Planning & Writing
a Long Essay
Review the Characteristics of Writing Prompts:
• You are asked to take a position (judgement or interpretation).
• Questions are open-ended but specific.
• Most provide structure (ex: political, economic, and cultural).
• They will assess one of four main historical thinking skills:
• Causation
• Change and Continuity Over Time
• Comparison
• Periodization
Examples of the Four Historical Thinking Skills:
• Evaluate how the French and Indian War (Seven Years War) impacted
the relationship between Great Britain and the British colonies from
1754-1776.
• Causation
• Identify and analyze the changing relationship between England and
the British colonies between the years 1607 to 1763.
• Change and Continuity Over Time
Examples of the Four Historical Thinking Skills:
• Compare and contrast the colonies in the Chesapeake with the New
England colonies. Be sure to address two of the three areas in your
essay: economic, political, and social.
• Comparison
• Evaluate the extent to which the French and Indian War was a turning
point in American history.
• Periodization
Review the Components of a Thesis:
• Fully address the question
• Take a position on the question
• Do more than repeat the prompt, and..
• Provide partitions for the essay
Review the Prompt from the Countdown to
Revolution Assignment:
• Evaluate the relative importance of the following in leading to
America’s decision to declare independence: parliamentary taxation,
British military measures and other restrictions of civil liberties, and
colonial propaganda.
Assess the Following Thesis:
• Several factors contributed to the Declaration of Independence, such
as parliamentary taxation, British military measures, and colonial
propaganda.
• Does the thesis statement:
• Fully address the question?
• Take a position on the question asked?
• Do More than repeat the prompt?
• Provide partitions for the essay?
Assess the Following Thesis:
• Several factors contributed to the Declaration of Independence, such as
parliamentary taxation, British military measures, and colonial propaganda.
The tea tax led to the Boston Tea Party, which resulted in the British
military closing the port, and after other colonies found out through the
newspapers they were more willing to unite behind independence.
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Does the thesis statement:
Fully address the question?
Take a position on the question asked?
Do More than repeat the prompt?
Provide partitions for the essay?
Assess the Following Thesis:
• British attempts to extract revenue from the colonies led to widespread
resistance and subsequent military measures against the colonies. These
events contributed to the colonies’ break with Great Britain, however, the
most significant contribution was the successful implementation of colonial
propaganda, which was necessary to unite disparate colonies behind
collective independence.
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Does the thesis statement:
Fully address the question?
Take a position on the question asked?
Do More than repeat the prompt?
Provide partitions for the essay?
Assess the Following Thesis:
• Although increasing British military measures and the subsequent response
in the form of colonial propaganda contributed to the Declaration of
Independence, the most important contribution was increasing taxation of
the colonies. Without increased taxes, which the colonists saw as a
violation of their rights as Englishmen, the other factors and independence
itself would have never materialized.
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Does the thesis statement:
Fully address the question?
Take a position on the question asked?
Do More than repeat the prompt?
Provide partitions for the essay?
Assess Your Thesis on the Declaration of
Independence (Countdown to Revolution):
• Does your thesis statement:
• Fully address the question?
• Take a position on the question asked?
• Do More than repeat the prompt?
• Provide partitions for the essay?