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Quick Links For This Page
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Course
Description
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Global
History and Geography is a two-year required course of study
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Traditionally, students take the two year course beginning in the
9th grade. At the end of their sophomore year, students take the New
York State Regents Exam
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The course examines the history of the
world beginning with the dawn of civilization (10,000 BCE) up to the
present day
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Churchville-Chili has organized the course using a
chronological format with a focus on major historical themes.
New York
State Regents Exam
Part
I - Multiple Choice
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Part
I of the Regents exam is 50 multiple choice questions
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These questions
span both the 9th and 10th grade years
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Approximately 60% of these
questions will come from modern history or material from the 10th grade year
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Questions
will include interpreting primary source documents, maps, charts,
political cartoons and statistical information
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Part
I is worth 55% of the exam grade
New York
State Regents Exam
Part
II - Thematic Essay
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Part II is a
thematic essay question
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Every
student is posed the same essay question that focuses on a
particular theme, however each student may choose to use different
examples and details to illustrate their answers
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Students are
expected to include an introductory paragraph with a focus or thesis
statement, several body paragraphs and a concluding paragraph
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Past
themes have included...
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Science
and Technology
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Geography
-
Change
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Conflict
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Economic
Change
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Change
- Turning Points
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Geography
and Society
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Part
II is worth 15% of the exam grade
New York
State Regents Exam
Part
III - Document Based Question (DBQ)
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Part III is a document based question (DBQ) and
has two components
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Similar
to the thematic essay, every student is posed the same essay
question, however each student may choose to use different examples
and details to illustrate their response
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Students are
expected to include an introductory paragraph with a focus or thesis
statement, several body paragraphs and a concluding paragraph
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It
is best practice for students to use complete sentences when
answering the scaffolding question in Part III-A
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Students
are expected to incorporate their own outside information as well
as evidence and details from the documents
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Part
III-A, "the scaffolding" is worth 15% of the exam grade
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Part
III-B, the DBQ Essay, is worth 15% of the exam grade
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Past
Regent Exams!!
Download
Them! Print Them! Read Them!!
Practice,
Practice, Practice!!
Check
Out What The Test Looks Like!!
The
"Answer Keys" have MODEL ESSAYS too!!
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Essay
Help
Below
are some helpful hints and strategies for tackling the Global History
and Geography Essays. You will find the themes defined,
pre-writing strategies, essay components, rubric descriptions and model
essays. Spend the time to review this section. It will be
well worth it!
What
Exactly is a "THEME" for the thematic essays?
- The following
is a list of historical themes or topics that are universal.
That is, their historical existence expands all cultures and
regions of the world.
- Students
should have a strong understanding of each of these
themes.
- The Regents
Exam Essay Questions will provide students with one of these
themes to write about.
- Students are
expected to compose an essay using several accurate detailed
examples from history to illustrate the theme.
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| BELIEF
SYSTEMS: |
The
established, orderly ways in which groups or individuals look at
religious faith or philosophical ideas. |
| CHANGE
/ TURNING POINTS: |
The
basic alteration in things, events and ideas. |
| CHOICE: |
The
right or power to select from a range of alternatives. |
| CONFLICT: |
Disagreement
or opposition between ideas or groups, which may lead to an armed
struggle. |
| DIVERSITY: |
Understanding
and respecting others and oneself, including any similarities or
differences in language, gender, socioeconomic class, religion,
and other human characteristics and traits. |
| IMPERIALISM: |
The
domination by one country of the political and/or economic life of
another country or region. |
| INTERDEPENDENCE: |
Reliance
upon others in mutually beneficial interactions and exchanges. |
| MOVEMENT
OF PEOPLE & GOODS: |
The
exchange of people, ideas, products, technologies, and
institutions from one region or civilizations to another (a
process that has existed throughout history) |
| NATIONALISM: |
A
feeling of pride in and devotion to one's country or the desire of
people to control their own government, free from foreign
interference or rule. Unifying bonds may include a people's
common language, religion, history, culture, ethnicity or
territory. |
| URBANIZATION: |
Movement
of people from rural to urban (city) areas. |
| SCARCITY: |
The
conflict between unlimited needs and want and limited natural and
human resources. |
| SCIENCE
& TECHNOLOGY: |
The
tools and methods used by people to get what they need and want. |
| HUMAN
RIGHTS: |
Those
basic political, economic, and social rights by which all human
beings are entitled, such as the right to life, liberty, security
of person, and a standard of living adequate for the health and
well-being of oneself and one's family. |
| JUSTICE: |
Fair,
equal, proportional, or appropriate treatment rendered to
individuals in interpersonal, societal, or government interactions. |
| POWER: |
The
ability of people to compel or influence the actions of others.
Legitimate, or rightful, power is called authority. |
| GEOGRAPHY: |
The
physical environment including climate, landforms, vegetation, elevation,
waterways, natural resources and their impact on human movement,
settlement and culture. |
|
Step
by Step Guide for Writing a
Global History Thematic Essay
Step
1 Pre-writing Planning - Think it Through!
- Read the task
or question
- Read the task
again
- Turn the
essay "Task" into your essay focus statement (thesis)
- HINT:
Students may restate the thematic background statement, but should
attempt to do so in their own words
- Make sure you
fully understand what the essay is looking for
Example
from the June 2002 Exam...
