APUSH Essay Rubric

1 Pt: Presents a thesis that makes a historically defensible claim and responds to all parts of the question. 1 Pt: Develops and supports a cohesive argument that recognizes and accounts for historical complexity by explicitly illustrating relationships among historical evidence.

1 Pt: Utilizes the content of at least six documents to support the stated thesis. 1 Pt: Explains the significance of the author's point of view, author's purpose, historical context, and/or audience for at leats four documents.

Contextualization 1 Pt: Situates the argument by explaining the broader historical events, developments, or processes immediately relevant to the question. Evidence Beyond the Documents 1 Pt: Provides an example or additional piece of specific evidence beyond those found in the documents to support or qualify the argument.

1 Pt: Extends the argument by explaining the connections between the argument and... a) A development in a different time period. b) A course theme and/or approach to histpry that is not the focus of the essay. c) A different discipline or field of inquiry.

1 Pt: Presents a thesis that makes a historically defensible claim and responds to all parts of the question.

1 Pt: Describes similarities and differences among hsitorical individuals, events, developments, or processes. 1 Pt: Explains the reasons for similarities and differences.

1 Pt: Describes causes and/or effects of a historical event, development, or process. 1 Pt: Explains the reasons for the causes and/or effects.

1 Pt: Describes historical continuity and change over time. 1 Pt: Explains the reasons for historical continuity and change over time.

1 Pt: Describes the ways in which the historical development specified in the prompt was different from and similar to events that preceded and/or followed. 1 Pt: Explains the extent to which the historical development specified in the prompt was different from and similar to developments that preceded and/or followed.

1 Pt: Addresses the topic of the question with specific examples of relevant evidence. 1 Pt: Utilizes specific examples of evidence to fully and effectively substantiate the stated thesis or a relevant argument.