Power Words for Historical
Writing
Two Basic Types of Essays on the AP Exam
and the Global Regents:
DBQ Essays
Theme Essays
These essays call upon similar writing skills,
but they require different approaches
Power Words for Historical
Writing
Each essay must have a purpose
Everything you write has a purpose
Hence, if an essay is a journey, then you must
consider:
What is your destination?
What skills will you need to reach this destination?
What tools will you need on this journey
How will you, or others, measure your success?
Power Words for Historical
Writing
A sense of purpose gives the reader a sense
of participation; they are part of the process
For the author, having developed a sense of
purpose means that the essay has been
thought out prior to the pen hitting the paper,
or the fingers scuttling across the keyboard.
Power Words for Historical
Writing
Your approach is determined by the type of
question that you are answering, or the
specific thesis that you have developed.
The following are example of historical
power words that serve a dual purpose:
Familiarity with them gives you direction
Recognizing their varied purposes is crucial to
historical investigation and scholarship.
Power Words for Historical
Writing
All historical writing is, essentially, being
able to identify a topic, and provide a piece
that has a…
Beginning
Middle
End
Simple, Yes?
Power Words for Historical
Writing
If the writing process is just that, you must
have differing skills to be able to take a
reader through the process.
Here is a brutally simple example.
Let us assume that you have created an
invention.
It now is your job to “pitch” this invention to a
group of potential investors.
Power Words for Historical
Writing
Let us further assume that the investors,
though tantalized by your previous meetings
with them, have been “kept in the dark” as to
the specifics of the invention.
They have a general knowledge that this is a
device of some kind that will make
housework easier, but they know nothing
else.
Power Words for Historical
Writing
Your presentation goal is to
Provide a description of the device
Be able to identify and present the need that this device
addresses
Give a demonstration of the device “in action”
Summarize for the potential investors the positive facets
of the device, and the tremendous return that they will
receive on their investment
Your ultimate goal is to get funding, and this is your “big
shot.”
Power Words for Historical
Writing
Here are four Historical Power Words:
Assess
Describe Each word asks you to
Explain do something different.
Show
Could you place them in the order you would
utilize them in your presentation?
Power Words for Historical
Writing
Would it help if I defined them for you?
Assess – if you assess you step back, (often
times at the conclusion of some task or process),
and make some kind of a judgment concerning:
The importance of something
The value of something
The success of a particular action
What might have been done differently
Power Words for Historical
Writing
Assessment examples:
Report Cards
Teacher evaluation forms
End of the year meetings with an employer (like
a report card once you are in the real world)
Checking the damage done after a flood or other
natural disaster
Power Words for Historical
Writing
Describe:
You tell about something
Physical description
What happened first, second and third
How something looks
What parts or pieces does something have
Power Words for Historical
Writing
Examples of description
How a dog looked
What a particular stereo looks like
What are the pieces of a model car
Power Words for Historical
Writing
Explain
To make something understandable
To give your reasons for doing something
To make something plain for someone
Power Words for Historical
Writing
Examples of Explanation
How to make a paper airplane
Telling your parents where you were the past
three hours
Giving directions to a lost person
Power Words for Historical
Writing
Show:
To demonstrate
To display
To place information in an orderly fashion
Power Words for Historical
Writing
Examples of “show”:
Demonstrate to an adult how to use an I-Pod
Display a tattoo to a friend
Point out a scratch on a car to its owner
Power Words for Historical
Writing
The four words again:
Assess
Describe Based on what they
Explain “do”, what is the proper
Show order?
Power Words for Historical
Writing
Assess 1. Describe
Describe 2. Explain
Explain 3. Show
Show 4. Assess
Power Words for Historical
Writing
The meeting begins with your description of
the invention. After that, you will explain
how the device works, and then show how it
works. Having done that, your assessment of
its effectiveness will, hopefully, “close the
sale” with your potential investors.
Power Words for Historical
Writing
Summary:
The process you went through in your meeting is
analogous to the process of writing historical
essays.
All writing is salesmanship. You have a product
that you want to sell, and your effectiveness will
be determined by the degree to which your
audience “buys” what you are selling.
Power Words for Historical
Writing
Here is a list of power words used in
historical writing.
Master these words, and you will be able to
organize and compose more effective essays.
They are also utilized in all exams and
assignments you will encounter.
