Advice for the Exams

The place to begin is by reading the syllabus material describing the exam.

You have three kinds of material to study:

Material on the historical context. This includes information on the history of the civil rights movement and on the civil rights struggle. The material is from Williams, the films, and lectures.
Various tools for understandings texts and how they respond to situations. This includes the material from Campbell and from lectures and class discussions.
Speeches as responses to context. The material that you have read in the book of readings. This includes all speeches discussed in class.

You may be asked material on any of this material, and essay questions will ask you to integrate them: to use the tools to explain how the speeches respond to the context.

The format of the Exam:

Half of exam is short answer (multiple choice, matching, fill in the blank, etc.)

This will test your understanding of dates, important events, speakers, and what they said.

Half of exam will be essay

Will ask you to analyze speeches or compare and contrast other material from the course.

Advice on Studying for the Exam

On the short answer material:

We have tended to jump around somewhat in studying events. I recommend you construct a timeline that orients you to the order in which speeches and events we have studied occurred.
There is a time line in the Williams' book that will help you.
On each of the speeches you studied you need to know:

the date on which it was given
where
who it was that gave it
why it was important

On the essay exam:

I recommend that you study with another student who has worked about as hard as you have in the class.

ask each other questions that you generate
critique the answers

Press here for additional advice on essay exams

Sample Essay test questions

This is not a list I will choose from among, but merely some examples of the type of questions that might be asked.

Select a speech that obtains its power from its argument. Explain that power.
Explain changes in demands on speeches as the civil rights movement evolved.
What part did religion play in speeches of the civil rights movement? Illustrate your claims with references to specific speeches.
What were the major demands on Martin Luther King as he rose to speak at the March on Washington? How well did he meet them? Defend your choices of demands and your explanation for how he responded to them.
What aspects of the civil right rhetoric traces its roots to the rhetoric of the slave quarters?

Good Luck!

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