Next Step Blog - Resources for Educators

A community-driven blog providing resources for educators, by educators.

AP® Social Studies

High school students having a discussion in a classroom

Deconstructing Historical Discourse: Teaching the Secondary Source SAQ on the AP Exam

Patrick Sprinkle

The Secondary Source Short Answer Question (SAQ) on the AP history exam presents a unique challenge: students must analyze and synthesize historical...

AP® Social Studies AP® Social Studies Exam Prep

A rolled up copy of the United States Constitution sitting on top of the American flag.

Mastering the Essay FRQ on the AP U.S. Government and Politics Exam

Patrick Sprinkle

The argumentative essay question on the AP U.S. Government and Politics exam demands a synthesis of content knowledge, analytical skill, and...

AP® Social Studies AP® Social Studies Exam Prep AP® Government

United States Capitol Building and American flag

Teaching the APUSH Long Essay Question

Patrick Sprinkle

The Long Essay Question (LEQ) on the AP U.S. History exam offers students an opportunity to construct a sophisticated historical argument, supported...

AP® Social Studies AP® Social Studies Exam Prep AP® US History

SCOTUS and the AP Exam: Deconstructing the Supreme Court Question on the AP Government Exam with Cohen v. California

Patrick Sprinkle

You may have heard about the “Irish” Thesis Formula, it is all over the internet, some teachers like it, others hate it, but whatever you think about...

AP® Social Studies AP® Social Studies Exam Prep

Mastering Complex Essays: The "Irish" Thesis Formula Explained

John Irish

You may have heard about the “Irish” Thesis Formula, it is all over the internet, some teachers like it, others hate it, but whatever you think about...

AP® Social Studies AP® Social Studies Exam Prep AP® US History

Bronze start with a number 5 etched into it

Let’s Take a RIDE for a FIVE: APUSH Short Answer Question #1 Analyzed and Explained

John Irish

One of the things that I spent most of my time thinking about, when the redesigned AP U.S. History course went into effect, was how to deal with the...

AP® Social Studies AP® Social Studies Exam Prep AP® US History

two illustrated heads facing away from each other. Strings appear to come out of their heads and attach to each other.

Using Cognitive Science to Facilitate Better Review for the AP Psych Exam

Laura Brandt, M.A. Psychology and U.S. History

Review season is upon us. With preparations for upcoming AP exams, finals, and other year-end assessments principals in cognitive science can help...

AP® Social Studies AP® Social Studies Exam Prep AP® Psychology

Students walking in line across a map of the world

Prep for AP Human Geography Exam: Should my students focus on understanding key terms, geographic skills, or practice questions? Answer: “Yes”

David Palmer

It’s the time of year when teachers and students begin their final push towards preparing for the AP Human Geography exam. Teachers and students...

AP® Social Studies AP® Social Studies Exam Prep AP® Human Geography

Brain image with image of a case of books laid over it

Research as the focus of the AP Psychology Exam

Laura Brandt, M.A. Psychology and U.S. History

This year’s AP Psychology Exam will be the first exam with the new curriculum which focuses intensely on research. Some may wonder about this focus...

AP® Social Studies AP® Social Studies Exam Prep AP® Psychology

AP US History Exam Review with focus on Historical Reasoning Processes

Lou Gallo

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...

AP® Social Studies AP® Social Studies Exam Prep

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Deconstructing Historical Discourse: Teaching the Secondary Source SAQ on the AP Exam

Patrick Sprinkle

The Secondary Source Short Answer Question (SAQ) on the AP history exam presents a unique challenge: students must analyze and synthesize historical interpretations from provided excerpts. This task requires more than simple reading comprehension; it demands critical thinking, contextualization,...

Mastering the Essay FRQ on the AP U.S. Government and Politics Exam

Patrick Sprinkle

The argumentative essay question on the AP U.S. Government and Politics exam demands a synthesis of content knowledge, analytical skill, and persuasive writing. It challenges students to construct a coherent argument, supported by evidence from foundational documents and course concepts, while...

