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You can find more practice prompts, questions, and evaluations in the "Curriculum" sections of the site!
1. Stimulus-Based Questions (Most Common)
Students are given a primary or secondary source, then 1–3 questions. Common stimuli:
Example--Student is given an excerpt from the Monroe Doctrine. Student is then asked, "Which of the following best describes the purpose of this document?"
Teaching Technique
"HIPP" Method. Have students annotate the stimulus:
2. Contextualization Questions
These ask students to place something in a broader historical setting.
Example--"Which of the following developments most directly led to the ideas expressed in this excerpt?"
Teaching Technique: "What happened right before . . ."
Train students to:
3. Causation Questions
These focus on causes or effects of events.
Signal words:
Teaching Technique: "Short vs. Long Causes. "Have students quickly sort:
4. Comparison Questions
These ask students to compare two periods, groups, or ideas.
Example--How did the goals of Progressives differ from those of Populists?
Teaching Technique: “Same vs. Different T-chart”
Before answering, decide:
5. Continuity & Change Over Time (CCOT)
These focus on what stayed the same or changed.
Example--Which of the following represents a continuity in U.S. foreign policy from 1890–1945?
Teaching Technique: "Anchor & Shift"
6. Interpretation / Historical Argument Questions
Students evaluate historians’ interpretations.
Example--Which of the following historians would most likely agree with the argument in the excerpt?
Teaching Technique: “Main Idea First”
Universal Strategy
You Can Teach The "3-Step AP Elimination Method"
Step 1: Predict the Answer
Step 2: Eliminate 2 Wrong Answers
Teach students to look for:
Step 3: Choose the "Best" Answer
Remind them:
AP questions often have 2 plausible answers—pick the one that directly answers the question
Daily Practice Drill:
Students are given a primary or secondary source, then 1–3 questions. Common stimuli:
- Text excerpts (laws, speeches, letters)
- Political cartoons
- Graphs/data
- Images/maps
- Historical context
- Author’s point of view
- Cause/effect
- Continuity/change
Example--Student is given an excerpt from the Monroe Doctrine. Student is then asked, "Which of the following best describes the purpose of this document?"
Teaching Technique
"HIPP" Method. Have students annotate the stimulus:
- Historical context
- Intended audience
- Purpose
- Point of view
2. Contextualization Questions
These ask students to place something in a broader historical setting.
Example--"Which of the following developments most directly led to the ideas expressed in this excerpt?"
Teaching Technique: "What happened right before . . ."
Train students to:
- Identify the time period
- Recall 1–2 major events immediately preceding it (Example: If it’s about Reconstruction, think American Civil War)
3. Causation Questions
These focus on causes or effects of events.
Signal words:
- “Led to”
- “Resulted in”
- “Contributed to”
Teaching Technique: "Short vs. Long Causes. "Have students quickly sort:
- Immediate cause
- Long-term cause
4. Comparison Questions
These ask students to compare two periods, groups, or ideas.
Example--How did the goals of Progressives differ from those of Populists?
Teaching Technique: “Same vs. Different T-chart”
Before answering, decide:
- What’s similar?
- What’s different?
5. Continuity & Change Over Time (CCOT)
These focus on what stayed the same or changed.
Example--Which of the following represents a continuity in U.S. foreign policy from 1890–1945?
Teaching Technique: "Anchor & Shift"
- Anchor: What stayed consistent?
- Shift: What changed?
6. Interpretation / Historical Argument Questions
Students evaluate historians’ interpretations.
Example--Which of the following historians would most likely agree with the argument in the excerpt?
Teaching Technique: “Main Idea First”
- Ignore names at first
- Summarize the argument in 5–7 words
- Then match
Universal Strategy
You Can Teach The "3-Step AP Elimination Method"
Step 1: Predict the Answer
- After reading the stimulus, pause . . .
- Say: "This is probably about ______"
Step 2: Eliminate 2 Wrong Answers
Teach students to look for:
- Wrong time period
- Opposite meaning
- Too specific / too broad
Step 3: Choose the "Best" Answer
Remind them:
AP questions often have 2 plausible answers—pick the one that directly answers the question
Daily Practice Drill:
- Project a stimulus (speech, cartoon, graph)
- Give students 60 seconds to annotate (HIPP)
- Ask: "What is this mostly about?"
- THEN show answer choices
PRACTICE MINI EXAM
Stimulus- “The United States… has no intention of interfering in the internal concerns of any European power… but we should consider any attempt… to extend their system to any portion of this hemisphere as dangerous to our peace and safety.”
— Monroe Doctrine
Questions:
1. The excerpt reflects which of the following broader developments?
A. Expansion of U.S. industrial power
B. Emergence of U.S. hemispheric influence
C. Decline of European imperialism
D. Growth of sectional conflict
2. Which earlier idea most directly influenced this statement?
A. American Revolution ideals
B. Articles of Confederation
C. Mercantilism
D. Manifest Destiny
Stimulus- A graph shows rapid increases in industrial production and urban population between 1870–1900.
