AAE - Support. (Lesson)

Support.

The LEQ, and in part the DBQ, is written from what you know about a particular subject. In your essay you should attempt to:

  • What Does this Mean? Taking an analytical approach in an essay means to use what you know in order to form opinions instead of describing items. Include 2-3 facts per paragraph
  • Try to be more analytical.

 

History vs. English Essays

You may have already learned that how you are required to write for one subject in high school is not how you write for another. These differences will only continue to grow as you move into college. While English/Language Arts can often be grouped with History, the 2 essay requirements are pretty different.

In English class, most emphasis is placed on the use of language itself. You are supposed to be descriptive and elaborate, and sometimes redundancy is OK if it enhances the syntax of the piece. Writing can be personal and based on feelings and emotion in certain situations.      

Whereas in History class, emphasis is on using specific factual evidence to prove your thesis. You must organize your argument in a concise and logically ordered way, and redundancy is discouraged due to time constraints. Writing is never personal and always based on facts, with attention paid to the sources of the evidence.

What does it mean to include specific factual evidence? It just means to add some sort of detail to your writing. For example, if discussing Napoleon's changes to France while he was an emperor, it is not enough to say "Napoleon created many laws." Instead, you should strive to state something along the lines of "Napoleon created the Napoleonic code which provided for lycées or public schools, guaranteed freedom of religion, promoted a meritocracy in France as well as restricting women's rights and reestablishing the husband's role as head of the family."

Quick Tip: You are allowed to make general statements, provided you follow them up with specific evidence. In your essays, review them and see if there is a place where you can add a detail that will help prove your point. The more specific you can be, the higher your score.

 

 

RESOURCES IN THIS MODULE ARE OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES (OER) OR CREATED BY GAVS UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED. SOME IMAGES USED UNDER SUBSCRIPTION.

HISTORY VS ENGLISH ESSAY DESCRIPTIONS ADAPTED IN PART WITH PERMISSION FROM CARRIE CAGLE.