The Continuity and
Change Over Time
(CCOT) Essay
About the CCOT
• Primary purpose of CCOT is to test students’ mastery
of their historical thinking skills (argumentation,
causation, contextualization, synthesis).
• The student must show what has changed and what
has remained continuous from the beginning to the
end of the time period given.
• The continuities must be substantial, not obvious
(Germans remained Germans), nor can change be
continuous.
• The important element is WHY things did or did not
change.
• Time allotted for this essay is 40 minutes (5-10 of
which should be spent planning/outlining).
• If possible, pick the nonwestern regions.
CCOT Prompts
2002-2013
Find the Phrase
2002 CCOT
• Choose TWO of the areas listed below and analyze how
each area’s relationship to global trade patterns changed
from 1750 to the present. Be sure to describe each area’s
involvement in global patterns around 1750 as your starting
point.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Latin America
East Asia
Eastern Europe
North America
South/South East Asia
Sub-Saharan Africa
Middle East
2003 CCOT
• Describe and analyze the cultural,
economic, and political impact of Islam on
ONE of the following regions between 1000
CE and 1750 CE. Be sure to discuss
continuities as well as changes.
• West Africa
• South Asia
• Europe
2004 CCOT
• Analyze the changes and continuities in labor
systems between 1750 and 1914 in ONE of the
following areas. In your analysis, be sure to
discuss the causes of the changes and the
reasons for the continuities.
• Latin America and the Caribbean
• Russia
• Sub-Saharan Africa
2005 CCOT
• Analyze the social and economic
transformations that occurred in the
Atlantic world as a result of new
contacts among Western Europe,
Africa, and the Americas from 1492 to
1750.
2006 CCOT
• Analyze the cultural and political changes
and continuities in ONE of the following
civilizations during the last centuries of the
classical era.
• Chinese (100-600 CE)
• Roman (100-600 CE)
• Indian (300-600 CE)
2007 CCOT
• Analyze major changes and continuities in
the formation of national identities in ONE of
the regions listed below from 1914 to the
present. Be sure to include evidence from
specific countries in the region selected.
• Middle East
• Southeast Asia
• Sub-Saharan Africa
2008 CCOT
• Analyze the changes and continuities in
commerce in the Indian Ocean region from
650 CE – 1750 CE.
2009 CCOT
• Analyze the continuities and changes in
patterns of interactions along the Silk Roads
from 200 BCE to 1450 CE.
2010 CCOT
• Describe and explain continuities and
changes in religious beliefs and practices in
ONE of the following regions from 1450 to
the present.
• Sub-Saharan Africa
• Latin America/Caribbean
2011 CCOT
• Analyze changes and continuities in longdistance migrations in the period from 1700
to 1900. Be sure to include specific
examples from at least TWO different world
regions.
2012 CCOT
• Analyze continuities and changes in trade
networks between Africa and Eurasia from
circa 300 CE to 1450 CE.
2013 CCOT
• Analyze how political transformations
contributed to continuities and changes in
the cultures of the Mediterranean region
during the period circa 200 CE to 1000 CE.
AP Rubric
&
Class Expectations
Thesis
• Acceptable thesis statements need to address both change
and continuity, stating as least one of each.
• Thesis statements need to be explicit, not restatements of
the question or vague statements, such as “there were
more changes than continuities.”
• Thesis Musts
• Address Prompt
• Place/Time
• 3 Categories/Groups
• 1:2 Ratio (1 Continuity and 2 Changes / 2 Continuities
and 1 Change)
How to Construct the Thesis
• “From (this date) to (that date), (X) showed changes in (A),
yet showed consistency in (B) and (C).”
• “From (this date) to (that date), (X) showed consistency in
(A), but showed changes in (B) and (C).”
• “Even though (A) showed changes in (this place) at (this
time), (B) and (C) continued to happen.”
• “Even though (A) remained the same in (this place) at (this
time), (B) and (C) changed.”
Sample Thesis
2012: Analyze continuities and changes in trade networks
between Africa and Eurasia from circa 300 CE to 1450 CE.
“From (this date) to (that date), (X) showed consistency in
(A), but showed changes in (B) and (C).”
From 300 CE to 1450 CE, trade relations between Africa
and Eurasia showed consistency in the basic types of
exports and imports as well as the importance of coastal
cities, but also showed changes in the arrival of Islam, the
extent and degree of trade, and the rise of new and
powerful empires in Eurasia.
