Instructor's note: The final exam is scheduled for 6 December 2007. The assignment below, originally taken from the syllabus, is being updated as the exam approaches. A printout copy of its final version will be provided on 29 November.

Posted 16 October 2007. Updated 28 November.

Final Exam with Research Report (6 December 2007)

Date: Thursday 6 December

Two parts to final exam

Part 1: Research Report with bibliography or works cited (1-1.5 hours)

Part 2: Essay question regarding immigrant literature and dominant culture (national migration) (1-1.5 hours)

Relative weight: 50% of final grade

Format: Open-book, open-notebook

2 options for taking exam

• in-class: 10am-12:50pm, 6 Dec. 2007, Bayou 1215; write in ink in bluebook or on notebook paper (fronts and backs of pages okay; single-spacing okay), or use a laptop.
   

• email: 2-4 hours between Nov. 29 and 7 December (noon); write in word processing file; attach and paste into email message to whitec@uhcl.edu (or reply to my email); include log of starts and stops, total time spent
   

• Instructor reconciles time differences between in-class and email exams by reading the two sets separately and remembering the conditions.
   

• Back to the "log of starts and stops," email students are welcome to distribute their time as it works best for them. This could involve taking different parts of the exam on different days, but not suggested or required.
   

• If you finish writing early, consider using the extra time to edit and improve your writing. Again, you can take a break before returning.

Contents and attachments: Try both of the following

• Paste the contents of the appropriate word processing file directly into the email message.
   

• “Attach” your word processing file to an email message. (My computer and most of its programs work off of Microsoft Word 2003. The only word processing program my computer appears unable to translate is Microsoft Works, though Microsoft Word is fine, as are most others.  If in doubt, save your word processing file in "Rich Text Format" or a “text only” format.)
   

• Email address: Send all emails to whitec@uhcl.edu

• Note the "c" at the end of "whitec." If you send the email to "white" only, it goes to the wrong professor.

Total time: Email students may spend 3-4 hours writing. In-class students must limit their writing to 2 hours and 50 minutes. If you spend less than two hours writing, you’re probably not developing enough material.

Email students keep a “log” of your writing times. Stops, starts, and pauses are okay.

Advance preparations:

• Your "Works Cited" or "Bibliography" may be prepared ahead of time--why not?
   

• You may study, plan, outline, and / or draft either part as much as you like, but please write the final drafts in the time allotted to the final.
   

Purposes of final exam:

• Research report: students develop individual interests in course materials, demonstrate research skills, and explain findings.
   

• Essay on dominant culture: students explain and criticize an elusive but significant subject by referring to objectives (esp. #4 on dominant culture and national migration) and by comparing texts, narratives, identities, and images.

More on schedule:

*        No attendance expectations on 6 December.

*      If you wish to take the exam in-class, simply show up at our classroom during the exam period with paper, ink, and as many notes, print-outs, and books as you like. You may bring a printed-out copy of the "Works Cited" for your research report.

*        If you write the exam online, you may spend 3-4 hours writing the exam.

*        You may write and submit your exam via email any time after our last class meeting on Thursday, 29 November. The absolute deadline for email submission is noon, 7 December. If you can’t make that deadline, be in touch to explain your situation.

*        Email students keep a log of your writing schedule so that I can have some idea of how much time students are spending. Stops, starts, and pauses are okay. 

*      I will return final exams with a note and final grade report in 5-10 days.

Essay assignment: Identifying and evaluating America’s dominant culture

Length: 1 – 1.5 hours. 5-7 paragraphs? (depending on style, length, etc.)

Please give a title to your essay.

Required textual references: Refer to Bread Givers, the Bible's Exodus story, Of Plymouth Plantation, and at least two other relevant texts from this semester (e. g., Crevecoeur, the excerpt from Hunting Mr. Heartbreak, a poem).

But other texts are possible--for instance, you might compare and contrast a dominant culture image with images from immigrant or minority texts.

Required references to model assignments:

• Refer at least one of the “dominant culture moments” in the class presentations from our course or the graduate seminar in 2006.

