How to Write A
Change and
Continuities
Over Time
Essay
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
CCOT Essay Grade Sheet
Acceptable Thesis
Contains 2 valid changes or conts.
Contains 4 valid changes & conts.
5 pieces of factual evidence
10 pieces of factual evidence
Addresses Global Context 3x’s
2 Analyses of changes & cont’s.
Expanded Core
Expanded Core
Grading Scale
9 = 108
8 = 102
7 = 95
6 = 85
5 = 75
4 = 65
3 = 55
2 = 45
1 = 35
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Change and Continuity Words
• Changes
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Altered
Began
Initiated
Introduced
Commenced
Converted
Divided
Separated
• Continuities
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Remained
Was/Were constant
Continuous
Unbroken
Maintained
Unchanging
Steady
Uninterupted
Your First CCOT Question
2005 CCOT Question:
Analyze the social, economic,
and religious transformations that
occurred in the Atlantic world as a
result of new contacts among
Western Europe, Africa, and the
Americas from 1492 to 1750.
2005 CCOT Question:
Analyze the social, economic, and
religious transformations that occurred in
the Atlantic world as a result of new
contacts among Western Europe, Africa,
and the Americas from 1492 to 1750.
This question has 8 parts
• The hidden 8th part is the continuity –
you still have to do it even if it is not
mentioned.
• You have to address all 8 to earn full
credit.
4 Ways to Organize or Plan
1. Chronologically – Hard to do. You really
have to know your stuff.
2. Geographically – Easier, but this only
works on certain questions (like this one).
3. Thematically – PERSIA – Most
often this is the best choice.
4. Combination – Use a combination of the
three above formats.
Chronologically
1492 - 1550
1550-1650
1650-1750
• Europeans reach the
America’s
• Trade Established on
West Coast of Africa
• Amerindian population
decreases due to
diseases
• Amerindians enslaved
• Encomienda system
begins
• Silver discovered at
Potosi
• Spain and Portugal
dominant traders.
• Catholic missionaries
first arrive
• Bartolome de las Casas
• African slave trade
begins in earnest
• Sugar introduced to
Caribbean
• British and French
establish Colonies
• Tobacco grown in
Virginia
• Massive increase in
Africa slave trade
around 1640
• Castas become
formalized
• Dutch become
dominant world traders
• 1620 Puritans establish
Plymouth for religious
freedom
• Mercantilism develops
to restrict trade /
maximize profits for
mother country
• Adam smith proposes
Capitalism as an
alternative
• African kings gain
wealth and territory
• British become
dominant world traders
• English Navigation
Acts
• New syncretic religions
begin to emerge
Geographically
Europe
• Europeans reach the
America’s
• Mercantilism develops
to restrict trade /
maximize profits for
mother country
• Adam smith proposes
Capitalism as an
alternative
• English Navigation
Acts
• 1500’s Spain and
Portugal dominant
traders.
• 1600’s Dutch become
dominant world traders
• 1700’s British become
dominant world traders
Africa
Americas
•
•
• Trade Established on
West Coast of Africa
• African slave trade
begins in earnest
• British and French
establish Colonies
• Massive increase in
Africa slave trade
around 1640
• African kings gain
wealth and territory
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Europeans reach the
America’s
Sugar introduced to
Caribbean
Silver discovered at
Potosi
Encomienda system
Amerindian population
decreases due to diseases
Castas become formalized
Tobacco grown in Virginia
Amerindians enslaved
Catholic missionaries first
arrive
Bartolome de las Casas
1620 Puritans establish
Plymouth for religious
freedom
New syncretic religions
begin to emerge
Thematically
Social
Economic
Religious
• Europeans reach the
America’s
• African kings gain
status and power
• Massive increase in
African slave trade
around 1640
• Trade Established on
West Coast of Africa
• Tobacco grown in
Virginia
• Castas become
formalized
• Encomienda system
• Amerindians enslaved
• Amerindian population
decreases due to
diseases
• 1500’s Spain and
Portugal dominant
traders.
• 1600’s Dutch become
dominant world traders
• Silver discovered at
Potosi
• Sugar introduced to
Caribbean
• Mercantilism develops
to restrict trade /
maximize profits for
mother country
• Adam smith proposes
Capitalism as an
alternative
• 1700’s British become
dominant world traders
• Catholic missionaries
first arrive
• Bartolome de las Casas
• Motives – Protestants
vs Catholics
• Catholic Church sees
natives as lost souls to
save
• 1620 Puritans establish
Plymouth for religious
freedom
• Protestants see them
as savages that are not
predestined
• New syncretic religions
begin to emerge in L.
America
Forming Your Thesis - CCOT
• First Sentence needs to restate the
question and must include the date.
• Second – Fourth Sentences need to
address the topic of each individual
paragraph.
• Fifth Sentence needs to summarize the
points of the previous three and state what
you will prove. This is your thesis.
• Sixth Sentence needs to address your
continuity.
Thesis Example
During the period of 1492-1750 numerous social,
economic, and religious transformations occurred within
the Atlantic world. Socially, many new classes and ethnicities
emerged as Europeans, Amerindians, and Africans cultures
blended and produced mixed race offspring. Economically,
new trade routes were formed as Europeans created a network
that linked them to Africa and the Americas. Religiously, new
syncretic religions developed in the Americas. Following the
European discovery of the Americas, new classes, trade
routes, and religions were created as Europe, the Americas,
and Africa were connected for the first time. Europe however,
remained the driving force among all three continents.
• On the 9 point rubric, this would earn 1 point for a complete
and appropriate thesis.
Writing Paragraphs
• Copy word for word your 2nd, 3rd, and 4th
Sentences for the topic sentences of each
of your body paragraphs.
• Write the rest of each paragraph the way
you have been taught for your nightly
homework.
• The following slides were copied from RA
#1 explaining how to write a CCOT body
paragraph.
RA #1 – Essential Question
• Analyze the major social transformations
that occurred as a result of the transition
from the Paleolithic to the Neolithic
ages?
• This is a Change and Continuity Over
Time Essay Question - CCOT
How to Write a CCOT Paragraph.
1. The first sentence of every paragraph is a
topic sentence that gives a brief (simplistic)
answer to the question.

