midterm exam

The midterm exam is a timed writing that requires writers to make an argument using evidence from two assigned texts. During the one-hour-and-fifty-minute exam period, each student writes an essay based in part on Ta-Nehisi Coates' "The Case for Reparations" and in part on a very brief (one-page) piece of writing that will be handed out in class on the day of the exam. Students are expected to summarize the main points of each piece of writing and to take a stand on an issue raised by the reading. The exam requires the use of quotations from both readings and the use of in-text citations.

The midterm exam is modeled on the departmental final exam and is intended, in part, to prepare students for the exam at the end of the semester. Ample review time is provided in class.

How does this get graded?

The midterm exam will be graded with a letter grade only, no comments, just like the final exam. Grades will be uploaded to Blackboard as soon as class sets are done, probably at some point during the weekend of October 29-30.

After the exam, I will email students with "A" level papers for permission to use their papers as models for reviewing with the class. (Don't forget to check your email after the exam; you might be in for a happy surprise!)

The evaluation criteria for this exam are based on the grading standards used by the English department for the ENG 11 final exam.

To see what an "A" exam looks like, download this PDF of Gabrielle Parham's midterm. Beautiful work, Gabrielle, and thanks for sharing!