ALWAYS USE BLACK PEN ON WRITING ASSIGNMENTS!
Section II, Part B of the AP Exam consists of a choice among three long essay questions from different time spans of the course.
Students choose from the 3 long essay questions.
Students must develop an argument and support it with an analysis of specific, relevant historical evidence of their choosing.
Long essay questions ask about large-scale topics specifically mentioned in the concept outline, but they are framed to allow students to provide in-depth discussion of specific examples drawn from the concept outline or from classroom instruction.
Contextualization will be a skill that is used in each essay.
Comparison, Causation, & Continuity and Change Over Time are reasoning skills for our essays. However, we often use those historical reasoning skills in Multiple Choice format and also even on the Document-Based Question and Short Answer Questions.
LONG ESSAY QUESTION - RUBRIC
LEQ COMPARISON: 2016 ATLANTIC REVOLUTIONS
LEQ COMPARISON: 2015 LABOR SYSTEMS
LEQ COMPARISON: 2017 MIGRATION & LABOR SYSTEMS
LEQ COMPARISON: 2018 COLUMBIAN EXCHANGE
Don't be like SpongeBob
Tips on Writing Thesis Statements
Examples of LEQ Comparison - 6 Glasses
HOW TO STRUCTURE THE LEQ
LEQ Organizer
2012 LEQ Comparative Columbian Exchange
2009 LEQ Comparative: Racial Ideologies
CONTEXTUALIZATION: Describes a broader historical context relevant to the prompt.
2004 LEQ - CCOT - LABOR SYSTEMS
2010 LEQ Comparative - Racial Ideologies
LEQ Comparative Prompt - 1st Timed-Writing
History of the World in Six Glasses
LEQ #2 - 2014/2015 Comparative Prompts
2015 - LEQ - Comparative - Trading Networks
2014 - LEQ - Comparative - Religion & Politics
In essence, the FRQ in history is a "Law & Order" exercise.
1st Step: Investigate the prompt (question).
Investigate a crime (murder).
2nd: Gather & analyze evidence then ask questions about what prior knowledge you have about the prompt.
Gather & analyze evidence then ask questions of witnesses, relatives/friends, & persons of interest.
3rd: Identify the answer to the prompt & form a thesis (answer) for the prompt.
Identify the criminal who did the crime & form a motive for the crime.
4th: Organize the evidence, consider point of view, begin to plan a basic outlined approach to build a convincing solution.
Organize the evidence, interview witnesses, work with the court to prepare for trial.
5th: Introduction and declare your thesis statement: Answer to the question using a brief introduction to the evidence that will be presented in the essay to prove thesis.
In the courtroom, make your opening statement: Murder used weapon in location to kill and give brief motive and explanation of evidence that will prove your assertion correct.
6th: Present the evidence by using a topic sentence and evidence to back it in each paragraph.
Present evidence and call witnesses to verify motive, location, ability to commit the crime, all showing beyond a reasonable doubt that the accused committed the crime.
7th: Conclude your essay by driving your thesis home in a convincing fashion.
Closing statement drives home the opening statement and jury is convinced the accused is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Long essay questions ask about large-scale topics specifically mentioned in the concept outline, but they are framed to allow students to provide in-depth discussion of specific examples drawn from the concept outline or from classroom instruction.
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| 1. Thesis that makes a claim you can defend. 2. Explain historical context. 3. Use one of the historical reasoning skills below. |
Comparison, Causation, & Continuity and Change Over Time are reasoning skills for our essays. However, we often use those historical reasoning skills in Multiple Choice format and also even on the Document-Based Question and Short Answer Questions.
LEQ COMPARISON: 2016 ATLANTIC REVOLUTIONS
LEQ COMPARISON: 2015 LABOR SYSTEMS
LEQ COMPARISON: 2017 MIGRATION & LABOR SYSTEMS
LEQ COMPARISON: 2018 COLUMBIAN EXCHANGE
Don't be like SpongeBob
Tips on Writing Thesis Statements
Examples of LEQ Comparison - 6 Glasses
HOW TO STRUCTURE THE LEQ
LEQ Organizer
2012 LEQ Comparative Columbian Exchange
2009 LEQ Comparative: Racial Ideologies
2004 LEQ - CCOT - LABOR SYSTEMS
2010 LEQ Comparative - Racial Ideologies
LEQ Comparative Prompt - 1st Timed-Writing
History of the World in Six Glasses
LEQ #2 - 2014/2015 Comparative Prompts
2015 - LEQ - Comparative - Trading Networks
2014 - LEQ - Comparative - Religion & Politics
Investigate a crime (murder).
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| The "body" is QuestLove - Drummer & bandleader of The Roots. :) |
Gather & analyze evidence then ask questions of witnesses, relatives/friends, & persons of interest.
3rd: Identify the answer to the prompt & form a thesis (answer) for the prompt.
Identify the criminal who did the crime & form a motive for the crime.
4th: Organize the evidence, consider point of view, begin to plan a basic outlined approach to build a convincing solution.
Organize the evidence, interview witnesses, work with the court to prepare for trial.
5th: Introduction and declare your thesis statement: Answer to the question using a brief introduction to the evidence that will be presented in the essay to prove thesis.
In the courtroom, make your opening statement: Murder used weapon in location to kill and give brief motive and explanation of evidence that will prove your assertion correct.
![]() |
| Just like the opening statement, the thesis is a BIG part of the case. You are telling the jury what you will prove. |
Present evidence and call witnesses to verify motive, location, ability to commit the crime, all showing beyond a reasonable doubt that the accused committed the crime.
![]() |
| While presenting evidence, think "Does this support my thesis?" |
Closing statement drives home the opening statement and jury is convinced the accused is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
![]() |
| Drive home your thesis. Remember to use analysis (the how & why). |
























