Historical Thinking Skills: Students will be assessed on their ability to
Analyzing Historical Sources and
Evidence
Primary Sources
Describe historically relevant
information and/or arguments within a
source.
Explain how a source provides
information about the broader historical
setting within which it was created.
Explain how a sources point of view,
purpose, historical situation, and/or
audience might affect a sources
meaning.
Explain the relative historical
significance of a sources point of view,
purpose, historical situation, and/or
audience.
Evaluate a sources credibility and/or
limitations
Secondary Sources
Describe the claim or argument of
a secondary source, as well as the
evidence used.
Describe a pattern or trend in
quantitative data in non-text-based
sources.
Explain how a historians claim or
argument is supported with
evidence.
Explain how a historians context
influences the claim or argument.
Analyze patterns and trends in
quantitative data in non-text-based
sources.
Evaluate the effectiveness of a
historical claim or argument.
Argument Making Historical
Chronological Thinking
Development Connections
Comparison Causation
Make a historically
defensible claim in
Describe similarities and/or Describe causes or effects of a
the form of an
differences between different specific historical development or
evaluative thesis.
historical developments or process.
processes.
Support an argument Explain the relationship between
using specific and Explain relevant similarities causes and effects of a specific
relevant evidence. and/or differences between historical development or process.
specific historical Explain the difference between
developments and processes. primary and secondary causes and
Use historical between short- and long term
reasoning to explain effects.
Explain the relative historical
relationships among
significance of similarities
pieces of historical
and/or differences between Explain the relative historical
evidence.
different historical significance of different causes
developments or processes. and/or effects.
Consider ways that
diverse or alternative
evidence could be
used to qualify or
Contextualization Patterns of Continuity and
modify an argument.
Change over Time
Describe an accurate
historical context for a Describe patterns of continuity
specific historical and/or change over time.
development or process.
Explain patterns of continuity
Explain how a relevant and/or change over time.
context influenced a specific
historical development or Explain the relative historical
process. significance of specific historical
developments in relation to a
Use context to explain the larger pattern of continuity and/or
relative historical change.
significance of a specific
historical development or
process.
 AP European History: Historical Thinking Skills
Practice 1: Analyzing Historical Evidence Practice 2: Argument Development

Students will be assessed on their ability to

Primary Sources
Describe historically relevant
information and/or arguments
within a source.
Explain how a source provides
information about the broader
historical setting within which it was
created.
Explain how a sources point of view,
purpose, historical situation, and/or
audience might affect a sources
meaning.
Explain the relative historical
significance of a sources point of
view, purpose, historical situation,
and/or audience.
Evaluate a sources credibility
and/or limitations.
Secondary Sources Make a historically defensible claim in the form of an evaluative thesis.
Describe the claim or argument of a Support an argument using specific and relevant evidence.
secondary source, as well as the Use historical reasoning to explain relationships among pieces of historical evidence.
evidence used. Consider ways that diverse or alternative evidence could be used to qualify or modify
Describe a pattern or trend in an argument.
quantitative data in non-text-based
sources.
Explain how a historians claim or
argument is supported with
evidence.
Explain how a historians context
influences the claim or argument.
Analyze patterns and trends in
quantitative data in non-text-based
sources.
Evaluate the effectiveness of a
historical claim or argument.
AP History Reasoning Skills

Skill 4: Continuity and Change Over

Skill 1: Contextualization Skill 2: Comparison Skill 3: Causation
Time

Describe an accurate historical
context for a specific historical
development or process.
Explain how a relevant context
influenced a specific historical
development or process.
Use context to explain the relative
historical significance of a specific
historical development or process.
Describe similarities and/or
differences between different
historical developments or processes.
Explain relevant similarities and/or
differences between specific historical
developments and processes.
Explain the relative historical
significance of similarities and/or
differences between different
historical developments or processes.
Describe causes or effects of a specific
historical development or process.
Explain the relationship between
causes and effects of a specific
historical development or process.
Explain the difference between
primary and secondary causes, and
between short- and long-term effects.
Explain the relative historical
significance of different causes and/or
effects.
Describe patterns of continuity
and/or change over time.
Explain patterns of continuity and/or
change over time.
Explain the relative historical
significance of specific historical
developments in relation to a larger
pattern of continuity and/or change.
 AP European History: Course Themes
States and Other Objective Knowledge and Interaction with Europe
Individuals and Society Poverty and Prosperity
Institutions of Power Subjective Vision and the World

SP IS OS INT PP

How were European
governments formed and
changed over time?
How have European
governments reacted
to/or formed democratic
principles and practices?
How did civil institutions
develop and what impact
did they have on
Europe?
What impact did war
have on politics?
How did the idea of
Example:
balance of power develop
and become
institutionalized?
Example:
Topics:
How have family, What roles have the How has Europe How has capitalism
class and social classics and religion interacted with the developed as an
groups developed played in the creation rest of the world? economic system?
and changed and spread of ideas? What allowed Europe How has society
overtime? How and why did to interact with the changed because of
How and why has Europeans rely on rest of the world? the development of
tension developed science and logic in How have non- capitalism?
between the place of traditional Europeans changed What were/are the
individual and beliefs? Europe? causes and
society? How and why did consequences of
What impact has
How and why has Europe come to value Europe had on non- economic
the status of different Europeans?
specific groups interpretations of Example:
changed over time? reality Example:
Example:
Topics:
Topics:

Topics:

Topics: