How to Write a Social Studies Essay
Social Studies Essay
Essay test questions are designed to provide students with the opportunity to present information that displays their understanding of the topic as well as their clear thinking and effectiveness with the written language. This type of test question can have positive results if you are familiar with several stages of the writing process.
1. Be Familiar with Direction Terms Used in Essay Questions
Analyze–to examine a complex event, development or concept by separating it into its elements, and discussing those elements and the relationships among those elements
Compare–to bring out points of similarity and difference
Contrast–to bring out the points of difference between two or more things
Criticize–to state your opinions of correctness or merits of an item, concept, development, or issue; to point out the positive and negative aspects
Define–to give a meaning of a word or concept without using the word itself; to place it in the class to which it belongs and set it off from other items in the same class
Describe–to give an account of; tell about; give a picture with words
Discuss–to talk over; consider from various points of view; present the different sides
of or perspectives on something
Evaluate–to give the good points and the bad points; give an opinion supported by evidence and logic regarding the value of an event, development, contribution, etc.; discuss the advantages and limitations of something
Explain–to make clear; to interpret; to clarify; to tell the meaning of or how to do something
Illustrate–to use a word picture, diagram, chart, or concrete example to clarify a point
Interpret–to make plain; to give the meaning of; to translate
Justify–to show good reason for; present facts to support your opinion of some issue or idea
List–to summarize ideas or concepts with short phrases rather than paragraphs and sentences
Prove–to establish the truth of something by giving factual evidence or logical reasons for something
Summarize–to give concisely the main points of a topic or area
Trace–to follow the course of something; give a description of the progress of something
2. Read and Understand the Question—Read each question carefully. Pay particular attention to the direction word (or words) used in the question. You may find it helpful to circle or underline them to clarify your thinking.
Ex. Summarize the beliefs of three of the major world religions.
Ex. Compare the beliefs of three of the major world religions.
3. Jot Down notes- when you have read the question and understand what it requires, take a minute to write a brief outline of the answer. Be sure to write down all pertinent information. Then put the information in a logical order. Think about you thesis, what you will include in you three body paragraphs, and your conclusion.
4. Introductory Paragraph
A. Restate the Question—To begin writing the answer to the question, rephrase the question in your opening sentence. It is important to repeat many of the words found in the question to show your instructor that your answer is clear and on target.
B. Every essay should have a thesis, a consistent and logical argument that runs throughout your entire essay. Some questions lend themselves more readily to thesis. Nevertheless, if your essay is going to say anything worth reading, there should be a thesis consistently developed within.
Example question: Compare the beliefs of three of the major world religions.
Restate: The major world religions share several similarities.
Thesis: Three of the religions, Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, are most closely related. These three religions share (a), (b), and (c)
5. Body paragraphs: This is where the meat of the essay is located.
A. Think before you write! How will you organize your information? Each paragraph should have a distinct purpose related to your thesis.
B. Be concise: The most impressive answer is presented in a direct and straightforward manner.
C. Strive for a complete answer: Do not leave anything to be inferred or concluded by the teacher. Also define your terms as you go to show that you know the full meaning of all the words that you are using. Show the complete process of your thinking.
D.Use facts and logic, not vague impressions or feelings: Social Studies teachers are not interested in your personal likes or dislikes, emotions, attitude or feelings (unless we are asking your opinion, and even then it must be backed up by facts). They are concerned with how well you understand the material.
E. Avoid unsupported opinions: An opinion that is not supported by some kind of logical or factual evidence is not worth anything at all. If a point is true or untrue it must be made on the basis of some convincing evidence or argument.
F. Write carefully to avoid errors: If you misspell common words, and make clumsy errors in sentence structure, your instructors may take it as a sure sign that you are lacking in basic academic ability.
G. Use Transitional Words: As you proceed to write the rest of your answer, help the instructor follow your answer by providing clues to your pattern
of organization. Transitional words should be used to connect your paragraphs and ideas within paragraphs.
Examples of transitional words:
For example, in other words, that is, because, consequently, for this reason, hence, since, thus, therefore, if, then, to amplify, show cause and effect, similarly, moreover, also, too, in addition, to illustrate, at the same time, likewise, similarly, first, finally, last, next, second, on the other hand, consequently, furthermore, in conclusion, for these reasons, in brief
H. Proofread Your Answer: Because an essay test is also a test of your writing ability, be sure to spend time at the end of the exam period to review and
proofread your answer. Look for careless mistakes, check for misspelled or illegible words, and make sure your subjects and verbs agree. The fewer
writing errors you make, the more your teacher can concentrate on the content of your answer.
6. Conclusion: In order, to successfully write you are concluding paragraphs re-read your introductory paragraph. Your conclusion should bring the reader back to original question and to your thesis. Your thesis should then be reintroduced, not repeated. Leave the reader with the impression that you proved something of general significance. Do not summarize every point you’ve made, be general and do NOT introduce new material.