Using ChatGPT for Crafting APUSH-Style SAQs and Integrating with Class Companion

Leveraging AI to Enhance Assessment in the Classroom

I’m a San Marino High School teacher with over 30 years of teaching experience. Additionally, I serve as the Class Companion Teacher Advisory Board and Community Outreach Manager.

Today, I would like to show you how to use ChatGPT to create APUSH-style SAQs that you can then assign to students using Class Companion.

Part 1: Crafting Non-Stimulus-Based APUSH SAQs with ChatGPT

First, navigate to the ChatGPT platform. Then copy and paste the following prompt into ChatGPT:

For the topic (insert topic), please provide six APUSH-style SAQs. Ensure that whatever questions you produce draw from the question stems listed below, as these are the most common APUSH-style question stems according to the CED:

• Briefly describe one major similarity between
• Briefly describe one major
• Briefly describe one specific historical difference between
• Briefly describe one specific historical similarity between
• Briefly explain how one specific historical event
• Briefly explain how one specific historical development
• Briefly describe ONE perspective
• Briefly explain ONE historical perspective
• Briefly explain how ONE event or development
• Briefly explain ONE specific way
• Briefly explain how ONE major historical factor
• Briefly explain how ONE person
• Briefly explain ONE specific outcome
• Briefly explain ONE specific historical impact
• Briefly explain ONE specific historical effect
• Briefly explain ONE specific result
• Briefly explain how ONE major historical factor
• Identify ONE distinct factor
• Briefly explain how ONE circumstance
• Briefly explain ONE reason

Here’s how ChatGPT responded to my request for six non-stimulus-based SAQs relating to APUSH Topic 5.7: The Election of 1860 and Secession

1. Briefly describe ONE major difference between the platforms of the candidates in the Election of 1860.
2. Briefly explain how ONE specific historical event leading up to the Election of 1860 heightened tensions between the North and the South.
3. Briefly describe ONE perspective of a Southern state on Abraham Lincoln’s election victory.
4. Briefly explain one specific historical impact of the Election of 1860 on the subsequent secession of Southern states.
5. Identify ONE distinct factor that made the Election of 1860 a pivotal moment in U.S. history.
6. Briefly explain ONE specific outcome of the secession that followed the Election of 1860 and its implications for the Civil War.

Part 2: Integrating Non-Stimulus-Based APUSH SAQs into Class Companion

Once you’ve crafted your SAQs using ChatGPT, it’s time to integrate three of them into Class Companion.

But first, let me explain why I’m encouraging the use of Class Companion. For me, it all boils down to one thing — the “magic” of instant feedback.

Instant feedback, as I’m sure you all know, is “magical” for the following reasons:

1. It Reinforces Learning: When students get an answer right and receive immediate affirmation, it strengthens their memory and understanding of the concept.
2. It Boosts Motivation and Engagement: Instant feedback can be a powerful motivator. Knowing results immediately can encourage students to stay engaged and try harder, especially if they see they’re on the right track.
3. It Reduces Cognitive Load: Waiting for feedback can create anxiety and uncertainty, which can occupy a student’s mind. Immediate feedback clears up any doubts instantly, allowing students to focus on the next task.
4. It Promotes Self-regulated Learning: With instant feedback, students can assess their own understanding and adjust their study strategies in real time, fostering independence in learning.
5. It Reduces the Fear of Failure. When you get more chances, you are less likely to lose confidence and more likely to have a growth mindset.

With that said, it’s now time to discuss how to integrate your ChatGPT-created non-stimulus-based SAQs into Class Companion, with Avery Pan, the CEO of Class Companion, explaining how to do this in the short and very well done video provided below:

I also suggest looking over the following video.

2:34

Part 3: Using ChatGPT to Craft Stimulus-Based SAQs

In addition to crafting SAQs, ChatGPT can be leveraged to create stimulus-based SAQs.

However, it’s important to note that while the College Board frequently uses maps, paintings, charts, or graphs as stimuli for SAQs, ChatGPT, in its current form, cannot generate such visual stimuli.

That said, there are various “plug-ins” that can potentially enhance ChatGPT’s capabilities in this regard though, for the scope of this post, I won’t delve into the use of these plug-ins.

That topic, (the use of ChatGPT plug-ins to assist in the creation of SAQ stimuli that include charts, graphs, Photos, etc.) is reserved for a future blog post.

For now, when leveraging ChatGPT to create stimulus material to accompany questions, the focus will primarily be on text-based primary or secondary sources.