Step
2 Make a Written Plan
- Make an
outline, block, list or a graphic organizer like a web to
BRAINSTORM
- This is a
critical part of tackling the essay. Many students make the
MISTAKE of skipping this step!
- Commit 5 or
10 minutes for this step. It is time well spent.
- You will be
awarded points for the ACCURATE details you provide.
- Common
mistakes include the use of incorrect information or use of
inaccurate examples that don't support the theme.
- GET WHAT YOU
ALREADY KNOW DOWN ON PAPER FIRST
- Include
OUTSIDE information here to illustrate the theme further.
Example of
Scrap Paper - Planning
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Geography
and Society
People
change their geography...AFFECTS on society...
geography
is climate, landforms, waterways, resources...environment...
GOOD>more
trade...more jobs...progress...sharing
ideas...diffusion...interdependence?...
BAD>pollution...overcrowding...loss
of resources...?
EXAMPLES....??...
1)
Peter the Great...westernization...St. Petersburg...access to
warm water port...drained swamps...Russia's economy
stronger...modernize...trade...
2)
Japan...terrace farming...island..archepelego...no land to
farm...build up!!...cut steps into mountainside to grow
crops...
3)
Canals...suez, panama...man made waterway to connect larger
waters... for trade...millions of $$...faster travel...goods
and ideas...diffusion...
4)
mesopotamia...irrigation systems...tigris euphrates....grow
crops... more people...crowded in fertile areas
5)Rainforest...deforestation...make
room for railways and farmland and towns...loss of
wildlife...ozone, greenhouse effect...
6)Great
Britain and industrial revolution...urbanization...coal, iron
ore, cotton...textiles...water power and steam
power...pollution and overcrowded cities..dangorous work in
mines to extract resources....
THESIS...
History
has shown that human activity has often changed the land
people live on. Quite often, the changes to the physical
geography has had both positive and negative impact on
society.
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Step
3 Write the Introductory Paragraph
- The
introductory paragraph needs to include a THESIS STATEMENT or
focus statement
- HINT:
Students may restate the thematic background statement, but should
attempt to do so in their own words
- The paragraph
should be a minimum of 5 sentences
- Include
general examples and relevant outside information
- HINT:
define the theme in the intro
- CAUTION:
do NOT go into any detail for your examples...save this for the
body paragraphs
Example of an
introductory paragraph - Writing
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History has shown that human activity has often changed the land
people live on. Quite often, the changes to the physical
geography has had both positive and negative impact on
society. From ancient times to the modern day, geography
and society have worked together to meet the needs and want of
humanity. Geography may include landforms, waterways,
natural resources or climate. Examples of humanity's
altering of their geography include ancient Egypt and their intricate
irrigation systems, the Japanese use of terrace farming, Peter
the Great's construction of his "window to the west",
St. Petersburg and the construction of the Panama and Suez
Canals. Two examples worth examining further include Great
Britain's use of natural resources during the industrial
revolution and a second example includes the deforestation
process surrounding the Amazon basin in Brazil. Human
progress will often alter the environment at a cost. |
Step
4 Write the Essay Body Paragraphs
- Include a
minimum of 2 fact filled body paragraphs
- Begin the
paragraph with a TOPIC SENTENCE; that is a sentence that
simple states what the paragraph is about
- Use the Essay
Question "Task" as your guide of what to include within
the paragraph
- Depending
on the essay question, body paragraphs will often discuss the
following categories
- positive
and negative effects
- similarities
and differences
- causes
and effects
- political,
economic or social traits
Step
5 Write a Essay Conclusion
- Restate the
Theme of the essay
- Include a
sentence for each body paragraph that references the theme and
content
- Conclusion
should be a minimum of 3 sentences
June 2002 Model
Essay: Geography and Society
HINT: More
model essays can be found within the "Past Regents Exams"
link. Just go to the answer keys.
Step
by Step Guide for Writing a
Global History Document Based Essay
Approach
the DBQ a similar way that you approach the Thematic Essay. The
DBQ adds the step of analyzing historical documents, therefore we will
have access to lots of specific historical details.
Step
1 Pre-writing Planning - Think it Through!
- Read the task
or question
- Read the task
again
- Begin thinking
on how to turn the essay "Task" into your essay focus
statement (thesis)
- HINT:
Students may restate the thematic background statement, but should
attempt to do so in their own words
- Using a
highlighter can help identify key words and phrases
- Make sure you
fully understand what the DBQ Essay is looking for
Example from
the June 2003 Exam...
Step 2
Make a Written Plan
- Make an
outline, block, list or a graphic organizer like a web to BRAINSTORM
- This is a
critical part of tackling the essay. Many students make the
MISTAKE of skipping this step!
- Commit 5 or 10
minutes for this step. It is time well spent.
- Look for
"buckets" or "categories" to help organize your
essay.
- You will be
awarded points for the ACCURATE details you provide.
- Common mistakes
include the use of incorrect information or use of inaccurate
examples that don't support the theme.