The Order
• Introduction – Thesis Sentence
• Paragraph 1 – Group 1 (how it
changed/continued from beginning to end)
• Paragraph 2 – Group 2 (how it
changed/continued from beginning to end)
• Paragraph 3 – Group 3 (how it
changed/continued from beginning to end)
• Conclusion if time
What Order?
Continuity
Change
Continuity
Change
Continuity
Continuity
Continuity
Continuity
Change
Change
Change
Continuity
Continuity
Change
Change
In case time is not to your advantage, always
organize your essay according to the top row.
What Good Responses Should Include
• Moves beyond a mechanistic “beginning,
middle, end” format
• Provides solid chronological knowledge
across the entire time period
• Include dates to demonstrate the ability to
describe with some precision when
continuity and change happen
World Historical Context
World Historical Context
•
Must provide the surrounding historical events and
climate so that the reader understands what is
occurring while these changes and continuities are
happening
•
Essay relates or describes extra-regional connections
or global process to explain a continuity OR change in
response to the prompt
World Historical Context
•
Example: “During the time from 200 BCE to roughly
400 CE, major empires such as the Romans in
Europe, Gupta in India, Han in China, and stability in
Persians allowed the Silk Roads to prosper, until
disease and nomadic invasions disrupted this peace
and the Silk Roads fell into disease.”
•
“Over a period of time, Silk Roads were responsible
for bringing different cultures into contact“ is NOT
acceptable because of the lack of specificity.
Analyzing Process of
Change or Continuity
Analyzing Process of Change or Continuity
•
Must analyze at least one reason for a continuity or
change
•
Why does this particular thing change? What causes
that change, and why does that change occur right
then and not at some other time?
•
Why does this particular thing stay the same? Is
something prevented change, or is consistency with
this thing desired?
Analyzing Process of Change or Continuity
•
Example: “Buddhism’s popularity declined in India
during the Classical period as a direct result of many
factors. First, the Guptas promoted Hinduism in a
period directly after Buddhist Kushan rule where
Buddhism had come to be associated with
foreignness. Secondly, Buddhism rejects the idea of
the caste system, a social structure which was deeply
engrained into Indian society as a result of Aryan and
Hindu influence.”
2006 CCOT
Marking it up
Write an essay that:
• Has a relevant thesis and supports that
thesis with appropriate historical evidence.
• Addresses all parts of the question.
• Uses world historical context to show change
over time and/or continuities.
• Analyzes the process of change over time
and/or continuity.
2006 CCOT
Marking it up
Write an essay that:
• Has a relevant thesis (1) and supports that
thesis with appropriate historical evidence
(2).
• Addresses all parts (2) of the question.
• Uses world historical context (1) to show
change over time and/or continuities.
• Analyzes (1) the process of change over
time and/or continuity.
2006 CCOT
“Analyze the cultural and political changes and
continuities in ONE of the following civilizations
during the last centuries of the classical era.
Chinese, 100 CE – 600 CE
Roman, 100 CE – 600 CE
Indian, 300 CE – 600 CE
2006 CCOT
Brainstorm: India, 300 CE - 600 CE
• Gupta Empire, 320-550 CE, ruling family using regional
divisions, stable and prosperous initially
• Fell with invasions of White Huns, 5th-6th centuries
• Golden Age: Gupta emperors supported Hinduism, math and
science
• Gradual decline of Buddhism in India, spread beyond India into
Southeast Asia
• Because of Buddhism and trade, India’s influence extends to
SE Asia
•
•
•
•
Continued patriarchy
Continued strength of Hinduism
Continued trade by land and sea
Continued caste system
2006 CCOT
Brainstorm: China, 100 CE – 600 CE
•
•
•
•
Han Empire, 206 BCE-220 CE- centralization, bureaucracy
Fell due to internal problems (disagreements at court, corruption)
Fell due to external problems (conflicts with Hun invasions)
220-589: 3 Kingdoms Period, regional kingdoms, warlords,
disorder
• 589-618-Sui dynasty
• 618-907 Tang dynasty who reunified China
• Buddhism slowly becomes more popular, coming in on Silk Road
•
•
•
•
•
Continued Daoism
Confucianism continued
Continued patriarchy, filial piety, veneration of ancestors
Continued examination system
Continued expansion of Great wall
Tuesday, September 3rd – 2006 CCOT due
Type the essay at home, double-space it, and
annotate the following parts:
1)
2)
3)
4)
Thesis – bold
Categories/Groups – underline
Evidence - italicize
World History Context – different font
5) Analysis – larger
size