information provided in question 5 to answer 10. Since American History is so expansive and corresponding, you will often find moments of overlap like this throughout the test. Use them to your advantage.
5. Take an educated guess if you're running out of time
Losing points for incorrect answers is a thing of the past, so you might as well take a stab at the ones you don't know. You are counted for how many questions you get correct rather than nicked for ones you miss. However, you don't want to just guess your way through the test. Instead, you want to take your best guess and use all of the skills and techniques you can to narrow down the possible correct answers. But if you get to the point where you just don't know, just give it your best shot.
And to rely on an old cliche, as Wayne Gretzky said, "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take."
6. Pace yourself about one minute per question
There are 55 questions on the multiple-choice section, and it's timed at 55 minutes, we recommend you spend one minute per question. However, there will be some questions you can immediately ace, and then some that will take more time. While this will complicate the one-minute per question rule, keep it in mind as you take the exam.
Moreover, read the question and answers carefully, but don't spend too much time getting hung up on one particular question. If you read it, don't know it, and can't figure it out, move on. It is much better to finish the test and answer all of the questions that you do know rather than get stuck on a question early on and not have time to answer all the latter questions. With a minute per question, use your time wisely.
7. Pay attention to the wording of each question
AP® US History multiple-choice questions are designed to trick you. To ace the exam, you must pay very close attention to the wording. Skimming over a problem can sometimes cause you to misinterpret the question. Don't do that. Make sure that you know if the question is asking, "Which of the following IS " or "Which of the following IS NOT… " That is a huge difference and is going to make for two very different answers. This is such a common and easy mistake to make.
Pay mind to the " all of the above " and the " none of the above " questions. Remember that these questions involve totality. All answer choices must be incorrect or incorrect.
8. Practice using Albert
Practice makes perfect, right? But seriously, there are a ton of resources out there for you to practice your AP® test-taking skills. We offer tons and tons of AP® US History practice exams , study modules , APUSH DBQ examples , and more.
Quizlet also offers plenty of pre-made flashcards that will help you hone your APUSH vocabulary. Preparation and practice will give you a much better idea of what to look for in multiple-choice questions and can guide you in your studying.
9. Use flashcards
Either build flashcards on Quizlet or make them by hand. A crucial step in acing the APUSH exam is to get a firm grasp on vocabulary, key terms, and phrases. Carve out at least 30 minutes per day Monday through Friday, going through the flashcards and memorizing their content. One tip: speak the word and the definition as you go through them. Saying the words and definitions aloud will help you quickly remember terms, and it will train your brain's understanding of vocabulary.
Using flashcards is a great way to study and practice consistently. This tip is especially helpful studying for the multiple-choice section because you can write the information on flashcards in a question form, or use old questions to make your flashcards. They are also really great for last-minute or speedy study sessions because you can cover a large amount of material in a short.
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AP® US History DBQ and Free Response: 9 Tips
1. Directly answer the question posed by the prompt
If we could only give you one piece of advice for your essay questions, it would be just to answer it. You will probably have this said to you repeatedly, and you are probably already tired of hearing it. But the reason people say it so much is because students tend not to do it! It doesn't matter if you have the best-written paper of all time, or include a ton of historical facts if you don't answer the question; you aren't going to get all the points. Before you start outlining your answer or reading through documents, make sure you know what the question is really asking you.
For example, here is a sample question from the 2019 exam:
"1. Evaluate the extent to which the Progressive movement fostered political change in the United States from 1890 to 1920."
The question points you directly toward the 1890-1920 Progressive movement, so your essay needs to address this particular AP® US History era—not FDR, not the Era of Good Feelings, not the '60s. It sounds simple, but it can be easy to spill into unrelated territory when writing these essays.
2. Pay attention to the rubric
The number one priority of a DBQ or FRQ is directly answering the question. Aside from that, you need to know what the AP® test is looking for in your answer. Understanding this rubric gives you a mental checklist to work through as you write your response.
While the AP® US History FRQ rubrics vary from question to question, they do follow a similar logic. The short response essay prompts are graded on a 0-3 score range, where you are awarded points by completing each analytical mini-task the prompt asks of you. The prompts often force you to answer a), b), and c) components related to a historical excerpt or text. Here is an outline of scoring guidelines from the 2019 exam .
