History 3320Spring 2012

Storrs

Preparing for the mid-term exam on Th March 1: Bring pen/pencils; I will provide blue books. One part of the mid-term will consist of short-answer questions, asking you to match or identify important terms from lectures and readings, or to answer multiple-choice questions, or to write brief answers to basic questions about the readings. This part will count for about 50% of the exam. The other part of the exam, worth about 50%, will ask you to write a thoughtful, wellorganized short essay that pulls together ideas and supporting evidence from both lectures and readings. You will write your essay on ONE of the following questions. You will have a choice between two questions. You will not be able to bring notes or outlines in with you; this is a CLOSED BOOK exam. Having the questions in advance should help you write a better essay, by giving you a chance to identify and review the pertinent readings, and to think about how you would approach each question. Good exam essays, like good papers, require you to have a clear thesis statement, and to support it with specific examples from lectures and assigned readings (do not use outside readings). Be careful not to bog down in abstract statements or general opinions drawn from current events--this is a history exam. 1.Why have women wage-earners historically earned less than men, even when both were full-time, year-round workers? Analyze this complicated problem using historical evidence on various groups of women for the period up until about 1930. 2.What was the Victorian "cult of true womanhood," and, briefly, WHEN AND WHY did it emerge? How and to what extent do you believe this ideology affected various groups of women? Pick three of the following: prosperous whites, Native Americans, African Americans (before and after slavery), and immigrants (if you choose immigrants, be specific about which groups of immigrants you're discussing). 3.Compare and contrast the public activism of African-American and white women in the period from the abolition movement to about 1920. Things to consider include their goals, methods, alliances, achievements, and limitations. Answer using specific examples from different periods. Suggestions for studying: Look over the syllabus and remind yourself of what we have covered. Gather all books, handouts, and lecture notes. You may study in groups, but your work on the final exam must be your own. Review readings and lecture notes, with special attention to terms I wrote on the board or put on handouts. Don't try to memorize every detail. Instead, ask yourself, what

were the main points of each lecture, and what examples best illustrate those points? What was the main significance of each term? Were the main issues raised in each readings? As you review, jot down ideas and examples for the possible essay questions. Make a "timeline" of major events/examples for each topic, and think about what conclusions you draw about the topic from that evidence. Make sure to demonstrate your familiarity with pertinent examples from lectures AND readings. Suggestions for test-taking: get enough sleep and eat a good meal arrive early read instructions and budget your time carefully on multiple-choice, read every choice carefully and leave no blanks on identifications, make sure to include the significance of the term on essays, make sure to have a clear and specific thesis statement on essays, keep the "b.s." to a minimum! think hard and be specific; you can use lecture terms as building blocks use the entire exam time; recheck your answers DO NOT CHEAT! its wrong and unfair to your classmates, and penalties are severe