2. Continuity and Change Over Time

Continuity and Change Over Time Rubric (CCOT)

CCOT Rubric

This essay is tied directly to the historical thinking skill, Patterns of Continuity and Change over TIme, and it requires you to assess and evaluate not to merely recognize or describe those patterns. It demands that you know a depth of content about a theme, topic, or place; that you can identify elements that continue throughout that era and evaluate the reasons why they continue; and that you can place all that understanding in an accurate global context.

One experienced teacher introduces the concept of Continuity and Change over Time to her students in this way. "Consider why you were born. What did you look like? what was your temperament? What was important to you? Now think about when you were five years old. What did you look like? What was your temperament? What was important to you? Now think about yourself today. What do you look like? What is your temperament? What is important to you? Now ask yourself the big questions: What changed over those years, and what stayed the same about you? Finally, why did those specific aspects about you change, and why did other elements about you stay the same?" The answers to all those questions would form the information for a CCOT essay about you.

Here are the elements to consider as you approach this question.

1. Think about the concept of Global and Local (Forest and the Tree).

2. Remember the mantra - Analyze the process and explain the cause.

-Fully analyze what happened and what stayed the same. Then tell why those things changed and why they stayed the same.

3. Make a simple chart or other graphic organizer to capture your ideas.

4. Follow the Rubric!

5. There are several ways to organize this type of essay.

In general, student essays follow a thesis order something like this:

During the time period (date) to (date), the (topic) changed from (A) to (B) to (C); however, (D) stayed the same throughout the era because...

Body Paragraph #1 is about the initial situation A.

Body Paragraph #2 is about the change to the situation B.

Body Paragraph #3 is about the change to the situation C.

Body Paragraph #4 is about what stayed the same D, and why it did.

• Each body paragraph should contain a topic sentence that sets the topic example in a time context.
• Each body paragraph should contain two to three specific examples that support your topic sentence.
• Each body paragraph should connect the historical events of the paragraph to the global context of the era.
• Each body paragraph should close by stating a reason for the change or continuity.

This structural suggestion is not a magic solution to making this question easier to write, nor is this template always appropriate. What is always valuable, however, is a reference to a specific time period as well as attention to correct locations, accurate supporting evidence, connection to global context, and accurate reasons for the changes and continuities.