To answer the exam questions, be aware you can use the American Yawp textbook chapters, the primary sources (from within AY or other online cites), lecture outlines, discussions, class time/content – ALL are potential sources for fully answering each question. Do keep in mind: NO source will be applied to all answers (American Yawp chapters, maybe, sure – but the same chapter would not apply to question 1 as question 3, for example).
Treat each answer as its own “thing.” A strategy to get your fullest, strongest (most clearly organized and written) answers: For each question, start by thinking about what materials and what of your thinking helps you respond to it, then pull together your exam answers one by one. Once you have a draft started for each question, step back and mentally or (better yet) actually go through all our possible source material: make a note for anything new (“add to answer 2,” “add to answer 3,” etc.). Then revise your exam answers accordingly. You want the most complete and clear answers.
Check that you have responded to all parts of each question. Make sure your answer shows your thinking about how the source material and your analysis work to answer each question. (Meaning: explain, don’t assume your reader will “figure it out.”) Also to watch for: That you remain focus on what your answer requires, without writing a lot that may be about the question topic, but is not directly relevant to what is needed. When all that is done, proofread: correct all errors, add any missing citations, check on correct name and book title styles. Save in .docx, ,doc, or .pdf formats (the only ones the exam folder will accept). Submit. Enjoy summer.
