FINAL EXAM HISTORY (DUE IN 12 HOURS)

FINAL EXAM GUIDELINES

For your Final Exam Paper, you are required to read two selected primary source documents (separate document) from the time period covered in the second half of the course. Once you have read the documents carefully, you are required to thoroughly and thoughtfully answer the question listed at the beginning of the document.

You will use these primary source documents as your main sources for your paper. You may use the textbook as a secondary source. You are not required to use any additional outside sources.

The paper should follow the follow length and formatting guidelines:

1) 2-3 pages in length (2 full pages)

2) Use standard one-inch margins, 12-point font in Times New Roman and double spacing for the main body of paper

3) Student name, course number at the top of the paper

4) Save your paper as a Word Document or Rich Text Format

5) You are not required to include a Works Cited at the end of your paper

6) You are not required to use footnotes or other in-text citation, unless you are including a direct quote, however I do not recommend using quotes (*see Tips for Writing below for more details)

TIPS FOR WRITING

1. This paper will require both descriptive and analytical writing, however, the majority of your paper should be analytical. Descriptive writing merely says what happened or what another author has discussed; it provides an account of the topic. An analytic approach asks and answers questions, makes comparisons, and presents and defends an argument. You will be graded on your ability to both summarize the facts as well as provide your own analysis of the topic and questions you are answering.

2. I do not recommend using direct quoting from the primary source documents or textbook, as it can often be used as filler for meeting length requirements. Instead, use your descriptive and analytical skills to develop your main points.

3. Since this is more of an opinion paper than a topical paper, feel free to be creative with your paper structure, as long as you are fully answering the questions with clear explanations.

4. Proofread your paper carefully for spelling and typing mistakes. A sloppy paper distracts attention from what you are saying. The Spell check feature on most word-processors is helpful, however, remember it will not catch typos that happen to be words (e.g., “marital” vs. “martial”).