Unit Checkpoint
Unit Overview
This checkpoint assesses your mastery of the US History Start unit. You will demonstrate your understanding of the American Revolution, the Early Republic period, primary source analysis, map and data interpretation, and claim-evidence writing.
Skills Assessed in This Checkpoint
- Content Knowledge: Key events, figures, and concepts from 1763-1800
- Primary Source Analysis: Using the SOAPS method to interpret historical documents
- Maps and Data: Interpreting geographic and quantitative information
- Historical Writing: Constructing arguments using the CER framework
- SAT/ACT Skills: Identifying main ideas, analyzing evidence, and drawing conclusions
How to Use This Checkpoint
- Complete all questions without referring to lesson materials
- Review your answers against the concepts from each lesson
- Identify areas where you need additional practice
- Return to specific lessons to strengthen weak areas
Sample Question Formats
Format 1: Multiple Choice (SAT/ACT Style)
The passage below is followed by questions. Answer each question based on the passage.
"We have it in our power to begin the world over again. A situation, similar to the present, hath not happened since the days of Noah until now." - Thomas Paine, Common Sense, 1776
Which choice best describes the author's purpose?
A) To argue that the current moment is historically unprecedented
B) To compare the American colonies to ancient civilizations
C) To warn colonists about the dangers of independence
D) To describe the physical geography of America
Format 2: Evidence-Based Analysis
Given the following evidence, what claim could you support?
Evidence: The Constitution was ratified by only 39 of the 55 delegates who attended the Convention.
Format 3: Data Interpretation
Using the population data provided, calculate the percentage change and explain its historical significance.
Checkpoint Questions
Complete all questions to assess your unit mastery.
Section A: Content Knowledge
1. Which event is considered the immediate cause of armed conflict between Britain and the American colonies?
A) The Boston Tea Party (1773)
B) The battles of Lexington and Concord (1775)
C) The signing of the Declaration of Independence (1776)
D) The Stamp Act (1765)
2. The Three-Fifths Compromise addressed what issue at the Constitutional Convention?
A) Representation in the Senate
B) The power of the presidency
C) How to count enslaved people for representation and taxation
D) The process for admitting new states
Section B: Primary Source Analysis
3. Read the following excerpt from the Declaration of Independence:
"He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good."
Using the SOAPS method, identify the speaker, audience, and purpose of this statement.
4. A letter written by a British soldier in 1778 describes colonial rebels as "misguided farmers." What bias should a historian consider when using this source?
Section C: Maps and Data
5. The 1790 census recorded the following state populations:
- Virginia: 748,000
- Pennsylvania: 434,000
- New York: 340,000
- Massachusetts: 379,000
Which statement is best supported by this data?
A) Northern states had larger populations than Southern states.
B) Virginia had nearly twice the population of New York.
C) Pennsylvania was the largest state in the new nation.
D) Population was evenly distributed among the states.
6. A map showing the Treaty of Paris (1783) boundaries indicates that the United States gained territory west to the Mississippi River. What geographic challenge did this create for the new nation?
Section D: Claim-Evidence Writing
7. Evaluate the following claim and evidence. Explain whether the evidence effectively supports the claim.
Claim: The Constitution represented a significant change from the Articles of Confederation.
Evidence: Under the Constitution, Congress gained the power to levy taxes, regulate commerce, and raise an army without state approval.
8. Write a complete CER paragraph responding to this question: "Why did the Founders include a Bill of Rights in the Constitution?"
Section E: Synthesis and Application
9. A student argues that "the American Revolution was primarily about economics, not political philosophy." Using evidence from multiple lessons in this unit, evaluate this claim. What evidence supports it? What evidence challenges it?
10. Consider how the skills you learned in this unit (primary source analysis, data interpretation, claim-evidence writing) connect to SAT and ACT reading and writing sections. Identify one specific skill and explain how it would help you answer a standardized test question.
Self-Assessment Rubric
Use this rubric to evaluate your checkpoint performance.
Content Knowledge (Questions 1-2)
- Mastery: Both correct - You have strong recall of key events and concepts
- Developing: One correct - Review the American Revolution and Early Republic lessons
- Needs Practice: Neither correct - Reread both content lessons before continuing
Primary Source Analysis (Questions 3-4)
- Mastery: Complete SOAPS analysis; identifies specific biases
- Developing: Partial analysis; general understanding of bias
- Needs Practice: Incomplete analysis; review Primary Source Analysis lesson
Maps and Data (Questions 5-6)
- Mastery: Correct data interpretation; identifies multiple geographic implications
- Developing: Correct interpretation OR geographic understanding
- Needs Practice: Difficulty with both; review Maps and Data lesson
Claim-Evidence Writing (Questions 7-8)
- Mastery: Clear evaluation; complete CER paragraph with strong reasoning
- Developing: Basic evaluation; CER present but reasoning needs development
- Needs Practice: Incomplete responses; review Claim-Evidence Writing lesson
Next Steps
- Review any sections where you scored "Developing" or "Needs Practice"
- Complete additional practice problems from those lessons
- Proceed to the next unit when you achieve "Mastery" in all areas
- Use these skills in other subjects and on SAT/ACT practice tests