Chart: U.S. Industrial Output and Urban Population Growth
Year Industrial Output Index (1870 = 100) % of Population Living in Cities
1870 100 25%
1880 150 28%
1890 220 35%
1900 300 40%
Questions:
3. Which factor most directly contributed to the trend shown?
A. Expansion of slavery
B. Immigration from Europe
C. Decline of railroads
D. Agricultural mechanization
4. Which reform movement emerged in response to these trends?
A. Second Great Awakening
B. Progressive Era
C. Abolitionism
D. Transcendentalism
Stimulus 3-The Bosses of Senate Political Cartoon (Available on "Analyzing Political Cartoons" page)
Questions:
5. The cartoon is most clearly criticizing:
A. Federal tariffs
B. Corporate influence in government
C. Westward expansion
D. Immigration restrictions
6. Which policy was a response to the concerns shown?
A. Sherman Antitrust Act
B. Kansas-Nebraska Act
C. Homestead Act
D. Dawes Act
Stimulus-"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…"
— Declaration of Independence
Questions:
7. Which later movement most directly used this idea?
A. Civil Rights Movement
B. Temperance movement
C. Populist movement
D. Nativist movement
8. Which group was most immediately excluded from this ideal?
A. Women and enslaved people
B. Northern industrialists
C. Western farmers
D. Immigrants only
Answer Key & Explanations
1. B (Monroe Doctrine = U.S. asserting influence in Western Hemisphere)
2. A (Rooted in independence + anti-colonial ideology)
3. B (Immigration fuels urban + industrial growth)
4. B (Progressives respond to urban/industrial problems)
5. B (Classic Gilded Age critique of monopolies)
6. A (Direct federal response to trusts)
7. A (Civil Rights Movement explicitly invokes equality language)
8. A (Core contradiction of founding ideals)
Stimulus- “The United States… has no intention of interfering in the internal concerns of any European power… but we should consider any attempt… to extend their system to any portion of this hemisphere as dangerous to our peace and safety.”
— Monroe Doctrine
Questions:
1. The excerpt reflects which of the following broader developments?
A. Expansion of U.S. industrial power
B. Emergence of U.S. hemispheric influence
C. Decline of European imperialism
D. Growth of sectional conflict
2. Which earlier idea most directly influenced this statement?
A. American Revolution ideals
B. Articles of Confederation
C. Mercantilism
D. Manifest Destiny
Stimulus- A graph shows rapid increases in industrial production and urban population between 1870–1900.
Chart: U.S. Industrial Output and Urban Population Growth
Year Industrial Output Index (1870 = 100) % of Population Living in Cities
1870 100 25%
1880 150 28%
1890 220 35%
1900 300 40%
Questions:
3. Which factor most directly contributed to the trend shown?
A. Expansion of slavery
B. Immigration from Europe
C. Decline of railroads
D. Agricultural mechanization
4. Which reform movement emerged in response to these trends?
A. Second Great Awakening
B. Progressive Era
C. Abolitionism
D. Transcendentalism
Stimulus 3-The Bosses of Senate Political Cartoon (Available on "Analyzing Political Cartoons" page)
Questions:
5. The cartoon is most clearly criticizing:
A. Federal tariffs
B. Corporate influence in government
C. Westward expansion
D. Immigration restrictions
6. Which policy was a response to the concerns shown?
A. Sherman Antitrust Act
B. Kansas-Nebraska Act
C. Homestead Act
D. Dawes Act
Stimulus-"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…"
— Declaration of Independence
Questions:
7. Which later movement most directly used this idea?
A. Civil Rights Movement
B. Temperance movement
C. Populist movement
D. Nativist movement
8. Which group was most immediately excluded from this ideal?
A. Women and enslaved people
B. Northern industrialists
C. Western farmers
D. Immigrants only
Answer Key & Explanations
1. B (Monroe Doctrine = U.S. asserting influence in Western Hemisphere)
2. A (Rooted in independence + anti-colonial ideology)
3. B (Immigration fuels urban + industrial growth)
4. B (Progressives respond to urban/industrial problems)
5. B (Classic Gilded Age critique of monopolies)
6. A (Direct federal response to trusts)
7. A (Civil Rights Movement explicitly invokes equality language)
8. A (Core contradiction of founding ideals)
10-Minute Daily Warm-Up
Daily Structure (10 minutes total)
1–2: Quick Recall
Ask:
3–6: Mini Stimulus Drill
Give students:
7–10: MC Questions
"What is the question really asking, "Not "what do I know?"
Daily Structure (10 minutes total)
1–2: Quick Recall
Ask:
- “What happened during yesterday’s period?”
- “Name one cause + one effect”
3–6: Mini Stimulus Drill
Give students:
- 1 short quote / image / graph
- What is the main idea?
- What is the time period?
- What is the purpose?
7–10: MC Questions
- Answer individually
- Then justify answer to a partner
"What is the question really asking, "Not "what do I know?"