History 103 / Online
Exam Essay – Study Guide
General
Information:
- This
exam essay is worth 30 points.
- It is
due by at the time of the exam on October 7. If sent by email, the essay
but be submitted by 8 pm, October 7.
- Send
the essay via email to soliver@cerritos.edu.
Be sure that your essay can be accessed by Microsoft Word. If in doubt,
send in the body of the email. And include your full name and class (8 am
or 11 am) in the Subject box.
- Late
essays not accepted.
- Your essay
will need to be between 400 – 600 words.
Otherwise, you will not have answered the question completely.
Please proof read and use the “spell check” feature in your word
processor.
- Typed
essays are preferred. If handwritten be sure that your handwritten works
is legible and write the essay in either blue or black ink. .
Exam Information:
Shown below are two exam questions. You are to select one of these topics. It
would be wise to select the topic that you know the most about and/or that most
interests you.
To write a successful exam essay, you should:
- Spend
the time necessary to organize your information and ideas before
writing. It would be wise to
outline the contents of the essay before writing. .
- Be
sure you understand the exam question and the kinds of information that
are required in the essay. If you
need clarification contact or meet with Susan Oliver. . soliver@cerritos.edu
- Pay
attention to the recommended outline for the exam essay
- Be
sure to incorporate the recommended resources for the essay.
- Write
the essay in your own words. You
are free to quote information from the sources, but be sure to cite the
source by using MLA style.
- MOST
IMPORTANT: NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE TO WRITE THE EXAM ESSAY.
Exam
Essays
[Lewis Hine and Social Reform] [World War I:
Censorship and Propaganda]
Select ONE of the
following topics:
Essay
One: Lewis Hine Argues for Social Reform:
Question: In a
well-documented, organized essay, evaluate the efforts of Lewis Hine as a
social reformer in the Progressive reform era. This essay should demonstrate
the ways he used his camera to make an argument to end child labor. For this you are asked to evaluate his
motivations to work for the National Child Labor Committee and to analyze two photographs
he took for that committee.
Recommended
Organization of Essay: To write a
well documented, organized essay, consider this following format and
recommended sources.
Paragraph 1:
Introduction:
- Restate
the question.
- Provide
a brief overview of the contents of the essay
- Your
thesis statement or point of view
Historical context:
paragraphs 2 & 3:
- Paragraph 2: Historical Context:
overview of social reform efforts in the Progressive Reform Era. Include (1) a brief definition of the
Progressive Reform era (dates, approach, consequences) and the definition
and/or assumptions of social reformers. (Sources: Textbook, “American Stories” and “The
Social Justice Movement; relevant lectures; website: Progressive
Era Reform).
- Paragraph 3: Description of social
reform photography in the progressive reform era. (Sources: Recovering the Past, Chapter
21, textbook; the website, Lewis
Hine ; Video Clip on Lewis Hine)
Body Paragraphs:
Lewis Hine, as a photographer and reformer.
In these paragraphs you will provide an evaluation of Hine’s rationale,
as a reformer, to document the abuses of child labor.
- Sources: Information from the video excerpt
and from the information used for quiz on Lewis Hine, and the specific
sources listed below.
- Section / Paragraph 4 (one or more
paragraphs): Lewis Hine, as a social reformer and photographer.
(Source: About
Lewis Hine: This is the source
of photographs includes photographs that you can use in the essay. This website also includes information
about his motivation and the consequences of his efforts)
- Section / Paragraph 5: (one or two
paragraphs) analysis of two photographs taken by Hine for the National
Child Labor Committee. Feel free to
include images with the essay.
Otherwise provide the caption information about the photograph, so
that it is clear which photograph you are evaluating. (Source: About
Lewis Hine: Specifically see Hine’s
Photographs.)
Conclusion: Provide a summary of your essay. Offer your own opinion about Lewis Hine and the
value of his work.
