Pre-AP for Social Science

AP Annual Conference Submission

056 - Historical Thinking Skills for All: Pre-AP’s Embrace of the Productive Structure

Staff(s)

• DM

  Drew McCulley

  Director
  The College Board

Committee(s)

• TK

  Tim Keirn

  AP World History Chief Reader
  California State University, Long Beach

The ability to analyze primary and secondary sources is central to the craft of historians and a necessary skill for 21st century citizenship. While history teachers see a focus on historical skills as a noble aim, many find the time necessary to cover required content leaves little room for skill development. This session will provide practical, replicable strategies for making scaffolded practice of AP historical skills and practices an everyday occurrence for history students. The central focus of this session will be demonstrating how prompting students to observe, discuss, and write like historians supports a more rigorous, and more engaging, classroom. As a bonus, students can learn to retain more of the content while building their skill mastery.