Readings covering:
American Yawp, Chapters 15-23
This is a take-home examination, covering all the material we have read, watched, or discussed in class since the beginning of the semester. It consists of two
(2) essay questions.
Your exam must be turned in via Canvas on MONDAY, March 22nd by 11:59pm (ONLINE).
For the exam, students must turn in organized, polished work of not more than five (5) pages. Students are expected to refer to the literature that we have read for the exam; references to additional (outside) sources are welcome, but not required. All direct references to the literature must be properly cited (in MLA format). These essays must reflect an understanding of the literature and a presence at the lectures.
Your entire exam (responses to 2 essay questions) should not exceed five (5) double-spaced pages in length, not including a Works Cited page.
For the exam, students must turn in organized, polished work of not more than five (5) pages. Students are expected to refer to the textbook and other sources that we have read for the exam; references to additional (outside) sources are welcome, but not required. BOTH ESSAYS MUST INCLUDE CITATIONS. All references to the literature must be properly cited (in whatever citation form students prefer). Your responses must reflect an understanding of the readings from the textbook and a presence at the lectures. Your responses must be based on the relevant readings, lectures, films, class discussions, and hand-outs.
The goal is to demonstrate that you have read the assigned material and understand key concepts. Remember to use specific evidence and/or examples to support your arguments. You should cite your sources and include a Works Cited page in MLA or Chicago format. (Opinions without evidence, however interesting, are not sufficient.)
Please DO NOT use materials from the Internet without clear identification of the source. DO NOT cite texts without using inverted commas and appropriate attribution. Copying of texts from the Internet is considered plagiarism.
Be sure to have a clear argument that you defend with relevant evidence. Please underline your THESIS. Organize your paper with a logical structure and use clear topic sentences and transitions to help your reader understand the logic of your organization. Edit your essays thoroughly to avoid errors and to improve readability. Give each of your essays a title that reflects your argument.
Grading criteria:
Argument: 25% Does your paper have a clear, singular, specific argument that answers the question?
Evidence: 25% Do you use all of the relevant evidence to defend your argument?
Organization: 25% Does your paper have a logical structure and use clear topic sentences and transitions?
Clarity: 25% Is your prose efficient, crisp and polished, free of excessive passive voice or distracting spelling or grammatical errors?
Each essay is worth up to 50 points.
Formatting for each essay:
12-pt., Times New Roman font, double-spaced
1” margins
1000-1200 words (3-4 full, double-spaced pages)
Both Part 1 and Part 2 need to be included in a single document (Word, Pdf, Txt, etc).
Remember to make use of the literature you have read up to now, the course lectures and sections, and any other works of scholarship you may be familiar with. In citing secondary or primary sources, remember to provide clear references (author, title, publisher, date of publication, and page number).
Please DO NOT use materials from the Internet without clear identification of the source. DO NOT cite texts without using in-text citations and include them on a Works Cited page. Copying of texts from the Internet is considered plagiarism.
Essay Questions:
Using material from class (lectures, readings, etc), critically answer two (2) of the following essay questions. Each essay should respond to one question. One essay should respond to a question in Part 1, and one essay should respond to a question in Part 2.
You must address completely all aspects of the question asked. Each essay is worth a total of fifty (50) points. Your response must be based on the relevant readings, lectures, films, class discussions, and hand-outs. The goal is to demonstrate that you have read the assigned material and understand key concepts. Remember to use specific evidence and/or examples to support your arguments. (Opinions without evidence, however interesting, are not sufficient.)
Part 1:
How did the south attempt to redefine the meaning of the Civil War after Reconstruction? Was it successful? Why or why not?
How did the Industrial Revolution contribute to inequality? Use specific examples from course material.
How did the railroad transform the United States and “make” the American West? Be sure to consider how it transformed the lives of Native Americans as well as Americans moving westward.
What were some of the justifications for expansion? What were the arguments against? Be sure that you can discuss and analyze the debates over American imperialism within the United States.
What issues existed concerning immigration in the US in the late-19thand early-20th centuries? Be sure to consider the factors behind immigration, questions of assimilation, and political responses in your answer.
Part 2:
Compare and contrast Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Dubois in terms of their approaches to Civil Rights.
In what ways did women participate in politics in the Progressive Era? How did this ultimately lead to women’s suffrage and the Nineteenth Amendment? Use specific examples from course material.
In what ways did World War I pose a challenge to American civil liberties? Use specific examples from course material.
What factors led to the success of the Harlem Renaissance?
In what ways was the 1920s an “Age of Contradictions” in the United States? Use specific examples from course material.
use the text book for your primary. and use an outside source for the other one.
