Writing FRQ’s for the APHG Exam

Robert Cox

Pearland High School

Free (Focused, Constructed) Response Questions – FRQs

•There are three Free (focused) Response Questions (FRQ) on the APHG Exam.

•Each question is designed to elicit your geographic knowledge and how well one can APPLY geographic knowledge.

•Of course, each question seeks to challenge you on three different topics. However, each question is looking for the examinee to demonstrate different skills.

•APHG free response questions are typically written to test your ability with specific skills.

Skills Addressed on Free Response Questions

Definitions/terminology/content knowledge – description using basic terminology is needed, but depth and applied examples must be used.

Connections – making intricate geographic connections to real-world situations.

Critical Thinking – taking difficult concepts, explaining these concepts and then pulling information, which is not necessarily in the question, and developing it. Critical thinking questions are those where you should string together information you have learned from 3, 4, 5 or even more chapters from your APHG text.

In APHG We Do Not Write DBQs

•U.S. History, European History and World History are the AP courses typically taught in social science/studies departments in most American high schools.

•The above-mentioned courses have their distinct differences but are generally similar when it comes to preparing for the AP Exam.

•For example, AP U.S. History, European History and World History focus on writing styles, which must be followed while writing about the desired content.

•Writing a thesis and developing the thesis plays a major role in these three AP history courses. However, writing style is not scored in APHG.

In APHG We Do Not Write DBQs

•The APHG Exam is more content-based.

•The student is only asked to answer the question using cogent constructs. Therefore, the APHG teacher must teach students to write in a process-oriented style, which speaks to the main ideas of the question.

•Most students who have trouble on the APHG exam simply do not answer the question which has been posed.

•In short, APHG exam students should get to the point of the question and supply appropriate content with proper examples as possible. Remember, writing style is simply not an issue.

Summary of main FRQ writing tips…

•You should try to avoid writing “dump” essays where you “dump” or empty your brain of everything you can think of on to the paper.

•Remember to try and integrate geographic themes in your response. For example, using a point from several different units of study in your answer.

•PLEASE answer the question in the same format that it is written. For example, if the question has three parts which are labeled A, B and C, you need to answer in the same format.

•If you can sometimes “explain” in a sentence or two you should not belabor a point. Please be direct and use evidence to support your argument. However, try to use Geo “vocabulary” wherever it is relevant.

Summary of main FRQ writing tips (cont.)

•Please do not rewrite the question in your response and make sure you answer what the question asks!

•Please, NO THESIS statements, introductions or conclusions.

•DO NOT use bullets in your answers.

•As noted, there are no DBQ’s on the AP Geo exam.

Outlines are your friend

•OUTLINING the questions is an important tool that will help you tremendously!

•As soon as you get the FRQ’s, you should spend a couple of minutes outlining the main points for your answer right on the questions sheet.

•But, make sure to turn to the first blank page before you start writing your answer to the questions

•This way, when you go to write your full response you will have a baseline of information/important points to send you on your way!

Outlines are your friend

•Students who have created outlines in the past have told me it has really helped them be successful on the exam!

•I want you to do this throughout the course of the school year.

•Even though students balk at doing this, especially those students who struggle with time management and always think they will run out of time and not finish, they find by the end of the year that this strategy is a big help for them.

Miscellaneous FRQ Tips …

•Answer the question you think is the easiest first than you should go on to the next easiest, etc... This way, you leave the hardest one for the end where you have more time to answer. It doesn’t matter if the questions are in order when you write them in your answer booklet.

Miscellaneous FRQ Tips …

•You should be as neat as possible when writing your responses. Remember, this is not your classroom APHG teacher who is used to reading your hieroglyphics that will be reading their response

Key WORDS/PHRASES to understand the meaning of with regard to

answering FRQ’s

APHG Verbs

•Effective answers to essay questions depend in part upon a clear understanding (and execution) of the meanings of important directive words.

•These are the words that indicate the way in which the material is to be presented.

•For example, if students only describe when they are asked to compare, or if they merely list causes when they have been asked to evaluate them, their responses will be less than satisfactory.

APHG Verbs

•An essay can only begin to be correct if it answers directly the question that is asked.

•Your teacher can provide what AP Examinations cannot — help with the meanings and applications of some key terms like the following on the next few slides:

1. Analyze: determine their component parts; examine their nature and relationship [usually answers the question "why?"]

2. Assess/Evaluate: judge the value or character of something; appraise; evaluate the positive points and the negative ones; give an opinion regarding the value of; discuss the advantages and disadvantages of.

3. Compare: examine for the purpose of noting similarities and differences.

APHG Verbs

APHG Verbs

4. Contrast: examine in order to show dissimilarities or points of difference.

5. Describe: give an account of; tell about; give a word picture of.

6. Discuss: talk over; write about; consider or examine by argument or from various points of view; debate; present the different sides of.

APHG Verbs

7. Explain: make clear or plain; make clear the causes or reasons for; make known in detail; tell the meaning of. If you are asked to explain something, make sure to read carefully as to what you will be explaining and how many or what specifically you are asked to address. Do not try to read between the lines of the question.

ONLY ANSWER WHAT YOU ARE SPECIFICALLY BEING ASKED TO ANSWER!

To earn a “5” elaborating on your basic premise is KEY!

Other prompting terms/words:

Define: If you are asked for a definition, make sure you specifically define the term or concept. Choose either/or: You don’t have to pick both!Pay attention to how many examples the question is looking for if a specific number is noted!

Key Features or factors: Discuss TWO or THREE ideas in detail. Look for a specific number of

examples that the question is asking for.

List: No elaboration needed.

Identify: Point out and you will then most likely have to discuss.