Western Civilization I
May 2009
Professor Knight

                    Final Exam Review Sheet

Scope of the Exam:  The final exam will not be cumulative with regard to specific factual
information.  However, you should be prepared to address the issue of how the legacy of the
ancient world was preserved, revived and reinterpreted in later periods.  Specifically the exam will
cover the period from the end of the Roman Empire to the Reformation roughly Parts III and
IV in your textbook.  

Format:  The exam will consist of four sections Identifications (20 points), chronology (10
points), short answers (30 points)  and essay question (40 points).   

PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO BRING TWO BLUE BOOKS TO THE EXAM.

I.  Chronology:  You will be given a list of 12 events.  Your task is to place the events in the
proper chronological order by numbering them in the space provided.  For example
  _____ Viking Invasions   
  _____ Visigoths Sack Rome     
  _____ The Black Death

II.   Identifications:  I will give you a list of approximately ten terms to identify of which you will
choose five.  All of these terms will be taken from outlines posted on the web site. I expect each
identification to consist of 3-4 complete sentences addressing the basic questions--"who, what,
where and when." In addition, it is very important that you also indicate why the item in question
is significant.  Some examples of possible identifications include:

  Flagellants    Indulgences    Jan Hus

Hint:  In picking terms for identification, I look for items that reflect important trends or turning
points.  When reviewing materials, try to keep in mind the larger picture why an event or
individual is important, how it fits into broader historical processes.  In so doing, you should be
drawn toward the items that I am most likely to pick.

III.  Short Answers:  Here, I will give you a series of questions to be answered in one or two
sentences.  By and large, these will be factual questions directly relevant to major themes.  Try to
answer the questions thoroughly and in complete sentences, but without becoming bogged down
in extraneous detail.  For example:
  

  How did Germany differ politically from England and France in the period after  
       1300?

Hint (applies also to identifications):  Even if you are unsure of your answer, you should at least
try to write something.  I will almost always give partial credit if your answer bears even the most
remote relationship to the correct answer.  The worst thing you can do is to not answer the
question at all.

IV.  Essay: You will choose one question on which to write out of a list of two or three.  Your
essay should be well written and well-organized.  Take time to jot down initial ideas, draw up an
outline, and reread the question before you actually begin to write.   Begin with a clear statement
of the position that you will argue throughout the essay.  I expect you to show both factual
knowledge and the ability to articulate and defend an interpretive position.

Hint:  Almost always the essay questions I write reflect important interpretative points that I have
brought up in class.  Be sure to read the question carefully before writing.  If you can connect the
question to issues raised in class you are well on the way toward a successful essay.