History

The exam must be 6-7 pages in length, double-spaced, numbered, include 1 inch margins, use 12 point Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman, and include a cover page that identifies who you are, the title of the course, the name of your instructor, and state Final Exam.

The exam must include footnotes or endnotes and a Works Cited or Bibliography page. The citation style must be Chicago/Turabian. (instructor note- see here) You may also consult the short guide linked to in this sub-module at the bottom. The selected sources must be appropriate to the exam topic, the citations must support the assertions made in the exam, and footnotes or endnotes must be used in each instance where detailed explanations would distract from the argument.

The exam will include three main parts—the Thesis/Introduction, Argument, and Conclusion.

The Introduction section should clearly state the thesis within the first 1-2 paragraphs. The thesis must be relevant and appropriate to the argument and demonstrate an accurate and complete understanding of the question(s). It should do more than restate the question(s) and offer a brief response and it should be free of grammar & spelling errors.

The Argument section should incorporate pertinent details from assigned coursework and outside readings when permitted (see list below). The section must provide relevant historical evidence to support the thesis and the key claims made in the argument as needed. It should maintain focus and avoid getting sidetracked. It should present your answer(s) to the question(s) asked clearly and concisely in an organized manner and it should be free of grammar & spelling errors.

The Conclusion section should be in the last part of your essay exam within the last 1-2 paragraphs. It should briefly restate the thesis and summarize the main points of the argument. It should also demonstrate insight and understanding regarding the question(s) asked and it should be free of grammar & spelling errors.

A scoring rubric for the exam is included in the syllabus. Click on the blue Final Exam link below to see the exam questions.

*The following are acceptable sources

· Academic (non-fiction) books or chapters from those books.

· Articles (not abstracts or reviews) from academic journals or quarterlies.

· Some academic articles from academic web sites (i.e., those related to universities sites).  The URL should contain “.edu” in it.

· Articles (not abstracts or reviews) from EBSCO, JSTOR, or Project Muse.

The following are not acceptable-

· Cliff Notes, Spark Notes, and similar online or printed references.

· High school Textbooks.

· Anthologies.

· Non-academic web pages.

· Fiction books (novels, poetry, and drama).

· Newspaper articles or articles found in popular magazines or magazines such as Time, Newsweek, BusinessWeek, U.S. News and World Report.

· Encyclopedias, Wikipedia entries, and other reference works.  (Please, avoid these in your college essays).

· Dictionaries.  (Avoid including dictionary definitions in your college essays.  You should be able to define terms and ideas in your own words).

· Movies and TV shows.

· The Bible, the Qur’an, or any other sacred/religious text.

Final exam question-

Discuss the decision to use the atomic bomb against Japan. Did the U.S. have other realistic options? What were the arguments for and against dropping the atomic bomb?