During the transition from the Paleolithic Age to
the Neolithic Age mankind underwent several
social transformations as classes developed and
gender roles altered.
How to Write a CCOT Paragraph
2. The following sentences need to present
factual historical evidence to support your
topic sentence.
 Early nomadic bands tended to be more egalitarian
with few distinctions between males and females,
and leaders and followers. As village communities
such as Jericho and Catal Huyuk developed people
became specialized artisans, warriors, and farmers.
How to Write a CCOT Paragraph
3. After an appropriate amount of evidence you
need to give an analysis (explanation) of
HOW or WHY the changes occurred.

These early professions gradually developed into
social classes as a result of the advent of
agriculture which required the food producers to
ensure there would be a large enough surplus to
feed the non-food producers.
How to Write a CCOT Paragraph
4. Now the rest is SHAMPOO – Lather, Rinse,
Repeat – In other words
.

Women who were the gatherers during the
Paleolithic age became the first farmers of the
early Neolithic period. Conversely it was men who
became more dominant in the early sedentary
villages as women’s status gradually decreased.
How to Write a CCOT Paragraph
5. More SHAMPOO – Add more ANALYSIS to
support your new evidence.

This transition in gender roles occurred because
men became leaders and warriors that protected
and defended fertile territory, women were
thereby slowly relegated to a lower status.
How to Write a CCOT Paragraph
6. Every paragraph needs to have at least one
continuity (something that stays the same / is
continuous) in it.

However women were still able to maintain some
level of equality and even superiority as priestesses
and agricultural goddesses.
During the transition from the Paleolithic Age to the
Neolithic Age mankind underwent several social
transformations as classes developed and gender roles altered.
Early nomadic bands tended to be more egalitarian with few
distinctions between males and females, and leaders and
followers. As village communities such as Jericho and Catal
Huyuk developed people became specialized artisans, warriors,
and farmers. These early professions gradually developed into
social classes as a result of the advent of agriculture which
required the food producers to ensure there would be a large
enough surplus to feed the non-food producers. Women who
were the gatherers during the Paleolithic age became the first
farmers of the early Neolithic period. Conversely it was men
who became more dominant in the early sedentary villages as
women’s status gradually decreased. This transition in gender
roles occurred because men became leaders and warriors that
protected and defended fertile territory, women were thereby
slowly relegated to a lower status. However women were still
able to maintain some level of equality and even superiority as
priestesses and agricultural goddesses.