Enduring Issues Essay

Enduring Issues Essay Prompt PART 3–EXTENDED ESSAY An enduring issue is an issue that exists across time. It is one that many societies have attempted to address with varying degrees of success. In your essay ● Identify and define an enduring issue raised by this set of documents. ● Using your knowledge of Social Studies and evidence from the documents, argue why the issue you selected is significant and how it has endured across time. Be sure to ● Identify the issue based on a historically accurate interpretation of three documents. ● Define the issue using evidence from at least three documents ● Argue that this is a significant issue that has endured by showing: ○ How the issue has affected people or been affected by people ○ How the issue has continued to be an issue or changed over time ● Include outside information from your knowledge of social studies and evidence from the documents. Enduring Issues Essay Outline This outline identifies the components of introduction, body, and conclusion paragraphs. I. Introduction Paragraph A. DEFINE and briefly DISCUSS the Enduring Issue Describing what the enduring issue is and explain how it relates to American History. B. THESIS: ESTABLISH A CLAIM that IDENTIFIES the Enduring Issue and STATES why it is significan An issue might be significant because it has affected a lot of people, its effects are long-lasting, and/or it impacts the world today. C. THESIS: IDENTIFY topics to be discussed in the essay that show it has endured across time. Here is an example of a paragraph --- this will not work for all essays and it would need to be modified based on the claim that is being taken (has it improved? Has it changed? Has it continued? Has it gotten worse?) An enduring issue in American history is _______________________________(what it is), (define it) _____________________________________________. It first appears to impact U.S. society in _____________(time period) and continues to have a ______________________________ (positive/negative/small/large, etc.) impact of the U.S. today. ____________________(enduring issue) has endured as seen through ________________________________, __________________________, ___________________________ and although it has improved it still ___________________________(a problem, not solved, impacting U.S. history, impacting people, etc.). II. Body Paragraph: First Topic (A-D make up the whole paragraph) A. TOPIC SENTENCE Identify the main idea of your body paragraph and connect it to the claim in your thesis. Transition from the introduction (later paragraph will transition from the previous topic). B. DESCRIBE EVIDENCE - DETAIL / Facts needed (What?) Describe evidence of an event, person, source, etc. who was involved where it happened when it happened what happened how it happened Use evidence from documents and outside information explain the SIGNIFICANCE of the event. Introduce evidence from documents using source information and cite the document parenthetically (doc 4) C. ANALYSIS EVIDENCE: EXPLAIN the EFFECTS of the event (Why and How?) A good word to use is “because”, also in your writing keep answering the question so what? These are some questions to answer in your writing that will help you with analysis. 1. 2. 3. 4. Explain why it was/is important Explain how and why people were impacted by it with specific historical proof (NO OPINIONS!) How did this event / example change history? (turning point) Explain how and why the effects were long lasting. D. CONCLUDING SENTENCE of the paragraph A sentence that summarizes and transitions to the next paragraph Here is an example tied to inequality in the U.S. A. Inequality has been present throughout all of U.S. history and one area it has been evident in would be race relations in the U.S. African Americans have suffered inequality which started with the history of slavery. People have fought against inequality by trying to gain freedom. This included those who risked their lives on the Underground Railroad. B.--Your next sentences --- give facts, details, people etc. --- what was slavery, why did it show inequality, what did people do to try to escape slavery, what was the response to that? More sentences with facts / details/ and evidence using a document / documents that are cited parenthetically. Explain why this show inequality and the issue around why that is bad. C.--ANSWER THE QUESTION how it has changed or stayed the same over time ANALYSIS -- what was the impact? Why was this wrong? How did this impact people specifically and the U.S. as a whole? What ended slavery? Did this end inequality? D. The worst example of inequality in U.S. history is slavery with its harsh treatment, punishment, and lack of freedom for those who suffered its worst effects. Many individuals tried to break away from slavery by using the Underground Railroad but slave owners were not willing to end the system. It would take the Civil War to end slavery but inequality continued to be an issue in American History. III. Body Paragraph: Second Topic - follow the format above -- Transition to second topic IV. Body Paragraph: Third Topic – follow the format above – Transition to third topic and this is the best paragraph to evaluate the topic in modern times – is it the same or different with specific examples and evidence V. Conclusion A. RESTATE the stance/claim B. DESCRIBE how the issue has continued to be an issue and changed over time C. EXPLAIN why the issue is ENDURING and SIGNIFICANT _________________________________ is a significant enduring issue in America because ___________________________________ it has led to _____________________________ and ___________________________. The struggle to solve this issue has been __________________________ as shown through _________________________________________________but this will continue to have an impact on American in a _________________________ way because ____________________________________ and _______________________________________________________________________________________ This concluding paragraph outline may or may not work based on what you have written but it gives you an idea how to set up a conclusion with evidence that is strong.