Wednesday, June 5, 2013

U.S. History Final Exam Essay Questions

Answer three prompts in complete paragraphs from three different sections for 10 points each.

1860s-1900s: The West, Immigration, & The Gilded Age
·        Describe Native American relations with whites and the U.S. government in the 1800s.  Provide evidence and examples to support your stance.
·        Discuss immigration in this time period: its causes and effects.  Discuss the struggles immi-grants faced; compare how and why some immigrants were treated differently than others.
·        Explain the name of the “Gilded Age.”  What are the positive and negative implications of this name?  Provide specific examples.

Late 1800s-1910s: American Imperialism & WWI
·        Did imperialism reflect the U.S.’s loss of belief in those principles that led it to seek its own independence? Explain by comparing and contrasting at least two different territories gained by the U.S. as well as differing viewpoints about imperialism and colonialism.
·        Discuss the Spanish American War.  What were its causes and effects? Was it a justified war? Why or why not?
·        How was WWI different from previous wars?  Discuss differences for the non- fighting world as well as differences in warfare.

1920s-1940s: The Roaring 20s, the Great Depression, & WWII
·        Why was the 1920s called the Roaring 20s? Which groups benefited the most, and the least from the prosperity and changes of the 1920s? Explain.
·        What were the major causes of the Great Depression?  What did the government do (discuss both Hoover’s and Roosevelt’s approaches)? How effective were these approaches?
·        How and why did the United States remain neutral in the beginning of World War II?  Why did the United States become involved in the war and how did they contribute to the war?

1950s-1960s: The Cold War, Civil Rights, & Vietnam
·        Why did Americans’ Cold War fears center on communism?  How did these fears affect both domestic and foreign policies?
·        What were the three most important events in the African American civil rights movement?  Describe the causes and effects of each event within the context of the movement.
·        Compare and contrast the war in Vietnam with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. 

1970s-2000s: Contemporary Issues in the United States
·        Discuss the troubles in the Middle East during the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s.  Include at least three major events and/or policies that affected the United States and our relations with countries in the Middle East.
·        Discuss the “green” movement, including at least three different important events/policies and where you think the movement is headed in the future.
·        Describe three different advances in technology and medicine in the past 30 years and the controversy surrounding these.  State your opinion on the subject with support as well as acknowledging the other side of the topic.
RUBRIC
·        10 points =  Student clearly answers all parts of the prompt, providing multiple specific and relevant evidence (more than 3 examples/details that are highly detailed, relevant, & accurate) from his/her studies.  Writing has a clear introduction (thesis in which an original argument is asserted), body, and conclusion that transition well.
·        9 points =  Student clearly attempts to answer all parts of the prompt, providing strong evidence from his/her studies (3 or more, depending on depth, relevance, & accuracy).  Writing has a clear introduction (thesis), body, and conclusion.
·        8 points =  Student answers most parts of the prompt, providing relevant evidence from his/her studies and/or observations (2 or more, depending on depth, relevance, & accuracy).  Writing has a clear introduction, body, and conclusion.
·        7 points =  Student attempts to answer the main part of the prompt, providing somewhat relevant evidence from his/her studies and/or observations (1-2, depending on details, relevance, & accuracy).  Writing has a clear introduction and body.
·        1-6 points =  Student’s answer lacks clarity, relevance, accurate evidentiary support, and/or organization discussed above.


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