Name _____________________________
Period _____________________________
Date ______________________________
WWI Essay
Europe since pre-Roman times has been marked by conflict. Warring tribes often did battle in small
skirmishes and hand-to-hand combat. As civilizations became larger, the battles became much more
intense. Due to the Industrial Revolution, warfare changed forever. This can best be seen in World War I,
the “Great War”, or the “War to End All Wars”. There are many reasons why World War I was so different
from past conflicts. Your job is to research these reasons. From your research, using at least 3 sources, you
will do the following:
In a clear, concise, well organized essay please answer the following question:
Why was WWI considered the first modern war in history?
Due __________________
ESSAY RUBRIC
Category
Introduction
&
Thesis
20%
Accuracy &
Strength of
Facts
40%
Organization
15%
Mechanics
15%
Works Cited
10%
Exceptional
10
Accomplished
8
Approaching
Proficient 6
Thesis statement
clearly provides the
position of the author
and the direction the
paper is going
- Appropriate &
informative background
information
Thesis statement
provides the position of
the author but no
direction the paper is
going
- Provides some
historical context
Thesis statement is
present but confusing
about authors position
and direction of the
paper
- Little background
information
There is no thesis
statement evident to the
reader
- No background
information
Includes three or more
arguments (or
examples) that are
relevant to what we
have studied &
completely support the
thesis statement and
proves comprehensive
knowledge of the
subject
Includes 3 arguments
(or examples) that are
relevant to what we
have studied, shows
some support for the
thesis statement and
proves some
knowledge of the
subject
Includes 2 arguments
(or examples) that
support the thesis
statement. However
shows little evidence of
knowledge of the
subject
Includes 1 or fewer
arguments (examples)
with little or no support
to the thesis statement
and there is no
evidence of knowledge
learned
The essay is very well
organized. Five
paragraphs evident.
One idea follows
another in a logical
sequence with clear
transitions
The essay is pretty well
organized. Five
paragraphs evident.
One idea may seem out
of place. Fairly clear
transitions are used
The essay is a little
hard to follow.
Paragraphs are
unclear. The transitions
are not adequate.
Ideas seem to be
randomly arranged. No
effort at paragraph
organization
The essay has few, if
any, spelling,
punctuation, grammar,
or usage errors
The essay some
mechanics errors
The essay has many
errors
The essay has
excessive errors
All citations are in
alphabetical order, have
all the required
information, and are
properly formatted
Most citations are in
alphabetical order, and
have most of the
required information,
slight formatting errors
Some citations are in
alphabetical order, and
have some of the
required information,
major formatting errors
Citations do not have
any of the required
information, no regard
to format
Note: See the reverse side for acceptable websites!
Unsatisfactory
4
Historical Essays
ANALYSING THE QUESTION:
Read the questions carefully and make sure you are focusing on the question that is being asked over the
next several steps
GATHER INFORMATION:
Find several sources and record information from these different sources.
The facts and phrases must be related to the topic and be able to, when put together, answer the questions
being asked. Writing an outline makes your work easier, and this will give you an idea of what should or
should not be included.
You MUST use the online databases which can be accessed through the Media Center webpage. If
you want to find your own websites, you may ONLY use websites that end in .gov, .edu, .co.uk, or
.ac.uk
CONSTRUCT YOUR THESIS:
Construct your history essay thesis by giving your arguments (reasons) that answer the question asked;
make a strong statement and take a stand. A thesis is a roadmap (GPS) for your essay without which your
essay could become difficult to follow and harder to complete.
WRITE AN INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH:
An opening paragraph must have two components, background information and a thesis statement.
Background information sets the scene for the essay, including the time period, location, players and the
event we are talking about. The thesis statement introduces (lays out) what is going to follow in the next
several paragraphs. The thesis statement should be the last sentence in your introduction.
CONSTRUCT THE BODY OF YOUR ESSAY:
This is where you place the specifics (details) about the arguments that you have introduced in your thesis.
The best way to construct an effective body of an essay is to write a topic sentence.
From there you should let the reader know how this information answers the question asked
At the end of each body paragraph, you should use transitions so that it flows smoothly into the
following paragraph.
WRITE THE CONCLUDING PARAGRAPH:
The concluding paragraph is responsible for re-emphasizing the main arguments (reasons) that were in the
thesis statement. Restate your thesis statement and choose the strongest facts from the body paragraphs
that answer the question. It, like all paragraphs, should have at least 5 sentences. In this way, your paper is
cyclical--you end up where you started.
PROOFREAD YOUR ESSAY:
After writing your conclusion, re-read your content. Read the introductory paragraph first and then read the
conclusion. Any contradictions should be corrected and no new facts should be introduced in the
conclusion.
Check for the errors and typos; try to find slang terms and other grammatical mistakes.
Because it’s a history essay names, specific dates, numbers, descriptions and places need to be factually
correct!