social studies short essay

• New Visions Social Studies Curriculum
• Curriculum Development Team
• Content Contributors
• Getting Started: Baseline Assessments
• Getting Started: Resources to Enhance Instruction
• Getting Started: Instructional Routines
• Unit 9.1: Global 1 Introduction
• Unit 9.2: The First Civilizations
• Unit 9.3: Classical Civilizations
• Unit 9.4: Political Powers and Achievements
• Unit 9.5: Social and Cultural Growth and Conflict
• Unit 9.6: Ottoman and Ming Pre-1600
• Unit 9.7: Transformations in Europe
• Unit 9.8: Africa and the Americas Pre-1600
• Unit 9.9: Interactions and Disruptions
• 10.0: Global 2 Introduction
• 10.01: The World in 1750 C.E.
• 10.02: Enlightenment, Revolution, & Nationalism
• 10.03: Industrial Revolution
• 10.04: Imperialism
• 10.05: World Wars
• 10.06: Cold War Era
• 10.07: Decolonization & Nationalism
• 10.08: Cultural Traditions & Modernization
• 10.09: Globalization & Changing Environment
• 10.10: Human Rights Violations
• Unit 11.0: US History Introduction
• Unit 11.1: Colonial Foundations
• Unit 11.2: American Revolution
• Unit 11.3A: Building a Nation
• Unit 11.03B: Sectionalism & Civil War
• Unit 11.4: Reconstruction
• Unit 11.5: Gilded Age and Progressive Era
• Unit 11.6: Rise of American Power
• Unit 11.7: Prosperity and Depression
• Unit 11.8: World War II
• Unit 11.9: Cold War
• Unit 11.10: Domestic Change
• Resources: Regents Prep: Global 2 Exam

Regents Prep: Framework USH Exam: Regents Prep: US Exam

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Regents Prep: US Exam

Document set #1 - rubric, based nysed osa rubric.

Regents Readiness

Resources for Part 2: Short Essays: Document Set #1 - Rubric

Rubric based on OSA NYSED Educator's Guide and Anchor papers 

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• 26 Writing in Social Studies

Start-Up Activity

When your students arrive, have them spend five minutes writing about what they learned in class the day before. This exercise will not only reinforce their learning but will also introduce today's topic.

Have volunteers share their observations. No two will be alike. Some will be more in-depth and accurate, others more general and inaccurate. Some will emphasize one point, and others another. Students may nod and smile when someone recalls something they had forgotten. Point out that yesterday's class lies somewhere in all of those accounts—multiple reports from eye-witnesses of the events of the previous day.

Writing in social studies involves exactly this process, synthesizing the perspectives of many to discover what happened and why.

Think About It

“History never really says good-bye. History says, 'See you later.'”

—Eduardo Galeano

State Standards Covered in This Chapter

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.11-12.2
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.11-12.8
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.11-12.9
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.11-12.10
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.11-12.4
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.11-12.5
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.11-12.7
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.11-12.1
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.11-12.1.A
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.11-12.1.B
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.11-12.1.C
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.11-12.1.D
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.11-12.1.E
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.11-12.2.A
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.11-12.2.B
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.11-12.2.C
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.11-12.2.D
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.11-12.2.E
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.11-12.6
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.11-12.1
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.11-12.2
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.11-12.6
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.11-12.7
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.11-12.8
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.11-12.9

LAFS Covered in This Chapter

Lafs.1112.whst.1.2, lafs.1112.whst.3.8, lafs.1112.whst.3.9, lafs.1112.whst.4.10, lafs.1112.whst.2.4, lafs.1112.whst.2.5, lafs.1112.whst.3.7, lafs.1112.whst.1.1, lafs.1112.whst.2.6, lafs.1112.rst.1.1, lafs.1112.rst.1.2, lafs.1112.rst.2.6, lafs.1112.rst.3.7, lafs.1112.rst.3.8, lafs.1112.rst.3.9, teks covered in this chapter, page 366 from write for college, taking notes in social studies.

Use this page to provide students tips for improving their note-taking. Each bolded direction at the top of the page can help students more efficiently and accurately record information from lectures and readings, as well as access it later to prepare for tests. The model notes page at the bottom shows these tips in action, including using graphics to visualize information.

