Tips for the AP® Gov FRQ

The Free-Response Question (FRQ) portion of the Advanced Placement^® exam provides test takers with the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge on a vast array of topics in a concise manner. In many instances, each bullet can be answered in one to three sentences if students are able to...

AP® Macro: Tying it All Together

Over the years I’ve come to realize that, like any other subject, Macroeconomics is best retained when connections are made. It is for this reason that I find myself consistently connecting the new graphs that we introduce to the ones taught prior—production possibilities curve, business cycle, and...

Cramming (the Right Way) for the AP® Economics Exams

There is less than a month until the AP^® Econ exams. It is crunch time for students—especially those taking multiple AP^®exams. These exams can be a very stressful time for everyone (I am sure you are getting anxious as well). A year’s (or semester’s) worth of work comes down to a few hours in May...

APUSH Exam Prep: Reviewing Key Concepts & Dates

Do you need ideas or extra support helping students review for the AP^® United States History Exam? Join me as I share my content review resources and explain strategies that I've used successfully with my students to prepare for the exam. 

Challenge Accepted! Successful Review for the AP® Human Geography Exam

We are just weeks away from the AP^® Human Geography Exam—wow! As teachers we are nervous, anxious, and hoping that we have done everything we can to support our students. These are normal feelings and should be embraced. Don’t be freaked out or over-stressed— use that nervous energy to motivate you...

Top 5 Tips for the AP® Econ Exams

So, it’s almost time for the AP Economics exams. Hopefully, you have started a countdown. If not, that is step one. You want to remind students (so long as it doesn’t increase their anxiety) how many days of studying there are before the exam.

Students and teachers have worked so hard all year,...

Top Tips for Preparing Students for the AP® Psych FRQ's

The free-response section in the AP Psychology exam contains two seven-point questions that are weighted to account for a third of the overall exam score. One of the questions (or part of one) addresses research methodology and often asks students to distinguish between a correlational study and an...

AP® Euro: Tackling the DBQ

Many teachers consider the Document Based Question (DBQ) of the AP^® European History Exam to be one of the more challenging aspects of the course. Students are faced with a variety of tasks that they must complete in one hour.

Pole Vaulting Your Way Through the DBQ

Teaching a young, eager, and naive student how to write a sophisticated DBQ is like teaching a similarly inexperienced athlete how to successfully clear the bar in a pole vault competition. You wouldn’t set them on the runway with a 12-foot long stick and tell them to go jump....would you?

APUSH: Start Small, Finish Strong—the SAQ

Early in a school year it can be a real challenge to know how to begin teaching students critical skills they need to score on the AP^® U.S. History Exam. I don’t think there is any one right way to begin approaching exam skills with our students, but, personally, I like to begin with something that...