I will go over these in more detail on Monday but I thought I would post this info here before then:
ESSAY WRITING STRATEGIES
*Remember SPERM
Social – people (women, men, minorities, children, etc)
Political – government (policies, treaties, acts, politicians, etc)
Economical – jobs, employment, trade, commerce, cost of war, etc
Regional – French Cdn vs English Cdn; western alienation, core vs periphery, etc
Military – battles, wars, strategies (ex. Schlieffen Plan)
Here are some tips on how to answer essay questions.
If you see the word COMPARE this means:
- you must describe how the elements, qualities, issues, and/or people are similar to something else
- you will most likely see a question that asks you to “compare and contrast” which means you must look at the similarities and the differences of the topic
ex. – Compare the similarities between Canada’s participation in World War I versus their participation in World War II from an economic, social, and political perspective.
If you see the word CONTRAST this means:
- you must describe how the elements, qualities, issues, and/or people are different to something else
- you will most likely see a question that asks you to “compare and contrast” which means you must look at the similarities and the differences of the topic
ex. – Compare and contrast Canada’s participation in World War I and in World War II from an economic, social, and political perspective.
If you see the word DESCRIBE this means:
- you must give a detailed or graphic account of an object, event, or concept
ex. – Describe realistic strategies that Canadians could take to reduce their negative impact on land, water, and the atmosphere.
If you see the word DISCUSS this means:
- you must present various points of view in a debate, argument, topic, or concept
- you should consider both sides of the question
ex: - Discuss how Canada changed as a result of WW1 (various points of view – SPERM!)
If you see the word EVALUATE this means:
- you must use criteria/standards to make judgements about the strengths and weaknesses of a position on a particular issue (must have 2 sides)
ex: - “Canada has created a welfare state that benefits every man, woman and child from cradle to grave.” Evaluate this statement using examples from the period of 1914 to the year 2000. (note – you would evaluate how the welfare state has benefitted AND not benefitted Cdns)
If you see the word EXPLAIN this means:
- you must give an account of a topic, process, or concept while providing evidence and reasons
ex: - Explain the political, social, and economic challenges in finding solutions to environmental threats that affect Canadians.
If you see the words TO WHAT EXTENT this means:
- you must write arguments in favour of a position or point of view and respond to or take into account the arguments opposed to that position or point of view (must have 2 sides)
ex: - To what extent did WW1 and WW2 have a negative impact on the Canadian Home Front? (must discuss both positives AND negatives of argument even though it is NOT written in the question!)
