Continuities and Change
Over Time Essay
A Way to Approach the CCOT Essay
Consider when you were born. What did you look like? What was your
temperament? What was important to you?
Now think about when you were five years old. What did you look like?
What was your temperament? What was important to you?
Now think about yourself at fifteen years old. What do you look like? What
is your temperament? What is important to you?
Now ask yourself:
What changed over those years, and what stayed the same about you?
Finally, why did those specific aspects about you change, and why did other
elements about you stay the same?”
The answers to all those questions would form the information for a CCOT
essay about you.
CCOT Scoring System (Rubric)
Thesis (1 point)
To get the (1) point:
• Have a thesis that explains what essay is about
• Discuss the actual time frame/dates (can be approximations) –
Must have dates!!!
• Briefly state changes AND continuities
• Discuss global issues (what caused the changes and/or
continuities). Must incorporate another region of the world
• Don’t need long paragraph (save time) – can do all of the above in
2 sentences
Addressing the Question (points 2+3)
To get both (2) points:
• Explain that there was both a change and continuity
over the time period in the body of your essay
• State what the change(s) is and what the continuity(s) is
• Explain why these changes occurred or why things
stayed the same
You will only get 1 point if:
• Only discuss change or continuity, but not both
Historical Evidence (points 4+5)
To get both (2) points:
• Provide a substantial number of facts and details
that show there was change and facts and details
showing continuity (kind of like outside
information you did in past DBQ’s)
You will get 1 point if:
• You only give details for change OR continuity
• You have limited detail/fact to support thesis
World Historical Context (point 6)
To get this point:
• Explain what was happening in other parts of
the world that affected the change or
continuity in the society you are writing about
• In other words what was causing these
changes or continuities?
Analyze Process of Change (point 7)
• Analyze WHY specific changes took place, and
analyze WHY some things remained the same
• Include major events during the time period that
impacted either change or continuity
• Try to avoid writing continuities in one
paragraph, then changes in another (see next
slide)
Analyze Process of Change (point 7)
• Go in chronological order and discuss changes
and continuities as they come up
OR
• Pick an issue (such as government) and analyze
changes and continuities over time
(see next slide)
Analyze Process of Change (point 7)
• In either case, you must trace the continuity or
change over the time period
• Don’t just write what it was like at the
beginning, and what it was like in the end
• State REASONS WHY things were changing or
why they were staying the same
Body Paragraphs
• Each body paragraph should contain a topic sentence that
sets the topic example in a time context.
• Each body paragraph should contain two to three specific
examples that support your topic sentence.
• Each body paragraph should connect the historical events
of the paragraph to the global context of the era.
• Each body paragraph should close by stating a reason for
the change or continuity.
Expanded Core
• Only if you get a 7 out of 7 can you be eligible for
the expanded core (2 additional points)
• To get extra points, you need to show
“excellence” in your knowledge and analysis
What you need for the extra points
• Clear, analytical, and comprehensive thesis
• Analyze all issues, all relevant global issues,
correct chronology
• Address all parts of question evenly
• Lots of details/facts to support your thesis (this is
like outside info from past DBQs)