  Index to LITR 4333 2007 dominant culture moments

  Index to LITR 5731 summer 2005 dominant culture moments
  
  OR
   

• Refer to a previous student answer to the dominant culture question from a previous class

  LITR 4333 2006 final essays on dominant culture

  LITR 5731 2006 final essays on dominant culture

  LITR 4333 2003 final essays on dominant culture

  LITR 5733 2004 final essays on dominant culture (bottom of page)

  Other examples elsewhere on Model Assignments page
   

• Further references to ideas and language from discussions, webpage, lecture are impressive to the instructor and usually stimulating to the writer.

Question: Based on our readings, lectures, presentations, and discussions, what have you learned about the dominant or base culture of the United States?

• What kind of culture do immigrants assimilate to?

• In what ways is knowledge of the dominant culture challenging or elusive?

• What possible applications, outcomes, or advantages may knowledge of this subject bring?

• Is it possible for the rewards of investigating the dominant culture to overcome students' instinctive rejection of its subject?

Topic description: This course has attempted to identify an elusive subject that is unattractive if not repellent to some students of multiculturalism: the manifestations, makeup, and ideology of the USA’s dominant culture.

Reviewing required and selected texts, consider some of the following questions or options for developing this topic:

• What images or identities of the dominant culture did you have in mind before our course, and how has our course developed or challenged those impressions? What are some of the potential identifying markers, institutions, or styles of the USA's dominant culture? (Refer to examples in texts and popular culture.) Why does the dominant culture tend to resist or elude analysis or even the desire to analyze?
   

• How helpful is the "national migration" variation on the immigrant narrative (Objective 4) in identifying the dominant culture and measuring its relations to immigrant and minority cultures? Specifically, what models of relationships do the Exodus story and Of Plymouth Plantation provide for the dominant culture relative to the land to which it migrates? What about the people who already inhabit that land? Compare and contrast to the usual immigrant pattern of assimilation and intermarriage.
   

• Describe the most characteristic qualities of the dominant culture. Consider attitudes toward education, literacy, intermarriage, mobility, and the family. Also consider appearances or images.
   

• Compare and contrast with earlier images from immigrant and minority culture. Don't forget the "soap" metaphor!

Do not regard this long topic-description as a checklist. There's not enough time! Develop an angle on the subject that connects essential texts, objectives, and ideas from the course. Welcome to identify your personal and professional backgrounds and attitudes relative to this issue.

Evaluation standards: Readability and interest; knowledge and comprehension of texts and objectives; development of thematic organization in essay.

Research Report

Format requirements

Title: Give your report a title

Length: approximately 4-6 paragraphs (depending on style, length, etc.)

Time: 1-1.5 hours (or more)

Assignment description: Write a complete report describing your research and learning concerning your chosen subject.

·        Student is responsible for having researched at least four sources on the subject before the exam.

·        Organize the information you found and review how you may use it, either in your college career, teaching, or personal development.

·        The emphasis is on information, not opinion and analysis, though some summary and evaluation is welcome and expected. It's a report foremost.

·        You are encouraged to connect your findings to course objectives or texts.

Default organization: You're writing on the spot and finals are read quickly. The path of least resistance is to describe and unify your report as a "quest" or "journey of learning."

Works Cited / Bibliography: Include a list of your major research sources (at least four).

• MLA style is preferred, but other standard forms are acceptable. Don't spend too much time fussing over forms when you should be feeling impassioned over your subject.

• Here's my test for a listing: Would I be able to track it down using the information provided?

• You may use previous research reports for 1 or 2 of your sources

Previous research reports:

LITR 4333 2006 research reports

LITR 4333 2007 research proposals

Evaluation standards: Readability, competence levels, and interest.

• Readability: Your reader must be able to process what you're reporting. Given the pressures of a timed writing exercise, some rough edges are acceptable, but chronic errors or elementary style can hurt.
   

• Competence levels: quality of your research and comprehension of your subject
   

• Interest: Make your reader *want* to process your report. Make the information meaningful; make it matter to our study of literature and culture.