FAQs
What is the format? What’s on the exam?
The exam has three parts: ten short answer responses–i.e., 2-3-sentence responses (poems and poetic terms); one paragraph response (short stories and basic elements fiction); one essay response (the two plays–by Sophocles and Ibsen).
You will submit your exam–as one document–to TURNITIN (“December exam”).
What do I bring to the exam (Mon Dec 12)?
Bring your POETRY FOLDER, LAPTOP and your own copy of ANTIGONE. During the exam, you will not be allowed to share any of these materials with another person. As for A DOLL’S HOUSE, you will have access to a digital copy that you downloaded from our course blog’s page called “World Poets, Poems and Plays.”
If you want, also bring a book to read, in case you finish early because you will be asked to close your laptop after submitting your exam to TURNITIN.
How should I study?
Poetry: re-read the poems in your folder–ALOUD, either with someone or privately. Have a list of poetic terms nearby, so that you can identify examples in the poems you read. Or, take turns reading poems aloud w it a partner, taking turns identifying poetic terms in the poem your partner reads aloud. As with other study techniques described here, I am just suggesting methods that might prove helpful for some of you. By all means, be creative. Invent methods, games, practices that work for you and your study-buddies.
Short Stories: review each of the four stories we studied. Compare the stories through the lens of individual elements of fiction–characterization or plot development, for example. Write down as many of these comparisons as you have time and energy for. Be methodical and reasonable in your arranging your study activities.
Plays / Sophocles, Ibsen: Note that both plays feature a female protagonist. With a study-buddy, anticipate and write down possible questions that could address some aspect of the particular circumstances each woman faces. Also, imagine–and write down the results of your imagining–how these two women might answer our course’s essential questions: Who am I? What are my primary responsibilities to myself and to the communities in which I live? What does wisdom look like?
When are review sessions?
During class Wednesday and Thursday, Dec. 7 & 8–for all classes. Since A block meets once more Friday, Dec. 9, they will have one more class opportunity for review activities. Friday after classes, I will be available for anyone from E and H block who has additional questions.
Anything else I should know?
In class Wednesday and Thursday, I will explain the exam preamble. I want to use class time to make sure everyone understands the letter and spirit of the preamble because you will be asked to sign this preamble before starting the exam next Monday morning.
