CHANGE OVER TIME ESSAY

A Quick Review (or how your dinner table changes)

Time Frame

• 40 Minutes

• 7-10 Minutes for planning

• 30 Minutes for writing

• Don’t spend planning time writing your thesis

Overview• The change over time essay asks students to

access how larger global issues and themes such as gender, trade, technology, and environment have changed

• You will not only have to identify areas of change, but also areas of continuity across chronological periods, and will have to compare two or more chronological periods

• You will not have a choice for the essay• Students should be able to choose between

different geographic regions to answer the question

Thesis

• What’s for dinner?

• What’s your paper about?

• Your thesis is like the menu

• It tells us what is being served (what your paper is about)

Thesis

• Students should make sure that their thesis mentions – global issues– time periods (make sure these are the

time periods that the prompt suggests) • Remember: the middle time period is your call

– ALL OF THESE MUST BE addressed or implied in the prompt

Body Paragraphs

• Organization is critical in this essay

• The body paragraphs are based on chronological periods. – There should be one paragraph for

each time period—in these paragraphs the students should be addressing the changes taking place in each time period.

Body Paragraphs

• First paragraph--“set up” the time period and discuss the themes that you will be tracing over time

• Think of this as setting the table.

Body Paragraphs

• Think of these as showing how the table changes as the food is delivered

• Second paragraph—“set up” the time period and discuss how the themes have changed since the first time period

• Third paragraph—“set up” the time period and discuss how the themes have changed since the middle time period.

• Students must address all parts of the prompts although not thoroughly

or evenly.

• Within the time periods, coverage does not have to be even or thorough

• Students must simply discuss the issue, but the coverage should include any significant trends and developments

• substantiate the thesis with appropriate historical evidence– It is not sufficient to make a statement without

use of proof and evidence– Students should use evidence, which is clear and

detailed– Appropriate vocabulary, persons, events, and

individual states are critical – do not leave out significant cultures, civilizations, or

empires within the time or geographical region • For instance in an essay on change over time in the Middle

East from 1450 – 1914, it is a significant error to forget the Ottoman Empire

• use the historical context effectively to show change and continuity

• address the topic across all relative chronological periods, and show changes and continuities – For example, if asked to discuss change over

time between 1450 and 2000, there should be separate paragraphs for 1450 – 1750, 1750 – 1914, and 1914 to the present

• Do not leave out a time period– Even if you have to mention it only cursorily, don’t

skip a period

Thesis

Conclusion

Date

Date Date

Changes

Continuity

Set the

Table

Provide a menu

Conclusion

• The last paragraph discusses the continuities that appear in all three time periods as well as offering a conclusion to the essay by putting the entire essay into the global context of the time period given.

Prompt

• Analyze the cultural and political changes and continuities in ONE of the following civilizations during the last centuries of the classical era:

• Chinese, 100 CE to 600 CE

• Roman, 100 CE to 600 CE

• Indian, 300 CE to 600 CE