Final Exam Study Guide

HIS 101: History of Western Civilization I

The Final Exam consists of three sections and seven questions for a total of 100 points. There is a two-hour time limit. Once you begin the exam, you cannot pause and resume later. The Final Exam must be completed before the conclusion of Module 7. Contact your instructor for the exact dates the exam will be available.

The material covered by the Final exam will include material from Modules 5-7 only.

Part I. Identification

The first four questions are identification questions. You will define and state the significance of four people, places, events, or other terms in one paragraph of at least five sentences. Each response is worth 10 points for a total of 40 points.

To answer these questions, begin by addressing who or what, where and when—leading you to a factual definition—the term was. Then conclude your paragraph by stating how the term is significant to our understanding of history—answering the questions how or why. See an example below.

Keep the following in mind when considering significance:

· Stating that the term is significant because it still exists today is not specific enough.

· Using Wikipedia definitions does not explain how the term represents class topics or themes, nor is it useful as a class assessment.

Example: Middle Passage

The Middle Passage was the name of the sea journey of slave ships from West Africa to the West Indies during the 1700s. The significance of this is that the Middle Passage not only brought slaves which added to the growth of the population, but also brought diversity among individuals. Another thing to note is that a growth in population also added to the amount of commerce taking place in a given colony. Eventually, a classification system is created revolving around race.

Note: There is a list of identification terms at the end of this document.

List of terms for identification questions:

1.

· Goths

· St. Augustine of Hippo

· Monasticism

· Clovis

· Justinian

· Muhammad

· Iconoclasm

· Abbasid Caliphate

· Charlemagne

· The Great Schism

· William the Conqueror

· Investiture Controversy

· First Crusade

· Saladin

· Scholasticism

· Magna Carta

· Avignon Papacy

· The Western Schism

· The Hundred Years’ War

· Christine de Pizan

· The Columbian Exchange

· Christian Humanism

· Martin Luther

· Catholic Counter-Reformation

Part II. Matching

Instructions: You will be asked to organize 10 events in chronological order. Each correct match is worth one point for a total of 10 points.

The best way to prepare for this section would be to look up the events listed below in the textbook and create your own timeline, placing all events in order.

List of events for matching questions:

1. Romulus Augustus is deposed

2. Beginning of the Islamic Golden Age

3. Charlemagne is crowned Holy Roman Emperor

4. Machiavelli’s The Prince* is published

5. Murder of St. Thomas Becket

6. Cortes’s Army conquers the Aztec Empire

7. The Council of Trent

8. German Peasants’ Revolt

9. Columbus reaches the Americas

10. Joan of Arc leads the French to victory at the Siege of Orleans

11. Martin Luther posts his Ninety-Five Theses

12. Muhammad’s First Revelation

13. Norman Conquest of England

14. Ottoman Siege of Vienna

15. Plague of Justinian

16. Vasco da Gama reaches India

17. The Rule of St. Benedict is written

18. Crusaders sack Constantinople

19. Battle of Tours

20. Leif Erikson arrives in Newfoundland

Part III. Essays

The final two questions on the exam are essay questions. Each question features two options drawn from the list of questions below, of which you will pick one question to respond to. You are required to write at least two paragraphs of at least five sentences. Each essay question is worth 25 points for a total of 50 points.

The questions will ask you to present an argument, an opinion about the topic in question. Good essay responses will present this statement up front. Additionally, during the exam be sure to read through all the options carefully. Then select the one you feel most confident about. Using some of the Terms used in the Identification section may prove useful in integrating into your essay response. Take a moment to brainstorm some ideas before you start writing. Make sure you are answering all aspects of the question clearly. Before going to the next question, read through your response critically.

List of essay questions:

1. In what ways did Byzantium continue the traditions of the Roman Empire, and in what ways did it diverge from Rome and become its own unique civilization? Be sure to use specific historical evidence to support your answer.

2. As head of the Catholic Church, the pope is considered a religious leader, but to what extent were medieval popes political leaders as well? Discuss the role medieval popes played in politics. Be sure to use specific historical evidence to support your answer.

3. Discuss how Muslim scholars of the Islamic Golden Age adapted and expanded upon the philosophical and/or scientific traditions of Classical Greece. Be sure to use specific historical evidence to support your answer.

4. How might Charlemagne have been trying to create a new type of leadership while still integrating Roman and Christian values of previous leaders?

5. How did the Black Death fundamentally change medieval European society in terms of religion, economics, culture, and/or class structure? Be sure to use specific historical evidence to support your answer.

6. In what ways did Italian Renaissance scholars embrace classicism and build upon it to create new schools of thought?

7. Why did Europeans engage in “voyages of discovery” during the 15th century, and what social and economic impacts did these voyages have on Europe, Africa, and the Americas?

8. Discuss the main tenets of Lutheranism, how these tenets challenged the Catholic Church establishment, and how the Catholic Church responded.

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