John Irish

Understanding Contextualization in the AP® History Courses

Contextualization is an intriguing skill introduced in the redesigned AP History courses. It plays a crucial role in multiple aspects of the courses, including multiple-choice questions, short-answer questions, and essays (such as the Document-Based Question and Long Essay Questions). Mastering...

Developing Historical Thinking Skills in AP® Social Studies

In 2015, the College Board introduced several changes to the AP U.S. History course and exam. One significant addition was the inclusion of new historical thinking skills. Although these skills were always part of the course, they were never explicitly defined. Now, the College Board has provided a...