How to answer the Regents US History short essays
Two short essays, each on a pair of documents and each scored on a 5-point rubric. Both start with the historical context; Set 1 then asks how the documents relate, and Set 2 asks how one document's audience, purpose, bias or point of view affects its reliability.
| Set 1 | Context, then cause and effect, similarity or difference, or turning point |
|---|---|
| Set 2 | Context, then the reliability of one named document |
| Scoring | 5-point rubric each, 10 credits |
| Here | Practiced in parts, each read by Mia |
Historical context
- Name the development both documents come from, with its time and place.
- Say what was happening that led to the documents, using what you know as well as what the documents say.
Set 1 and Set 2
- Set 1: name the relationship the question asks for and explain it with details from both documents.
- Set 2: choose one of audience, purpose, bias or point of view, show it in the named document, and say how it affects the document's use as evidence.
Next step
Questions people ask
How long is a short essay?
Two or three paragraphs that address the task; introductions and conclusions are not what the rubric measures.
Is a biased document useless?
No. Bias affects how the evidence can be used, not whether it has value; say how it affects the document's reliability for the subject.