In-Class Short-Essay Exams

Part One: Identification

1.) You will match the authors' names to the titles of the selections they wrote.

2.) You may be asked to match authors' names and/or titles to quotations from the selections.

Part Two: Short Essays

1.) You will be asked to write on four (4) of the six (6) selections, but you will not know ahead of time what guidelines you will have to follow when making your choices. For example, two fiction and two nonfiction? Two males and two females? Two "older" selections and two "newer" selections (dates will be provided)? Etc.

2.) You will be asked to do one of the following for your four (4) short essays:

A.) Summarize the selection. This includes simply condensing the selection down to its main points.

B.) Respond to the selection. This can include "arguing" with one or more of the ideas presented in the selection.

C.) Analyze the selection. This might include using the quotation provided and explaining "how" the "part" (the quotation) relates to the "whole" (the full selection), or "why" understanding the "part" (the quotation) is important to understanding the "whole" (the full selection).

D.) Evaluate the selection. This includes stating whether or not you think the selection is a good one or not, and explaining why you think so.

E.) Synthesize the selection. This includes "connecting" the selection to something else -- e.g., to your own life, to another selection we've read in class, to another essay we've written, etc. This "connection" is usually either comparison or contrast.

3.) Each short essay should begin by identifying the selection you are writing about -- i.e., stating the author and title. Then, get right to the point you want to make, and spend the most time on providing 1-2 examples, details, and explanation to "prove" or "support" the point you want to make.

4.) Questions?

Grading / Evaluation:

I normally use a 15-point scale for in-class short-essay exams:

A = 15, 14

B = 13, 12

C = 11

D = 10, 9

F = 8-0