Teaching the APUSH Long Essay Question

Patrick Sprinkle

The Long Essay Question (LEQ) on the AP U.S. History exam offers students an opportunity to construct a sophisticated historical argument, supported by evidence and contextualized within a broader historical narrative. Effectively teaching this component requires a structured approach that...

SCOTUS and the AP Exam: Deconstructing the Supreme Court Question on the AP Government Exam with Cohen v. California

Patrick Sprinkle

You may have heard about the “Irish” Thesis Formula, it is all over the internet, some teachers like it, others hate it, but whatever you think about it, it works as an important strategy for helping students set up a complex essay. The argument against it, it is too complex and asks students to do...

Mastering Complex Essays: The "Irish" Thesis Formula Explained

John Irish

Let’s Take a RIDE for a FIVE: APUSH Short Answer Question #1 Analyzed and Explained

John Irish

One of the things that I spent most of my time thinking about, when the redesigned AP U.S. History course went into effect, was how to deal with the new Short Answer Questions. These were new, we had never seen these before, so how would we approach them and how would I teach them to my students.

Using Cognitive Science to Facilitate Better Review for the AP Psych Exam

Laura Brandt, M.A. Psychology and U.S. History

Review season is upon us. With preparations for upcoming AP exams, finals, and other year-end assessments principals in cognitive science can help students study more efficiently and effectively. This post will explain some of these techniques and contrast them with less effective and more...

Prep for AP Human Geography Exam: Should my students focus on understanding key terms, geographic skills, or practice questions? Answer: “Yes”

David Palmer

It’s the time of year when teachers and students begin their final push towards preparing for the AP Human Geography exam. Teachers and students often ask me, “What should I study?”.

Research as the focus of the AP Psychology Exam

Laura Brandt, M.A. Psychology and U.S. History

This year’s AP Psychology Exam will be the first exam with the new curriculum which focuses intensely on research. Some may wonder about this focus and why students need to know so much about research in both the multiple-choice and free-responses. This post will exam address research in both...

AP US History Exam Review with focus on Historical Reasoning Processes

Lou Gallo

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...

AP® Social Studies

A community-driven blog providing resources for educators, by educators.

AP® Social Studies

Deconstructing Historical Discourse: Teaching the Secondary Source SAQ on the AP Exam

Mastering the Essay FRQ on the AP U.S. Government and Politics Exam

Teaching the APUSH Long Essay Question

SCOTUS and the AP Exam: Deconstructing the Supreme Court Question on the AP Government Exam with Cohen v. California

Mastering Complex Essays: The "Irish" Thesis Formula Explained

Let’s Take a RIDE for a FIVE: APUSH Short Answer Question #1 Analyzed and Explained

Using Cognitive Science to Facilitate Better Review for the AP Psych Exam

Prep for AP Human Geography Exam: Should my students focus on understanding key terms, geographic skills, or practice questions? Answer: “Yes”

Research as the focus of the AP Psychology Exam

AP US History Exam Review with focus on Historical Reasoning Processes

Deconstructing Historical Discourse: Teaching the Secondary Source SAQ on the AP Exam

Mastering the Essay FRQ on the AP U.S. Government and Politics Exam

Teaching the APUSH Long Essay Question

SCOTUS and the AP Exam: Deconstructing the Supreme Court Question on the AP Government Exam with Cohen v. California

Mastering Complex Essays: The "Irish" Thesis Formula Explained

Let’s Take a RIDE for a FIVE: APUSH Short Answer Question #1 Analyzed and Explained

Using Cognitive Science to Facilitate Better Review for the AP Psych Exam

Prep for AP Human Geography Exam: Should my students focus on understanding key terms, geographic skills, or practice questions? Answer: “Yes”

Research as the focus of the AP Psychology Exam

AP US History Exam Review with focus on Historical Reasoning Processes

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