Today, you will get the period to review for the final exam. Don't forget that the final exam will include a multiple-choice test, a DBQ section, and an identifications section. You will also have to write an essay and turn it in on the day of the exam. See below for more information on the essay and identifications.
Unit #4 Essay Exam - Questions and Format - You'll also write one more essay as part of the Unit #4 Exam. This essay will be turned in NO LATER than your arrival at the final exam. Below you can find both the questions from which you will choose and the format for the essay portion on the Unit #4 Exam.
Format: The actual essay will be written, by hand or word-processed. You should prepare for a five-paragraph essay. That means that you should include an introduction (with a clear thesis statement), three body paragraphs, and a concluding paragraph. (Note that the questions lend themselves to such a format. That is on purpose.)
Remember that the questions are not designed for you to tell us everything you have learned. Focus on what the question is requiring you to do.
1. YOU MAY CHOOSE EITHER THE RENAISSANCE OR THE REFORMATION FOR THIS QUESTION. DO NOT CHOOSE BOTH OR "MIX AND MATCH."
The Renaissance/ Reformation was a time of profound change for the people of Europe. Identify and explain what you believe to be the three most significant impacts and/or legacies of the Renaissance/ Reformation. What single historical figure do you believe best epitomized the spirit of the Renaissance/ Reformation? Why?
2. Identify and explain what you believe were the three most significant motivations that led to the Age of Exploration in Europe and elsewhere. What historical figure do you believe best symbolizes the spirit of this period? Why?
3. The voyages of Christopher Columbus to the Americas certainly had lasting impacts. Identify and explain what you believe are the three most significant consequences of the voyages of Christopher Columbus. Do you believe he should be remembered as a hero or a villain? Why?
Identifications: For the final exam, you will write on your choice of 5 of the 8 identifications that appear on the Unit #4 exam chosen from the list below. You may bring 10 words of "notes" for each of the 15 possible identifications to the exam. (Printed out; not on your computer.) You will need to turn in these notes, and I reserve the right to count symbols, acronyms, etc. as one or more words. Each of the five identifications is worth 5 points.
A good identification is typically in the range of 4 to 6 sentences in length. (You do need to write in complete sentences.) You should demonstrate both an understanding of just who / what the ID "is" and place it in the appropriate historical context. In addition, you need to explain the significance of the ID. In other words, answer the "So what?" question.
Quetzalcoatl
Machu Picchu
humanism
Michelangelo
The Prince
Johann Gutenberg
John Calvin
Jesuits
Suleyman the Lawgiver
Akbar
Zheng He
Tokugawa Shogunate
Hernando Cortes
middle passage
Columbian Exchange
What was it? Your text calls it the "global transfer of foods, plants, and animals during the colonization of the Americas." There's a great graphic on page 572. For those of you without a textbook handy, this chart of the Columbian Exchange might be useful...
The Columbian Exchange: Plants, Animals, and Disease between the Old and New Worlds is a really interesting article posted by the National Humanities Center.
What do you think? These prompts for discussion come from Alfred W. Crosby, Professor Emeritus at the University of Texas at Austin. Pick one and let us know what you think.
Our last "new" stuff of the year should be to make sure that you understand, at a very basic level, economic terms like capitalism, joint-stock company and mercantilism.
HOMEWORK:
Study for the final exam.