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Page 367 from Write for College

Keeping a social studies log.

Encourage students to keep a learning log for their social studies class, reflecting on the ideas they are discovering. Provide the tips at the top of the page to help them get the most out of their logs. Present the example entry at the bottom of the page, noting how the writer thinks about the topic and connects it to other learning.

Have students get a start by reflecting for ten minutes on what they most recently learned in class.

Page 368 from Write for College

Guidelines: summarizing a social studies argument.

Summarizing helps students reflect on new learning, capture it in their own words, understand it, and synthesize it with other learning. Use this page to guide students through the process of summary writing.

Before they write their own summaries, have students read and discuss the sample article and summary on page 369.

Then have students use SQ3R to closely read a current-events article or part of a social studies textbook. Have students identify the focus of the reading and the main supporting points.

Present the suggestions for writing the beginning, middle, and ending of the summary.

Then help students improve their work by quipping them with the Checklist for Revising and Editing Social Studies Summaries .

Page 369 from Write for College

Article and summary.

Have students read the social studies article, "The Great Chain of the Hudson." Then have them read the summary. Point out that the topic sentence names the article and author and provides the focus. Then the body sentences capture the main points of the article. Also, note that the summary is less than a third the length of the original and is rendered in the writer's own words (paraphrased).

Page 370 from Write for College

Guidelines: writing an editorial.

Use this page to help students write editorials expressing opinions about current events, historical periods, or social concerns.

Before students write their own editorials, have them review the editorial on page 371.

Then have students choose a topic that relates to their current studies, research it, and form an opinion.

Once they are ready to draft their editorials, lead students through the suggestions for creating opening, middle, and closing parts.

Afterward, provide them the Checklist for Revising and Editing Editorials .  

Page 371 from Write for College

Have students read this editorial to themselves. Afterward, ask them their opinions about immigration. What ideas in the editorial swayed them, and what ideas did they find unconvincing? How did the writer express and support the opinion? What social studies topic would they like to express an opinion about?

Page 372 from Write for College

Guidelines: responding to document-based questions.

Document-based questions (DBQs) ask about ideas presented in a series of articles and graphics. Students need to analyze the documents and draw evidence from them to answer the DBQ. Use this page to help students learn best practices for responding to these kinds of questions.

Before they answer their own DBQ, have students review the documents and response on pages 373–375.

When students are ready, provide then a DBQ and ask them to analyze it using the PAST strategy. Then have them use the SQ3R strategy to closely read the documents. After they have done so, they should jot down a thesis statement and a quick list of main details.

Lead students through the instructions for creating an effective opening, middle, and closing.

Then provide them the Checklist for Revising and Editing DBQ Responses , noting that they will not have this checklist in real test environments. However, these are the kinds of questions they should ask themselves as they revise and edit.

Page 373 from Write for College

Documents 1 and 2.

Before students engage these documents, have them analyze the prompt on page 375:

We live in the Anthropocene—when humans affect all life on earth. How should we interact with nature? Write an essay expressing your opinion and use evidence from the documents to persuade your generation.

Keeping that prompt in mind, students should closely read these two documents. Ask them to think about the main point and supporting details of each, as well as how they relate to the question.

Page 374 from Write for College

Documents 3 and 4.

Have students closely read these documents, thinking about the document-based question on page 375. Ask them to note the focus and main points of each document.

Page 375 from Write for College

Document-based question.

Ask students to reread the DBQ at the top of the page, and then closely read one student's response. Afterward, lead a discussion of the student's thesis statement and main supporting points. Also, ask how the writer uses and credits evidence drawn from the documents.

Encourage students to use a similar approach when they answer DBQs.

Page 376 from Write for College

Using graphic organizers.

Graphic organizers help students visualize information in social studies. They capture ideas in notes, gather details during research, organize information before drafting, and allow students to think critically about issues. You can direct students to the minilessons for even more help with these graphic organizers.

Sequencing with a Time Line

Use time lines for critical thinking.

Evaluating with a Pro-Con Chart

Analyze good and bad with a pro-con chart.

