The AP European History Free Response Question

The Free Response Question The FRQ is an essay that must be written in 35

minutes You must write two on the College Board Exam

– On the College Board Exam you will have two groups of three essay prompts. You must choose one essay from each group

of three.– The two FRQs constitute 27.5% of your score on

the College Board Exam. 13.75% each

The essay is scored out of nine. – Ordinarily a 6 out of 9 would be awful, but in APEH a 6 on

an essay puts you right on pace for a 5 on the exam.

Structure of the Essay

The essay consists of an introduction paragraph, body paragraphs, and preferably a concluding paragraph.

The intro establishes your viewpoint and outlines what your body paragraphs will be about in a thesis statement.

The body paragraphs back up your viewpoint and thesis.

The conclusion wraps up the essay, and answers the question “so what?”

Step #1

Read the question multiple times until you understand what you need to do.

Discuss how Renaissance ideas are expressed in the Italian art of the period, referring to specific works and artists

For this presentation we will develop an essay for this prompt and sometimes use other prompts momentarily as examples

Directives of the Question The second step in writing an essay is to see what

action the essay prompt is telling you to do.– Failure to pay attention to these directives will result in a

lower score. Analyze: Break a subject down into parts, assess

the connections between facts, answer how and why– "Analyze the major social and technological changes that

took place in European warfare between 1789 and 1871.“

Assess/Evaluate: Determine the validity of a statement, analyze positives and negatives, form an opinion– “`Luther was both a revolutionary and a conservative.'

Evaluate this statement with respect to Luther's responses to the political and social questions of his day.“

– “Assess the extent to which the Protestant Reformation promoted new expectations about social roles in the sixteenth century. Refer to at least two social groups in your response.”

Directives Compare: Analyze two or more things in order to

show similarities and differences – “Compare and contrast the attitudes of Martin Luther and John

Calvin toward political authority and social order.” Contrast: Examine two or more things in order to

show differences– “Contrast European diplomacy in the periods 1890 to 1914 and

1918 to 1939, respectively. Include in analysis goals, practices, and results.”

Structure of compare/contrast essays– It is important to have your body paragraphs centered on

topics– You do not want to separate the two things being compared

and write separate paragraphs for each.– In the above example your three paragraph topics are already

laid out in the prompt: goals, practices, and results

The Layers of a Question In order to properly answer the essay question you must

break the prompt down and see all of its layers.– Sometimes these things seem obvious, but when students are

rushed to write an essay they will often forget about part of the question and lose points.

– Take the time to underline key phrases and determine what needs to be included into your essay.

“Discuss how Renaissance ideas are expressed in the Italian art of the period, referring to specific works and artists.” – This question asks you to discuss (the same as analyze)– Time period: Renaissance, anything straying from this time

period will not be scored– Location: Italy– The writer must identify “Renaissance ideas” and must show

how these ideas influenced “Italian art” using specific art pieces and artists

The Layers of a Question

“Compare and contrast political liberalism with political conservatism in the first half of the nineteenth century in Europe”

What is the directive? – Compare and contrast

What is the location? – All of Europe

When? – The first half of the nineteenth century

What must you do? – Find similarities and differences between political liberalism and

political conservatism

Brainstorm

After reading and re-reading the question, identifying the directive, and analyzing all the layers of the question, you must brainstorm.

Think of everything that is related to the topic given.– Try to decide what information is relevant to

the question.– Try to think of three subtopics.– Put the relevant information into the subtopics.

Keep your brainstorm organized by creating a T-

chart.

Brainstorm

To categorize information think of PERSIAPoliticalEconomicReligiousSocialIntellectualArtistic Oftentimes these can be used as subtopics.

BrainstormDiscuss how Renaissance ideas are expressed in the Italian art of the period, referring to specific works

and artists

BrainstormHumanism Art reflecting antiquity

• Humanism – increased study of ancient Greek and Roman civilization, rejection of Middle Age thought

• Brunelleschi and Donatello visit Rome, inspired

• Brunelleschi’s dome

• Donatello – David

• Botticelli – mythology, Primavera, Birth of Venus

Emph on individ. portray great indiv. in art

• Power of humanity/individ.

• Rise of Portraiture – Mona Lisa, Ginevra de Benci

• Patrons of art put into art

• Busts,characters

• Michelangelo – David

• Raphael – School of Athens

Secular spirit realistic port. of the world

• Massacio – dev. Of perspective, Tribute Money

• DaVinci – Vitruvian Man, cadavers

• Chiaroscuro, sfumato

Use abbreviations to shorten the time taken on the brainstorm, this example does not use enough abbreviations because I wanted the viewer to understand my notes.

Discuss how Renaissance ideas are expressed in the Italian art of the period, referring to specific works and artists

Timing

The reading and re-reading of the question, analysis of the directive, finding the layers of the question, and brainstorm should take the first five minutes of your essay writing time.– 5/35 total minutes

Writing the essay should take the remaining thirty minutes

The Introduction Paragraph

The introduction paragraph establishes your viewpoint and contains a well-developed thesis.

The first sentence establishes what your essay will be about. – Do not hint at a thesis statement in this

sentence,– DO NOT restate the question.

