Sunday, September 12, 2010

Take-Home Essay Test: Practice Question

UNITED STATES HISTORY

D Block

Mr. Novick

9/7/10


Practice Take-Home Essay (like the questions that will be on your first complete take-home essay exam in about a week); this practice essay is worth 10 points on your first test.


DUE: This Friday, 9/10


Please answer the following question, using your syllabus, class notes, textbooks, and, if you choose, the Internet (see the class website for links to history sites you can use at http://ushistorywithmrnovick.blogspot.com). You can also phone a classmate for assistance, although you must, of course, write your answers yourself (please note that copying and pasting from a website is the same as cheating on a test…paraphrase, that is, use your own words).


Your answer should be written neatly or typed in complete sentences, with careful attention paid to using correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Written answers must be in pen, and typed answers must be double-spaced. Each answer should be at least two paragraphs in length. You have the option of either turning in this essay exam in class on the due date, or e-mailing your answers to me at jnovick@roycemoreschool.org by 10:00 PM the night before it is due.


Throughout the year, each question is worth 10 points, on the following scale:


Historical Accuracy/Thought Process: 1-5 Points Possible for Each Question—

5 pts = Demonstrates mastery of all material/concepts

4 pts = Demonstrates mastery of most material/concepts

3 pts = Demonstrates basic understanding of material/concepts

2 pts = Demonstrates some knowledge of the material/concepts

1 pt = Demonstrates little knowledge of the material/concepts

0 pts = Fails to demonstrate any knowledge of the material/concepts


Writing (organization, neatness, grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc.): 1-5 Points Possible for Each Question—

5 pts = Excellent writing: clear, cohesive, and well-organized. No grammar, spelling, or punctuation mistakes.

4 pts = Very Good writing: clear, cohesive, and organized, but one or two minor problems with organization, clarity, grammar, spelling, or punctuation.

3 pts = Good writing: meaning is clear, but need to address more than two problems with clarity, organization, spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

2 pts = Fair writing: some of the meaning is clear, and multiple problems with organization, neatness, grammar, spelling, or punctuation.

1 pt = Poor writing: meaning is unclear, and/or serious problems with organization, neatness, grammar, spelling, or punctuation.

0 pts = Writing is incoherent


QUESTION:

What were Christopher Columbus and other European explorers looking for when they stumbled upon the New World (the Americas), and why? Be thorough in your response.

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CURRENT ASSIGNMENT

Civil War Take-Home Essay Examination due 2/28/12:
CLICK HERE

WELCOME TO UNITED STATES HISTORY!

WELCOME TO UNITED STATES HISTORY!
This 1851 painting of Washington crossing the frozen Delaware River in December of 1776 is beautiful and famous, but German-American artist Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze painted a false image of this historic event--to make a larger point. Can you guess what Leutze got wrong? And why?
History is like a road map. We can’t find our way somewhere new unless we know where we are now. History tells us where we are, how we got there, and with any luck, how to get where we want to go. It's everything that's ever happened to anybody--and it's the story of how people not unlike us said and did things that changed the world.

This class--called a survey class because we will survey some of the most influential people and events over the course of more than 500 years, all in just one nine-month school year--will focus, specifically, on the history the United States of America. It's been a wild ride these last 500 years, and learning the stories and trying to sort out what it all means for us today is so much more than names, dates, places--and tests. This is going to get interesting.

Questions? Email Mr. Novick at jnovick@roycemoreschool.org

The lovely Catskill Mountains (New York) in autumn. After the Revolution ended in 1783, locals began to move into these beautiful hills. The theme of westward expansion runs throughout American history.