Analyzing with a Cause-Effect Chart

Analyze causes and effects of any topic.

• 01 One Writer's Process
• 02 Traits of Writing
• 03 Prewriting
• 05 Revising
• 07 Publishing
• 08 Improving Sentences
• 09 Building Paragraphs
• 10 Mastering Essays
• 11 Writing with Style
• 12 Writing Terms and Techniques
• 13 Personal Writing
• 14 Narrative Writing
• 15 Explanatory Writing
• 16 Argument Writing
• 17 Literary Response Writing
• 18 Creative Writing
• 19 Conducting Research
• 20 Summaries, Paraphrases, and Abstracts
• 21 Report Writing
• 22 Writing the Research Paper
• 23 MLA Research Paper
• 24 APA Research Paper
• 25 Writing in Science
• 27 Writing in Math
• 28 Writing in the Workplace
• 29 Reading Nonfiction
• 30 Reading Literature
• 31 Reading Graphics
• 32 Listening and Note Taking
• 33 Speaking Effectively
• 34 Building Vocabulary
• 35 Writing on Demand
• 36 Answering Document-Based Questions
• 37 Taking Exit and Entrance Exams
• 38 Taking Advanced Placement* Exams
• 39 Marking Punctuation
• 40 Checking Mechanics
• 41 Understanding Idioms
• 42 Using the Right Word
• 43 Parts of Speech
• 44 Using the Language
• 45 Student Almanac

• Curriculum & Instruction
• Experiential
• Personal Story
• Primary Sources
• Professional Learning

Using Short Texts to Discuss Current Events and Sensitive Topics

In an era where it seems that every day comes with a “breaking news” headline, and where there is increasing scrutiny regarding what we talk about in our classes, it may seem like a challenge not worth accepting to work current events and controversial topics into our lessons. However, we also know how beneficial it is for students to have a place to engage in tough conversations with their peers, process the events of the world around them, and learn how to engage with media and with one another responsibly. This is the perfect opportunity for a microunit.

A microunit is a collection of short, related texts that students use to build knowledge and understanding over the course of a single lesson. For a microunit, a “text” can include any of the following:

• Graphs or tables
• Social media posts
• TED Talks (which can be filtered to those that are less than six minutes long)

The shorter a text, the greater the window for students to come to their own conclusions without being led to them. In addition, your students who struggle with reading comprehension will spend less time trying to work out the meaning of a text and more time practicing higher-level thinking and analyzing skills.

Let’s take a look at a microunit about a challenging topic—the events of January 6, 2001—as we walk through the steps of planning.

1. Choose a theme, a topic, or an overarching question that these microtexts will help answer.

Your goal may be to build background understanding of a topic before you move into a more intensive study, to help students answer a question such as “What are the limits of our individual rights?” or simply to help students to process a current event.

In the instance of the events of January 6, these might be possible overarching questions:

• What does patriotism look like?
• What is heroism?
• What are the components of an effective protest?
• What are the limits of the First Amendment?

2. Determine the purpose and end product (i.e., review, preparation for an essay or other writing product, inquiry, preparing for reading or studying a specific topic, processing a current event, etc.).

For events like the January 6 insurrection, perhaps your only larger purpose would be to give students an opportunity to talk about a major event. In that case, it still helps to have an end product in mind. Especially with controversial topics, it is important to lean on your state standards for your content—what skills will students be practicing as they engage with these microtexts? This will go a long way toward ensuring that you yourself are operating in a “safe space” professionally.

For less volatile issues, you may build up to a Socratic seminar–style discussion or a unit of study. For issues a bit more steeped in controversy, you may consider culminating your microunit with a personal, reflective piece of writing.

3. Curate texts.

Depending on the topic of your microunit, it is important to remember that not every microtext that you curate must necessarily be directly related to that topic or must be a genre that you typically use in your classroom. Broaden your definition of “text” to include images, art, or social media:

• TED talks: ted.com
• Podcasts: https://listenwise.com/ , https://www.apple.com/itunes/podcasts/
• Poetry: Button Poetry (YouTube), https://www.poets.org/
• Narratives: storycorps.org , www.themoth.org
• Short-form essay: https://www.npr.org/series/4538138/this-i-believe
• Flash fiction: https://flashfictionmagazine.com/
• Articles: Newsela, TweenTribune
• Art: http://www.wga.hu/index.html
• History, science, etc.: https://www.youtube.com/user/crashcourse , https://www.youtube.com/user/itsokaytobesmart
• Short passages from longer texts, Pixar shorts, etc.

