Learning to evaluate continuity and change over time helps students understand historical processes and their evolution. Students are asked to describe patterns of continuity and change by:
- Periodizing and explaining.
- Explaining the relative historical significance of specific developments in relation to larger patterns.
- Comparing the past and the present to determine what changed and what remained stable.
- Evaluating the degree of change (global, interregional, regional, or local).
- Assessing different paces of change (slow, rapid) and determining the direction or impact of change (positive or negative.
Continuity and change analysis involve comparison but differs from the typical historical comparison students may know. While historical comparison examines similarities and differences between two things, CCOT (continuity and change over time) looks at how things stayed the same or changed over time. Comparison is often a component of CCOT analysis. Additionally, understanding how and when a change occurred involves understanding the causes and consequences of those changes.
Learn more on the Contextualization and Change Over Time topic page.