CCOT Essay

Thesis
Acceptable thesis statements need to address both change
and continuity, stating as least one of each.
Thesis statements need to be explicit, not restatements of
the question or vague statements, such as there were
more changes than continuities.
Thesis Musts
Address Prompt
Place/Time
3 Categories/Groups
1:2 Ratio (1 Continuity and 2 Changes / 2 Continuities
and 1 Change)

How to Construct the Thesis

From (this date) to (that date), (X) showed changes in (A),
yet showed consistency in (B) and (C).
From (this date) to (that date), (X) showed consistency in
(A), but showed changes in (B) and (C).
Even though (A) showed changes in (this place) at (this
time), (B) and (C) continued to happen.
Even though (A) remained the same in (this place) at (this
time), (B) and (C) changed.

Sample Thesis
2012: Analyze continuities and changes in trade networks
between Africa and Eurasia from circa 300 CE to 1450 CE.
From (this date) to (that date), (X) showed consistency in (A),
but showed changes in (B) and (C).

From 300 CE to 1450 CE, trade relations between Africa

and Eurasia showed consistency in the basic types of
exports and imports as well as the importance of coastal
cities, but also showed changes in the arrival of Islam, the
extent and degree of trade, and the rise of new and powerful
empires in Eurasia.

The Order
Introduction Thesis Sentence
Paragraph 1 Group 1 (how it changed/
continued from beginning to end)
Paragraph 2 Group 2 (how it changed/
continued from beginning to end)
Paragraph 3 Group 3 (how it changed/
continued from beginning to end)
Conclusion if time

What Order?
Continuity
Change
Continuity

Change
Continuity
Continuity

Continuity
Continuity
Change

Change
Change
Continuity

Continuity
Change
Change

In case time is not to your advantage, always

organize your essay according to the top row.

What Good Responses Should Include

Moves beyond a mechanistic beginning,

middle, end format

Provides solid chronological knowledge

across the entire time period

Include dates to demonstrate the ability to

describe with some precision when
continuity and change happen

World Historical Context

World Historical Context

Must provide the surrounding historical events and

climate so that the reader understands what is
occurring while these changes and continuities are
happening

Essay relates or describes extra-regional connections

or global process to explain a continuity OR change in
response to the prompt

World Historical Context

Example: During the time from 200 BCE to roughly 400

CE, major empires such as the Romans in Europe,
Gupta in India, Han in China, and stability in Persians
allowed the Silk Roads to prosper, until disease and
nomadic invasions disrupted this peace and the Silk
Roads fell into disease.

Over a period of time, Silk Roads were responsible for

bringing different cultures into contact is NOT
acceptable because of the lack of specificity.

Analyzing Process of
Change or Continuity

Analyzing Process of Change or Continuity

Must analyze at least one reason for a continuity or

change

Why does this particular thing change? What causes

that change, and why does that change occur right then
and not at some other time?

Why does this particular thing stay the same? Is

something prevented change, or is consistency with this
thing desired?

Analyzing Process of Change or Continuity

Example: Buddhisms popularity declined in India

during the Classical period as a direct result of many
factors. First, the Guptas promoted Hinduism in a
period directly after Buddhist Kushan rule where
Buddhism had come to be associated with foreignness.
Secondly, Buddhism rejects the idea of the caste
system, a social structure which was deeply engrained
into Indian society as a result of Aryan and Hindu
influence.