So you can write an essay that actually answers it! The first thing you need to figure out after reading the prompt is What do they want me to do? Action verbs are the key to identifying this in APUSH essays. Find similarities and differences. How much? Then, take a stance! Clarify or interpret an event on the basis of cause and effect. choose evidence that confirms the statement, changes the statement (acknowledges gray area or nuances), or goes against the statement Put things in order of importance. Make a statement and give evidence to prove a point. Provide an answer which considers the causes, extent, or result of a process. Relate events in sequence or to put them in story form. Utilize previously learned information in new situations Identify and explain. Figure out what youll be writing about. 1. Put a box around the Action Verb. Write what you are supposed to do above it. 2. Determine which Historical Thinking Skill you are using and write it near the prompt. 3. Find your categories. What do you need to respond to in the prompt? Write a 1 and a 2 and an A and B above the categories. Make new ones if necessary and label near the prompt. Historical Causation What are the causes of the event and what are the effects? Patterns of Continuity and Change Over Time What has changed? What has remained the same? Periodization: Why do historians choose to organize events into certain blocks of time? Why is this important? What period/era does it fit into? Turning points? Comparison: What are the similarities and differences between the events or historical perspectives given? Analyze the differences between the Spanish settlements in the Southwest and the English colonists in New England in the seventeenth century in terms of politics and religion. Identify & Explain HTS= Comparison 1 2 A B Chunk it into manageable parts. And Identify all parts to be sure you fully answer all parts of the question. What were the politics of the SW? What were the politics of the NE? What was religion like in the SW? What was religion like in the NE? How were they similar? How were they different? How were they similar? How were they different? Get your thoughts in order! Spanish SouthwestNew England Politics Religion Identify