"Cold War No. 2", Regents US History Short Essays

"Cold War No. 2" Regents US History Short Essays This resource helps students develop historical analysis skills for the updated New York State Regents exam in US History and Government. The short essay tasks promote critical thinking by having students analyze primary source documents in context and assess reliability. The product contains two sets of stimulus-based short essay questions modeled after the new exam format introduced in 2019. Each set features two primary source documents and accompanying prompts. Set 1 prompts students to describe the historical context around both documents and explain the relationship between events or ideas found within them. Set 2 also asks students to analyze context, but has them focus on how factors like audience, purpose, bias, or point of view affect one document's usefulness as evidence. With a set requiring comparison and another asking for critical source analysis, "Cold War No. 2" prepares students for the range of skills needed to excel on the short essay section. Using authentic primary sources ensures an enriched, real-world experience examining history. Monthly practice with teacher feedback is an effective strategy for refining skills. The well-organized PDF structures sets like real Regents exams, with a cover sheet, documents, and rubrics. The standards-based tasks make "Cold War No. 2" a versatile resource for meeting curriculum goals in high school history or writing classes.