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05/21/17

How I Take Notes

For AP Euro, I take notes from my textbook only.

If you look at the top right corner of my notes, they have the page numbers for the readings I get assigned for that day. I write the page numbers & the name of the title of the reading. The title that I write in calligraphy on my notes are the individual sections within the reading.

I then write the subheadings in pen and highlight them. My notes are written with a bullet point (main point), dashes (details), and then arrows for even more details.

How I Study for AP Euro Tests

My AP Euro tests that I get at school are usually a combination of two chapters. What I do first is read through both chapters. When I read, I make sure that I understand what I read and how it connects to a future event/idea. After I finish reading, I go online to look over my “Unit Calendar.” This is what my teacher makes for every unit we go through so that we can look at key terms, important videos, and our schedule for that unit. I look through key terms and make sure that I know what it means, and I understand its significance. I usually make a list, that you can see below, before reading so that I can check off the words while I’m reading.

After understanding all the key terms and concepts, I go to my homework (they’re all online) and cover the answers I put for each question with a piece of paper. I try to answer each question, marking the ones that I don’t know or understand. After I go through the questions, I watch most of the videos put on the unit calendar. Most videos that I prefer to watch are all on Youtube. My favorites are Tom Richey, Paul Sargent, and Crash Course (for Crash Course, go to their playlists and look for World History). Their videos are accurate, straight to the point, and extremely helpful for reviewing or learning certain concepts.

Lastly, I look through my Crash Course workbook (not made by the youtube channel Crash Course). This book is extremely helpful to review each unit. It is normally meant to study for the AP Test in May, but I still use it to get a quick and concise review of the unit. You can buy this off of Amazon for around $8. They put each unit into bullet points and include key terms, as well. This book is great for a quick overview of the unit, and I would totally recommend it for anyone taking the AP Test.

Hello! I just recently took the May 2017 AP Euro exam and I thought it would be helpful for future test takers if I put together a guide for writing the Free Response Questions on the history exams. This can also work for APUSH because it has the same FRQ formats as the Euro exam. Sorry this is quite long but I wanted to make everything clear since writing FRQs can be confusing.

SAQs

SAQs are short answer questions. These may or may not have a stimulus in the form of a picture, map, text, etc. with 2-3 questions based off it.

To answer them, I always remember the acronym: ACE

Answer the full question, Cite outside information, Explain outside information

A: Answer the question in one sentence. This should be the “main idea” of the rest of your answer; it should restate the question with your answer.

C: Cite outside information that would support your argument. Be specific on your OI and try to name people, places, ideas, etc. that would be relevant to the question.

E: Explain why the OI supports your answer. Just stating OI won’t be enough, you must prove that your OI is relevant to the answer you are making.

DBQs

DBQs are document based questions. There is a question posed and 7 documents are given for the reader to analyze and use in their essay.

Contextualize → Thesis → Good Body 1 → Bad Body 2 → Amazing Body 3 → Synthesis

Contextualize: Set the stage. This should be 2-3 sentences that show the historical background/context behind your argument. Don’t make it too detailed and wordy- make it simple and straight to the point.

Thesis: This is the main argument. Be concise but don’t be too vague. This is where you state your main points that will make up the body paragraphs of your essay.

Good Body 1: This should be your “good” body paragraph. This is the paragraph you believe will be your 2nd best one, the paragraph that will draw your grader in.

Bad Body 2: This paragraph should be the paragraph you think will not be too great. This way, your grader won’t have a bad first or last impression because your worst paragraph is sandwiched in between two good ones.

Amazing Body 3: This paragraph should be the best paragraph. Your grader will finish the essay with a good feeling and it just allows the essay to have an overall good impression.

Synthesis: This is where you conclude your essay. After you add a conclusion sentence, connect the event/person your topic is on with another event/person before that event or after that event. Ex: Mussolini and Hitler (both Fascists, came to power legally, etc). After you state the connection explain why they are similar and how they connect.

Document Analysis: Spend the first 15 minutes analyzing the question asked and going through your documents. While you go through your documents, keep enquiring how it supports or against the question posed. Also, take note of HIPP.

H- Historical Context (at what time did this take place and how did this time period affect the author of this document? kind of like contextualizing)

I- Intended Audience (who is this person trying to reach? Is this a diary entry or a speech?)

P- Point of View (What did the author believe based on his/her situations or ideals? How does this belief contradict or support the question?)

P- Purpose (For what reason did the author write or say this? What was the message he/she was trying to get across through this?)

HIPP is essentially the why of your documents. After you state a document in the body, use one of the four letters of HIPP to explain the document. On the rubric it states that you only need four HIPPs. However, I recommend doing maybe 5 just in case one of them does not work. Right after stating your document, use H, I, P, or P.

When you cite your document, don’t quote it or say, “In Document 4, it states that…”. Put a general outline of what they said and end it with (Document 4).

DBQs are generally the most difficult out of all the FRQs, so I would recommend writing practice DBQs often. You have 15 minutes to brainstorm and 40 minutes to write so you have to think and write quick. Although you can start writing before the 15 minutes are over, I would recommend spending those 15 minutes planning how to divide the documents into paragraphs and analyzing HIPP. Also, as a side note, DBQs do not have to be 5 paragraphs. You may have 2 body paragraphs instead of 3 if that’s how you would like to divide it.

LEQs

These are the long essay questions, the second essay you must write. College Board will give you two questions, however, you only have to choose one and write about it.

This is comprised of three paragraphs: intro, two body paragraphs, and a synthesis.

You must use OI in both paragraphs. Always explain your OI to get another point.

There are four types of LEQs: Continuity and Change Over Time, Causation, Periodization, and Comparison.

Continuity and Change Over Time- The question will probably pose two different time periods and a topic. If continuity and change over time is the “theme” of the question, you will have to talk about things that continued between the time periods and things that changed. For example, if the question was on women during the Renaissance and women after WWI, you can talk about how they continued to not gain wage equality and work rights but changed in terms of suffrage.

Causation- This question will ask for the causes and effects of an event. You should not only state the reasons but explain the reasons for the causes and effects.

Periodization- This question will normally be asking why or how something was a turning point. Talk about the reasons why a certain event became a turning point in history and explain how.

Comparison- This type of question will ask you to compare and contrast the difference between two ideals, people, time periods, events, etc. I would make one paragraph similarities and one paragraph about their differences. Again, state OI and explain how they are relevant.

Tom Richey has some rubrics if you would like to look at the way LEQs are graded depending on the type.

Side Note: the question will tell you which one of the four “ideas” it is.

all pencil studies today for day 1 of the 100 days of productivity challenge! 

pictured above: pre calc notes & part of my AP Euro homework assigned tonight.