How to write a Classical Studies essay

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How to write a Classical Studies essay
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STEP 1

• DO NOT PANIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BE CALM
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STEP 2

• Read the questions carefully
• Consider each question
• Can you answer it?
• Do you have enough to talk about?
• Can you think of any primary sources to use?
• Which one do you feel most confident about?

In your exam you are given 3 questions to pick
from
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STEP 3

• Highlight the key words in the question
• Break down the question and BRAINSTORM out each
  section
• The marker is looking to see your planning it
  shows thought and will help your ideas flow

Stay very calm
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• Roman prayer contained a number of elements
  considered essential for the gods to take notice
  and the request to be granted.
• Discuss
• the elements of prayer that ensured that the
  correct god or goddess was prayed to and why this
  was so important three further elements of
  prayer that were considered essential and why
  these were so important.
• What do such procedures tell us about how the
  Romans viewed their relationship with the gods?

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STEP 4

• Write your introduction its easy because you
  have a brainstorm
• Re-write the first part of the question into your
  introduction AND answer all parts of the question
  briefly Do not add primary sources yet and

Stay very calm
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An introduction
Prayer was an extremely important aspect of Roman
religion, which impacted everyday life in Roman
society. The people would pray to the gods to
gain their favour or information. If the request
made in the prayer was not granted it was the
fault of the human due to incorrect worship. Thus
measures were taken to ensure the prayer was said
correctly, and to the right god. From prayer we
see how the Romans very much saw the gods with
human emotion, instincts and tendencies, rather
than them being like the benevolent and loving
Christian god as many accept today. The
relationship was mainly one where both groups
were in it for what they could get out of it,
very much like a religious contract.
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STEP 5

• Write your paragraphs its easy because you have
  a brainstorm
• P Point State your first bit of classical
  information that answers question
• E Example give an example/s (specific info
  and/or primary source (for a primary source make
  sure to outline what source is about and who said
  it))
• E Explain what the example means
  historically/classically/religiously
• L/R Link/Relevance link back to question,
  ensure answer is relevant to the question

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• Sometimes you need to have an extended PEE (L)
  (cough)
• If you have more than one example to explore
  within the paragraph then use the following
  structure
• P Point
• E Example A
• E Explain A
• E Example B
• E Explain B
• L/R Link/Relevance

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A paragraph
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STEP 6

• Write your conclusion its easy because you have
  a brainstorm and have written a whole essay
  already
• Your conclusion is NOT like an English essay
  conclusion
• You MUST answer the LAST PART of the QUESTION

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STEP 6

• Use the last part of the essay question to write
  your conclusion
• eg.

What do such procedures tell us about how the
Romans viewed their relationship with the gods?
Take the ideas and evidence from the rest of your
essay and based on that DRAW CONCLUSIONS to
answer the last part of the question
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BE THIS PERSON!
Do not leave an exam early EVER! Check your
answers. Proof-read. Have a go!