The AP Euro LEQ (Long Essay Question)

Tom Richey
28 Jan 201813:57
EducationalLearning
32 Likes 10 Comments

TLDRThe video script offers a comprehensive guide for students preparing for the AP European History exam, focusing on the Long Essay Question (LEQ). It explains the three periods from which LEQ prompts are drawn and the three prompt formats: continuity and change over time, comparison, and causation. The script emphasizes the importance of understanding these formats and provides a detailed breakdown of how to structure an essay according to the exam's rubric, including contextualization, thesis development, evidence and support, and complex historical analysis. The video aims to equip students with the skills to craft effective responses and achieve high scores on the LEQ section.

Takeaways
  • 📝 In the AP Euro exam, there are three long essay question (LEQ) choices, covering four historical periods with Period 1 (1450-1648) guaranteed to appear.
  • 📆 The essay prompts are categorized into three formats: continuity and change over time, comparison, and causation, each requiring a different analytical approach.
  • 🎯 Students must be prepared to encounter any of the three prompt formats on the exam, as all will be identical in structure on a particular exam day.
  • 📈 For the continuity and change over time format, students evaluate how a specific development fostered change within a given time frame.
  • 🔍 The comparison format requires students to assess the differences between two historical phenomena, acknowledging at least one similarity.
  • 💡 In the causation format, students determine the extent to which one event influenced another, using evidence to support their argument.
  • 📑 The rubric for grading the LEQ is uniform across all prompts, focusing on contextualization, thesis, evidence and support, analysis and reasoning, and complex understanding.
  • 📌 A strong contextualization in the introductory paragraph sets the stage for a historically defensible thesis that directly addresses the prompt.
  • 🔗 Two or more specific, relevant pieces of evidence are required to support the argument, with the evidence strategically used to support claims made in response to the prompt.
  • 🤔 To demonstrate complex understanding, essays should address both similarities and differences in comparison prompts, continuity alongside change in continuity and change prompts, and multiple causes or effects in causation prompts.
  • 📚 The speaker suggests that students can access additional resources and sample essays through their subscription-based 8-month writing clinic.
Q & A

  • What are the three periods from which the AP Euro LAQ long essay question choices are drawn?

    -The three periods are: Period 1 (1450 to 1648), Period 2 or 3 (1648 to 1914), and Period 3 or 4 (1815 to the present).

  • Which period is guaranteed to appear on the AP Euro exam?

    -Period 1 (1450 to 1648) is the only period guaranteed to appear on the exam.

  • What are the three different prompt formats for the LEQ?

    -The three prompt formats are: continuity and change over time, comparison, and causation.

  • What is the significance of understanding the different prompt formats for the LEQ?

    -Understanding the different formats is crucial because each requires the student to complete a different task, and students need to be prepared for any of these formats on the exam.

  • How does the 'continuity and change over time' prompt format work?

    -This format asks students to evaluate the extent to which a certain factor fostered change or remained constant over a specified period.

  • What is an example of a 'comparison' prompt?

    -An example could be 'Evaluate the extent to which the Italian Renaissance and the Northern Renaissance were different from each other.'

  • How should a student structure their first paragraph in response to a LEQ prompt?

    -The first paragraph should include contextualization, providing historical background relevant to the prompt, and a thesis that responds to the prompt with a historically defensible claim.

  • What is required to earn points for 'contextualization' and 'thesis' in the first paragraph of the LEQ essay?

    -For 'contextualization', the student must describe a broader historical context relevant to the prompt. For 'thesis', a clear, historically defensible claim that establishes a line of reasoning in response to the prompt is needed.

  • How many specific examples of evidence are required to earn the 'evidence' point in the LEQ essay?

    -Two or more specific, storable examples relevant to the prompt are required to earn the 'evidence' point.

  • What is the importance of using evidence to support an argument in the LEQ essay?

    -Evidence is crucial as it supports the specific argument or claim made in response to the prompt, demonstrating the student's understanding and analysis of the historical context and events.

  • How can a student demonstrate complex understanding in their LEQ essay?

    -A student can demonstrate complex understanding by addressing both similarities and differences in comparison prompts, noting continuity and change over time, or discussing multiple causes and effects in causation essays.

Outlines
00:00
📚 AP Euro LAQ Requirements and Rubric Overview

This paragraph introduces the requirements for the AP European History Long Essay Question (LEQ). It explains that students will have three choices of questions, each covering different historical periods, with the first period (1450-1648) guaranteed to appear. The paragraph also outlines the three prompt formats: continuity and change over time, comparison, and causation. It emphasizes the importance of understanding these formats as they require different tasks from the students. The speaker mentions their eighth-month writing clinic for more in-depth information and notes that the exact prompt formats are subject to change.

