AP USA HISTORY
(SECONDARY)
SELECTIVE UNIT 3 (S03)
(Essay Writing in AP USA History)
(July 2015)
Unit Statement: The student will practice necessary skills for writing historical essays. Each essential unit involves the construction of either a Document Based Question (DBQ) and/or a long essay. This unit will complement the essential units by requiring heavy emphasis on historical writing.
Essential Outcomes: (must be assessed for mastery)
1. The Student Will assess student sample essays provided by the AP College Board.
2. TSW analyze and synthesize historical data. (AP Course Outline: The AP USA History Exam)
3. TSW assess verbal, quantitative, or visual materials as historical evidence. (AP Course Outline: The AP USA History Exam)
4. TSW formulate thesis statements and support them with relevant evidence. (AP Course Outline: The AP USA History Exam)
5. TSW explain and analyze significant issues in US History. (AP Course Outline: The AP USA History Exam)
6. TSW construct several five-paragraph essays on various significant historical issues in USA History.
7. TSW assess and peer edit essays.
8. TSW discuss and reflect on the improvement of their essay.
9. TSW rewrite essays based on improvements suggested by peer-edits, discussion, and reflection.
Suggested Materials:
AP USA History Course and Exam Description 2014
America’s History AP Edition: pages xxxviii-li
Technology Links:
WebPath Express (found in school library)
https://advancesinap.collegeboard.org/english-history-and-social-science/us-history
The AP College Board website provides a plethora of resources for the AP US History exam. These resources include lesson plans, documents, practice questions and student samples and scores for essay writing.
Suggested Assessment Tools and Strategies:
1. Grade student essays provided by the AP College Board; compare grades assigned by the student to those assigned by the AP readers.
2. Practice writing thesis statements.
3. Construct answers to Document Based Questions
4. Construct answers to long essay questions; especially with continuity and change over time in and among the AP themes.
AP USA HISTORY
Suggested Selective Unit 3 (S03) Rubric:
Name ______Class______Date ______
· All TSW’s must be mastered for a ‘B’.
· 3 of 6 ‘A’-level blocks should be met for an ‘A’.
· Teachers may choose to use their own rubrics; however, all TSW’s must be assessed.
The Student Will / ‘A’-Level / ‘B’-Level / Notes1. Assess student sample essays provided by the AP College Board. / Assess student sample essays provided by the AP College Board.
2. Analyze and synthesize historical data. / Analyze and synthesize historical data; offering original insight and/or a number of specific details. / Analyze and synthesize historical
data; offering general ideas
formulated by the instructor or
textbook.
3. Assess verbal, quantitative, or visual materials as historical evidence. / Assess verbal, quantitative, or visual materials as historical evidence; offering original insight and/or a number of specific details. / Assess verbal, quantitative, or
visual materials as historical
evidence; offering general ideas formulated by the instructor or textbook.
4. Formulate thesis statements and support them with relevant evidence. / In the thesis statements, the student creates an analytical statement in response to the essay prompt. / In the thesis statements, the student simply restates the essay prompt.
5. Explain and analyze significant issues in US History. / Explain and analyze significant issues in USA History; offering original insight and/or a number of specific details. / Explain and analyze significant
issues in USA History; offering
general ideas formulated by the
instructor or textbook.
6. Construct several five-paragraph essays on various significant historical issues in US History. / Construct several well developed and analytical five-paragraph essays on various significant historical issues in US History. / Construct several five-paragraph
essays on various significant
historical issues in US
History.
7. Assess and peer edit essays. / Assess and peer edit essays.
8. Discuss and reflect on the improvement of their essay. / Discuss and reflect on the improvement of their essay.
9. Rewrite essays based on improvements suggested by peer-edits, discussion, and reflection. / Effectively rewrite essays evidently based on improvements suggested by peer-edits, discussion, and reflection. / Rewrite essays based on
improvements suggested by
peer-edits, discussion, and
reflection.
