History 342                                                                             Professor Wertheimer

Midterm one prep

 

Our first midterm exam will be on Thursday, February 19.  The exam will cover all material assigned up to February 17.  The midterm will be divided into two parts: short answer and long essays. 

 

Short answers: 4 terms, 10 points each.

The short answers will be terms that you can use to illustrate some broader point made in class.  They will be drawn from lecture or the readings.  To fully discuss the term, give a clear identification of the term (who, what, when, where), and discuss its significance to the broader themes of the class.  For clues on significance, think about what broader theme was illustrated by that term, or what changed in history as a result of the term.  A complete answer will run about a paragraph.  

 

Long Essay: 1 essay (choose from 2) 60 points.

The long essay will ask you either to compare and contrast historical developments we have looked at, or to pick one theme and discuss change over time.  Your long essay should have a clear thesis statement that tells what you will argue.  You should answer the question completely and clearly, explaining how each point you argue advances your thesis.  A good long essay will demonstrate that you have attended and understood lecture, though it will probably use the textbook for supplementary material.  For full credit on the long essays, it is crucial that you bring in documentary evidence from Tierney and the reader.  This will usually made the difference between an A and a B, or a B and a C.

 

Study Strategies: 

Being by reviewing the broad points we have looked at thus far.  Next, go over your lecture notes.  Notice that each lecture is presented as an argument.  Think about how the points made in a given lecture advance its argument.  Look for connections across lectures as you think about long essays.  Go through your lecture notes, marking terms that you think might appear as short answer terms.  Don’t limit yourself to terms on the lecture outlines:  any point on which you could write a paragraph and that you could relate to a broader theme is fair game.  Think about how the terms are evidence for an argument or analysis.  This prepares you to use them as evidence on the long essay if the terms you choose do not appear as short answers.  Concentrate on lecture and the primary sources, but you will also find the textbook useful for chronology or details that you missed in lecture.  Be certain that when you study for the long essays, you think about how different themes, terms, and points are interrelated.

 

Exam Strategies: 

When you get the exam, read over the entire exam and the instructions before you begin.  Since you will have a choice of questions to answer, think carefully about all your choices before you begin writing.  Remember that the point of the exam is to demonstrate your grasp of the material we have studied in this class, rather than another history class, literature class, etc.  Outline your essay briefly before you begin to write it.  Be sure to support your essay with primary evidence from the reader.  Budget your time carefully, bearing in mind that the essay is worth 60 points and the short answers are 10 points each.

 

Come to the exam with a large blue book, and use only a blue or black pen.  Exams that use other materials will not be graded.

 

You must take the midterm at the time scheduled unless an emergency or unavoidable conflict prevents you from doing so.  If you cannot take the exam, you must contact me within 24 hours, and be prepared to document the emergency.  I will not offer make-ups to students who do not follow these instructions.