APPARTS

APPARTS is an acronym, designed to help you better interpret primary sources. It will provide you with a concise, yet thorough method for interpreting primary sources in a timely fashion (an essential for answering the DBQs). In answering these questions, you will better understand the source rather than just reading through the source on your own. Here's the acronym:


 * A**uthor - Who created the source? What do you know about the author? What is the author's point of view?


 * P**lace and Time - Where and when was the source produced? How might this affect the meaning of the source?


 * P**rior Knowledge - Beyond information about the author and the context of its creation, what do you know that would help you further understand the primary source? For example, do you recognize any of the symbols and recall what they represent?


 * A**udience - For whom was the source created and how might this affect the reliability of the source?


 * R**eason - Why was this source produced at the time it was produced?


 * T**he Main Idea - What point was the source trying to convey?


 * S**ignificance - Why is this source important? What inferences can you draw from this document? Ask yourself, "So what?" in relation to the question asked.