How to Break Down an FRQ

1. How to Break Down an FRQ Assume that your reader has NO prior knowledge…so, explain EVERYTHING!

2. Address the VERBS • “Identify” - list something (does not require causal explanation) • Identify three characteristics Presidents consider when making appointments • Such a list, which could be bulleted or numbered, might include party, race, gender, etc. • “Define” - provide meaning (examples may help demonstrate understanding) • You may be instructed to note the term’s significance as part of the definition

3. Address the VERBS • “Describe” - most often address “what” questions • If you were asked to describe reasons for the decline in voter turnout, in the description you must do more than simply list facts…you must actually describe the reasons: • “expansion of suffrage led to decline in overall voter turnout because once voting was made available to more individuals, the overall percentage of those voting declined.” • “Discuss” - explore relationships between different concepts • identifying, describing, and explaining could be required tasks involved in writing a satisfactory discussion

4. Address the VERBS • “Explain” - involves the exploration of possible causal relationships • When providing explanations, students should identify and discuss logical connections or causal patterns that exist between or among various political phenomena • Explain “why” or “how” - use the words “by” or “because” • “Compare/Contrast” - make specific links between two or more concepts • Understand that it is important to note similarities AND differences

5. Address the VERBS • “Evaluate/Assess” - involves considering how well something meets a certain standard • Generally requires a thesis • It is important to identify the criteria used in the evaluation. If no criteria are explicitly given in the question, you should clearly identify the ones that you are going to use. • Requires explicit connections between the thesis or argument and the supporting evidence • “Analyze” - requires separating a phenomenon into its characteristics as a way of understanding the whole • Should give conclusions that are explained or supported by specific evidence

6. And Finally… A direct, clear answer is likely to earn more points than a vague, rambling, ambiguous response NOW LET’S PRACTICE!!!

7. Step One: Read the Question 1. Thomas Jefferson wrote, “The Constitution belongs to the living and not to the dead.” Explain how the Constitution has endured for over 200 years by:

8. Step Two: What are the tasks? (a) Identify a constitutional provision that supports Jefferson’s statement

9. Step Two: What are the tasks? (b) giving two examples of how the provision had an impact on public policy • Write a “mini-thesis”: _________ has impacted public policy by… • Write a sentence providing an example • Write a few sentences explaining HOW the provision and the example are related • Skip a line and repeat for second example