Official 2011 AP US History Thread!

Test Preparation AP History & Social Sciences
541

Is length really important?
2 essays
35 mins per essay
5 mins prep per essay</p>

That leaves 30 mins per essay, almost like writing the SAT essay. My plan for tomorrow is to write short 1.5 to 2 page essays full of specific details related to the question. I have tried hand-writing long essays in short intervals and i simply cannot write a 3 page coherent response in 30 mins. </p>

Btw what do you guys think about this approach?</p>

<ol>
<li>Identify all parts of the question</li>
<li>gather key terms/dates/people/etc</li>
<li>group terms/dates/people so that it answers the question</li>
<li>write a thesis for my essay that addresses all parts of the question</li>
<li>body paragraphs to back up my thesis</li>
</ol>

Body paragraph “formula”:

  1. Topic sentence (obviously)
  2. Context of the evidence
  3. Evidence itself
  4. How it relates to topic sentence/addresses the question</p>

thoughts?</p>

542

exactly… my answer doc is definitely fked… gah</p>

543

<ol>
<li>The Supreme Court decision in Plessy v. Ferguson did which of the following?</p>

<ol>
<li>Denounced business combinations in restraint of trade</li>
<li>Declared that the Fourteenth Amendment applied principally to the protection of corporations</li>
<li>Sanctioned separate but equal public facilities for African Americans</li>
<li>Defined the Constitution as color blind</li>
<li>Empowered Congress to cancel treaties with American Indian tribes unilaterally</li>
</ol></li>
</ol>

The awnser is #2, WHY? wouldn’t it be #3?</p>

this was on an official 2002 ap us exam.</p>

544

It is number 3, we just had this discussion, lol.</p>

545

Wait, do they seriously give you extra points if you put in a random pop culture phenomenon like “The rent is too damn high!” or referencing Rebecca Black, or are you guys just fking around?</p>

546

It’s “Gotta get down on Friday” this year, LOL. But you don’t get extra points for it, I dont think. You’re supposed to cross it out, but with only one line so the grader can still read it.</p>

547

1.for free response questions are we supposed to do 5 paragraph essays? or just rant? not the DBQ that is but the other 2 essays.
2. does the proctor tell you when to stop? like for FR, they will call time 3 times?
3.pen or pencil?</p>

548

What’s the point in mentioning the pop culture reference? Can someone explain this to me?</p>

I haven’t really been keeping up with the discussion in this thread, haha</p>

549

<ol>
<li>5 paragraph</li>
<li>i dont think so</li>
<li>BLUE OR BLACK PEN</li>
</ol>

550

@swag it’s just a joke! last year i forgot what it was, but two years ago it was WHY SO SERIOUS?! haha</p>

551

It is like a prank and it definitely cheers up the AP graders, but they won’t give you extra points.</p>

552

it does NOT need to be five paragraphs.</p>

i’ve written 4 paragraphs all year and have gotten 6-8s. just make sure you provide enough detail and analysis.</p>

553

What happens if I look at the FRQ prompt and can’t think of ANYTHING? D:</p>

554

My exact fear, natalie :(</p>

555

Haha so should I just throw “Gotta get down on Friday” in there?</p>

Just randomly? Haha, of course I’ll put a single line through it, but the idea of this on something as serious as the AP Exam, it’s just funny to me.</p>

556

)))): that’s the olny thing i’m worried about! i NEVER remember what to write. ever. /:</p>

557

and yepp do it! LOL i am! kinda exciting, not gonna lie. :D</p>

558

That happened to me way to many times throughout the year, Natalie… :/</p>

But yeah, I’m definitely gonna throw that in randomly during my DBQ now, haha</p>

559

You get a choice between two, so just pick the one that you can BS the most.</p>

@Swag - That is exactly the point.</p>

560

Crap. ): Okayy! Haha i wonder if i can pull off an 80 on MC, and then get like 5s on my wriitng :D</p>