A Visual Companion: Write an AP History Essay Using Historical Thinking Skills
Topic &/or
Time Period
CAUSATION
PERIODIZATION
(ERA)
PERIODIZATION
(TURNING POINT)
BEFORE
Causes
Characteristics
BEFORE Era
Characteristic before
T.P.
Start of Era
START
DURING
End of Era
END
AFTER
Turning Point
(can be either an entire
era or an event)
Events
Effects
Characteristics AFTER
Era
CCOT
COMPARISON
Characteristic of topic
Similarities
Changes
Continuities Characteristics of topic
Characteristic of topic
Differences
Characteristic After
T.P
Similarity to topic
during time period
What is the same
DURING
Differences from topic
during time period
What is different
DURING
What happens BEFORE
that causes START
What changes BEFORE
the START
What changes BEFORE
the Turning Point
What changes DURING
time period
What happens
DURING that causes
AFTER
What changes AFTER
the END
What changes AFTER
the Turning Point
What doesn’t change
DURING time period
PART OF
TIME
PERIOD
COVERED
BEFORE DURING &
AFTER
NOTHING DURING
Turning Point,
BEFORE, & AFTER
NOTHING BEFORE OR
AFTER time period
NOTHING BEFORE
OR AFTER
SYNTHESIS
Topic in other era with
same causes/effects
Different start &/or
end date
Similar period in other
era
Different Turning Point
Similar period in other
era
Another era with similar
OR different
changes/continuities
Parallel comparisons in
different era
WHAT TO
WRITE
ABOUT