CCOT Essay

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CCOT Essay

• Change-over-Time Writing

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What is the purpose?

• Change over time is a major theme of historical
  study
• This essay measure your ability to discuss
  continuities that accompany the changes over time
• It is a measure of your ability to recognize the
  changes and understand what caused them

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What is expected of you

• Write a thesis that points out the change over
  time
• Answer all parts of the question
• Show the change over time using relevant history
• Analyze the process of change and/or continuity
  over time

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What does that mean?

• You are going to write an essay with a thesis
  that identifies change over time for each country
  or period required, support that thesis by
  referencing relevant history, and contrast that
  change against either a starting point or
  something that did not change
• Still confused? Lets break it down a step at a
  time

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First what it is and what it is not

• It is not enough to simply talk about how it was
  and then talk about how it is
• A successful CCOT essay talks about how things
  were prior to change, and then makes it clear WHY
  things changed.
• You MUST cover the historical development

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How is the CCOT scored?

• Look at your handout
• Basic Core
• 0-7 points
• You MUST earn all 7 points in order to earn
  expanded points
• Note that you can receive PARTIAL credit (1 pt
  instead of 2 pts) for some of the items
• Expanded Core
• Note that several items in the expanded core are
  simply more detailed versions of the basic core
• TO get an 8 or 9, focus on doing a great job on
  the elements that are in both the basic and
  expanded core

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What do the directions mean?

• Step 1 Process the question
• You need to know exactly what you are being asked
  to do
• The basic core places a heavy emphasis on
  answering ALL parts of the question.
• Circle each key phrase as you process the question

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What do the directions mean?Step 1 continued

• Lets look at an example
• Choose ONE of the following political units
  (countries, empires, etc) and discuss how
  technological developments from 1450 to 1750
  changed its global influence. Be sure to
  describe its position of power and influence in
  the beginning of the period as your starting point

• England
• Portugal
• Spain
• Germany
• Russia
• Ottoman Empire
• China
• France

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What do the directions mean?Step 1 continued

• What key phrases did you circle?
• Your list should include
• One of the countries
• Technological developments from 1450 1750
• Global influence
• Position of power and influence in the beginning
  of the period as your starting point

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What do the directions mean?Step 1 continued

• So what is it asking you to do?
• Choose one of the countries or empires listed
• Discuss its role as a global player in the early
  1400s or so (BEFORE some technological impact)
• Walk through the technology(s) that had an impact
  on the country
• Describe the impact what changes occurred as a
  result

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What do the directions mean?

• Step 2 Build a Framework
• The purpose of this is to both provide you with
  an outline for an essay and to ensure that you
  dont miss any part of the question
• Using the example from Step 1, begin by choosing
  the number of countries as instructed one
  then create a chart (see next slide)

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What do the directions mean?Step 2 continued

• Your chart should include
• A baseline what was its role in the world in
  1400s/pretechnology
• Impact what technologies had an impact on it?
  Why and in what way?
• Change what changes occurred to its role in the
  world as a result of the technology?
• Continuity what remained the same despite
  technological innovations?
• If you had been asked to select two countries,
  you would create a chart that had a column for
  each country

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What do the directions mean?

• Step 3 Build your essay
• Fill in the framework/the chart
• Fill in not only the information about each
  segment but also the bits of evidence to support
  each answer
• Completing your chart with both what changed AND
  supporting evidence will help you create most of
  your essay

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What do the directions mean?

• Step 4 Write your essay
• Once youve completed your chart, its time to
  start writing
• Planning is CRITICAL the more you plan, the
  less time it will actually take you to write
• You have approx. 40 min for this essay, if you
  spend 20 min planning, you should easily be able
  to write the essay in the remaining 20 minutes

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What do the directions mean?Step 4 continued

• Your thesis is critical and MUST be supported by
  facts
• Answer the question by including key phrases from
  the question
• Support each of your assertions with some
  introductory evidence (save the details for your
  body paragraphs)
• Transition from the thesis to the body of the
  essay

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The essay

• Make sure you address each portion of the
  question
• Support your claims with evidence
• After your introductory paragraph, each body
  paragraph should address one change or one
  continuity with specific evidence