Slide 1

IS THERE…

A QUESTION

or DILEMMA?

A PATTERN?

A RATIONALE

or CONCEPT?

Needed documents discussed on the previous slide can provide the basis for an effective conclusion.

Then you have the thesis

The documents gave the impression that Muslim commercial contacts were culturally more effective and influential than those of the Europeans. Europeans emphasized religious conversion, descriptions of goods of interest to European needs, or simply adjusting to new environments.

THESIS AND CONCLUSION

EXAMPLE


	The last and most difficult step of any writing process is the thesis. Can you find a pattern, a rationale or concept, or a question or dilemma? Is there something else that strikes you after reading the documents? Was there a group that seemed to have a biased approach to the topic? Any thesis that requires you to use the documents to support your position can be an effective.

	Remember, on the AP World History exam, the thesis must be derived from the documents and the documents must be used to support the thesis.

	In this case, the documents give an impression that Muslim contacts had more of an impact on the regions they visited than the Europeans did. The Europeans were either trying to adapt and just survive, standing in awe of what they saw, or they were more interested in converting their contacts. Using the historical background, it does make sense because Muslim societies were at a higher point during this time period while the Europeans were in the so-called “Dark Ages.”

	You have now developed a thesis for your first paragraph, while the previous slide shows a conclusion you might use for the last paragraph of your essay.