Here’s how you can utilize ChatGPT for this purpose:

1. Determine the Topic and Type of Stimulus: For instance, if you’re covering the Industrial Revolution, you might want a primary source text from a factory worker’s perspective.
2. Craft a Detailed Prompt for ChatGPT: Navigate to the ChatGPT platform and input a detailed prompt. For example: “Provide a primary source text from the perspective of a factory worker during the Industrial Revolution, discussing their daily challenges and views on industrialization.”
3. Review and Refine: Once ChatGPT provides the stimulus, review it for accuracy and relevance. ChatGPT will on occasion generate fictional sources. While these sources can be historically plausible, they aren’t actual historical documents or accounts. You’ll need to decide whether using a fictional source is appropriate for your teaching goals. For many educators, myself included, the use of such sources can still be valuable as a learning exercise, even if they aren’t authentic. However, it’s crucial to be transparent with students about the nature of these sources.
4. Pair with SAQs: Once you have your stimulus material, you can then craft or select relevant SAQs that require students to analyze, interpret, or respond to the stimulus. This not only tests their knowledge of the topic but also their critical thinking and source analysis skills.
5. Integrate into Class Companion: As with the SAQs, you can then integrate the stimulus and accompanying questions into Class Companion, providing students with a comprehensive assessment experience.

Here’s how ChatGPT responded to my request for a stimulus that can be used for the SAQ entitled The Eection of 1860 and Secession, along with three of the questions that it had crafted and which appeared earlier in this post.

The Election of 1860 and Secession SAQ

“Lincoln’s victory is a clear sign that the interests of the South are being sidelined. The North, with its industrial might and growing population, seems to dictate the nation’s direction. States’ rights, a principle we hold dear, are under threat. The divide between the North and the South has never been more apparent, and many here in the South are questioning if our future lies within this Union.”

• Excerpt from ‘The Charleston Daily’ (November 1860)

1. Briefly describe ONE major difference between the platforms of the candidates in the Election of 1860.
2. Briefly explain how ONE specific historical event leading up to the Election of 1860 heightened tensions between the North and the South.
3. Briefly describe ONE perspective of a Southern state on Abraham Lincoln’s election victory.

Part 4: Integrating Stimulus Based SAQs into Class Companion

If you upload The Election of 1860 and Secession Stimulus-Based SAQ to Class Companion, here’s how it will look.

Close Out

By leveraging ChatGPT to craft either stimulus-based or non-stimulus-based SAQs and then publishing these SAQs to Class Companion, all history teachers can easily design assessments that will:

1. Challenge students to think critically and draw connections between sources and overarching historical themes.
2. Offer their students a unique opportunity to engage with historical thinking skills, even if the source itself isn’t genuine.
3. Tap into the transformative, aka magical, potential of instant feedback.

Sidenote #1:

When I asked CHATGPT to provide me with six SAQs relating to Topic 4.10: The Second Great Awakening, here’s how it responded:

1. Briefly describe ONE major similarity between the First and the Second Great Awakening in terms of their impact on American society.
2. Briefly explain how ONE specific historical development during the Second Great Awakening influenced the rise of reform movements.
3. Briefly describe ONE perspective of a prominent religious figure during the Second Great Awakening.
4. Briefly explain ONE specific historical effect of the Second Great Awakening on women’s roles in religious and social spheres.
5. Identify one distinct factor that differentiates the Second Great Awakening from other religious revivals.
6. Briefly explain one reason the Second Great Awakening is considered a driving force behind the antislavery and temperance movements.

And here’s how ChatGPT responded when I prompted it to provide me with a stimulus-based SAQ relating to the above, with ChatGPT to decide which of the three questions to feature.

‘The fort’s location is of utmost strategic importance, standing at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers. Our alliances with certain Native American tribes have been beneficial, but the French have their allies too. The challenges are immense, with skirmishes frequent and the looming threat of a larger French force. The colonies seem distant, and I wonder how this war will shape their future relationship with the Crown.’

• From the diary of a British soldier stationed at Fort Duquesne (1757)

1. Briefly describe ONE major similarity between the French and Indian War and the American Revolution.
2. Briefly explain how ONE specific historical event during the French and Indian War influenced colonial sentiments.
3. Briefly describe ONE perspective of the British towards the French during this war.

Sidenote #2:

When I asked ChatGPT to come up with six SAQs for Topic 3.2: The French and Indian War, here’s how it responded:

1. Briefly describe ONE major similarity between the French and Indian War and the American Revolution.
2. Briefly explain how ONE specific historical event during the French and Indian War influenced colonial sentiments.
3. Briefly describe ONE perspective of the British towards the French during this war.
4. Briefly explain ONE specific historical impact of the French and Indian War on Native American tribes.
5. Identify ONE distinct factor that led to the outbreak of the French and Indian War.
6. Briefly explain ONE reason the French and Indian War is considered a precursor to the American Revolution.

And here’s how ChatGPT responded when I prompted it to provide me with a stimulus-based SAQ relating to the above, with ChatGPT to decide which of the three questions to feature.

“Revival is not a miracle, nor dependent on a miracle, in any sense. It is a purely philosophical result of the right use of the constituted means — as much so as any other effect produced by the application of means.’

• Excerpt from a sermon by Charles Grandison Finney, a leading evangelist of the Second Great Awakening (1831)

1. Briefly explain the primary message Charles Grandison Finney is conveying in this excerpt and its significance during the Second Great Awakening.
2. Briefly describe ONE major difference between the First and the Second Great Awakening in terms of their theological emphasis or methods.
3. Briefly explain how ONE specific historical development or social reform movement during the Second Great Awakening was influenced by the religious fervor of the period.