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Essay
Two: World War I: Censorship and Propaganda
Question: It is 1925. You are a consultant for an independent
organization that monitors and investigates the federal government’s public
polices. Your expertise is evaluating the objectivity of information that is
distributed by the government to the American people. Your company has been hired by the U.S.
congress to conduct a study on the actions and policies of the Committee on
Public Information (CPI), the agency created by President Woodrow Wilson to
manage and shape distribution of information to the American people during
World I. The purpose of this study is to
determine whether the CPI used appropriate policies in World War I or whether
its actions ignored the rights of individuals and publications which are
guaranteed by the Bill of Rights.
As a consultant, you realized that your study must include
three things:
- First
you must take into account that America’s entry into World War
I in 1917 did not have broad-based public support.
- Second,
you must provide a thorough, objective evaluation of CPI’s decisions (1)
to censor photographs of World War I that documented the violence of the
war and (2) to focus wartime posters on themes that illustrated the values
of American democracy.
- Third
you must provide guidelines about the use of censorship and propaganda by
the federal government during the times of war and national emergencies.
Recommended Approach
and Organization of the Essay:
Approach:
Obviously, the essay question asks for you to role play. This means that you must evaluate the use of
censorship and propaganda in World War I from the point of view of that
historical time, not today. That does
not mean, however, that your conclusions (recommendations as the consultant)
need to support the actions and policies of the CPI. But a critique of these actions and policies
must be backed up with an argument supported by examples and evidence.
Recommended Organization
of the Essay: A consultant’s study
is organized much the same way as a critical essay. Shown below is a recommended approach. Also, sources that are relevant to these
sections are noted. However, it is not a
requirement that you use all these sources, but some are essential.
Section/ Paragraph 1:
Introduction:
- Restate
the purpose of the study. (restate the question)
- Provide
a brief overview of the contents of your study
- A
brief statement that reflects your conclusions and recommendations. (Note:
you will need to work through the analysis before you know what these
conclusions and reformations will be.
Section 2 (one to two
paragraphs): Historical context (chapter
22)
Note that at the start of WWI, Wilson declared American neutrality. Then
provide a short description of why Wilson
decided to declare war in 1917. Why did he link the war effort to “making the
world safe for democracy”? Why wasn’t there broad-based support for America’s participation in World War I within
the United States
in 1917? (Source: Deciding for
War,).
Section 3: Establishment
of the Committee on Public Information.
This should be a short
summary that tells why the CPI was established and some basic
information about its approach. (Sources:
“A Patriotic Crusade; Reliving the Past.
Also useful are Propaganda,
The Committee on Public Information; and Committee
on Public Information/Creel Commission.)
Section 4: This
should be the longest and most detailed section of your study (essay). It will
be an analysis of actions of the CPI regarding censorship and propaganda and
include detailed examples. In this
section you build your case, as a consultant, for your analysis of the CPI and
recommendations for the future.
- Part 1: Analysis of censorship of
photographs. As a consultant, the question
you must address is the same as the one addressed by the video clip. Review the video clip a couple of times
and consider the comments made by those interviewed. Select a censored photograph from this
video clip and a photograph from Images
of War. Consider each answer
the following questions: Would the
American public in World War I been better served if it had seen violent
images of war? In the case of a war
in the future (remember your work is in 1925) would it be wiser to publish
images of violence as well as positive images of the military? In
answering these questions, use the photographs to back up your
conclusions. (Sources: video
clip on WWI; comments in online discussion)
- Part 2: Analysis of wartime propaganda posters. Review the posters. Pick two. Provide an analysis of the theme of
each, who or what is represented, how/why this poster reflects how
Americans define democracy. In this
case, you are to assess whether the themes are appropriate or merely an
effort to “sale the war” to the American public. (Sources:
Fighting
For Freedom in World War I.)
- George
Creel’s “How We Advertised America.”
To determine the approach and rationale toward censorship and
propaganda, consider the statements made by Creel. Keep in mind that you do not need to
agree with him on issues of censorship and propaganda.
Section 4: Your
recommendations for future policy on the issues of censorship and propaganda by
the federal government in time of war or national emergency.
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