A Learning Object designed to assist students and to complement classroom teaching and learning in Stage 4 History.

1. 
EssayWriting
How to write an Historical Essay

2. 
PURPOSE
How to write an Historical Essay

3. 
PURPOSE
How to write an Historical Essay
Purpose: Who you are
writing your essay for and
why is very important.

4. 
PURPOSE
How to write an Historical Essay
Considering purpose will help
you to determine the overall
style of your essay, its tone and
language use and its final
format.

5. 
PURPOSE
How to write an Historical Essay
Historical Essay: You must use
Technical Language and Historical
Terms specific to your study
throughout your essay.

6. HistoricalTerms andTechnical
Language
How to write an Historical Essay
Chronology uses historical terms to describe
time, periodisation and dating systems.
Chronology sequences events in time. Through
Chronology students can make links between
events and understand and apply concepts such
as continuity and change or cause and effect.

7. HistoricalTerms andTechnical
Language
How to write an Historical Essay
History has a vocabulary for naming objects from the
past (eg artefact, monument), for describing time and
historical periods (eg decade, century, Medieval,
Renaissance), for terms associated with historical
processes (eg oral history, source analysis,
archaeology) and for historical concepts, such as
colonialism, imperialism, invasion, and revolution.

8. HistoricalTerms andTechnical Language
 1. What is the time period you are studying?
 2. Brainstorm a list of Historical concepts and Specialised
Terminology/Language that could be used in your essay to show
our teacher how much you know and understand.
 3. What Historical Terms/Skills have you used to gather and
collate information that could be referred to in your essay?

9. 
ASSESSMENT
How to write an Historical Essay

10. 
Assessment
What is your teacher looking for?
Knowledge
Skills
Understanding
Your Teacher has asked you to write this essay so that they
can assess your:

11. 
Common DirectionalTerms
What is your teacher looking for?
• explain the causes of something or some event
• “Account for the large-scale immigration to Australia after 1945.”Account for
• divide the topic into parts and describe and evaluate each part.
• “Analyse the changes in Australia’s attitude towards China during the 1970’s”Analyse
• decide how important something is and give your reasons.
• “Assess the role of the electronic media in changes to Australia society since 1950.”Assess
• describe the similarities between two or more things.
• “Compare the crisis of the Weimar Republic in the 1920’s with that of Russia today.”Compare
• describe the differences between two of or things.
• “Contrast cellulose and lignin decomposition in soil.”Contrast
• give the exact meaning of the word, phrase or idea.
• “Define the Australian culture.”Define
• give a detailed account.
• “Describe the process of independence in East Timor.”Describe

12. 
Common DirectionalTerms
What is your teacher looking for?
•give all sides of an argument and then give your own opinion.
•“Our ability to reach the stars is limited only by our imagination.”Discuss
•explain how important something is.
•“Evaluate the contribution of cars to the depletion of the ozone layer.”Evaluate
•the facts or circumstances that contribute to a result.
•“What factors have led to the current growth in the Australian economy?”Factors
•point out and describe, name.
•“Identify the rules associated with playing Aussie Rules Football.”Identify
•make a list
•“List the major component parts on the internal combustion engine.”List
•give the main features and ideas of a subject. Do not go into details.
•“Outline the developments in IVF technology in the last 10 years.”Outline
•the consequence and importance of something.
•“What is the significance of passion in George Orwell’s novels?”Significance
•explain in what ways something is true and in what ways it isn’t.
•“To what extent does Lady Macbeth influence her husband?”To what extent

13. 
Assessment Criteria
Understanding the Assessment Criteria
It is really important that you read
the assessment criteria. If you
understand how the essay will be
marked, you will be able to write
an essay that meets this criteria
and achieve the highest mark!

14. Knowing what your teacher is looking for
 1. Read your Question. Highlight the main points and the
‘process’ words.
 2. Read your Assessment Criteria
 3. After reading your Assessment Criteria, highlight the main
things you need to cover (you may even like to highlight the
‘process’ terms in another colour so that they stand out.

15. 
ANALYSINGTHE QUESTION
How to write an Historical Essay

16. 
ANALYSINGTHE QUESTION
What is your teacher looking for?
Knowledge
Skills
Understanding
Your Teacher has asked you to write this essay so that they
can assess your:

17. 
STRUCTURE
How to write an Historical Essay

18. 
How to write an Essay
Basic Structure of an Essay
Introduction Define any key terms.
Respond to your
guiding question and
state how to propose
to answer the
question/statement.
Your Introduction is
the most important
part of you essay.
Main Body These are your main
points/arguments.
Ensure that you have a
topic sentence and a
closing statement for
each
paragraph/argument.
Include supporting
evidence and examples
wherever possible.
Conclusion
This is a summary of
what you have
argued/discovered.
Refer back to your
guiding question and
ensure that you have
answered it.
This is the last thing
your audience is read,
make sure its succinct
and worth
remembering.

