History 151 Fall 2008 (Jolly)
Final Exam Study Guide
The final exam is Monday, December 15, 4:30-6:30 p.m.
Location by T.A.s:
- Melissa Esmacher Art 132
- Michael Johnson Art 132
- Betsy Judd Art 132
- Josh Mika Bilger 150
Part I: Material since the Midterm (100 points)
This half of the test has two parts, like the midterm: one essay (80 points) and two (out of a choice of five) identification and significance (20 points). Please use the midterm study guide for hints on how to prepare for this portion of the final exam.
The material covered includes items and topics from lectures given October 21-December 11, Encounters chapters 7-15, and Traditions and Encounters chapters 13-22, but material from earlier in the semester may be used as background and support.
Essay Topics and Identification Items
Two of the following five topics will appear as questions on the test, from which you choose one to write your essay. Under each topic are lists of primary source documents from the Encounters readings book and the Traditions and Encounters textbook (some authors and documents appear more than once, so check carefully).
These document lists serve two purposes: 1) as a guide in preparing an essay answer using appropriate evidence; 2) as a master list for the five items on the identification portion of the test (you answer two).
- The spread of religions and philosophies (primarily Encounters chs. 8, 9, 11)
- The Lotus Sutra
- The Vishnu Purana
- The New Testament
- The Qur’an
- Mou Tzu, The Disposition of Error
- The Platform Scripture of the Sixth Patriarch
- Nihongi, Book XXV
- Gregory Bishop of Tours, History of the Franks
- The Russian Primary Chronicle
- The Pact of Umar
- Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica
- Pope Urban Preaches the First Crusade
- Ibn al-Athir, The Complete History
- Cross-cultural interactions and perceptions (primarily Encounters chs. 7, 14)
- Polynesian Voyaging Society
- Han Shu: Description of the Xiongnu
- Ammianus Marcellinus, Res Gestae
- Constantine Porphyrogenitus, De Administrando Imperio
- Ibn al-Athir, Description of Mongol Conquests
- The Report of the Paris Medical Faculty
- William Edendon, Vox in Rama
- Giovanni Boccaccio, The Decameron
- Jean de Venette, Chronicle
- Ibn Ridwan, On the Prevention of Bodily Ills in Egypt
- Sahih al-Bukhari
- Ahmad al-Maqurizi, The Plague in Cairo
- Warfare, statecraft, and empire building (especially Encounters chs. 11, 13)
- Sundiata
- Ibn al-Athir, The Complete History
- Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae
- Chu Hsi, Further Reflections on Things at Hand
- Ibn Khaldun, The Muqaddimah
- The Tale of Heike
- Pope Urban Preaches the First Crusade
- The Finding of the Holy Lance at Antioch
- Battle with Kerbogha Outside Antioch
- The Siege and Capture of Jerusalem
- Cultural values in the arts and intellectual life (especially Encounters chs. 10, 14)
- Du Fu
- Murasaki Shikibu, The Tale of Genji
- The Arabian Nights
- The Song of Roland
- Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales
- Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae
- Chu Hsi, Further Reflections on Things at Hand
- Ibn Khaldun, The Muqaddimah
- Art from the Plague Years
- Lecture outline materials
- Travel and Exploration (especially Encounters ch. 15)
- Marco Polo, Travels
- Ibn Battuta
- Zheng He, Inscription of World Voyages
- Vasco de Gama, A Journal of the First Voyage
- Christopher Columbus, Prologue to the Logbook and Letter Describing his First Voyage
- Polynesian Voyaging Society
- Mo`ikeha’s Migration from Tahiti to Hawai`i
- Benjamin of Tudela
- Arab merchant Suleiman
- Cosmas Indicopleustes, The Christian Topography
- Franceso Balducci Pegolotti, on Trade between Europe and China
- John of Montecorvino, Mission to China
Part II: Global Issues (100 points)
This portion of the final exam covers the whole course and is designed to make you think about the larger issues this General Education course is designed to address. The essay you will write on this portion of the test will ask you to take what you have learned about pre-1500 world history and find meaningful connections and relevance to today. The essay question is broad, but you will be required to pick specific examples to include in your essay. This essay is NOT a personal opinion piece, but an opportunity for you to demonstrate critical thinking skills in the form of historical analysis.
The following question will be on the test with two of the four topics listed, from which you pick one to discuss in your essay.
Why is a knowledge of pre-1500 history essential for global citizenship today? Consider one of the following issues as the basis for your argument:
- origins and cultural identity
- migration, trade, and travel
- empires and imperialism
- philosophies and religions
To answer the essay question, you need to use specific examples of cultures from both pre-500 C.E. and post-500 C.E. or cutting across both halves of the course. Also, among your examples, make sure they come from diverse parts of the world, from at least four distinct regions we have studied:
- East Asia
- South Asia
- Southwest Asia
- Southeast Asia
- Central Asia
- Indian Ocean basin
- Oceania
- North Africa
- Sub-Sahara Africa
- Arabia
- Mediterranean
- Eurasia
- Western Europe
- Eastern Europe
- North and Central America
- South America
- Australasia
How to Study:
- Define terms in the list of issues.
- Specify cultures, peoples, eras from different regions.
- Review primary source items, associating them with topics, regions, and eras.
- Practice outlining an essay for each question.
How to Write the Essays:
Use the guidelines in the midterm study guide. The same grading criteria apply: clear thesis, organized arguments, evidence to support those arguments (e.g., reference to people, places, events, and ideas).
Before you write, outline or map out your essay, choosing your examples carefully to match the thesis you develop.