Saturday, October 12, 2013

2013 CCOT Essay



This will be our final CCOT (change and continuity over time) essay for awhile.  Next week we will be moving onto the C&C essay (compare and contrast) format.  I want you to focus on your thesis statements and your supporting evidence this week as they are crucial to the AP exam.  Remember, you receive one point for your thesis and an additional two more points for substantiating that thesis by using appropriate evidence.  If you do not have a strong thesis or evidence, it will be very difficult to gain points in the other categories.  On the AP exam, you also receive points by addressing all parts of the question (up to 2 points), bringing in relevant world historical context (1 point), and analyzing the process (1 point).  Again, if you need a copy of the scoring guideline, please visit the college board AP World History Free Response Questions site: http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/members/exam/exam_information/216943.html.

You should spend 35 minutes writing this essay (no more!) and should post it by November 5th.  You will then respond to two other posts within your CCOT group by November 7th.  I will be assigning new partners for the C&C essays coming up.

(From the 2013 College Board AP World History Test)

Analyze how political transformations contributed to continuities and changes in the cultures of the Mediterranean region during the period circa 200 C.E. to 1000 C.E.


2006 CCOT Essay Question



Welcome to your first blog entry!  This week's writing activity will be focused on building your skills with writing a CCOT Essay for the AP exam.  We have already looked at this question in an in-depth manner in the classroom and you all have read three student examples from the 2006 exam.  Now it is your turn to write.  Since this is still new to you, spend 45 to 1 hour writing this essay (no more!).  Then post your essay to this page in the comments section by Tuesday, October 22nd.  You will then respond to 2 essays (within your group) by Thursday, October 24th.  Your response should be based on the AP scoring guideline for this exam and follow the format we have been using in class.  If you need to access the scoring guidelines, please go to the AP World History Free Response Questions Website: http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/members/exam/exam_information/216943.html.

(From the 2006 College Board AP World History Exam)

Analyze the cultural and political changes and continuities in ONE of the following civilizations during the last centuries of the classical era.
 
     Chinese, 100 C.E. to 600 C.E.
     Roman, 100 C.E. to 600 C.E.
     Indian, 100 C.E. to 600 C.E.


Photo from: http://whap.mrduez.com/2013_05_01_archive.html

Monday, October 7, 2013

The Fall of Rome




Did Rome truly fall? What were the major causes to its demise?  Social scientists discuss and debate history as they seek to represent the past in a just manner. Using the sources from class, answer one of the following questions by October 29th.  Then respond to another student's blog by October 31st.  You will do the necessary research to support your ideas.  Use the DBQ format for this essay.  

The following topics will be up for debate on this blog post are:

1.    Were internal factors responsible for the fall of the Roman Empire?
2.     Was the fall of the Roman Empire inevitable?

Total Points 40