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Writing Practice: Building Thesis Statements

30 min

Lesson Components

Writing Practice Thesis Construction

Objectives:

  • Students will be able to construct thesis statements that will earn a full point on the Document-Based Question (DBQ) and Long Essay Question (LEQ) rubrics on the AP Exam.

Use this practice to allow students to reflect on their current skills in thesis construction, as well as clarify the expectations for the DBQ and LEQ on the AP U.S. History Exam. This activity will last 20–30 minutes, depending on students’ existing skills in writing thesis statements and providing peer feedback. Students should be reminded of this practice the next time they are required to write a thesis statement.

Have students use Handout A: Writing Practice: Thesis Construction to create a thesis statement based on the prompt and use a rubric to assess their peers’ thesis statements.

Student Handouts

Writing Practice Thesis Construction

Related Resources

Video

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