Transcript SNAP Essay Questions

Deconstructing Essay
Questions
Review your notes:
• Analyze the political, diplomatic,
and military reasons for the
United States victory in the
Revolutionary War. Confine your
answer to the period 1775–
1783.
Subject: U.S. victory in Revolutionary War
Number of Parts: 3
Action: Analyzing
Period of Time: 1775-1783
! - Vocabulary:
analyze-to study something closely and carefully;
to learn the nature and
relationship of the parts of something by a close and careful examination.
diplomatic-the skill or activity of managing
International relations
1. Suppose you were giving a speech at a
Massachusetts town meeting in 1774. You are
trying to persuade the community to join the
rebellion against British rule of the colonies. Write
a short persuasive speech that describes
• how life in the colonies has changed since the
British have taken a greater interest in the
colonies. • at least one act of the British
government that has denied colonial freedom. • at
least one right that has been taken away due to
British actions or policies. • an action to be taken
by the colonists. Make sure to convey your ideas
clearly, using standard English.
2. The Declaration of Independence states that
the purpose of government is to secure and protect
the naturalborn rights of citizens: the rights to
life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Write a
three-paragraph essay that answers these
questions: • What did Thomas Jefferson mean by
the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of
happiness? • How does our government protect our
rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?
• What actions can our government take to better
protect these rights or to assure that all U.S.
citizens have these rights?
3. Suppose you were an American soldier in the
American Revolution. You are asked to write a
short essay about the person who most inspired the
Continental army to win the war. You have chosen
George Washington. The title of your essay is “How
General Washington Inspired the Continental Army
to Win the War.” Your essay should have three
paragraphs: • The first paragraph describes
characteristics of General Washington that
prepared him for his role as commander of the
Continental army. • The second paragraph supports
your choice by citing two events at which
Washington provided inspiration. • The third
paragraph identifies how these actions or events
led to an American victory.
4. Read the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution. In a
two-paragraph essay, explain how the Constitution
has met two of the five underlined goals above in
your life or in the life of someone you know.
Include details that show your understanding of
the goals of the Constitution as outlined in the
Preamble and how the Constitution has affected
your life.
• Analyze the ways in which
controversy over the
extension of slavery into
western territories
contributed to the coming of
the Civil War. Confine your
answer to the period 18451861.
Cite relevant historical evidence in
support of your generalizations and
present your arguments
clearly and logically.
• Analyze the role of trans-Atlantic
trade and Great Britain’s mercantilist
policies in the economic development
of the British North American
colonies in the period from 1650 to
1750.
• Analyze the impact of technological
innovations on the lives of TWO of
the following groups. Confine your
answer to the period 1865–1920.
• Factory workers
• Middle-class urban residents
• Midwestern farmers
• Between 1945 and 1975 various groups in
the United States engaged in protest.
• Analyze the reasons that protest emerged
in this period for TWO of the following
groups.
•
•
•
•
African Americans
College students
Latino Americans
Women
•
Directions: The following question requires you to construct a
coherent essay that integrates your interpretation
of Documents A-J and your knowledge of the period referred
to in the question. High scores will be earned only
by essays that both cite key pieces of evidence from the
documents and draw on outside knowledge of the period.
• Analyze the causes of growing opposition to
slavery in the United States from 1776 to 1852.
In your response, consider both underlying forces
and specific events that contributed to the
growing opposition.