Thesis and Evidence in Essays

The video tutorial provides a comprehensive guide on writing a Long Essay Question (LEQ) for AP exams, applicable to APUSH, AP World, and AP Euro. It covers understanding the prompt, crafting a thesis, contextualization, using evidence, and developing analysis and reasoning. The tutorial emphasizes the importance of marking the time period, historical thinking skills, and categories in the prompt. It also offers strategies for earning points on the rubric, including thesis development, contextualization, evidence usage, and achieving complexity in analysis.

What is the primary challenge of writing an LEQ for AP History exams?

• Managing time effectively

• Understanding the rubric

• Choosing the correct question

• Finding the right documents

When reading the prompt, what is the first thing you should mark?

• The thesis statement

• The time period

• The historical thinking skill

• The categories to write about

Why is it important to mark the historical thinking skill in the prompt?

• To ensure you write in the correct style

• To avoid writing outside the time period

• To choose the right question

• To frame your entire essay

What must a thesis do to earn a point according to the rubric?

• Be historically defensible and establish a line of reasoning

• Be written in the first person

• Summarize the entire essay

• Include a personal opinion

What is the best way to contextualize your thesis?

• Before the period

• Without a specific time frame

• During the period

• After the period

How can you earn two points in the evidence section of the rubric?

• By using evidence from outside the given time period

• By supporting your argument with two pieces of evidence

• By describing two pieces of evidence

• By listing as many pieces of evidence as possible

What should a topic sentence in a paragraph do?

• Provide a counterargument

• Introduce a new argument

• Summarize the entire essay

• Steal from your thesis

What is the first point in the analysis and reasoning section awarded for?

• Historical reasoning

• Length of the essay

• Use of vocabulary

• Complexity

How can you demonstrate complexity in your essay?

• By including personal anecdotes

• By writing a longer essay

• By using at least four pieces of evidence

• By using complex vocabulary

What is a recommended strategy for using evidence in a causation essay?

• Use evidence from unrelated topics

• Use evidence to both support and challenge your argument

• Use evidence only to support your argument

• Use evidence without explanation