WRITING AN EFFECTIVE LONG ESSAY QUESTION (LEQ)

HOW TO APPROACH THE LONG ESSAY!

EXAM FORMAT – AGAIN 3 HOURS & 15 MINUTES

55 MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS 40% -

4 SHORT ANSWERS 20% - MAX. 3 PTS EACH

1 DBQ 25% - MAX 7 POINTS POSSIBLE

1 LONG ESSAY – CHOICE BETWEEN 2 15% - RUBRIC – MAXIMUM 6 POINTS POSSIBLE

HISTORICAL THINKING SKILLS (HTS) ESSAY WILL FOCUS ON ONE OF THESE SKILLS IN PARTICULAR

CAUSATION: EVALUATE HOW THE FRENCH & INDIAN WAR IMPACTED THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GREAT BRITAIN & THE BRITISH COLONIES BETWEEN 1754-1776 –

IDENTIFY, ANALYZE, & EVALUATE CAUSE & EFFECT RELATIONSHIPS IN AN HISTORICAL CONTEXT, DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN THE LONG & SHORT TERM

CONTINUITY & CHANGE OVER TIME (CCOT): IDENTIFY & ANALYZE THE CHANGING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GREAT BRITAIN & THE COLONIES BETWEEN 1607-1763.

ABILITY TO RECOGNIZE, ANALYZE & EVALUATE DYNAMICS OF CCOT OF VARYING LENGTHS & RELATING THOSE PATTERNS TO LARGER HISTORICAL PROCESSES/THEMES

COMPARISON: COMPARE & CONTRAST THE COLONIES IN THE CHESAPEAKE REGION WTH THOSE IN NEW ENGLAND. ADDRESS 2 OF THE 3 IN YOUR ANSWER: POL., ECO., SOC.

ABILITY TO DESCRIBE, COMPARE & EVALUATE IN VARIOUS CHRONO & GEO CONTEXTS, MULTIPLE HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENTS W/I 1 SOCIETY & 1 OR MORE DEVELOPMENTS ACROSS OR BETWEEN DIFFEERENT SOCIETIES

PERIODIZATION: EVALUATE THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE FRENCH & INDIAN WAR WAS A TURNING POINT IN AMERICAN HISTORY.

CHRONOLOGY! ABILITY TO DESCRIBE, ANALYZE, ETC. & CONSTRUCT MODELS OF HISTORICAL PERIODIZATION THAT HISTORIANS USE TO CATEGORIZE EVENTS & IDENTIFY TURNING POINTS, IMPORTANCE OF DATES FAVORS 1 NARRATIVE OVER ANOTHER. HISTORIOGRAPHY – WHAT’S YOUR INTERPRETATION

RUBRIC: 6 POINTS & 35 MINUTES NO DBQ OR LEQ WILL BE SPECIFICALLY ON PERIODS 1 (1491-

1607) OR 9 (1980-PRESENT) THESIS: 0-1 PT. – DO NOT RESTATE, MAKE SURE IT IS CLEAR &

ADDRESSES ALL PARTS OF THE QUESTION/PROMPT ARGUMENT: 0-2 PTS. – USE SPECIFIC EVIDENCE, CLEARLY &

CONSISTENTLY STATING HOW THE EVIDENCE SUPPORTS THE THESIS OR ARGUMENT & ESTABLISHING CLEAR LINKAGES B/W THE EVIDENCE & THESIS

APPLICATION FOR HISTORICAL THINKING SKILL: 0-2PTS. – CCOT, COMPARISON, CAUSATION OR PERIODIZATION: EACH HTS IS EVALUATED DIFFERENTLY – SEE NEXT SLIDE

SYNTHESIS: 0-1PT. – RESPONSE SYNTHESIZES THE ARGUMENT, EVIDENCE & CONTEXT INTO A COHERENT & PERSUASIVE ESSAY BY EXTENDING OR MODIFYING THE THESIS (OPPOSING INTERPRETATION); EMPLOYING ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATE CATEGORY OF ANALYSIS (POL, ECO, REL, SOC) BEYOND THAT CALLED FOR IN THE PROMPT; APPROPRIATELY CONNECTS THE TOPIC OF THE QUESTION TO OTHER HISTORICAL PERIODS, GEO AREA, CONTEXTS OR CIRCUMSTANCES (CIVIL WAR AMENDMENTS & CIVIL RIGHTS)

RUBRIC

RUBRIC

RUBRIC

RUBRIC

LAST ONE

WHAT DOES A LONG ESSAY RESPONSE LOOK LIKE? 5 PARAGRAPHS: USE ? AS GUIDE EACH BODY PARAGRAPH

EXPLAIN, DESCRIBE, EVALUATE, IDENTIFY, DISCUSS ONE TOPIC/CATEGORY

YOU MUST INCLUDE IN THE ESSAY THE REQUIREMENTS STATED “In your response you should

do the following: state a relevant thesis

addressing all parts of the question,

support your argument w/ evidence using specific examples

Apply historical thinking skills as directed by the questions

Synthesize the elements above into a persuasive essay”

DECONSTRUCTING YOUR PARAGRAPHS

INTRO MOST IMPORTANT: BACKGROUND, THESIS, MAIN POINTS OF ARGUMENT (CATEGORIES/TOPICS)

BY THE END OF THE INTRO READER SHOULD HAVE A CLEAR IDEA OF THE ARGUMENTS YOU WILL DEVELOP IN THE BODY PARAGRAPHS

USE TRANSITION WORDS OR PHRASES FOR CONTINUITY & TO KEEP READER FOLLOWING YOUR ARGUMENT

BODY PARAGRAPHS: # & LENGTH WILL VARY BASED ON PROMPT, THESIS, EVIDENCE – MUST FOCUS ON THE HTS

SYNTHESIS: EXTEND OR MODIFY THE THESIS W/ OPPOSITE ARGUMENT: INTERPRETATION, HISTORIOGRAPHY,

“ALTHOUGH,……” EVIDENCE IS SPECIFIC EXAMPLES FROM YOUR KNOWLEDGE BASE:

EVENTS, PEOPLE, TREATIES, WARS, LAWS, REBELLIONS ETC. CONCLUSION: SUMS UP WHAT READER HAS LEARNED, RESTATE THESIS

IN FRESH & INTERESTING MANNER, RESTATE TOPIC SENTENCES & USE EX FROM ESSAY TO SUPPORT EACH TOPIC SENTENCE.

DON’T INTRODUCE NEW EVIDENCE OR SUMMARIZE ESSAY IN CONCLUSION

ORGANIZE YOUR MATERIAL FIRST!

EVALUATE THE EXTENT TO MADISON WERE THE WAR WITH GREAT BRITAINSTATEMENT USING SPECIFIC

WHICH THE EMBARGOMOST INFLUENTIAL FACTORSIN 1812. SUPPORT, MODIFYEVIDENCE. WHAT IS THE HTS

POLICIES OF JEFFERSON &THAT LED AMERICA INTOOR REFUTE THIS

POLITICAL – be more specific

FACTS: NAMES, DATES, PEOPLE

SO WHAT?

ECONOMIC - synonyms FACTS: NAMES, DATES, PEOPLE

SO WHAT?

SOCIAL- can be almost anything

AND MORE FACTS: RELIGION, ACTIVITIES, GENDER ROLES

SO WHAT?