Essay Writing

3 Essays

Compare/Contrast

Change over time

Document Based Questions

Compare and Contrast Essay Thesis Statements

The College Board has a very specific view of an acceptable thesis statement for each of it’s types of essays

Compare and Contrast: The Thesis sentence must contain the two civilizations your contrasting. One similarity and one difference, in a specific topic. (they must be directly comparable)

Ex.

Although both imperial Rome and Han China used taxes and the military as methods of political control, they differed in how they determined their rulers.

What is the similarity? Difference? Topic?

What to do avoid to get a “sophisticated” Thesis

These wordsSocialPoliticalEconomic

Instead…be specific Social = slaveryEconomic = tradePolitical = invasion

COMPARE/CONTRAST THESIS

During the classical period, there were many similarities and differences between the methods of political control in the empires of Han China and imperial Rome. They were similar in that they both functioned on a similar type of government. They were different in their ideals and practices.

INADEQUATE

COMPARE/CONTRAST THESIS During the classical period, the Han dynasty and Roman Empire created strong, politically centralized powers. Both empires were led by a central ruler and both used roads to connect parts of the empire for political control; however, they differed in their methods of justifying imperial rule and in their protocol for obtaining lesser government positions.

Adequate

COMPARE/CONTRAST THESIS

Both Han China and imperial Rome reflected centralized government with similar goals in regards to political control. However, the means in which each government used to regulate its people and policy varied greatly in procedure, technique, and purpose.

INADEQUATE

COMPARE/CONTRAST THESIS

Both empires had methods of political control which kept them in power, somewhat similar and different from each other, which is seen in their economy, social organization, and politics in general.

INADEQUATE

COMPARE/CONTRAST THESIS Though both Han China and imperial Rome controlled through a monarchy, encompassed and conquered land through a monarchy, and instituted positions in the government for regional control, however China utilized their intricate examinations to fill their government where Rome relied upon appointments and a society based on patronage.

SOPHISTICATED

Why do you want to shoot for sophisticated?

Essays are graded out of 9 points

Standard core – 7

Expanded core – Extra 2 points (subjective, but a sophisticated thesis will get you there)

Add more C/C stuffOther Points That Score!

Answering all parts of the question (2 points) If you only do sim/differences you can still earn a point

Direct Comparisons-Should be a direct comparison meaning its one sentence, that includes what is being compared for both civilization/societies.

Substantiates thesis with appropriate historical evidence. Rule of thumb is 6, shoot for 9 (3 ex each body paragraph)

Analyzes at least one reason for a similarity or difference identified in a direct comparison. Do it 3 times!

Format: 5 Paragraph Essay1. Thesis

2. Body Paragraph #1 – 1st Sentence Direct Comparison 2nd -4th Sentence Evidence 5th Sentence Analysis – Why is

it Sim/Diff

3. Body Paragraph #2 – 1st Sentence Direct Comparison

2nd -4th Sentence Evidence 5th Sentence Analysis – Why is

it Sim/Diff

4. Body Paragraph #3 – 1st Sentence Direct Comparison

2nd -4th Sentence Evidence 5th Sentence Analysis – Why is

it Sim/Diff

CCOT

What a Change Over Time Thesis must Have

Region

Time

Any Questions Specific Details

Historical Context/Must be organized around Change and Continuity (include a sense of beginning, middle, and end)

“analyze the process and explain the cause.”

Two Formula’s For a thesis

During the time period (date) to (date), the (topic) changed from (A) to (B) to (C); however, (D) stayed the same throughout the era because…

In the period ___________to _________ , _______________changed from ________to _____________, while _____________ stayed the same.

In the period 600 to 1450, China’s government changed from Chinese rule to the rule of the Mongols which influenced China politically, economically and socially, while China’s unique identity and culture stayed the same.

Question

Analyze continuities and changes in patterns of interaction along the Silk Roads from 200 B.C.E. to 1450 C.E.

The Silk Roads connected Europe to East Asia. The nomadic Mongols on the eastern steppes began the trade. The Silk Road was originally designed to transport trade but it would also begin to trade religions, ideas, and diseases through the eastern hemisphere through the merchants that used the Silk Roads.

Generally too vague; does not offer a timeframe; the movement of religions, ideas, and disease is presented as a change but it was actually a continuity. What continuity is mentioned?

The Silk Roads fostered interaction and communication from 200 B.C.E. to 1450 C.E. Throughout this period of time, the Silk Roads would encourage the spread of religion, ideas, items, and pathogens. While the Silk Road was originally intended as an adventurous process of exchange from silk to China, and therefore valuable goods returning to China, growing empires would input new religions and items.

Student offers new religions and items as both change and continuity; which is it? Student would receive credit for thesis statement if he/she had identified the items that changed as they moved across the Road throughout time.

Other points

Between 200 BCE and 1450 CE, the Silk Roads were not only used for trade but also used for cross-cultural interaction with different peoples. These cross-cultural interactions caused changes in people’s lives and religion. Not only did the lives of the people change but so did the interactions on the Silk Roads. Not everything changed, though; there were definite continuities like the type of good or location of the goods.

