The Guatemala Paper Is Your Best Friend
"If I didn't have the Guatemala Paper, I would join the Communists and give everyone a pony probably." -George Washington
The Guatemala Paper is your new best friend. It tells you the exact structure of the essays you're going to write: the DBQ, the CC, and the CCOT, down to the number of sentences you should use. Keep a copy in your pocket, tattoo it on your arm, recite it like poetry, whatever you have to do to learn it. You'll have paper copies, but here's a link to some online as well.
The importance of this paper is exceptional. Fortunately for you, it's really easy to learn, and it makes logistical sense.
The importance of this paper is exceptional. Fortunately for you, it's really easy to learn, and it makes logistical sense.
Dividing your timeYou'll have two hours and ten minutes to write three essays. I know that sounds like a lot, but it IS manageable. If you split it up evenly (about forty minutes per essay) you'll end up with three very good essays. The best way to prepare for the time constraints is to practice writing these essays. Set time limits when you do them at home, and see how much you can get done. It DOES get easier,
"I love the Guatemala Paper even more than I love utopian social and political systems." -Karl Marx "The Guatemala paper is even better than Capitalism, tbh." -Adam Smith |
The Document Based QuestionThe Document Based Question, or DBQ, is the first essay you'll be given. It usually takes the most time, and it wants you to use a very specific format. Don't worry, you'll learn how to write a good DBQ, it's easy once you learn how. (Hint: the Guatemala Paper tells you exactly how to write one)
The great thing about the DBQ is that you don't really have to know anything about the topic you're writing about. You are provided with a number of sources to pull from, and you use those to back up a point that the test also provides you with. The only downside is that it demands more than forty minutes to complete. Don't worry if you spend a lot of time on it, the other two essays are shorter. The Compare and ContrastThe CC. The test will give you a small list of Empires or similar, and you have to choose two and compare and contrast them. Pretty self explanatory, and pretty easy (if you follow the Guatemala Paper, that is). You'll also need a good understanding of the content
Changes and Continuities over TimeThe CCOT is similar to the CC, but in this one you compare changes and continuities in one area, which you get to choose from a provided list. This test does require an understanding of the content taught in this class, so study.
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