AP® UNITED STATES HISTORY
2008 SCORING GUIDELINES (Form B)
Use TWO of the following categories to analyze the ways in which African Americans created a distinctive
culture in slavery.
Family
Music
Oral traditions
Religions
The 8–9 Essay
• Contains a clear, well-developed thesis addressing the ways African American slaves created a
distinctive culture in two of the given categories.
• Supports the thesis with substantial, relevant information illustrating how slaves created a
distinctive culture in two of the categories.
• Effectively analyzes the ways that slaves created a distinctive culture in two of the areas; coverage
of the two may be somewhat uneven.
• Is well organized and well written.
• May contain minor errors.
The 5–7 Essay
• Contains a thesis, which may be partially developed, addressing the ways that African American
slaves created a distinctive culture in two of the given categories.
• Provides some relevant information illustrating how slaves created a distinctive culture in two of
the categories.
• Essay analyzes to some degree the ways that slaves created a distinctive culture in two of the
categories; coverage of the two may not be balanced.
• Has acceptable organization and writing.
• May contain errors that do not seriously detract from the essay.
The 2–4 Essay
• Presents a thesis that may be confused, simplistic, or undeveloped in terms of addressing the ways
that African American slaves created a distinctive culture in two of the given categories; or
presents no thesis.
• Includes little relevant information illustrating how slaves created a distinctive culture in two
categories.
• Contains little analysis of the ways that slaves created a distinctive culture in two categories; or
may cover only one category.
• May be poorly organized and/or poorly written.
• May contain major errors.
The 0–1 Essay
• Lacks a thesis or restates the question.
• Includes no relevant information concerning the ways that African American slaves created a
distinctive culture.
• Contains no analysis of the ways that slaves created a distinctive culture.
• Is poorly organized and/or poorly written.
• May contain numerous errors, both major and minor.
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