Final Exam preparation sheet
[see extra credit option below!] You can get all this information in a printable format in this Final Exam handout
This class has been about a subject that many people – even historians – may not think about too much: The French Atlantic. The Spanish, Dutch or Portuguese Atlantic, or especially the British Atlantic are more traditional subjects.
At the end of the semester, you should have a better idea of why the French Atlantic is an important topic in world history. So the final exam question is a big, wide one: “Why study the French Atlantic?”
Directions: you should think of this more as an essay or paper than an exam. You can use any resource you want, though the entire exam needs to be in your own words. See the syllabus to remind yourself of my stern policy about plagiarism. The essay should be about 1,500 words long, which is about 5 double-spaced pages. I’m not grading on length, but if you write less than, say 1,200 words, you probably aren’t thinking carefully about the question. It is due to me on or before noon, Friday May 15, via the WebCT dropbox. It is worth 250 points or 25 percent of the semester grade
Grading Grid – this is how I will grade your essay
- Has a thesis statement that answers the question? 10
- Describes what the French Atlantic is/was? 10
Is well organized? 10 - Uses examples from Greer’s Jesuit Relations? 10
Has a title that reflects the thesis statement? 10 - Uses examples from Greer’s The People of New France? 10
Writing is clear? 10 - Uses examples from Harms, The Diligent? 10
- Uses examples from Dubois, Avengers? 10
- Uses examples from Price, The Convict? 10
Notes:
1. A thesis statement answers the question set by the exam. For this essay, which asks “Why study the French Atlantic?” a possible thesis statement would be: “The French Atlantic reveals the true nature of Europe’s colonization of the Americas.” The following is NOT a thesis statement: “This paper will examine why the French Atlantic is important.”
2. Most of the time you do not know what your thesis statement will be when you start to write. This is because writing is a form of thinking and writing helps you answer hard questions, like this one. Often you will only realize your answer to the question as you are writing the last sentence of the exam. However DO NOT just leave that sentence there. Move it to the first paragraph and make sure that the rest of the paper supports that sentence.
3. You NEED a title. This will be the very last thing you write – after you discover your thesis, you can write a title that reflects that thesis.
Extra Credit – Map the French Atlantic Using Google Earth
Worth 50 points or a full two letter grades extra on this exam
10 placemarks/polygons/paths – your choice
10 descriptions of about 50 words each
Needs to include places in France, Africa, North American mainland, Caribbean – your choice!!