The DBQ is evaluated on a 0-7 scale, and it is broken down into four different sections: a) thesis/claim, b) contextualization c) evidence, and d) analysis and reasoning. The thesis section evaluates the strength of your central claim. The contextualization component ensures that you describe a broader historical context relevant to the prompt. The evidence section of the rubric requires that you use the content of at least three documents to address the topic of the prompt. And finally, the analysis and reasoning section evaluates how well you demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of the historical development that is the focus of the prompt.
3. Do not merely summarize but analyze the documents
One common mistake students made during the 2020 exam involved summarizing rather than analyzing the documents. One way to strengthen your analytical skills is to approach the reading like an archaeologist looking to uncover hidden details, meanings, and implications.
As you read, highlight or underline moments that stick out to you—key phrases, vocabulary terms, textual evidence, etc. At the end of the document, write a sentence or two explaining the main idea of the document and which side of the argument it supports. This will be handy for outlining your essay and forcing you to dig deeper into the text, rather than merely restate it.
4. Group and organize the documents using SPICER
One challenge of the AP® US History exam is synthesizing tons of different sources and texts into a cohesive argument. The first step toward managing your sources is to organize them into a tableau based on the topic. This is where SPICER comes in handy.
SPICER is an acronym designed to help you organize historical information. Here is the layout:
- S – Social
- P – Political
- I – Intellectual
- C – Cultural
- E – Economic
- R – Religious
Most historical documents can be categorized into one of these six categories, and jotting off a big "E" or "S" to the side of the paper as you read will help you group and organize your documents into something more manageable.
5. Use at least three documents to support your argument
Since this exam tests your ability to engage critically with historical texts, you must use those texts to pose your argument. You want to make sure you use a lot of the documents and don't force it. We recommend using at least three, and maybe five at the most.
Use the sources in a way that naturally supports your argument. Don't merely throw the documents in randomly just to check them off the list. If you are writing an essay about the New Deal's successes, then use sources that highlight and strengthen your argument. Use the sources as argument boosters.
6. Don't "data dump"
One of the rubric's essential parts is that you need to bring in outside information and evidence to support your answer. However, don't overload the reader with unnecessary information that doesn't fit the context. Just because you know the date of Abraham Lincoln's assassination does not mean you need to throw that into an essay about the first Great Awakening. Keep things in-line and balanced.
7. Be specific when engaging with the documents
The most common problem during the 2019 exam was the lack of ability to demonstrate comprehension of the historical excerpts. Nine times out of ten, this issue stems from ambiguity, when students don't wholly engage with the documents. Instead, students merely summarize or offer wishy-washy statements surrounding analysis.
Here's an example from the 2019 exam of an ambiguous analysis:
"Women did not gain recognition after the Revolution, and they did not change in society."
And here's specific analysis:
"Crane asserted that after the Revolution, women did not receive recognition and their social status did not change, while Zagarri believed that women gained more opportunity, prestige, and a voice in politics and society."
Notice how the latter digs explicitly into the evidence to uncover some sense of factuality surrounding the excerpt, and they demonstrate a complete understanding of the texts.
8. Find a compelling voice by employing a strong vocabulary
This can be tricky because it is all about finding a balance between too formal and not formal enough. You don't want to write like a robot, stating only facts and not expressing any hints of personality, but you also don't want it to be like a letter to a friend.
Of course, avoid "I" and "you" statements. The best way to shape a compelling writing voice is by displaying a strong command of the English language. Consult a US History-based verb sheet and consult blogs about finding your APUSH writing voice to help develop your vocabulary.
9. Take a stand on the topic
Writing AP® US History FRQs is, ultimately, about making an argument and supporting that argument well. When you are writing, it can be easy just to explain both sides of an argument and nothing else. All that does is show your ability to reword information and restate the prompt.
The essay section of the test wants to know how well you can synthesize lots of information into one cohesive argument. To do that, you have to take a side. Don't be overly biased or make unreasonable claims; just use the evidence to support a specific claim rooted in facts. Got it?
