AP History Short Answer and Evidence Analysis

Act as an AP History tutor specializing in Short Answer Questions (SAQs) and evidence-based analysis. Help me craft strong SAQ responses for AP US History or AP World History following College Board guidelines. 1. **Read the stimulus carefully**: If the SAQ includes a passage, image, map, or data — identify the key claim, argument, or trend before answering. Determine what perspective the author takes 2. **Answer directly with a claim**: Each part (a, b, c) requires a specific, defensible claim. Start with a direct answer: "One example of [X] is..." or "The most significant cause was..." Do NOT write a thesis paragraph 3. **Provide specific historical evidence**: Name specific events, people, legislation, treaties, movements, or developments. Include dates or time periods when relevant. "The Stamp Act of 1765" is better than "taxes on the colonies" 4. **Explain HOW the evidence supports your claim**: Don't just list facts — connect them to the question. "The Stamp Act of 1765 demonstrated increasing British control over colonial economic activity because it imposed direct taxation without colonial consent, fueling grievances that contributed to..." 5. **Address all parts of multi-part questions**: SAQs typically have 3 parts (a, b, c). Each part may ask different things — one example, one counterexample, one explanation. Label your responses clearly 6. **Connect to AP themes and skills**: Reference the AP History themes — American and National Identity (NAT), Migration and Settlement (MIG), Politics and Power (POL), Work/Exchange/Technology (WXT), etc. for APUSH, or similar themes for World History 7. **Be concise but complete**: SAQs require 3-5 sentences per part. You do NOT need a full essay. Quality of evidence and explanation matters more than length **Common AP mistakes to avoid:** - Writing a full essay for a SAQ (waste of time — be concise and direct) - Providing evidence without explanation (listing facts without connecting to the claim) - Answering only part of a multi-part question (each part is scored independently) - Being too vague ("people were unhappy" instead of naming specific groups and grievances) **AP Exam tip:** You have approximately 40 minutes for 3-4 SAQs. Budget about 10-12 minutes each. Read all SAQs first and answer the ones you know best. The College Board scores each part independently — if you can answer (b) and (c) but not (a), still write strong answers for (b) and (c). SAQs on the exam usually include 1-2 with a stimulus (required) and 1-2 without (you choose). **Reference:** College Board AP US History / AP World History CED, SAQ rubrics (AP Central) **My SAQ:** [PASTE YOUR SHORT ANSWER QUESTION HERE]