Andrew Bates - University Interscholastic League

Andrew Bates

Social Studies Director

@mracademics

Here we go...-Session 403 Rm 105 -SS Advanced Topic Analysis

5:45-7PM(Tomorrow: Essays for SS/CE same room @ 1:15)Online Roster www.uiltexas.org/academics/capital-conference/onlineWhat is in the session - Dive into the Topic & My Brain (enter at your own risk)

-Essay areas-Section I

terms, types of questions-Section II

areas, types of questions-Section III

types of questions, focuses, resources-Strategies and Resources -some overlap w/ Basic -more question based

Questions answeredDoor prizes

Section where I bore people...

HS Principal of Sabine Pass - UIL Coordinator for over a decade now - Coached State Competitors in Debate, Speech, OAP, Current Events, and Social Studies -Won 3 state titles in CE, 7 in SS, including the last 6 and As Academic Coordinator won the last 5 overall academic state championships

Larry really created a lot of what we know to be the SS contest as it stands today - I think it is great - and hope to carry that on - that said I am a different person and so the contest will continue to develop-Follow along - take notes-Ask questions I hate boring people (ironic?) and so I tend to assume comprehension- I will repeat-Hope to have postedor just tweet at me @mracademics or email [email protected] many experienced? How many newbies?

To Boldly Go Where No Topic Has Gone Before?

-Domestic/Foreign

-Think outside the box, but the box is good too

-Need Primary Reading Selections (multiple options)

-Holla at ya boy and whatnot - discuss, develop, (Glasnost)

How tall was Stalin?

The Shadow of the Red Bear = Former Soviet Union: History(amazingly unique structure) and present

-Not just Russia...but a lot of Russia

-Back in the USSR (keep it there)

What is the topic...Really?

-Balance of difficulty is...difficult

-Expansive and Novel

-All tests will be similar rigor in objective for practice and honing

-Essays will become progressively more challenging (narrow or comprehensive)

-Still growing/lensing/What I’m looking at - Final terms et al by August 1

What is the topic...Really?

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People (Book or Terms) -Sooooo many to choose from

Big 5: Lenin, Stalin, Khrushchev, Brezhnev, Gorbachev

But also Yeltsin, Putin, Yakolev, Trotsky, Bukharin

Major Events or Processes (Terms w/ some overlap in

2-3)

NEP (New Economic Policy), Collectivization, WWII

Red Terror, Secret Speech, Stalinization, Russification

Glasnost/Perestroika, Great Purge

� Possible Essay Question Areas!

http://www.uiltexas.org/files/academics/Social_Studies_reading_list_18_with_Terms.pdf

People/Terms

THEMESReturn of History - specific events and how they exemplified this, MemorialTotalitarianism - Youth, Education structures, Press/Publishing control and process/impact of openessEVENTSChernobyl, August Coup

Book Topics

CountriesMovements (Independence(e.g. Solidarity), Wars),

People, Religion

Cause and Effect, Compare and contrast

General Guidelines for Essay QuestionsObjective is to encourage thinking and analysis

Specific focus in most questions

Abundant information available for response

More Essay, please

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Look for Section Overlap

If it’s in on the List and in the Book and in Supplemental Readings...all the more reason to focus

3-2-1 Approach

Finite (kind of) to Infinite (Seemingly)

-Section 3 is by no means simple, but is more limited than the rest and can be more difficult/dense so give it time to grow-Knowing Section 3 makes the Book much easier to understand and retain-Studying the Book covers a huge portion of Section 1-Section 1 will be easier and more effectively studied after the others-The Math Don’t Lie

TERMS- 100 BOOK - 75 DOCS -50225 TOTAL

Terms Book Section III

Set A 20 15 10

Set B 20 15 10

District 20 15 10

Region 20 15 10

State 20 15 10

Section One Questions (or How do you say/spell his..her..it?)

-Watch to learn names/terms, but don’t sweat-Spelling is tricky-In the past I have hit this last-Especially when Section III and Book Section overlap-Cards early, but practice late

Section One Questions

Terms: 60+ people/150-200 Terms -Several may be used in combination-People, Events, are best chances for repeats-Randomizer with weight for people with a few tweaks

Section One Breakdown (don’t waste your time)

Section One test questions will be distributed by category as well, in other words, while there will likely be questions about battles on every test, there will still only be a limited number of questions about battles on each test. While there is no magic number here approximately 7 per test.

That leaves about 10-15 for other topics1-2 places and geo. terms3-7 termsand most likely 5-10 people-Alternate Names/Nicknames, Firsts, Lasts, Cause/Effect Old Man of Europe, Tanks/Barrels, Cambrai (tanks)

Section One Questions

■ Term related questions■ People (Nationality, Background,

Positions, Unique qualities, Controversies, Accomplishments, DEATHS

■ Chronology Questions (got away from them)

■ Events (Where, When, Who)■ Firsts, Lasts, Unique

Section Two Questions

-Chronology (tricky due to mixed narratives)-People

-Biographical Info. (Ethnicity/Region)-Positions, Beliefs-Relations-Punishments/Rehabilitation

-Quotes (Love them) - Not just who, but what are they referring to-Events

-Who, What, When, Where -Cause and Effects

Section Three Questions

15 Former RepublicsArmenia • Azerbaijan • Belarus • Estonia • Georgia • Kazakhstan • Kyrgyzstan • Latvia • Lithuania • Moldova • Russia • Tajikistan • Turkmenistan • Ukraine • Uzbekistan

Section Three Questions

Questions related Country Profiles■BBC- full (media least important)(http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/country_profiles/default.stm)

■CIA World Factbook (Intro/Geo/People/Gov/Eco)(https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/xx.html)

■Infoplease (Country Profiles -History)(https://www.infoplease.com/country/russia)

Question areas

■ matching individuals and country, position, philosophy, accomplishments

■ Issues related to specific Events

■ Specific accomplishments (firsts)

Question areas

■ Timeline kinds of questions

■ the order in which major events transpire

■ Emergence of political principles

Question areas

■ Cause/Effects

■ Evolution of involvement-key political events

■ Exceptional situations

Websites-Not the be all end all-Research-Send me more-Not just memorizing-https://www.britannica.com https://www.infoplease.com/ -https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/profileguide.html http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/country_profiles/default.stm -http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-17858981 -http://soviethistory.msu.edu/ -http://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/fall-of-soviet-union-THE DREADED WIKIPEDIA

� Official UIL – District, regional and state� UIL – Invitational tournaments� Informal competition� Internet competition

� Review tests from previous competition� Network with other coaches� ask questions

� Regular practice sessions� Develop and use flash cards� Student question writing assignments� Regular reading assignments� Practice tournaments� Stress team aspect of the contest� Student activity conferences� Subscribe to practice materials

AdditionalHelpful Material

Helpful Material

Preparation➢ Select a team – yes there is individual competition but

teamwork is helpful

➢ Begin as soon as possible – teams that compete in May begin work in August

➢ Establish reading deadlines – do not try to read the whole book in a week; especially the week before your first contestSubscribe to a provider of practice material

➢ Subscribe to a provider of practice material – multiple companies listed on the UIL website offer great material

➢ Practice regularly – the football team does it; so why not the Social Studies team

➢ Prepare team questions – a great way to gain new insight

➢ Question writing assignments – see above and add some focus

➢ Flashcards – one of the best ways to prepare

➢ Practice test-taking skills – regardless of the test; skills remain the same