A Final Performance in History and English

Your final exhibition to demonstrate mastery of the material of these two courses for the first semester will be divided into two parts. The first part is a research paper. The second part is the final examination. Together these constitute 25% of your grade for English and 20% of your grade for World History.

1. For the research assignment, write a five to seven page paper addressing the following: “What matters in history is not societies or events, but individuals.” Discuss the validity of this concept of history by citing at least three specific examples from your studies this semester that support or refute the concept.

Your paper will be graded by both your history and your English teacher and a grade assigned by each, based on the standards in the “Written Exhibition Assessment Form,” attached.

2. The final examination will be taken during the period scheduled for the English examination. It will consist of three parts:

a. An essay evaluating your research paper, both in content and mechanics. You will read the attached excerpt on subjectivity, objectivity, relativity, and balance in academic writing (pages 6-7 from Toby Fulwiler, College Writing. Boston: Scott, Foresman, 1988). As you read it, think how the points he makes apply to his research paper. Then write an essay reflecting on how these ideas are illustrated by your paper. Specifically, you need first to prepare a topic outline, including a thesis statement, for the essay. Then summarize in your own words each of Fulwiler’s main points, and cite at least one specific example from your research paper of each of these points. Where you identify subjectivity or use of judgment in your paper, discuss whether there was adequate evidence in your paper to support these subjective statements. Finally, discuss why you think you made these particular subjective statements. In other words, how did one of your personal values enter into the research and writing of the paper?

b. An essay relating your English course readings to the thesis of your research paper. This will also involve an analysis of a short, related work during the final.

3. During the period scheduled for your history final examination, you will meet with both your history and English teacher to discuss your course work for the semester, your research paper, and your final examination.

[Thanks for this performance to John Bohannon, a history teacher at Vermont Academy who attended a CES exhibitions workshop. (Vermont Academy is not a member of CES)]