Exam Information

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Midterm Exam Format

• This includes the lecture materials, in-class videos, e-mails, the basic introductory materials of the texts, and the text and class materials on the following countries:
  
  
• The exam will cover materials up to and including Day (01) of Week 07: text materials, in-class videos, lectures, and e-mails. That includes Chs. 01 - 05 from Mexico, and Chs. 01 - 03 and Ch. 09 from The Maya
  
  
  • Topics include:
    
    
    • Mesoamerica: The Area and the People
      
      
      • including Rural-Urban Patterns in Central Highland Mexico
        
        
    • Basic Terms and Concepts in American Archaeology
      
      
      • Kirchhoff handout (just know what this is about)
      • stages handout
      • Time Line and Stages (Periods)
        
        
    • The Lithic, or Early Hunters Stage
      
      
      • Class Slides -- The Lithic Stage
        
        
    • The Archaic, or Incipient Agriculturalists, including Tehuacán
      
      
      • Class Slides -- The Archaic Stage
      • Tehuacán handout
        
        
    • The Preclassic Period
      
      
      • Class Slides
        • Introduction to the Preclassic
        • Late Preclassic
        • Middle Preclassic
        • Early Preclassic
          
          
    • Video and AV materials from class
      
      
    • Major class-related materials that you may have received on E-mail may be included on the exam
      
      
• This is an open-book exam
  
  

  • You may bring and use your texts, dictionary, thesaurus, a writing handbook, class handouts, notes, outlines, drafts, and memos
    
    
  • You may also use references and materials from your other classes, with the caveat, of course, that you properly cite any sources you use
    
    
  • You may bring and use your laptop
    
    

    • the exam will be available in your folder.
    • but you must upload your exam to your folder at the end of the exam period
      
    • REM: Be sure to have your batteries charged
      
      
    • Please be prepared to upload the entire exam as one file
      
      
    • NOTE: It does not work simply to type in the .rtf extension on an existing .wps file. You must load the original document and then resave it as a .rtf file type

• You will have four (4) questions randomly selected from a pool of questions.
  
  
  • In a nutshell, the exam will consist of four questions drawn at random by “James” Moodle from a pool of questions generated from the questions you have submitted to the Midterm wiki, plus one or more that I have added (also included in the wiki).
    
    
  • Use the list of questions you generated in the Midterm wiki as study questions. Be sure to note the notes added, the ones which comment on the submitted questions.
    
    
• up to 400 points (up to 100 points each)
  
  
• It is recommended (and best) to use the list of questions you generated in the Midterm wiki as study questions.
  
  
  • If you woule like to see archived past questions, have a look at the Sample Midterm Exam Format below

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• Look over the exam materials in the Moodle exam wiki
  • 
    
• Review the materials so far covered this semester
  
  
  • in your texts
  • in your class notes
  • on the video viewing guides
    
  • and on the handouts
    
    
    • stages handout
      • Mesoamerican Time Line and Stages (Periods)

    

    • Anthropology and Its Parts
      
      
    • Major Characteristics of Anthropology
      
      

  Useful Information:

  • UMD Study Strategies
  • test taking strategies
  • learning styles
  • listening skills
  • notetaking
  • special facilities / arrangements
    
    
  • Text Assignments Summary for Weeks 01 - 06
  • basic information about the text
    
    
  • How to write an essay exam -- OWL (Purdue University Online Writing Lab)
    
    
  • extra help with exams

The f2013 Ancient Middle America Final Exam will be at tba a.m. on tba, tba December 2013, in Cina 214

REM: Bring your Laptop

Moodle Exams (and everything else on Moodle) works best with a Firefox browser. If you do not have a Firefox browser on your laptop, download one (it's free).

The Live Chat for the Ancient Middle America Final Exam will be tba, tba December 2013, 7:00-8:00 p.m. Sign in on .

[6 questions randomly generated from a pool of questions made up of the questions from the Final Exam wiki for up to 600 points]

• Once you begin you exam you will have two and one-half hours to complete it
  
  
  • BE SURE TO UPLOAD ALL OF YOUR ANSWERS BEFORE YOUR TIME EXPIRES
    
    
  • MOODLE WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO UPLOAD YOUR ANSWERS AFTER TIME HAS ELAPSED
    
    
• The Final will be an open-book essay exam
  
  
  • Essay exams usually provide a better learning experience and, in addition, afford practice in writing
    
    
  • You may bring and use your texts, dictionary, thesaurus, a writing handbook, class handouts, notes, outlines, drafts, memos, a laptop, and a Ouija board. You may also use references and materials from your other classes and the web, with the caveat, of course, that you properly cite any sources you use.
    
    
  • You may bring and use your laptop
    
    
    • but you must upload your exam to your Moodle folder at the end of the exam period

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Final Exam

• The exam will cover materials up to and including the end of Week 15
  
  
• Some of the questions will be cumulative, but most will focus on the materials covered since the midsemester exam.
  
  
• This includes the lecture materials, in-class videos, e-mails, the Forum, the basic introductory materials of the texts, and the text and class materials.
  
  
• There will also be questions available on the final asking you to compare and contrast things in two or more items included in the entire semester
  
  
  • these comparison/contrast questions will include countries covered earlier in the semester
    
    
• This is an open-book exam
  
  
  • You may bring and use your texts, dictionary, thesaurus, a writing handbook, class handouts, notes, outlines, drafts, and memos
    
    
  • You may also use references and materials from your other classes, with the caveat, of course, that you properly cite any sources you use
    
    
• You may bring and use their laptop
  
  
  • but you must upload your exam to your Moodle folder at the end of the exam period
    
    
  • REM: Be sure to have your batteries charged
    
    
  • Please be prepared to upload the entire exam as one file
    
    
  • NOTE: It does not work simply to type in the .rtf extension on an existing .wps file. You must load the original document and then resave it as a .rtf file type
    
    
• The final exam counts up to 600 points (6 X up to 100)
  
  
• You must answer the six (6) questions on the final randomly generated by “James” from the pool of questions put together from the study questions on the Wiki. Each question is worth up to 100 points each. They may include . . .
  
  
  • At least one current affairs question
    
    There could also be one question on a major topic during the semester that for one reason or another doesn’t happen to end up in the Wiki list. You could also have on your exam a theoretical question on a major topic that may also have not made it onto the Wiki list (one that attempts to have you bring together and synthesize various major topics of the semester).
    
    
    • You could also have on your exam one theoretical question on a major topic that may also have not made it onto the Wiki list (one that attempts to have you bring together and synthesize various major topics of the semester)

  A caveat: there is always a possibility that there might be some very last-minute fast-breaking current-affairs news announced (that’s announced too late to make it onto the Wiki list) that might also be included in the pool from which the four questions are taken. But it would have to be closely related to a topic that you have studied during the semester.

There will be a live Final Exam chat on —for last-minute questions about the exam. Join in; the live chat for the midterm was fun, and useful.

The Live Chat for the Ancient Middle America Final Exam will be tba, tba December 2013, 7:00-8:00 p.m. Sign in on .

*(The total number of points available for the forum postings will depend on new discoveries and announcements that appear during the semester. New topics will be added as appropriate. In the end, "participation" will likely account for about 25% of your grade)