Change is acceptable with reference to introduction of different religions (“changes in people’s lives” is too vague); “type of good” is minimally acceptable as continuity (identifying the type of good would be better).

As the Marco Polos, Ibn Battutas, and countless other merchants can attest, the Silk Roads were an astonishing characteristic of the ancient world. These famed passageways between great empires and kingdoms spread religion, culture, and wealth around half the globe. Patterns constantly changed from 200 B.C.E. to 1450 C.E., the most interesting being a monopolization of the routes as a multicultural sharing of the roads early on developed into subsequent domination by at least the dar al-Islam and China, and then the Mongols. However, there always remained continuities that characterized those roads, including the spread of disease and the diversification of religion among various ethnic groups . . . .

This is not only adequate, it is sophisticated: very few students are going to come up with something as insightful as this.

Other Change and Continuity Points

Addresses All Parts of the Question (2)-You can get one point for discussing just changes/continuities

Support your thesis with appropriate historical evidence(2) – Rule of thumb is 8, go for 9 or more

Include the characteristics of historical periods to explain the context of change (Global Context)-All time periods have characteristic changes/continuities, find those and then make larger connections

Analyze the process of change and continuity. –Explain why that thing(s) changed or didn’t

Three Structures

Basic- 6 paragraph essayI. Intro (thesis)II. Explanation of Start pointIII. Explanation of Change IV. Explanation of another ChangeV. Explanation of continuity VI. Conclusion

Sophisticated – 5 paragraph EssayI. Into-(thesis)II. Explanation of Start, Change, and End of category #1III. Explanation of Start, Change, and End of category #2IV. Explanation of Start, Change, and End of category #1V. Conclusion  

Each Body Paragraph Should

Contain a topic sentence

Two, preferably three specific examples

Connect to a global context

Close by stating a reason for the change or continuity

DBQ Essay Writing

As you finish reading the documents, you are ready to group them. time period Region types of sources Theme or other criteria. In general, the best DBQs are those where the student

groups the documents based on the content in the documents;

Make a quick chart in the test booklet.

Here are a few key points about grouping.

Have at least THREE groups. Each group needs at least TWO documents. You can use a document in more than one group.

Use all the documents. Though there are no irrelevant or misleading documents,

sometimes you might find one document that does not seem to fit their otherwise wonderful grouping plan. It is okay to include such a document in an intro or conclusion. This will count toward the requirement of addressing, understanding, and supporting your thesis. However, you must interweave that document artfully in an introduction or conclusion to show that you understand the meaning of the document and that it supports your thesis. Of

Thesis

As always with the all essays on this exam, draft a clear, one-sentence thesis that fully addresses the prompt, takes a position you can support, and provides a structural framework for the rest of your essay.

Using Documents

Always cite the document. You should cite each document every time you use it. Putting a (Doc. 1) or a (1), for example, after each usage is fine.

The hardest point for most students to earn in the DBQ is for point of view (POV). This point is earned as you demonstrate that you understand how a person’s background, situation, purpose, audience, or life experience affects what he or she says and how he or she says it.

gender, occupation, social class Religion ethnicity, Education nationality

Your POV statements should come as you begin to address a document or right after you finish using the document—never as a list at the end of the essay.

You should include a POV reference for each document- or at least once a body paragraph

Although the generic scoring guide only requires two document references for basic core points, every document is selected by the test makers to have a point of view

attempting only two points of view is never a good idea, as you might not reach an acceptable level with your two attempts

At the end of each body paragraph, ask for an additional document (AD) and explain why you need it.

Here, your skill with comparison, contextualization, interpretation, and synthesis is being assessed. You must ask for a document that is

Possible: A letter from God, or a TV broadcast from the 1258 C.E. Mongol conquest of Baghdad are not feasible documents and will not count.

Relevant: In a DBQ about the factors that shaped the modern Olympics, a Taoist scripture about the benefits of exercise is too much of a stretch. The document must be relevant to the point of your essay.

Not already supplied: If you already have a document from a fourth-century Christian monk discussing illuminated manuscripts, do not ask for an additional monk’s ideas to confirm the statements in the original document. That will not count.

Specific: You will not earn this point with a statement such as “I would like to have a document from a woman to know how women felt about this topic.” Be specific in the type of document you want and why you want it. This request for an AD must be specific in the type of document you want,

Format: 5 Paragraph Essay1. Thesis

2. Body Paragraph #1 – 1st Sentence Topic 2nd -4th Sentence Evidence 5th Sentence- POV

6th Sentence- Additional Document

3. Body Paragraph #2 – 1st Sentence Topic 2nd -4th Sentence Evidence 5th Sentence- POV

6th Sentence- Additional Document

4. Body Paragraph #3 – 1st Sentence Topic 2nd -4th Sentence Evidence 5th Sentence- POV

6th Sentence- Additional Document