Lesson
Writing Practice: Building Thesis Statements
Objectives:
- Students will be able to construct thesis statements that will earn a full point on the Document-Based Question (DBQ) and Long Essay Question (LEQ) rubrics on the AP Exam.
Materials
Lesson Components
A handout to help students answer the question "How did the collision of cultures create a “New World”?"
Lesson plan
Have students use Handout A: Writing Practice: Thesis Construction to create a thesis statement based on the prompt and use a rubric to assess their peers’ thesis statements.
More Information
Use this practice to allow students to reflect on their current skills in thesis construction, as well as clarify the expectations for the DBQ and LEQ on the AP U.S. History Exam. This activity will last 20–30 minutes, depending on students’ existing skills in writing thesis statements and providing peer feedback. Students should be reminded of this practice the next time they are required to write a thesis statement.
Standards
Advanced Placement
- Topic 1.7 · Causation in Period 1
- Learning Objective · Unit 1G
- Historical Development · 1.1.I
- Historical Development · 1.2.I
- Historical Development · 1.2.II
- Historical Development · 1.2.III
- Reasoning Skill · Argumentation
Check whether this resource aligns with your state’s standards →
Related materials
A guided writing activity that helps student develop a point, support it with facts and personal connections, and bring it to a conclusion.
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