How to write a Change and Continuity Over Time essay

1. How to write a Change and Continuity Over Time essay Meaning what changed and what stayed the same

3. 5 Steps • Dissect Question • Brainstorm information • (Potentially) Make choice within question • Formulate Thesis • Including evidence you will use to support • Outline essay • Write

4. Dissect the question • Underline, highlight, circle, box or otherwise make note of all important phrases in the question. (Dates, time periods, verbs, regions, countries, etc) • See the handout for meaning of verbs • This is important because 2 of your points come from addressing all parts of the question

5. Brainstorm • Think of everything you know on the topic • Write things down • Think in terms of things that have changed or stayed the same over the time period

6. Brainstorming – More Specifically You really have to deal with 3 main questions that are in every CCOT question • What changes and continuities happened in the time period and region? • Why did they happen? (Analysis) • What affect did this have? (How did it impact the history of the time period and region?) • To answer the first question, you need to set a baseline (what things were like at the beginning of the period) to be able to contrast how they changed throughout the period.

7. So think about what things were like at the beginning and what they were like at the end. How were they different and how were they the same? What happened in the middle to cause these changes (and lack of changes)?

8. Thesis • Thesis: Like all theses • Needs to answer all parts of the question • Needs to be specific (don’t say there were lots of changes) • Needs to show how you are going to support your idea (historical evidence)

9. You must identify the change AND make it clear why that change occurred. NO Prior to 1948 the Jewish people had no homeland. In 1948, Israel was established. YESIn the Early 20th century, few people saw a need for the establishment of an independent Jewish state. However, once the world realized the massive genocide of Jews that took place during World War II, support for the establishment of Israel began to grow.

10. Target Language

11. Structure • Due to the different forms the CCOT essay can take, and the topics covered in the question, there is no one way to structure your essay. • Two basic ways to structure your essay are • Chronologically (time) • Topic

12. Chronological Essay Structure Thesis Paragraph Background (Optional) Thesis Statement (1-2 sentences) “Road Map” of later paragraphs Body Paragraph #1: Early/Beginning Time Period • Beginning Situation (start with “changing from what?” so the reader can recognize the later changes in the paragraph) • Changes at/near beginning date, including description of the type of change (sudden, gradual, etc.) • Evidence of change (if possible, name a specific example that represents this change) • Analysis of the process of change (What caused the changes? What were the later effects? How did these changes propel history into the next chronological era?) • Comparison to the larger Global Context (How do the examples in this paragraph compare to the larger world context during the same time period or during the next time period?) Body Paragraph #2: Middle Time Period. (same characteristics as above) Body Paragraph #3: Late/Ending Period (same characteristics as above) Body Paragraph #4: Continuities • What characteristics exist throughout the entire time period? • Analysis of the continuities (What caused the continuities?) • Global Context (How do these examples of continuities compare to the larger world context during the same time period?) Concluding Paragraph (recommended, but optional) Restatement/summarization of Thesis

13. Topical Essay Structure Thesis Paragraph Background (Optional) Thesis Statement (1-2 sentences) “Road Map” of later paragraphs Body Paragraph #1: Topic #1 • Beginning Situation (before you begin to describe changes, start with “changing from what?” so the reader can recognize the later changes in the paragraph) • Changes, including description of the type of change (sudden, gradual, etc.) • Evidence of change (if possible, name a specific example that represents this change) • Analysis of the process of change (What caused the changes? What were the later effects? How did these changes propel history into the next chronological era?) • Continuity (What characteristics of this topic exist throughout the entire time period?) • Comparison to the larger Global Context (How do the examples of continuity and change in this paragraph compare to the larger world context during the same time period or during the next time period?) Body Paragraph #2: Topic #2 (same characteristics as above) Body Paragraph #3: Topic #3 (same characteristics as above) Body Paragraph #4: Topic #4 (same characteristics as above) Concluding Paragraph (recommended, but optional) Restatement/summarization of Thesis

14. PASTPROMPTS 2009 CCOT Analyze continuities and changes in patterns of interactions along the Silk Roads from 200 B.C.E. to 1450 C.E. 2008 CCOT Analyze the changes and continuities in commerce in the Indian Ocean region from 650 C.E. to 1750 C.E.

15. PASTPROMPTS 2007 CCOT Analyze major changes and continuities in the formation of national identities in ONE of the regions listed below from 1914 to the present. Be sure to include evidence from specific countries in the region selected. Middle East Southeast Asia Sub-Saharan Africa 2006 CCOT Analyze the cultural and political changes and continuities in ONE of the following civilizations during the last centuries of the classical era. Chinese 100-600 CE Roman 100-600 CE Indian 300-600 CE

16. PASTPROMPTS 2005 CCOT Analyze the social and economic transformations that occurred in the Atlantic world as a result of new contacts among Western Europe, Africa, and the Americas from 1492 to 1750. 2004 CCOT Analyze the changes and continuities in labor systems between 1750 and 1914 in ONE of the following areas. In your analysis, be sure to discuss the causes of the changes and the reasons for the continuities. Latin America and the Caribbean Russia Sub-Saharan Africa

17. PASTPROMPTS 2003 CCOT Describe and analyze the cultural, economic, and political impact of Islam on ONE of the following regions between 1000 CE and 1750 CE. Be sure to discuss continuities as well as changes. West Africa South Asia Europe 2002 CCOT Choose TWO of the areas listed below and analyze how each area’s relationship to global trade patterns changed from 1750 to the present. Be sure to describe each area’s involvement in global patterns around 1750 as your starting point. Latin America North America Sub-SaharanAfrica East Asia Eastern Europe South/Southeast Asia Middle East

18. Time to Practice • Analyze the changes and continuities in labor systems between 1750 and 1914 in ONE of the following areas. In your analysis, be sure to discuss the causes of the changes and the reasons for the continuities. • Latin America and the Caribbean • Russia • Sub-Saharan Africa