Here are some examples:

• “ The Start ,” by Matt Mason
• “ Like Others ,” by Jane Hirshfield

4. Build scaffolds, questions, activities, and bridges between topics.

The goal for microunits, especially ones about controversial topics, is to avoid “leading” students to a specific viewpoint or answer and to create a space where students feel safe coming to their own conclusions.

For a microunit about the events of January 6, you might encourage students to do the following:

For each of the microtexts provided, the guiding questions are only these:

• What do you notice?
• What do you wonder?

Students are permitted the opportunity to be privately reflective, or you might have them share out if they’d like to. In either case, the guiding questions are not leading or biased—they are assuming that there will be things that stand out as well as wonderings that arise.

Throughout this microunit, students are gathering new information and lingering questions. Though you may be using this microunit as an opportunity to process something hard, students are also using the same skills that they would in a research or inquiry process. They are doing the work of historians, whether they notice it or not.

5. Lay the groundwork for a safe environment.

Students need to feel comfortable participating in the learning to the extent that you have planned for them to do so. This may mean that you preface the microunit with a set of “ground rules” to ensure that your classroom remains a safe one. It may mean that the microunit is almost entirely a private reflection for students. It may mean that you have to “rehearse” with more low-stakes topics first (for example, a respectful debate regarding the superiority of hamburgers over pizza). Here are some possible ground rules:

• Approach from a place of curiosity.
• Stick with the discussion stems.
• Assume good intent.

6. Be ready to learn from your students.

Opening up your classroom to student debate, discourse, and dialogue means that you are all participants in the learning process. Be ready to facilitate when needed, but also be ready to be surprised by the deep thinking your students do. The goal of a microunit is to come to a greater collective understanding of a topic, and you may find, by the end, that you have gained something alongside your students.

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Sarah A. Honore began her career in education as a high school English teacher in Houston, Texas. She has since worked as a teacher, an instructional coach, a curriculum writer, and a director of English Language Arts at the district level. Her passions include literacy across content areas, diverse books, and supporting teachers and leaders. While not a social studies teacher by trade, Sarah loves exploring the connections between these two contents in order to enrich the classroom experience for both teachers and students.

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Good Essay Writing: A Social Sciences Guide

Student resources, on this website, you will find a range of resources corresponding to the topics covered in each chapter. just click on links to the left..

Writing good essays is one of the most challenging aspects of studying in the social sciences. This simple guide provides you with proven approaches and techniques to help turn you into a well-oiled, essay-writing machine.

Good Essay Writing demonstrates how to think critically and formulate your argument as well as offering water-tight structuring tips, referencing advice and a word on those all-too-familiar common worries – all brought to life through real student examples from a range of subjects.

​This practical guide is an absolute must for everybody wanting – or needing – to brush up on their essay-writing skills and boost their grades.

Disclaimer:

This website may contain links to both internal and external websites. All links included were active at the time the website was launched. SAGE does not operate these external websites and does not necessarily endorse the views expressed within them. SAGE cannot take responsibility for the changing content or nature of linked sites, as these sites are outside of our control and subject to change without our knowledge. If you do find an inactive link to an external website, please try to locate that website by using a search engine. SAGE will endeavour to update inactive or broken links when possible.

Social Studies Essays

Expository text and academic language in social studies, popular essay topics.

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• Send us an e-mail

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Social Studies Regents Exams

• Regents Exam in Global History and Geography II
• United States History and Government
• Archive: United States History & Government
• Archive: Transition Regents Examination in Global History and Geography – Grade 10
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GHP short essay questions

Hello, I am applying for GHP social studies and I am confused on how long the short essay section should be. There are no word limits, but it says short essay so I'm guessing it cant be too long. The questions ask about my volunteer hours, achievement, what I can contribute to GHP, etc. How long should these be?

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