Guidelines for Writing Historical Summations

A ‘Summation’ is single paragraph, one page essay in which you bring together the historian’s
thesis or claim, most important ideas/evidence to support the thesis or claim and evaluation
of the argument’s effectiveness. Historical Summations serve two purposes in AP US History; they
help evaluate the historian’s POV and they also serve to improve your essay writing.

Helpful Writing Hints:

1. Write in active voice; avoid passive voice.
a. Active: Lightning struck the barn.
b. Passive: The barn was struck by lightning.
c. Concise and compact essays result from writing in active voice.
2. Write in third person
3. Paraphrase the historian’s main points; do not quote
4. Achieve subject / verb agreement
5. Only use it, they, and you if there is an antecedent within the sentence or paragraph.
6. Do not re-write the article. Summarize the historian’s main point(s). Identify the claim and how
the historian supported the claim.
7. Use transition words: however, furthermore, nonetheless, moreover, etc. And not just at the
beginning of sentences as they work quite well in the middle linking ideas while indicating their
relationship.
8. Do not abbreviate.
9. Keep your summation to a single paragraph on a single page.
The following must be addressed:
1. Include the name of the historian and title of reading. You may integrate the author and title
into the summation, or place into title or heading.
2. What “claim” is the author making about the topic/subject?
3. Identify a piece of information that supports the argument of the historian.
4. What is a piece of evidence that undermines the argument?
5. Do you agree with his/her claim/argument? Why or why not?
a. Factually support your view. Give specific historical evidence. Never use the word “I”.

Historical Summation Rubric

94 – 100 = A well-written page that summarizes the most important points from the
reading in one paragraph and clearly expresses your viewpoint/opinion
about the article without using the word “I”. (Defend, Modify or Refute the claim
being made by the historian.)
85-93 = A summation that includes the important ideas, but is poorly written; Or, a
summation that is well written, but misses some of the ideas or does not include
your view of the historian’s effectiveness.
75-84 = A summation that contains some of the article’s ideas (but not all), and is not
written following the guidelines for writing summations.
65-74 = A paragraph that misses the ideas/claim and does not include your opinion.

55-64 = Words on paper that show a complete lack of understanding of the reading.