This week, our AP United States Government and Politics Summer Institute instructor, Bob Baker, shares three concrete ways to improve your understanding and working knowledge of FRQ patterns and the AP scoring guidelines:
Bob Baker has taught almost every course offered in the social studies curriculum over the last 34 years, and US Government and Politics is his favorite. Recently retired from Needham High School in Needham, Massachusetts, he is an AP Reader and consultant, as well as a self-confessed political junkie. He has led teacher workshops across the US, has sample lessons for every unit and has compiled a wide repertoire of approaches to this dynamic course.
“AP Teachers benefit from learning the Free-Response Questions (FRQ) patterns and the scoring guidelines of their disciplines.
- Try reading the sample essays and scores on the AP Central website. Do your scores match the ones posted? While you may never hit the mark in the exact same spot as the ETS rubric, there is no better training than familiarity and repetition. Patterns repeat and content cycles back to the main themes of the course.
- Always score the essays you use with your students in the same manner and get them accustomed to scoring essays as well. They will quickly learn and accept the scoring guidelines of your AP discipline. Individual scoring points are earned or not earned- there is no half way point. Please note the use of the term scoring, not grading. Grading is up to the individual classroom teacher and school district, and may include whatever subjectivity that is deemed appropriate.
- The best way to become familiar with FRQ strategies is in a workshop run by an experienced consultant and reader. Once you have acquired the experience in decoding the language of FRQ’s, you will be able to read the new questions that are posted each May with new insight. In a weeklong summer institute, teachers have the time to examine dozens of essay questions. With this training, teachers feel much more confident in preparing their students to take the exam."
Interestested in learning more techniques like these from our experienced Summer AP Institute instructors?
Thank you to Bob Baker for contributing to this blog.
