EXAM PREPARATION TIPS (for all three exams)

Believe what James Loewen stated:  History is not a fixed story students have to swallow but a way of thinking they can apply to life.  College is not about being told what you should think and know.  It should be about learning better how to think and find things for yourself.  Therefore: 

My secondary concern is WHAT YOU KNOW:  The evidence of this is that a sheet of notes is allowed.

My primary concern is HOW YOU THINK:  Show me you can do this.  Here are the various levels of learning:

OVERVIEW: What you will find in front of you


THESIS STATEMENT: Greater vs. lesser truths

Every lecture has its own exam prompt that asks to 1) demonstrate your overall comprehension of the matter at hand and then 2) put forth a persuasive argument; i.e., show the various "sides of the elephant" and then go on to show which is closer to the truth versus truthiness.  Whereas there is not necessarily just one correct answer, there is however just one proper way to make your case and that is following the formula of the argumentative essay.

By definition, an argumentative essay must have an argument and not just a summary of points; you must stake out a position and argue it with evidence.  Most argumentative essays do not make the case between the truth on one side and the lie on the other; i.e, it's usually not a matter of black and white.  As is usually happens, there are various degrees of truth or shades of gray.  Thus the challenge is for you to make the case for what you consider to the greater truth vs. the lesser truth in your argumentative essay.    The introduction of your exam essay, therefore, needs to contain a clear thesis statement that lays out what you consider to be the greater truth on the matter at hand.   For more about how to write an effective essay, click on Argumentative essay


Tips for Writing a Good Essay Exam

BREATH.  Slowly read all of the essay question options.  Now determine which one you will answer and the central points you wish to make.

FORM.  Your essay should include three parts:  1) an introductory paragraph with a thesis statement, 2) several paragraph that comprise the body of your argument demonstrating your thesis, and 3) a conclusion restating your thesis.  Proper mechanics (e.g., spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc.) and style (avoid slang, first person, contractions, etc.) are important.  Following your outline, the essay should be logical, well organized and neatly written.

CONTENT.  Your answer must respond to the question asked and not the one you would like to have.  Thus your response should be as specific or general as the question seeks.  Refrain from straying away from the focus of the question.  If the question asks you to “compare” or explain the “development”, be sure that is what you do.

PLOW AHEAD.  Do not repeat yourself.  Each sentence should add new—relevant—material to advance your argument[s].  Do not just throw in everything remotely connected.  Again, think before your write:  does each sentence relate to one of your stated points?

LEAVES & BRANCHES.  Where necessary, refer to facts drawn from both lecture and reading.  Be specific.  If you are drawing from the text, say so.  But seek to demonstrate that you have also grasped the broad theme.  The mere relation of a series of facts—“leaves”—alone will not earn you a high grade if the reader does not see the larger issue--“branches”--being addressed. 

DEPTH OF INSIGHT EXPLAINED.  The exam in intended to allow you an opportunity to 1) demonstrate your understanding of the course material and 2) to demonstrate your ability of seeing both the big and small picture.

"SAND & MONKEY BARS."  One day I took my son to play in our neighborhood park.  While he was playing in the sand I was grading some exams struggling to find a way to explain to a student what the exam required in the way of a response.  The student had succeeded in regurgitating a list of facts but s/he had missed the bigger picture of what the question was asking.  
     My son was looking down playing in the sand as he poured sand from one bucket to another.  Above him other kids were swinging on monkey bars and he didn't seem to notice them.  That was it!  He didn't look up to see what was going on around him, and that is what happens with many essays.  The student gets so consumed with just pouring facts (sand) from one bucket into another that s/he doesn't look up to see the monkey bars.  
     The monkey bars are the larger issues raised by the study questions.  Look up to the top of the outlines and there you will find the study question in italics--the monkey bars!  
     Yes, facts are essential to your argument, but do not lose sight of the larger picture:  every fact should relate back to the larger picture.  Go for it!  Start swinging from one to the next and don't get too bogged down in the sand buckets.  Learn to look from the small to the bigger picture and back again.  That's the mark of a history thinking machine!

EDITORIAL.  Toward the end of your answer, you may wish to include your own observation[s].  This is acceptable, but be sure that your comments relate to the question and keep this brief.

REREAD.  If there is time, always reread and correct your answer.  Timed exams can often cause you to write sentences that are not clear.  

 

A

 

The ‘A’ Argumentative Essay

  • Excellence in thinking and performance. The A essay fulfills the assignment in a fresh, insightful, and mature manner, using purposeful language that leads to knowledge making. The prose is clear, readable, and sometimes memorable.
  • Presents an interesting and original thesis that goes beyond what was said in class and the relevance of the topic to the text as a whole is explicit.
  • Contains effective and thoughtful introductory and concluding paragraphs that raise important questions and issues, analyzes key questions and problems clearly and precisely, recognizes key questionable assumptions, clarifies key concepts effectively. The conclusion moves beyond a mere restatement of the introduction, offering implications for or the significance of the topic.
  • A level work is, on the whole, not only clear, precise, and well-reasoned, but insightful as well.
  • The reasoning in the essay is valid and demonstrates good, responsible judgment and an awareness of the topic’s complexities by identifying relevant competing points of view.
  • Written in a tone and style that are entirely appropriate for a college-level audience that is not specifically acquainted the subject; explains and defines key concepts.
  • Articulates ideas in a smooth and cohesive manner with effective transitions between sentences, ideas, and paragraphs; paragraphs are controlled by (explicit or implicit) topic sentences; they are well developed; and they progress logically from what precedes them; maintains focus and coherency, and do not contain repetition and digression.
  • Few or no mechanical mistakes; clear, unambiguous sentences, perhaps with a touch of elegance; maintains basic sentence-level correctness.
  • Excellent use of points from the assigned reading that reveals detailed understanding, and correctly incorporates and cites sources by referring to them.
  • A lively and intelligent voice seems to speak; it has something interesting to say, says it clearly and gracefully to an appropriate audience, and supports it fully. The A-level student has internalized the basic intellectual standards appropriate to the assessment of his/her own work in a subject and demonstrates insight into self-evaluation.