From a practical point of view, argumentation is at the heart of the free response section of the AP exam. This can be particularly difficult with younger students who are taking their first AP history class. Properly organizing and planning essays can help our students to write more effectively and score higher on the exam

This blog post is a lesson that I do in class the week before the AP exam to remind students how to plan, think, and organize essays regardless of the historical reasoning process being assessed.  

Connection to Course Framework and Standards Addressed:

Historical Thinking Skills: Claims and Evidence in Sources and Argumentation

Reasoning Processes: Comparison, Continuity and Change, Causation,

Learning Objective:

1. Review and have students organize three essays based on prompts that reflect each of the reasoning processes assessed on the AP exam.

Class Time: 2 class periods (45–50 minute periods)

Overview: This lesson is focused on reminding students how to organize the LEQ while focusing on reviewing relevant content.

Lesson Plan

OVERVIEW (5 minutes):

• I start by reviewing with the students the three historical reasoning processes (causation, continuity and change over time, and comparison) and having them identify the reasoning process for previous questions since 2019 that have been on the AP US History exam (which can be found on AP Classroom and/or AP Central)
  • We also do a brief overview of how to organize the essays based on the reasoning process (see below).

ESSAY ORGANIZATION REVIEW (10 minutes):

1. Introduction

• Contextualization: Contextualize the prompt to other events during the same time period that are relevant to the prompt.
• Thesis —statement of belief that answers the prompt. It can be one sentence or contiguous multiple sentences. Be sure to use the wording of the prompt.

II-IV. Body Paragraph Structure (number of body paragraphs will vary…2 body paragraphs is perfectly acceptable if you’re using multiple pieces of evidence).

• Topic Sentence that directly links to thesis and/or prompt
• Evidence: Relevant facts—at least two specific examples that substantiate your topic sentence in each paragraph. It is good if you can connect and/or compare the pieces of evidence.
• Concluding/Summative Sentence (directly link to thesis and/or prompt)

1. Conclusion

• Restatement of Thesis
• Connect to another theme in history?????

STUDENTS COLLABORATE (45 minutes–15 minutes for each prompt.):

• Students will have this time to work in groups and plan an essay for each of the following prompts. This also helps us to review basic content and I advise you to create prompts from topics that you’ve not already reviewed. You can also use prompts from AP Classroom/AP Central that have been on the released exams since 2019.
  • Please note that the College Board has not used a comparative prompt on the exam since the 2019 revision (although the Course and Exam Description does state that this is one of the reasoning processes and may be used on the LEQ) so you will not be able to find a comparative prompt  
  • For time purposes, students only have to write a quick thesis and plan the Body of the Paper based on that thesis.
• Essay Prompts
  • Comparison: Evaluate the extent to which the homefront experiences during World War I were different from the homefront experiences during World War II.
  • Causation: Evaluate the relative importance of the factors that led to increased tension between the British government and the colonists during the period 1763-1776.
  • Continuity and Change over Time: Evaluate the extent to which women’s experiences changed from World War I to the present.
• I have each group complete this on a shared google doc that I use as a visual during the Discussion/Reflection

DISCUSSION/REFLECTION (30 minutes-10 minutes for each prompt):

• Whole Class Discussion going over the student responses on their planning
  • We’ll discuss the pros/cons of each approach

POSSIBLE RESPONSES BELOW IN RED

• Note that the number of body paragraphs and the content within vary based on the prompt. Responses do not need to be formulaic and I like these prompts b/c they elicit different essay organization.
• Comparison: Evaluate the extent to which the homefront experiences during World War I were different from the homefront experiences during World War II.

Thesis: Although similar on the surface, the homefront experiences during World War I and World War II were mostly different mainly because the government was more involved during World War II because of the amount of time that the US was at war.

BP 1 supports the thesis: Discusses how government involvement in the economy was more significant during WWII using the War Production Board as evidence.   The paragraph also discusses how rationing during WWI was voluntary compared with compulsory during WWII.

BP 2 supports the thesis: Discusses increased use of technology such as the radio and film for communication and propaganda during WWII.

BP 3 contradicts the thesis by discussing similarities: Discusses the role of women during both wars and that both periods saw a rise in advocacy for women’s rights. The paragraph also discusses similarities in African American experiences during war.

• Causation: Evaluate the relative importance of the factors that led to increased tension between the British government and the colonists during the period 1763-1776.

Thesis: The major factors that led to increased tension between the British government and the colonists during the period 1763-1776 include the end of salutary neglect, increased taxation, and King George III’s actions after he declared the colonies in rebellion.

BP 1 supports the thesis: Discusses how the end of salutary neglect led to increased British control through actions such as the Proclamation Line in 1763 and occupation in Massachusetts in the early 1770s.

BP 2 supports the thesis: Discusses how increased taxation led to colonial resentment. Evidence can include the Stamp Act, Townshend Acts, Tea Acts, etc.

BP 3 supports the thesis: Discusses British actions after Lexington and Concord including the burning of towns and the hiring of the Hessians, known for their brutality.

• Continuity and Change over Time: Evaluate the extent to which women’s experiences changed from World War I to the present.

Thesis: Women’s experiences from World War I to the present have changed to a large extent because women have become more politically involved since World War I and are more involved in the workforce.

BP 1 supports the thesis + discusses both changes and continuities: Discusses the changes in politics starting with voting rights after WWI and the fact that many women serve in high offices including Kamala Harris as VP in 2020 and/or ran for high offices such as Geraldine Ferraro in 1984, Sarah Palin in 2008, and Hillary Clinton in 2016.

• BP 1 also explores continuities discussing that despite the advances mentioned above, the US still has not head a female President and Congress is still mostly made up of males.

BP 2 supports the thesis + discusses changes and continuities: Discusses how women have had more advances in the workplace. Evidence could include women as CEOs, increased average salaries for women, and a higher percentage of women in the workforce.  

• BP2 also explores continuities discussing that despite the advances mentioned above, women on average still make less than men and there are more male CEOs than female CEOs