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Tips from the Pros: Teachers and Former Students
1. Pay attention in class!
AP® US History is a course that is usually pretty heavy on the lecture side. You won't be able to rely on worksheets or handouts to get by in class. Instead, you will have to pay attention to what the teacher says and take great notes. Even if you don't think you'll ever look at your notes again, it is still worth writing things down because writing helps you remember things.
2. Participate in class discussion
The ultimate way to know that you are fully engaged in class is to be part of a class discussion. APUSH often offers tons of opportunities to get involved, state your opinion, and engage critically with court cases, political decisions, and more.
Teachers usually mix these in with lectures, and it is so important to be involved. It shows the teacher that you care, and it displays a good study ethic. When you get involved and contribute to the discussion, those ideas that you discussed will stick out in your mind. The best way to learn something is by being a part of something.
3. Develop an effective note-taking strategy
Since so much of APUSH class time typically involves lectures, you will need to develop a strong method of taking notes. While you can develop your own way of doing things, one tried and true method is the Cornell note-taking system. This method essentially has you divide the paper into three sections: notes, keywords/comments, and summary. Here's a video that can explain further.
Cornell notes work particularly well for APUSH because they keep information organized and reflective.
4. Keep up with your assigned reading
Chances are, your teacher has a lot of reading for you to do throughout the year. After all, you have over 300 years of American history to traverse. There might not always be quizzes on the reading, but it is SO important that you do it because it will show up on the test. There is no way you can always catch up on an entire year's worth of AP® US History reading, so it is essential to stay on top of things.
5. Form APUSH-related clubs or review groups.
Since APUSH is such a challenging course, teachers and students typically form review groups, history-related clubs, and more. Take them all up! Or start one of your own. Pick an era you find particularly interesting like the Civil War or the '20s and ask a teacher to sponsor a club or review group. It might not seem like the most fun to spend your free time learning about AP® US History, but I promise it is worth it. It is a great way to study and stay up to speed consistently.
6. You can never practice writing too much.
The DBQ and FRQ are pretty consistent topics of concern among APUSH students and for a good reason. They can be pretty tough and are usually obstacles between students and the grade they want. One of the hardest parts of this section is that it involves writing for a long time. Your hand will start to get tired, and you will slowly feel your brain turn to mush as you go. You have to build up a certain kind of stamina for writing long essays, and you can only do that by practicing. There is no shortage of practice questions, and classmates or teachers are usually willing to grade them for you.
7. Plan before you write
Remember that the FRQ section of the APUSH exam tests your ability to engage with history from a critical angle and demonstrate an understanding of a general historical timeline. To achieve this difficult task, create an outline or map of where you intend to take your argument.
In your outline, mark the specific moments of evidence you will use from the texts to support your argument, so when it comes time to write the essay, you will have a complete road map. Planning is essential to scoring a 5.
8. Always ask, "Why do we care?"
Students are conditioned to focus on names and dates instead of causes and results; "Why" gets them to start thinking in depth. Additionally, understanding the big picture behind this history will give purpose to your studies and help you see APUSH coursework from a wide-angle lens. History, in particular, is reliant on the big "why?"
9. Think like a test maker and not a test taker
One approach to scoring a 5 on this test is to approach the test from the creator's perspective. Think about what the AP® question writer might have been looking to test you on when answering each question. Look for tricky phrasing, key words, or giveaway phrases that will help you score big. Understanding this is key to knowing how to answer the question.
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Wrapping Things Up: The Ultimate List of AP® US History Tips
The AP® US History Exam is undoubtedly one of the most challenging AP® tests out there, and there is no way to ace it without adequate preparation. You must get a firm grasp on the AP® US History timeline, eras, DBQ's, and more.
To begin preparing, create a regular study routine and stick to it. Use our AP® US History practice exams , create a study group, perfect your Cornell notes, and more. Participating in a solid array of study methods is the best way to ensure a high score on the exam.
If you made it to this point in the article, good job. You are already on your way to being ready for your APUSH exam. Work hard, use some of our helpful tips and ideas, and you are going to crush it.
Source: https://www.albert.io/blog/ap-us-history-tips/
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