Power Words for Historical
Writing
Defend or Refute
Defend – argue for a particular position
Refute– argue against a particular position
In both cases, it becomes the responsibility of the
writer to formulate a statement based on factual
evidence that can defends or refutes a widely
debated historical issue.
Power Words for Historical
Writing
Historical Example:
“The French Revolution was ineffective and left
France in the control of a despot, Napoleon, who
exhibited as much or more control over France
as Louis XVI.”
You could refute or defend this statement
It would require you to examine the reign of
Napoleon in relationship to Louis XVI’s
Power Words for Historical
Writing
Analyze
Examine the details of something
Determine relationships
Step back and make some judgments on
something
Provide informed commentary
*It comes only after you have a certain body of
evidence at your disposal
Power Words for Historical
Writing
Historical Example
“Analyze the ways in which the Vietnam conflict
differed from previous United States military actions.”
You would have to look at the particulars of the Vietnam
conflict in relationship to other military actions, like
WWII.
By focusing on certain “categories” common to both, you
would be able to show difference, and then be able to
provide informed commentary.
Your analysis will then be particular points you will
make based on the examination of the evidence you
presented.
Power Words for Historical
Writing
Evaluate:
You judge the importance or worth of something
You probably would have discussed advantages
and disadvantages connected with some issue
This is done after the orderly presentation of
information
Power Words for Historical
Writing
Historical Example
Evaluate the extent to which the rise of fascism
in the 1920’s and 1930’s was the result of the
provisions of the Treaty of Versailles.
This question has a cause and effect component,
and your success will be in demonstration how
valid or how specious this statement is.
Power Words for Historical
Writing
“To What Extent”; “In What Ways”:
These are asking you how, or how much
You are “measuring”.
You will have to present evidence that will
measure the validity of a particular statement
Power Words for Historical
Writing
Historical Example:
“To what extent was the outbreak of WWI the
result of political as opposed to ethnic issues.”
Here you will focus on the two sides, and by
presenting evidence, measure them against each
other.
It is customary to eventually “take a side” after
you have presented your evidence.
Power Words for Historical
Writing
“Assess the validity”
You are judging
You are measuring the value or truth of a
particular statement or issue
Ultimately, you will let the reader know how
valid (true) the statement is
This can only be done by presenting evidence
beforehand.
Power Words for Historical
Writing
Historical Example:
“The Religious Wars that ravaged Europe in the
16th and 17th centuries were more a result of
territorial ambitions and economic rivalries than
they were the expression of one doctrine of faith
over another.”
There is a clear proposition made, and your task
will be to decide how truthful, how valid the
statement is.
Power Words for Historical
Writing
“Compare and/or Contrast”:
Show the differences
Same Topic/Issue
Show the similarities
Power Words for Historical
Writing
Historical Example
“Compare and contrast the political, economic and
social climate of Germany under Adolph Hitler and the
Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin”
You will have to choose common focal/discussion
points, and then show how these political systems were
similar and different.
Normally, you will present a final determination stating
if they were more alike or more dissimilar.
Power Words for Historical
Writing
Explain:
You offer meaning and/or understanding for the
reader
Identify the cause of something
Give reasons and details for something
Provide details as a means of explanation
Power Words for Historical
Writing
Historical Example
“Explain how the theories of Copernicus,
Kepler, Newton and Galileo impacted on the
religious and intellectual trends of the 17th and
18th century.”
Two step process
Identify the major facets of each thinkers theories
Demonstrate the impact that they had
Power Words for Historical
Writing
Discuss:
Present and consider various points of view
Examine
Your point of view will come into play as you do
this
This is done as/after you present evidence
Power Words for Historical
Writing
Historical Example:
“Discuss the various forms of socialism that emerged in
the early to mid 19th century”
You are presenting information on a number of
ideologies
You are not necessarily comparing and contrasting (but
you may) as much as you are looking at component parts,
and strengths and weaknesses.
Power Words for Historical
Writing
Describe:
Tell about
Offer an account of something
Give a word picture
Provide the component parts of something
Power Words for Historical
Writing
Historical Example
“Describe the lifestyle of a noble woman during
the reign of Elizabeth I. Focus on family life,
political status, and economic conditions and
issues facing them.”
Power Words for Historical
Writing
Power Words for Historical
Writing
Power Words for Historical
Writing
Power Words for Historical
Writing
Power Words for Historical
Writing
Power Words for Historical
Writing
Power Words for Historical
Writing
Power Words for Historical
Writing
Power Words for Historical
Writing
Power Words for Historical
Writing