FRQ+help

=**The following are resources to help you with your writing:**=

All of the writen component of the AP test is considered Free Response Questions - that is to say, there is no one correct answer.


 * The Document Based Question (DBQ)** comes first. It has has 8-9 documents related to the question, and generally covers a broad unit.


 * The Free Response Questions (FRQs)** come in two groups. There are no documents to aid in answering the question. The topics are more narrow - such as the financial policies of Alexander Hamilton.

Q1 = the DBQ Q2 & Q3 (choose 1) = FRQ topics from the timeperiod up to and including the Civil War. Q4 & Q5 (choose 1) = FRQ topics from the Civil War to 1980.
 * Order:**

FRQ advice - ready made theses (Scan AP Achiever p.xiii) Writing a successful essay (Princeton Review, Cracking the AP US History Exam, Chapter 4) - Three good points - The Chronological Argument - Similiarities and Differences - The "Straw Dog" Argument - keep sentences as simple as possible - long, convoluted, confusing sentences give graders a headache - throw in a few big words - write clearly and neatly - define your terms - use transition words to show where you are going - try to prove one "big picture" idea per paragraph - back up your idea with examples - make sure your first and last paragraphs directly address the prompt
 * 4 Types of essays:**
 * Useful guidelines:**

Deciding what position to argue (AP Amsco p 72-3) Organizing the information (Ap Amsco p160-2) Writing the introduction and conclusion (AP Amsco 258-259) Making Use of the Documents (AP Amsco 350) Building Blocks for a DBQ on Expansionism (AP Amsco p239)