Sidenote #3

Though ChatGPT can’t provide an excerpt from copyrighted material, if you’re an APUSH (Advanced Placement U.S. History) teacher and are looking to create an SAQ (Short Answer Question) with an excerpt from something studied in the class, you might try asking it to provide an excerpt from non-copyrighted material. Below is a list of 50 sources that ChatGPT can provide an excerpt from:

1. Declaration of Independence (1776)
2. The Constitution of the United States (1787)
3. The Bill of Rights (First 10 Amendments to the Constitution, 1791)
4. The Emancipation Proclamation (1863) by Abraham Lincoln
5. The Gettysburg Address (1863) by Abraham Lincoln
6. The Monroe Doctrine (1823) by President James Monroe
7. Federalist Papers (1787–1788) by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay
8. Common Sense (1776) by Thomas Paine
9. The Articles of Confederation (1777)
10. The Mayflower Compact (1620)
11. The Northwest Ordinance (1787)
12. The Missouri Compromise (1820)
13. The Dred Scott v. Sandford Supreme Court Decision (1857)
14. The Homestead Act (1862)
15. The 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (1865) — Abolishing Slavery
16. The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (1868) — Citizenship Rights
17. The 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (1870) — Voting Rights
18. The Zimmerman Telegram (1917)
19. The Treaty of Paris (1783) — Ending the Revolutionary War
20. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848) — Ending the Mexican-American War
21. The Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments (1848)
22. President Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points (1918)
23. The Proclamation of Neutrality (1793) by George Washington
24. The Alien and Sedition Acts (1798)
25. The Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions (1798–1799) by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison
26. The Oregon Trail Diary Entries (mid-1800s)
27. The Fugitive Slave Act (1850)
28. The Gospel of Wealth (1889) by Andrew Carnegie
29. The Sherman Antitrust Act (1890)
30. The Plessy v. Ferguson Supreme Court Decision (1896)
31. The Haymarket Affair Testimonies (1886)
32. The Pullman Strike Reports (1894)
33. The Neutrality Act (1939)
34. The Truman Doctrine (1947) by President Harry S. Truman
35. The Marshall Plan (1948) by Secretary of State George Marshall
36. The Farewell Address (1796) by George Washington
37. The Louisiana Purchase Treaty (1803)
38. The Compromise of 1850
39. The Lincoln-Douglas Debates (1858)
40. The Indian Removal Act (1830)
41. The Nullification Proclamation (1832) by Andrew Jackson
42. The Writs of Assistance Case (1761)
43. The Zenger Trial Records (1735)
44. The Espionage Act (1917)
45. The Kellogg-Briand Pact (1928)
46. The Teapot Dome Scandal Documents (1922–1923)
47. The Scopes Trial Transcripts (1925)
48. The War of 1812 Documents and Letters
49. The XYZ Affair Correspondence (1797–1798)
50. The Letters from the Birmingham Jail (1963) by Martin Luther King Jr.
51. The Barbary Treaties (1786–1836)
52. The Oregon Treaty (1846)
53. The Clayton-Bulwer Treaty (1850)
54. The Gadsden Purchase (1853)
55. The Pendleton Civil Service Act (1883)
56. The Dawes Act (1887)
57. The Platt Amendment (1901)
58. The Open Door Policy (1899–1900)
59. The Monroe Doctrine
60. The Gentlemen’s Agreement (1907–1908)
61. The Payne-Aldrich Tariff Act (1909)
62. The Underwood Tariff Act (1913)
63. The Federal Reserve Act (1913
64. The Sussex Pledge (1916)
65. The Selective Service Act (1917)
66. The Treaty of Versailles (1919)
67. The Washington Naval Conference (1921–1922)
68. The National Origins Act (1924)
69. The Good Neighbor Policy (1933)
70. The Wagner Act (1935)
71. The Social Security Act (1935)
72. The Neutrality Acts of the 1930s
73. The Lend-Lease Act (1941)
74. The Atlantic Charter (1941)
75. The Bracero Program (1942–1964)
76. The GI Bill (1944)
77. The Bretton Woods Agreement (1944)
78. The United Nations Charter (1945)
79. The Taft-Hartley Act (1947)
80. The NATO Treaty (1949)
81. The Korean War Armistice Agreement (1953
82. The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (1964)
83. The Civil Rights Act (1964)
84. The Voting Rights Act (1965)
85. The Miranda v. Arizona Supreme Court Decision (1966)
86. The Camp David Accords (1978)
87. The INF Treaty (1987)
88. The 9/11 Commission Report (2004)
89. The Boston Massacre Trial Transcripts (1770)
90. The Star-Spangled Banner (1814) by Francis Scott KeY
91. The Ostend Manifesto (1854)
92. The Wade-Davis Bill (1864)
93. The Black Codes (1865–1866
94. The Stamp Act (1765)
95. The Townshend Acts (1767)
96. The Olive Branch Petition (1775)
97. The Treaty of Alliance with France (1778)
98. The Jay Treaty (1795)
99. The Quartering Act (1765)
100. The Proclamation of 1763