AP US History Reading and Writing Workshop
This workshop continues to scaffold the writing process; later workshops will build up to the full set of six documents used by the College Board along with an SAQ Stimulus. Group work provides differentiation and peer support.
Unit 2--The American Revolution and the Birth of a Constitutional Republic (1754–1800
Structure
Session 1 – SAQ Practice (No Documents)
Prompt:
Answer all parts of the question that follows, using your knowledge of U.S. history from 1754–1800.
a) Identify and explain ONE cause of the American Revolution.
b) Identify and explain ONE way the Revolution changed American politics or society.
c) Identify and explain ONE limitation of the Revolution in addressing social, political, or economic inequality.
Task:
Session 2 – LEQ Practice (Rubric Aligned)
Prompt:
Evaluate the extent to which the American Revolution marked a turning point in the development of democratic ideals in the United States in the period 1754–1800.
Rubric Alignment (6 pts):
Session 3 – DBQ Practice (Rubric Aligned)
Prompt:
Evaluate the extent to which the American Revolution fostered political, social, and economic change in the United States from 1765 to 1800.
Documents Provided
Document 1 — Declaration of Independence (1776), Thomas Jefferson
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights…”
🔗 https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript
Document 2 — Abigail Adams to John Adams, March 1776
“Remember the Ladies, and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancestors. Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the Husbands.”
🔗 https://www.masshist.org/digitaladams/archive/doc?id=L17760331aa
Document 3 — U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 2 (1787)
“Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States… by adding to the whole Number of free Persons… three fifths of all other Persons.”
🔗 https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitution-transcript
DBQ Rubric Alignment (7 pts)
Group Roles
Structure
- Session 1: SAQ Practice (AP Exam Style, No Documents)
- Session 2: LEQ Practice (Rubric Aligned)
- Session 3: DBQ Practice (Rubric Aligned, 3 Documents Provided)
Session 1 – SAQ Practice (No Documents)
Prompt:
Answer all parts of the question that follows, using your knowledge of U.S. history from 1754–1800.
a) Identify and explain ONE cause of the American Revolution.
b) Identify and explain ONE way the Revolution changed American politics or society.
c) Identify and explain ONE limitation of the Revolution in addressing social, political, or economic inequality.
Task:
- Write 2–3 sentences per part.
- Use specific evidence (Stamp Act, Declaration of Independence, Republican Motherhood, continued slavery, etc.).
- Share responses and compare to AP scoring expectations.
Session 2 – LEQ Practice (Rubric Aligned)
Prompt:
Evaluate the extent to which the American Revolution marked a turning point in the development of democratic ideals in the United States in the period 1754–1800.
Rubric Alignment (6 pts):
- Thesis/Claim (1)
- Contextualization (1)
- Evidence (2)
- Analysis & Reasoning (2)
- Contextualization: Situate the Revolution within the Enlightenment, imperial rivalry, and Atlantic World revolutions.
- Thesis: Frame with “extent” phrasing (e.g., “To a great extent, the Revolution advanced democratic ideals through independence and republican government, but inequalities based on race and gender persisted.”).
- Evidence: Use at least 3 examples (Common Sense, Articles of Confederation, U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights, Abigail Adams’s “Remember the Ladies,” continued slavery, property restrictions).
- Analysis: Add nuance (compare ideals vs. reality, regional differences, Federalist vs. Democratic-Republican visions).
Session 3 – DBQ Practice (Rubric Aligned)
Prompt:
Evaluate the extent to which the American Revolution fostered political, social, and economic change in the United States from 1765 to 1800.
Documents Provided
Document 1 — Declaration of Independence (1776), Thomas Jefferson
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights…”
🔗 https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript
Document 2 — Abigail Adams to John Adams, March 1776
“Remember the Ladies, and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancestors. Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the Husbands.”
🔗 https://www.masshist.org/digitaladams/archive/doc?id=L17760331aa
Document 3 — U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 2 (1787)
“Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States… by adding to the whole Number of free Persons… three fifths of all other Persons.”
🔗 https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitution-transcript
DBQ Rubric Alignment (7 pts)
- Thesis/Claim (1)
- Contextualization (1)
- Evidence from Documents (2)
- Evidence beyond Documents (1)
- Sourcing (1)
- Complexity (1)
- Document Analysis: Each member sources one excerpt.
- Jefferson → Enlightenment ideals of equality and liberty.
- Abigail Adams → Social limits, early calls for women’s rights.
- Constitution → Compromise over slavery and representation.
- Thematic Grouping:
- Political Change → Jefferson
- Social Change → Abigail Adams
- Economic/Structural Continuity → Constitution (3/5 Compromise, property requirements)
- Thesis Writing: Draft an argument on how much changed vs. how much remained.
- Evidence Beyond Documents: Examples include Federalist Papers, Northwest Ordinance, Bill of Rights, state constitutions, resistance by enslaved people.
- Complexity: Balance ideals of liberty with persistence of inequality.
Group Roles
- Content Expert: Provides factual evidence (e.g., Stamp Act, Federalist #10).
- Connector: Links evidence to APUSH themes (POL, WXT, CUL, MIG, GEO).
- Writer: Drafts thesis, context, and organized outline.
- Reviewer: Checks rubric requirements (use of docs, sourcing, complexity).