05:01
🎯 Structuring the LEQ: Comparison Prompt and Rubric

The second paragraph delves into the specifics of the comparison prompt, explaining how to score points for contextualization and thesis. It provides an example of how to contextualize the Italian and Northern Renaissance within a broader historical context and formulate a thesis that addresses the prompt. The paragraph also discusses the importance of providing specific evidence relevant to the topic and using that evidence to support an argument. Additionally, it touches on the rubric for scoring the LEQ, which is now standardized for all prompts.

10:02
🔍 Analysis and Complex Understanding in the LEQ

This paragraph focuses on the analysis and reasoning aspect of the LEQ, where students must use historical reasoning to structure their argument within the framework of comparison, causation, or continuity and change over time. It highlights the need to demonstrate a complex understanding of historical development by using evidence to corroborate, qualify, or modify the argument. The speaker advises focusing on explaining both similarities and differences, continuities and changes, or multiple causes and effects for the best results. The paragraph concludes with a mention of the speaker's 8-month writing clinic for further guidance on writing effective LEQs and DBQs.

Mindmap
Keywords
💡AP Euro LAQ
AP Euro LAQ stands for Advanced Placement European History Long Essay Question. It is a section of the AP European History exam that requires students to write an essay in response to a historical prompt. The video script discusses the structure, requirements, and strategies for approaching this type of question. It is a critical part of the exam that assesses students' ability to analyze historical events and synthesize information.
💡Rubric
A rubric is a set of criteria used for assessing the quality of students' work, such as essays or projects. In the context of the video, the rubric is the standard used to grade the LEQ responses in the AP Euro exam. It outlines the expectations for historical analysis, argumentation, and writing skills.
💡Historical Periods
Historical periods refer to specific segments of time characterized by certain events, cultural developments, or societal changes. In the video, the speaker divides the content of the AP Euro exam into four historical periods, with each period being relevant to different essay prompts. Understanding these periods is crucial for students to effectively answer the LEQ.
💡Prompt Formats
Prompt formats are the structural types of questions or tasks that students must address in their essays. In the video, the speaker describes three different formats: continuity and change over time, comparison, and causation. Each format requires a distinct approach and understanding of historical analysis.
💡Continuity and Change
Continuity and change refer to the historical analysis of how certain aspects or conditions remain the same (continuity) or transform (change) over a period of time. In the LEQ, students are often asked to evaluate the extent of change and the elements that remain constant within a historical context.
💡Comparison
Comparison in historical analysis involves examining two or more historical entities, events, or periods to identify similarities and differences. The video emphasizes the need for students to outline these distinctions when responding to comparison prompts in the LEQ.
💡Causation
Causation in historical analysis pertains to understanding the relationships between events, where one event (the cause) influences another (the effect). In the LEQ, students may be asked to evaluate the extent to which one historical factor influenced another.
💡Thesis
A thesis is a statement that presents the main argument or claim of an essay. In historical writing, it should be a historically defensible assertion that responds directly to the prompt. The video emphasizes the importance of crafting a clear, focused thesis that sets the line of reasoning for the entire essay.
💡Evidence
Evidence in the context of historical writing refers to the use of specific, verifiable facts or data to support an argument or claim. The video script outlines the need for students to provide at least two pieces of relevant evidence to substantiate their points in the LEQ.
💡Complex Understanding
Complex understanding in historical analysis means the ability to recognize and explain multiple dimensions of historical events or developments, such as addressing both similarities and differences, or multiple causes and effects. The video encourages students to strive for this level of understanding to maximize their scores on the LEQ.
Highlights

The AP Euro exam includes three long essay question (LEQ) choices, each from a different historical period.

The first period, 1450 to 1648, is guaranteed to appear on the exam, offering an advantage to students knowledgeable about the Renaissance and Reformation.

There are three prompt formats for LEQs: continuity and change over time, comparison, and causation.

All prompts in the three-prompt set will use the same format, either all focusing on continuity and change, comparison, or causation.

The continuity and change over time prompt format requires evaluating how a specific aspect fostered change within a given time frame.

The comparison prompt format assesses the differences between two historical phenomena.

The causation prompt format evaluates the extent to which one event influenced another.

The rubric for LEQs is the same across all prompts, unlike previous years with multiple rubrics.

For the comparison prompt, the first paragraph should include contextualization and a thesis.

A valid thesis for a comparison prompt should highlight differences and, if aiming for complexity, a similarity or additional cause/effect.

Evidence and support for the argument requires two or more specific, storable examples relevant to the prompt.

Evidence must be used to support a specific argument and should be described using complete sentences.

Analysis and reasoning should use historical reasoning to frame an argument that addresses the prompt.

Demonstrating complex understanding involves using evidence to corroborate, qualify, or modify an argument that addresses the question.

For comparison prompts, addressing a similarity in addition to differences can enhance the essay's complexity.

For change over time prompts, discussing continuity can provide a more nuanced understanding of the historical development.

Causation prompts are less common, and there have been no actual exam examples since the redesign.

The speaker offers an 8-month writing clinic for further guidance on writing LEQs and DBQs effectively.

Transcripts

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