AP USA HISTORY
Rubric for a Document Based Questions (DBQ)
Name:
BASIC CORE (competence) / 0-7 Points1. Has acceptable thesis / 1 Point
2. Understands the basic meaning of documents.
(May misinterpret one document.) / 1 Point
3. Supports thesis with appropriate evidence from all documents. / 2 Points
(Supports thesis with appropriate evidence from all but one document) / (1 Point)
4. Analyzes point of view in all or all but one of the documents / 1 Point
5. Analyzes documents by grouping them in two or three ways, depending on the question / 1 Point
6. Identifies and explains the need for one type of appropriate additional document or source / 1 Point
Subtotal / /7 Points
EXPANDED CORE (excellence)
(Historical skills and knowledge required to show excellence)
Expands beyond basic core of 1-7 points. A student must earn 7 points in the basic core area before earning points in the expanded core area.
Examples:
· Has a clear, analytical, and comprehensive thesis
· Shows careful and insightful analysis of the documents
· Uses documents persuasively as evidence
· Analyzes point of view in most or all documents
· Analyzes the documents in additional ways - groupings, comparisons, syntheses
· Brings in relevant "outside" historical content
· Explains why additional types of document(s) or sources are needed / 0-2 Points
Subtotal / /2 Points
TOTAL / /9 Points
AP USA HISTORY
Rubric for a Comparative Historical Essay
Name______
BASIC CORE (competence)(Historical skills and knowledge required to show competence) / 0-7 Points
1. Has acceptable thesis
(Addresses comparison of the issues or themes specified) / 1 Point
2. Addresses all parts of the question, though not necessarily evenly or thoroughly / 2 Points
(Addresses most parts of the question: for example, deals with differences but not similarities) / (1 Point)
3. Substantiates thesis with appropriate historical evidence / 2 Points
(Partially substantiates thesis with appropriate historical evidence) / (1 Point)
4. Makes at least one or two relevant, direct comparisons between or among societies / 1 Point
5. Analyzes at least one reason for a similarity or difference identified in a direct comparison / 1 Point
Subtotal / /7 Points
EXPANDED CORE (excellence)
(Historical skills and knowledge required to show excellence)
Expands beyond basic core of 1-7 points. A student must earn 7 points in the basic core area before earning points in the expanded core area.
Examples:
· Has a clear, analytical, and comprehensive thesis
· Addresses all parts of the question (as relevant): comparisons, chronology, causation, connections, themes, interactions, content
· Provides ample historical evidence to substantiate thesis
· Relates comparisons to larger global context
· Makes several direct comparisons consistently between or among societies
· Consistently analyzes the causes and effects of relevant similarities and differences / 0-2 Points
Subtotal / /2 Points
TOTAL / /9 Points
AP USA HISTORY
Rubric for a Continuity and Change Over Time Essay
Name______
BASIC CORE (competence)(Historical skills and knowledge required to show competence) / 0-7 Points
1. Has acceptable thesis
(Addresses global issues and the time period(s) specified) / 1 Point
2. Addresses all parts of the question, though not necessarily evenly or thoroughly / 2 Points
(Addresses most parts of the question: for example, addresses change but not continuity) / (1 Point)
3. Substantiates thesis with appropriate historical evidence / 2 Points
(Partially substantiates thesis with appropriate historical evidence) / (1 Point)
4. Uses relevant world historical context effectively to explain change over time and/or continuity / 1 Point
5. Analyzes the process of change over time and/or continuity / 1 Point
Subtotal / /7 Points
EXPANDED CORE (excellence)
(Historical skills and knowledge required to show excellence)
Expands beyond basic core of 1-7 points. A student must earn 7 points in the basic core area before earning points in the expanded core area.
Examples:
· Has a clear, analytical, and comprehensive thesis
· Analyzes all issues of the question (as relevant): global context, chronology, causation, change, continuity, effects, content
· Addresses all parts of the question evenly
· Provides ample historical evidence to substantiate thesis
· Provides links with relevant ideas, events, trends in an innovative way / 0-2 Points
Subtotal / /2 Points
TOTAL / /9 Points
94
QSI AP USA HISTORY SEC S03
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