Midterm and Final Exam Rundown

Both the midterm and final exams in my classes will be short answer essays. I have broken down the requirements and expectations for each. Keep in mind that these two assignments make up 40% of your grade. As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask for help or guidance.

​Midterm Rundown

• Worth 200 points (20% of your final grade)
• Administered Week 8 (or 4)
• Eight questions will be asked; you will be responsible for answering 4 of your choosing.
• Responses will be 1-2 paragraphs long.

Final Exam Rundown

•  Worth 200 pts (20% of your final grade)
• Administered Week 16 (or 8)
• Four questions will be asked; you will be responsible for answering 2 of your choosing.
• Responses will be 4-5 paragraphs long.

​Scholarly Advice 
1. Understand the assignment. Make sure you read the assignment carefully and limit yourself to the topic provided by your professor. Believe it or not, failure to write about the issue that has been assigned is one of the most common snags with short history essays!

2. Consider the significance of the material. It is not enough to summarize the content of the documents or books you have read. Your essay must consider the relevance of the issue you are examining. It would be best if you also thought about your sources' historical context, using it to explore the broader historical issues underlying the assignment.

3. Construct an argument in support of a thesis. Like any history paper, a short essay must have a thesis supported by the evidence presented in the body of the article. Your thesis reflects what you have concluded about the issue after careful reflection on the assignment and any reading you have done for it. After stating it clearly in the introductory paragraph, you must support your thesis with evidence taken from the texts under examination in the body of your essay.

4. Don't just answer "What"; answer "Why."

ESSAY RUBRIC