Midterm and final exams have much the same structure, the main difference being the midterm lasts just one class period while the final lasts two hours.
Let me emphasize in general the importance of the two words "identify" and "significance" in the examples that follow (I've highlighted them on this page). Identification should be the easy and elementary part of your answer. After all, you might very well have key names, places, and dates inscribed in an earlier part of your journal. The really interesting part, and your chance to compose brief but significant historical narrative, is the question of significance. Why should we bother to know anything about the item under consideration? How does it fit into the larger scheme of Russian history? What is the importance, what is novel, what followed, etc.? "Identify" calls on good memory and good notes; "significance" calls on your good thinking and wisdom.
MIDTERM EXAM
HIST ???: Midterm Exam, ??date
I. INSTRUCTIONS: READ THE WHOLE EXAM BEFORE YOU START WRITING (5 minutes). Write your exam in your journal. Indicate its pages in your table of contents. As a general rule, you show your accomplishments best by avoiding duplication in topics and items you select to write about. It is also best to avoid duplicating materials covered in the draft essay already in the journal. REMEMBER: the purpose of this exam is to allow you to show what you have learned, not to discover what you have not learned. So show-off a bit!
II. Argue the strengths and weaknesses of TWO of the following contentions (20 minutes per contention, 40 minutes in all). Notice that the questions are broad in order to give you the chance to select specific examples from lectures and your own reading. Think through how you would express the strongest arguments pro and con, then use examples to illustrate your contentions. REMEMBER, AVOID DUPLICATION OF MATERIAL IN PART III, SHORT ANSWERS BELOW & IN JOURNAL DRAFT ESSAY:
A. Example 1
B. Example 2
C. Example 3
III. Identify and give the significance of 3 of the following items (4 minutes per item [from one half to one full journal page per answer]; 12 minutes in all). REMEMBER, DO NOT DUPLICATE MATERIAL IN PART II ABOVE or IN JOURNAL DRAFT ESSAY.
1. [example]
2. [example]
3. [etc.....]
FINAL EXAM
HIST ???: Final Examination, ??date
I. INSTRUCTIONS: READ THE WHOLE EXAM BEFORE YOU START WRITING (5 minutes). Write your exam in your journal. Indicate its pages in your table of contents. As a general rule, you show your accomplishments best by avoiding duplication in topics and items you select to write about. It is also best to avoid duplicating materials covered in the draft essay already in the journal. REMEMBER: the purpose of this exam is to allow you to show what you have learned, not to discover what you have not learned. So show-off a bit!
II. Argue the strengths and weaknesses of THREE of the following contentions (20 minutes per contention, 60 minutes in all). Notice that the questions are broad in order to give you the chance to select specific examples from lectures and your own reading. Think through how you would express the strongest arguments pro and con, then use examples to illustrate your contentions. REMEMBER, AVOID DUPLICATION:
A. Example 1
B. Example 2
C. Example 3
III. Identify and give the significance of SIX of the following items (5 minutes per item [from one half to one full journal page per answer]; 30 minutes in all). REMEMBER, THOU SHALT NOT DUPLICATE.
1. [example]
2. [example]
3. [etc.....]