- GET WHAT YOU
ALREADY KNOW DOWN ON PAPER FIRST
- Include OUTSIDE
information here to illustrate the theme further.
Example of
Scrap Paper - Planning
NOTE:
Outside info is listed first...then the details from the documents
second
Change
/ Turning Points
| Neolithic
Revolution
OUTSIDE
INFO
- dawn of
civilization
- no more
wandering, hunting and gathering
-leads to
settlements, need for laws, institutions
-farming...
MOSTLY
POSITIVE +
...more
secure source of food, steady growth,
DOCUMENT
HELP...
DOC 1,
timeline
domesticatio
of animals, food source
DOC 2,
dialogue...food source
DOC
3 ???NOT SURE???
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Age
of Exploration
OUTSIDE
INFO
-from
stagnant feudalistic settlements to massive amounts of
cultural diffusion
-cultures
come together...interdependence
-independent
societies living separated...no contact
POSITIVE
AND NEGATIVE
POSITIVE
contact allows more trade, $$$$, goods and ideas exchanged
NEGATIVE
disease,
foreign domination, brutality, no respect for other
cultures, slavery...
DOCUMENT
HELP...
DOC 4,
MAP of trade routes
DOC
5, population shifts...CULTURAL DIFFUSION
DOC
6 --SLAVERY population... |
Collapse
of Communism/USSR
OUTSIDE
INFO
1990's, end
of the Cold War
-gorbachev...perestroika...glastnost
-US vs.
Ussr conflict ends
-capitalism
and democracy have a greater influence
POSITIVE
democracy,
freedom, Berlin Wall comes down, unity
less
Nuclear war threat..?..
DOCUMENT
HELP...
DOC 7
gorby's policies explained
DOC ,
8 NOT SURE HERE?? policy
DOC
9 cartoons...shortages and multi ethnic
breakup..nationalism end of one problem seems to start
another... |
Step 3
Document Analysis - Scaffolding
- Carefully read
the questions attached to each document a couple of times
- Then carefully
read the document a couple of times
- Take notes in
the MARGINS as you go. These could highlight things like
- positives
and negatives
- similarities
/ differences
- political,
social economic traits
- causes /
effects
- Highlighting
the document will help identify key words, phrases, themes and
details
- Develop your
answer using your highlighted text, margin notes and document
analysis
- Complete
sentences are best to get your point across.
- REMEMBER... the
scaffolding points are weighted as much as the DBQ essay
- Go to your
scrap paper and jot notes from each document that can support your
essay
Step 4
Write the Introductory Paragraph
- The
introductory paragraph needs to include a THESIS STATEMENT or focus
statement
- HINT:
Students may restate the thematic background statement, but should
attempt to do so in their own words
- The paragraph
should be a minimum of 5 sentences
- Include general
examples and relevant outside information
- HINT:
define the theme in the intro
- CAUTION:
do NOT go into any detail for your examples...save this for the body
paragraphs
Step
5 Write the Essay Body Paragraphs
- Include a
minimum of 2 fact filled body paragraphs
- Begin the
paragraph with a TOPIC SENTENCE; that is a sentence that
simple states what the paragraph is about
- Use the Essay
Question "Task" as your guide of what to include within
the paragraph
- Depending
on the essay question, body paragraphs will often discuss the
following categories or "buckets"
- positive
and negative effects
- similarities
and differences
- causes and
effects
- political,
economic or social traits
- Use
parenthetical citation after a sentence to reference the
documents ie. (doc. #4)
- Use a majority
of the documents within the essay
- Constantly
reference the Essay Task to make sure you are keeping the essay
focused
- Weave the outside
information along with the document details. YOU NEED
BOTH!
Step 6
Write a Essay Conclusion
- Restate the
Theme of the essay
- Include a
sentence for each body paragraph that references the theme and
content
- Conclusion
should be a minimum of 3 sentences
SPECIAL
NOTES....
- Proof-read your
essay.
- Avoid listing
summaries of the documents. This would sound like
"In document 1, it says... In document 2 its
says...Finally, in document 4 it says..."
- Avoid using 1st
person pronouns. This would sound like... "In this essay
I will clearly show you that..."
- Avoid using
abbreviated terms especially those often used on Instant
Messenger. This would sound like..."...+
Slavery was bad b/c,
ya
know...the
gov't..."
Document
Based Question Checklist / Feedback
Use
the questions below to complete a review of an DBQ essay process..
1. How
many times are the documents cited?
2. List the
documents numbers used in the essay.
3.
Identify a topic sentence from one of the body paragraphs by writing
it below.
4. Is it
too general or too specific? And why?
5.
List 2 examples of outside information used within the document.
6.
Identify the thesis by writing it below.
7.
Identify the categories or "buckets" used to answer the
essay question.
8.
Identify an example of paraphrasing by writing an example below.
9. List 3
details used within one of the body paragraphs.
10. List 3
adjectives, which describes the essay.
11. List 3
specific ways to improve the essay.
12. Yes or No
Are there margin notes found within the documents?
13. % of block /
planning completed?
Rubric
Score_________ Scored by _____________________
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