19. 
INTRODUCTION
How to write an Introduction

20. Introduction
Make your Position clear
‘Preview’ your Arguments
Write Succinctly

21. 
MAIN BODY
How to write your Main Body

22. Topic Sentences
Supporting Evidence/Quotes
Closing Statement
Paragraphs/Arguments

23. A Topic Sentence introduces
the paragraph and the point
you are about to make.
Topic Sentences

24. Personal Experience/Observation,
Expert Opinion, Quotes, Statistics,
Graphical Data, Refer to
Documents, Anecdotes.
Types of Evidence

25. Evidence Must be: Accurate,
Supportive/not contradictory,
Relevant, Specific, Detailed, Precise,
Interesting, Clear and easily
Understood, Cited and Referenced.
Using Evidence

26. Always lead into your quotation
correctly and explain/interpret
your quotation. You need to show
the reader why it is important.
Using Quotes

27. When you paraphrase you take on somebody
else’s words and put them in your own.
Example: On writing an essay, Merritt, 2013
says its also important to cite sources when
paraphrasing from them.
Paraphrasing

28. Transitions combine ideas
throughout your essay and link
sentences and supporting
evidence within paragraphs.
Transitions

29. Transitions that show …
Agreement / Addition / Similarity
The transition words like also, in addition, and, likewise, add
information, reinforce ideas, and express agreement with
preceding material.
in the first place, not only ... but also, as a matter of fact, in like
manner, in addition, coupled with, in the same fashion / way,
first, second, third, in the light of, not to mention, to say nothing
of, equally important, by the same token, Again, to, And, also,
Then, Equally, identically, uniquely, like, as, too, moreover, as
well as, together with, of course, likewise, comparatively,
correspondingly, similarly, furthermore, additionally

30. Transitions that show …
Opposition / Limitation / Contradiction
Transition phrases like but, rather and or, express that there is
evidence to the contrary or point out alternatives, and thus
introduce a change the line of reasoning (contrast).
Although this may be true, in contrast, different from, of, course
..., but, on the other hand, on the contrary, at the same time, in
spite of, even so / though, be that as it may, then again, above
all, in reality, after all, but, (and) still, unlike, or, (and) yet, while,
albeit, besides, although, instead, whereas, despite, conversely,
otherwise, however, rather, nevertheless, regardless,
notwithstanding

31. Transitions that show …
Cause / Condition / Purpose
These transitional phrases present specific conditions or
intentions.
In the event that, granted (that), as / so long as, on (the)
condition (that), for the purpose of, with this intention, with this
in mind, in the hope that, to the end that, for fear that, in order
to, seeing / being that, in view of, if ..., then, unless, when,
whenever, since, while, because of, as, since, while, lest, in case,
provided that, given that, only / even if, so that, so as to, owing
to, inasmuch as, due to

32. Transitions that show …
Examples / Support / Emphasis
These transitional devices (like especially) are used to introduce
examples as support, to indicate importance or as an illustration
so that an idea is cued to the reader.
in other words, to put it differently, for one thing, as an illustration,
in this case, for this reason, to put it another way, that is to say,
with, attention to, by all means, important to realize, another key
point, first thing to remember, most compelling, evidence, must be
remembered, point often overlooked, to point out, on the positive
/ negative side, with this in mind, Notably, Including, Like, to be
sure, Namely, Indeed, Certainly, Markedly, Specifically, Expressively,
Surprisingly, Frequently, Significantly, in fact, in general, in
particular, for example, for instance, to demonstrate, to emphasize,
to repeat, to clarify, to explain, to enumerate, such as

33. Transitions that show …
Effect / Consequence / Result
Some of these transition words (thus, then, accordingly,
consequently, therefore, henceforth) are time words that are
used to show that after a particular time there was a
consequence or an effect.
Note that for and because are placed before the cause/reason.
The other devices are placed before the consequences or effects.
as a result, under those circumstances, in that case, for this
reason
For, thus, because the, then, hence, consequently, therefore,
thereupon, forthwith, accordingly, henceforth

34. A Closing statement is the sentence at
the end of each paragraph the sums
up the message/main idea of that
paragraph. This usually links back to
your guiding question.
Closing Statements

35. 
CONCLUSION
How to write your Conclusion

36. Sum up your main points
Restate your position
Conclusion

37. Transitions that show …
Conclusion / Summary / Restatement
These transition words and phrases conclude, summarize and /
or restate ideas, or indicate a final general statement. Also some
words (like therefore) from the Effect / Consequence category
can be used to summarize.
As can be seen, generally speaking, in the final analysis, all
things considered, as shown above, in the long run, given these
points, as has been noted, in a word, for the most part, after all,
in fact
In summary, in conclusion, in short, in brief, in essence, to
summarize, on balance, altogether, overall, ordinarily, usually,
by and large, to sum up, on the whole, in any event, in either
case, all in all

38. 
REFERENCE LIST
How to write your Reference List

39. A book with one author: Reynolds, H 2000, Black pioneer, Penguin, Victoria.
A book with two or more authors: Stanley, R, Reynolds, S, Joyce D & Holloway, R 2002, Discovering Chemistry 2, Enterprise Press,
South Australia.
World Wide Web, author identified: Kotow, J 2001, ‘New Aussie Kid on the Murray’, The Australian, 23 February 2002, viewed on
The Australian website, Saving the Murray River, <the
Australian.news.com.au/common/story/_page/0,5744,1956890%255E12812,00.html>.
World Wide Web, no author identified: ‘Graffiti’, Behind the News 2002, viewed 5 September 2002,
http://www.abc.net.au./btn/special/place/script.htm#one>.
Film: Now voyager 1942, motion picture, Warner, New York, Directed by Irving Rapper.
Reference List: examples