WRITING A FRQ/DBQ INTRODUCTION

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WRITING A FRQ/DBQ INTRODUCTION

• Mr. Sieg
• KEYSTONE OAKS HIGH SCHOOL
• APEH-APUSH-WH 9

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WRITING AN INTRODUCTION

• Once you have determined where you are going with
  your answer and come up with a thesis, the next
  question is where does the thesis go?
• Its simple.
• Place it as the last sentence of the
  Introduction. If the reader of your essay has to
  guess where your thesis is, you are in trouble!
• Always state it at the end of the Introductory
  Paragraph.
• Use this basic 3 step approach of organizing your
  introduction. Some people call it the upside
  down triangle. Start out general, become more
  specific and then end with your sharp and concise
  thesis statement.

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Upside Down Triangle
Begin with a general statement identifying
the issue being discussed (Time and Place) Then
add a statement(s) by identifying some possible
answers to the question or prompt Become
focused by stating your thesis statement
General Information
More Specific
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WHICH ONE IS THE BEST?

• Which of the following Examples (A or B) is an
  example of a well written introduction that ends
  in an exact thesis statement? Choose which is
  the best example and underline the thesis.
• Question or prompt How can this school improve?
• Example A
• Schools can always use improvement. Many feel
  that increasing electives for students can create
  a more diverse curriculum. Others recognize
  increasing technological opportunities as a step
  in the right direction. However, evidence shows
  that schools can rapidly improve by improving
  food choices, providing an enthusiastic faculty,
  and smaller class sizes.
• Example B
• Some schools need to be improved while others
  do not. Many people believe our school needs to
  improve drastically. Others feel that it is fine
  the way it is and change is not a requirement.
  Either way, each person must decide for him or
  herself whether or not the school can and should
  be improved.

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EXAMPLE A IS THE BEST

• Example A
• Schools can always use improvement. Many feel
  that increasing electives for students can create
  a more diverse curriculum. Others recognize
  increasing technological opportunities as a step
  in the right direction. However, evidence shows
  that schools can rapidly improve by improving
  food choices, providing an enthusiastic faculty,
  and smaller class sizes.

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DO NOT

• Refer to the present or today
• Use first person
• You, Your, I, me, we, yinz, usins
• Use weak or vague words like stuff or things
• Use intelligent words which give you credibility
  as a thinker with reasoning skills
• Put the thesis anywhere but the end of the
  introduction
• Use fluffy or flowery phrases
• Ex) Without this we would not be alive today!
• OH Yeah. Do not use exclamation points!

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EXAMPLES FROM WH 9

• During the Middle Ages in Europe, invasions were
  inevitable. The Magyars, Vikings, and Muslims
  were tribes that invaded the continent during
  this time of turmoil. The European people needed
  a plan. Feudalism was started in Europe because
  people needed protection, people needed to
  survive, and there was not a strong ruler or King
  to provide stability.
• (Military, Agriculture, Political)

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EXAMPLES FROM WH 9

• During the Middle Ages in Europe, peace was rare.
  With Vikings, Magyar and Muslim invasions and
  attacks from all directions, people lived in
  constant fear. This era was a watershed moment
  in history because it ensured the survival of
  western civilization. Feudalism, met the
  challenges of this chaotic time by providing a
  strong military, adequate political stability,
  and efficient domestic strategies.

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PROMPT

• EXPLAIN HOW LUTHERS IDEAS WERE BOTH CONSERVATIVE
  AND REVOLUTIONARY

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EXAMPLES FROM APEH

• Transitioning out of the European Renaissance,
  individualism was still popular, encouraging many
  people to become educated. People began to
  develop the ability to read and think for
  themselves. Reacting to the new abilities of
  reading (especially scripture), the church and
  religious authorities began to come under
  scrutiny. In 16th century Europe, the Reformation
  was fully in progress with Luther being one of
  the most well-known Protestant reformers of the
  time in which he achieved great success through
  his revolutionary religious ideas, conservative
  social theories, and their political effects on
  Europe.

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EXAMPLES FROM APEH

• Martin Luther, the father of the German
  Reformation of the 16th Century, is usually
  associated with religious enlightenment and, for
  one reason or another, social liberalism. But
  although his revolutionary ideas did forever
  change the face of Christendom, he was also a
  staunch conservative in regards to many issues.
  By holding theological views which differed
  drastically from the Catholic norm and founding a
  completely new Church, Luther can be seen as a
  radical. However, many of his views concerning
  social reform and his treatment of dissenting
  religious opinions from his own coincide with a
  more conservative mindset.