The midterm will be given in class on June 22. On June 21, I will set aside some time to answer questions about the exam and review as needed. In addition to studying the major historical changes discussed in your textbook (particularly those highlighted in class), I recommend reviewing events discussed on the blog.
Section I – Identifications
This section consists of one paragraph identifications. I will list about 12 people, places, and events that we have studied so far. From these, you will get to choose 6, and write one paragraph (at least 3 sentences) describing the historical importance of each.
Here is a larger list from which I will draw the 12:
1) Terrorist attacks on 9/11
2) “Axis of Evil”
3) Bush Doctrine
4) Hurricane Katrina
5) Tiananmen Square
6) Fall of the Berlin Wall
7) Gulf War
8) Dick Cheney
9) Colin Powell
10) Bill Clinton
11) Watergate
12) Ronald Reagan
13) Jimmy Carter
14) Iran-Contra Affair
15) Enron
16) Identity politics
17) Stagflation
18) Religious Right
19) Greensboro Sit-In
20) Ella Baker
21) Freedom Rides
22) Freedom Summer
23) Birmingham
24) March on Washington
25) Woodstock
26) Baby boom
27) Montgomery Bus Boycott
28) Little Rock Nine
29) Marshall Plan
30) McCarthyism
31) Cuban Missile Crisis
32) Kyoto Treaty
33) Federal Highway Act
34) Rosa Parks
35) Dwight Eisenhower
36) Civil Rights Act of 1964
37) Cesar Chavez
Part II – Short Essays
In this section you will have 6 questions, from which you need to choose 3 to answer. Your answers should be at least 5 sentences long. Here are sample questions that are representative of the questions I will ask:
1) What will President Richard Nixon be best remembered for? Why?
2) What was the importance of music to protest of the 1950s and 1960s?
3) Interpret the following image. What does it tell you about history? What information do you know about the time the image was taken that helps you bring greater meaning to it?
4) Read the following excerpt from a primary document [taken from Voices of Liberty]. What information about historical change can you gather from the document?
5) What different forms did protest take during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s?
6) Describe economic changes during and following World War II that caused the “Age of Affluence.” How did they influence American culture of the era?
7) How did technological change alter Americans’ lives between the 1950s and 2000s.
8) How did the development of the atomic bomb change foreign policy during the Cold War?
Part III – Argumentative Essay
In this section you will have two essay questions from which you should choose one. They will ask you to make a claim about the importance of a certain type of historical change. A strong essay will clearly state the change at the very beginning, explain why the change affected what came after, and then list substantial evidence that the change had a large impact. Your answer should be at least 4 paragraphs long. It is recommended that you begin with an introductory paragraph, include at least two paragraphs presenting evidence, and finish with a concluding paragraph. Sample questions:
1) Which type of history is most powerful in explaining present-day problems: political, cultural, social, technological, or economic history?
2) Which decade that we have studied so far is most important for understanding present-day problems?
3) What types of leadership have been most important in American history between World War II and the present day?
