Document Based Question Advanced Placement United States History Essay Women

The other essays, known as free response questions, allow students to demonstrate written mastery of historical events and interpretations, to examine common themes in different historical periods, to compare individuals or group experiences in the development of the United States, and to connect literary and cultural developments with larger issues in American history (A Student Guide 1992).Transformation of the Essay Portion of the Test The AP United States history program has not only grown dramatically over the years, it has also changed considerably.

Tags: How Long Should A College Essay Introduction BeCornell Dissertation LibraryOutspoken EssaysEssay Environmental Protection Conservation EcosystemCharacteristics Of Good Leader EssayCreative Writing For Class 1Compare Office 365 Business PlansEssays Child Development ObservationHistorical Research Paper Sample

Students must understand relationships between historical facts, evaluate primary documents, and write analytical essays to be successful on the test.The College Board appoints a committee of examiners made up of three college-level and three secondary-level teachers to construct the examination, which has two sections: an essay portion and a multiple choice portion.Since 1973, one of the essay questions has been a Document-Based Question (DBQ) that requires students to analyze and use primary sources as they answer the question.In recent years, the essays and the multiple-choice section have had equal value.Until 1973, students answered three free response essays.No part of the test has undergone more dramatic transformation than the essay portion.From the mid-1950s through 1982, the essay section had 75 percent of the examination's value.Henry Since its inception in 1956, the Advanced Placement (AP) United States history program has grown from an examination given to 207 students (Rothschild 1991) to 105,806 students in 1992 (AP Year-Book 1992).Over almost four decades, the examination program has expanded from an option limited mainly to twelfth graders in private schools to a broad-based testing opportunity primarily for eleventh grade, public school students (AP Year-Book 1992).That year, however, the committee of examiners introduced the Document-Based Questions, and students were required to answer the DBQ along with one or two free-response questions on the essay section of the exam (Henry 1986).Although most AP United States history teachers have access to the essays after each year's test, no one until now has made a longitudinal study of the essays and examined their evolution over the years.