Steps to Writing a Perfect Essay:
- Read the prompt carefully. Highlight and annotate all the parts of the prompt and what is expected of you for the essay/DBQ/short answer.
- Re-read the prompt to be sure you know what is expected of you. If at home, look up any terms in the prompt you do not understand.
- Start your essay Part I: Set the stage. What is happening in the world at this time; in this place? How does this relate to the prompt and/or your main argument? Make a connection. Also tell us what happened immediately prior to this in history, for example. This is called contextualization.
- Start your essay (Part II) as if you were presenting a legal case to the “jury” with your overall interpretation of the evidence. This is your thesis statement. It is a roadmap to your essay. The parts of your thesis statement correspond directly with your body paragraphs.
- Make sure your thesis directly answers the prompt and does not just merely restate the prompt.
- Establish the topic of your body paragraphs, working CLOSELY with your thesis statement. Begin writing the body paragraphs with a topic sentence for each one.
- Provide evidence (or facts) to support your arguments (thesis statement parts). Do you have facts that support an alternate theory?
- After you have provided evidence for EACH BODY PARAGRAPH, you must interpret those facts and show their relationship to your arguments (claims/parts of your thesis). We call this “reasoning” or “analysis”. It is just as important as all other steps above. You are explaining how the evidence is related to the facts presented in the prompt and thesis. Make sure your reasoning does NOT leave the reader asking “so what?” Make comparisons if appropriate. Discuss cause and effect if appropriate. Discuss changes that occurred over time in relation to the the topic if appropriate.
- Explain where the evidence took you in your final summation. We call this the conclusion. Rewrite your thesis statement in a new way. Use synonyms. Wrap up any loose ends. Tie your argument to similar historical events. Do NOT reverse your argument (IF you are doing a counter-claim, remember, it is just an acknowledgement, NOT a reversal). No surprise endings!
- Always do an outline first. THEN BEGIN!
- Throughout the entire essay, NEVER use personal or vague pronouns like “I”, “we”, “they”, “our”.
A POV statement is two to three sentences that analyze the point of view of a document. Select a document that may contain bias. Maps, charts, and other "tertiary" sources are not good for POV. Use the acronym "ATM" to guide your statement.
A= author
T= tone
M= motive (or bias)
Example: This early 14th century letter was written by Pablo de ilRichoo of Italy. In his somber letter home to his family in Rome, de ilRichoo describes the gruesome death and disease that has swept through his village thanks to the Plague. Having lost his wife to the Plague, ilRichoo seems resentful to whomever or whatever is responsible for the disease. This resentment might cause him to accuse innocent people.
WHAP Review Resources & Websites:
- Smartphone App: "I Score 5" (cost $4.00)
- freerice.com
- https://apstudent.collegeboard.org/home
- Worldpopulationhistory.org
- Awesome comic book series: "Cartoon History of the Universe"
- A more feminist view of history: "Uppity Women"
Defining Vocabulary for Honors Students
When defining vocabulary from online resources, be careful! Make sure you are not looking at a definition that is out of context. Use the textbook first and foremost. Wikipedia, while tempting, is sometimes not within the context of our class. Most of the time, you need to read deeper into the article and make your own definition based on everything you've read. BEWARE of sites like Quizlet. Remember that students create those lists. Do you trust some random student on the internet? What if that kid's a total slacker? :)
If you do not have access to the textbook to define vocabulary, try:
1) The Glossary section of World History For Us All
2) Encyclopedia Britannica.
3) Oxford world history reference
Guidelines for Writing a Basic* (and Proper) Thesis Statement
1) Most thesis statements are 3 parts. These parts align with the topics of your three body paragraphs. If there are not 3 discernible parts to your statement, you are doing it incorrectly. Separate each part with a common and an "and" between parts 2 and 3.
2) Most thesis statements re-state part of the prompt or question in some way. (It doesn't need to be word-for-word. In fact, sometimes word-for-word sounds awkward.)
3) In Ms. Rogers class, we aim to make our thesis statements JUST ONE SENTENCE. You can add more to your introductory paragraph. Thesis statements, however, are within your introduction and are exceptionally clear and concise.
4) Good thesis statements use parallel structure...meaning, each part of the statement is worded similarly and the same verb tense is used.
5) Do not use words like "they" or "it". Those words are too vague when aiming for the clarity and concision that a thesis statement must present.
Sample thesis statement: AACT is the best school in northern Nevada because of its accessible faculty, diverse student body, and award-winning CTE programs.
Sample COMPARE & CONTRAST thesis statement: Although AACT and Wooster high school are similar because they both have robust academic programs, they are nevertheless quite different due to the fact that only one is a magnet school, and the fact that their student populations are so dissimilar.
*These tips are generic tips that can be applied to almost all thesis statements in any class. However, some AP classes, such as AP U.S. history and AP English have more specific and unique requirements. Regardless, these good habits can be easily modified for a perfect AP thesis, too.