A good first sentence:– The Italian Renaissance created new ideas that

most visibly manifested themselves in the arts.

Discuss how Renaissance ideas are expressed in the Italian art of the period, referring to specific works and artists

The Thesis The thesis statement follows the first sentence

– It is one or two sentences long. – It fully answers the question and establishes your subtopics (body

paragraph topics).– WITHOUT A STRONG THESIS IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO EARN A GOOD SCORE– Answer the essay prompt that is given to you. Do not bend the prompt

to be what you want it to be. The thesis must fully answer the question

– Because there are generally three body paragraphs the thesis should include three topics.

– The thesis should answer how and why.– The thesis is general, DO NOT INCLUDE SPECIFIC EXAMPLES– An example of a strong thesis:– Renaissance humanism led to the creation of art that reflected the art

of antiquity, and the Renaissance emphasis on the individual led to the rise of art that more accurately portrayed individuals. Furthermore, the Renaissance secular spirit which emphasized life on Earth as opposed to the afterlife led to a greater attempt by artists to realistically portray the world.

Discuss how Renaissance ideas are expressed in the Italian art of the period, referring to specific works and artists

The Introduction Paragraph “Discuss how Renaissance ideas are expressed in

the Italian art of the period, referring to specific works and artists.”

Good example:The Italian Renaissance created new ideas

that most visibly manifested themselves in the arts. Renaissance humanism led to the creation of art that reflected the art of antiquity, and the Renaissance emphasis on the individual led to the rise of art that more accurately portrayed individuals. Furthermore, the Renaissance secular spirit which emphasized life on Earth as opposed to the afterlife led to a greater attempt by artists to realistically portray the world.

A Bad Example “Discuss how Renaissance ideas are expressed in

the Italian art of the period, referring to specific works and artists.”

Renaissance ideas are expressed in the Italian art of the period. These ideas were shown in the art of the day, such as the art of daVinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael.

Why is this a bad example?

The first sentence simply restates the question.

The thesis does not identify Renaissance ideas.

The subtopics named are specific artists, which the question asks to be included somewhere in the essay. However, no correlation is made between the effect of Renaissance ideas on these artists pieces.

Thesis Practice

Analyze the aims, methods, and degree of success of the Catholic Reformation (Counter-Reformation) in the sixteenth century.

The Counter-Reformation in Europe was implemented to halt the Protestant Reformation and build back the power of the Catholic Church through education, clergy reforms, and missionary practice. The Counter-Reformation was successful in saving the integrity of the Roman Catholic Church, but it did not end Protestantism. Protestants had exploited the faults of the Roman Catholic Church, and that was the first thing the counter-reformation dealt with. Good thesis, okay thesis, or bad thesis?

Good thesis: This thesis was part of an essay that earned a nine. According to the college board this is a “clear and analytical thesis that establishes aims (respond to the Protestant Reformation) methods (clarify doctrine, reform abuses) and outcomes (failure to stop Protestantism or unite Europe)”

Read and re-read the question, look at the directive, break down the layers then read the thesis and decide if it fully answers the question.

Thesis Practice Analyze the aims, methods, and degree of success of the

Catholic Reformation (Counter-Reformation) in the sixteenth century.

In response to the growing Protestant Reformation the Catholic Church used methods such as religious orders to greatly salvage and further the image of the Church.Good thesis, okay thesis, bad thesis?

Bad thesis: This essay went on to receive a two. “The thesis is weak”. Aims stated=to greatly salvage and further the image of the church. This is an incoherent statement. Methods=the church used methods such as religious orders. Degree of success=not mentioned.

Thesis Practice Evaluate the changes and continuities in women’s public

roles during the Renaissance.

During the Renaissance the role of women in society changed from a domestic one to a somewhat influential one. Many of the changes came about due to the change of society at that time. Women became avid supporters of the arts, they also became educated under the humanist movement and some even became influential on a grand scale such as Catherine de Medici.

Good thesis, okay thesis, or bad thesis?

Okay thesis: This essay went on to receive a five. The thesis focuses on the changes public roles of women. However, it misses half the question because it does not evaluate continuities in women’s public roles.

Thesis Practice Analyze how Galileo, Descartes, and Newton altered

traditional interpretations of nature and challenged traditional sources of knowledge.

The Scientific Revolution brought about new ways of viewing the natural world. Three men who challenged traditional interpretations of nature and knowledge were Galileo, Descartes, and Newton. These three men did so through observations and innovations.

Good thesis, okay thesis, bad thesis?

Bad thesis: This essay went on to get a three. The thesis is awful. The author simply repeats the question and does not add his own thoughts except for his vague comment on “observations and innovations”

Thesis Practice Using examples from at least two different states, analyze

the key features of the “new monarchies” and the factors responsible for their rise in the period 1450 to 1550.

Key features of the development of new monarchies from 1450-1550 included pacification of the nobility, control of the church, increase in trade and economic prosperity, as seen in the 15th and 16th century English and Spanish monarchies.Good thesis, okay thesis, bad thesis?

Good thesis: this essay went on to receive a nine. The thesis fully answers the question by identifying features of the monarchies that led to their rise (pacification of the nobility, control of the church, increase in trade and economic prosperity) and by naming two different states (England and Spain).