Bellringer: 5/24 and 5/25
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1.Take out a piece of paper and something to write with.
2. Write down your homework:
 Your research essay THESIS AND SOURCE LIST (3-5
sources min.) due NEXT CLASS!
 You can type them out beforehand and bring them to class
completed or you can have them available to fill in the form
during the first 10 minutes of class. Any sources/thesis turned in
after that will be considered late.
 Bring in your TEXTBOOK next class. If it is not turned in to
me next class, it will be considered temporarily late and you will
be given a deficiency until it is turned in.
 Bring in a trifold board for next class so that you can begin
working on that portion of your project after you complete the
project planning.
DUE DATE CHANGE!

Project bibliography (3-5 sources) due
date CHANGED to June 2 (A) and June
3 (B).
 Make this change on your end-of-year
calendar.
Essay Writing Tips:
Compare-Contrast/CCOT
Ms. Allen
Pre-AP WHI
1. Change over Time Essay
Change over Time
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Step 1: Read the Question: Consider the sample
CCOT question below. Analyze the continuities and changes
in South Asia’s relationship to global trade patterns from 6001450 C.E.
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Be sure to describe South Asia’s involvement in global trade
patterns 600 C.E. as your starting point. What is the question
asking you to do?
Change over Time
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Step 2: Brainstorm Evidence: Now begins the hard
part of recalling information that will answer the question.
Here is a generic template that you can use to help you
organize your essay. Write any Continuities above the
timeline, Changes below.
Timeline
Continuities
Beginning Date
End Date
--|-------------------|-------------------|--------------------|
Changes
Change over Time
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Step 3: Organize Evidence: Here’s a table that
graphically represents the same organizational content
printed above.
Beginning
Middle
End
TOPIC #1
TOPIC #2
TOPIC #3
Advantages
Disadvantages
•Periodization of each “Middle” section in each
paragraph can change from paragraph to
paragraph
•Organizing each paragraph by topic
encourages analytical cause-effect inside a
paragraph
•Easy to include continuities in each paragraph
•Requires students to know chronological
order
•Difficult to make cause-effect analysis
between paragraphs (i.e. “Why did A in the
last paragraph cause B in this paragraph?”)
Comparison-Contrast Essay: Sample Thesis
Statements – BAD TERRIBLE AWFUL
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Thesis: Compare and contrast the Han Empire during 206
B.C.E.-220 C.E. with the Spanish empire of the sixteenth
century.
THESIS: There were many similarities and differences
between the Han Empire during 206 B.C.E an-22 B.C.E.
and the Spanish empire of the sixteenth century.
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Unfortunately, this is not good enough for the AP World
exam. It is too general and more or less repeats the prompt.
Change over Time: Sample Thesis
Statements – BAD TERRIBLE AWFUL
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Prompt: Analyze the changes and continuities in the Indian
Ocean trade from 650-1750.
Thesis: Between 650 and 1750 CE, Indian Ocean trade
experienced substantial changes; however, some aspects
of the trade remained the same as well.
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This is NOT a good thesis. It won’t work in Pre-AP essays and
it definitely won’t work in AP World.
Change over Time: Sample Thesis
Statements - GOOD
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Prompt: Analyze the changes and continuities in the Indian
Ocean trade from 650-1750.
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Thesis: In the period from 650 to 1750, there were many
changes and continuities in commerce in the Indian
Ocean. The continuities include the trade of certain goods
such as spices and the use of the same trade routes due
to the consistency of the monsoons. The changes involve
the usage of new technology and the globalization of the
trade due to the addition of the Europeans.
Change over Time: Sample Thesis
Statements – DETAILED/AP LEVEL
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Prompt: Analyze the major political and economic
continuities and changes that occurred in Mesopotamia from
8000 BCE to 600 CE.
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Thesis: Mesopotamia changed between 8000 BCE and
600 CE with the development of agriculture and
domestication of animals. These innovations led to the
development of trade and formation of city-states and
empires. Despite all these changes, most people
continued to live in clan-based villages on the periphery
of urban centers, some hunting and gathering continued,
and the patriarchal system governing Mesopotamian
society persisted.
Change over Time: Essay Structure
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1. Intro paragraph with thesis and support info
2. Body paragraphs (at least 3+, discussing your 3 topics
of analysis)
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1 each on major points along with historical evidence and links
to global context
3. Conclusion restating thesis and showing that you have
proved your case
2. Comparison-Contrast Essay
Comparison-Contrast Essay: Sample Thesis
Statements – BAD TERRIBLE AWFUL
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Thesis: Compare and contrast the Han Empire during 206
B.C.E.-220 C.E. with the Spanish empire of the sixteenth
century.
THESIS: There were many similarities and differences
between the Han Empire during 206 B.C.E an-22 B.C.E.
and the Spanish empire of the sixteenth century.

Unfortunately, this is not good enough for the AP World
exam. It is too general and more or less repeats the prompt.
Comparison-Contrast Essay: Sample
Thesis Statements – Basic

Thesis: Compare and contrast the Han Empire during 206
B.C.E.-220 C.E. with the Spanish empire of the sixteenth
century.
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THESIS: There were many similarities and differences
between the Han Empire during 206 B.C.E.- 220 B.C.E.
and the Spanish empire of the sixteenth century; these
comparisons and contrasts can be analyzed using political,
economic, and religious lenses.
Comparison-Contrast Essay: Sample
Thesis Statements – Better/Good
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Thesis: Compare the economic, social, and political
characteristics of ancient Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt.
THESIS: “Two ancient civilizations, Mesopotamia and
Egypt, created complex societies with distinct social,
political, and economic characteristics. One similarity is
that both civilizations developed strong economies based
on trade with other cultures. One difference is that the
Mesopotamians traded with people across the Indian
Ocean in South Asia, while the Egyptians traded with their
neighbors to the south in Nubia. The historical evidence
would indicate that the two civilizations of Mesopotamia
and Egypt had some subtle differences, but were, for the
most part, nearly identical.
Change over Time: Sample Thesis
Statements – AP Level Thesis
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Thesis: Compare and contrast reactions to western European
commercial and cultural contacts in two of the following empires between
1500 and 1800.
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JAPAN
CHINA
RUSSIA
THESIS: Even though both empires’ economies benefited from
trade with Western Europe, the variety, quality, and high demand for
the Chinese products gave China more advantageous terms of trade
compared to the Russian commercial interactions with the West.
The governments of both countries attempted to control and
regulate economic exchanges with western Europeans. On the
other hand, Russian culture underwent more dramatic changes as a
result of opening and expanding the country, especially in the 18th
century. Chinese high society, though influenced by Jesuits, remained
more traditional.
Change over Time: Body Paragraphs
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1. Each body paragraph should start with a topic
sentence that will state either a similarity or a
difference previewed in your thesis statement.
2.Then, you must provide evidence to support
your topic sentence. Preferably, the evidence in
your body paragraph will directly
compare/contrast the two societies.
3. Follow evidence with analysis when appropriate.