The “Top Bun” of your essay!
4-6 sentences
1. Place your topic in historical context. Establish TIME &
PLACE. Establish the zeitgeist (spirit of the times).
2. Allude to the SUB-TOPICS or categories you will discuss
to support your thesis statement. IE. Political, social,
economic, etc.
No “laundry list!”
3. Create a clear, THESIS STATEMENT. Your thesis should
allude to your subtopics and state what your essay will
prove. [underline or highlight it!]
4. Tip: Focus on the question at hand—do NOT begin with a
“flowery” sentence! Write in 3rd person (avoid I, you, us,
we, etc.) Avoid absolute words (All, never, everyone,
etc.)
1.
About 8-12 sentences per paragraph
3 or more Body Paragraphs
Identify your sub-topic or category in the first sentence. You
must have at least 3 groupings and use at least 2 docs for
each group.
2.
Include the documents that are relevant to support the ideas
in the paragraph.
3.
Example of how to reference documents: The 19c historian,
Jacob Burkhardt, felt that ….(Doc. 9)
4.
Use most of the documents given [70%].
5.
Illustrate your content knowledge. Bring in supportive/
relevant outside information. This is critical!
6.
Be sure to indicate Point-of-View
(POV)/bias.
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Point of View
Remember that documents are not necessarily facts. The Type of doc., the occasion on which
in was written, and the motive of the author all play a role in the value of the document. To best
assess the value of a doc, analyze it thru TOMRAPS
Type (of
Doc)
Occasion
(of Doc)
Motive (of
Author)
What kind of doc is it. A political speech.? A political cartoon? A memoir written years
later? A speech before a parliament? An eyewitness account? A private letter or a book
meant for publication?
*These will affect the value of the document. A political speech is a carefully crafted
work meant to sway opinion whereas a private letter can be considered an honest
opinion
When was the doc written? Did any major event just take place or was it written years
later? What is the zeitgeist of the times. To whom is the author speaking?
Why is the author writing/ painting/ drawing the doc? Does he or she have an agenda?
Reliability
(of Doc)
Is the document trustworthy? Remember, docs are not necessarily facts. More often,
they are opinions. But, it doesn’t have to be factual to be valuable. A diary entry can be
considered honest . A political cartoon can be reflective of attitudes of a certain group.
Author (of
Who is the author? Name. Gender. What is the author’s social status? Is he or she a
Doc)
member of the second estate, a bourgeoisie, a king, a dictator, a serf, a proletariat?
This is important in how they see the world (Weltanschauung).
Position (of What is the author’s opinion, attitude, about the historical event? What does statement
Author)
of the document actually mean?
Style (of
Doc)
What type of language does the author use? Fiery rhetoric, a balanced and factual
philosophical argument? Does a political cartoonist use sarcasm or mockery?
The “Bottom Bun” of your essay!
About 5-7 sentences
1. Start with a “concluding phrase.”
2. Restate your thesis statement a bit differently.
3. Restate your main points a bit differently
4. Put your essay answer in a larger historical
perspective.
End of or beginning of some trend/movement/idea, etc.
Do NOT end on the note that this is the reason we are
where we are today!