HELPFUL HINTS TO STUDENTS INTERESTED IN PREPARING FOR THE UPCOMING FINAL EXAM IN CNST 201 Lec. 1 Fall Term 2005 Dr. T.P. Seiler
The final exam is geared to testing a student's ability to
• Read and listen carefully and critically; • Demonstrate understanding of the major issues social and cultural issues addressed in the assigned text, Profiles of Canada; • Demonstrate understanding of the assigned short stories in terms of the contexts that shaped their production, the times and places they evoke, and the major themes they explore; • Make connections between material studied for this course and contemporary developments in Canadian culture and society.
Given these goals, students can expect an exam that tests their grasp of both significant details and the "big picture." The exam will consist of three parts. The first part requires students to identify the authors of (15) excerpts, each from a different chapter in Profiles of Canada. Each excerpt has been chosen with a view to capturing the central idea of the chapter. Thus, being able to correctly match an author with a passage will demonstrate (to some degree at least) that you understand the argument each author develops. (This part of the exam will be worth 30 points)
The second part is similar to the first. Here students will be asked to identify the authors and titles of (20) excerpts, each from a different short story from The Oxford Book of Canadian Short Stories. The stories have been chosen from among your assigned readings. A list of all of the chapters in Profiles of Canada and of all of the assigned short stories in The Oxford Book of Canadian Short Stories appears at the end of this document, and will be included as the last (double-sided) page in your exam. (This part of the exam will be worth 40 points)
The third part of the exam is a “Capsule Analysis.” In this section, students are asked to choose one of the excerpts presented in either Part I or Part II of the exam, and to use it as a point of departure to provide a brief but insightful summary of (a) the article or (b) the short story from which it is taken. (Two or three well-developed paragraphs should suffice.) Note that your approach to this task will vary somewhat depending on whether you choose to discuss an article or a short story. If you choose to discuss an article, you should contextualize it by briefly explaining the ISSUE the author addresses. Then briefly explain the CENTRAL IDEA (thesis) s/he develops in the article. End by explaining briefly the MAJOR INSIGHT into Canadian society/culture that you have gleaned from reading this particular article.
If you choose to discuss a short story, you should contextualize it briefly by providing some information about the AUTHOR and how this relates to his/her other works, including such information as about when the story was written. Then briefly highlight such KEY FEATURES OF THE STORY as point of view, setting, characterization, plot and tone. Then explain the MAJOR THEME/S that the author explores in this story. End by explaining briefly the MAJOR INSIGHT into Canadian society/culture you may have gleaned from reading this particular story. (This part of the exam will be worth 30 points)
The exam will not be "open book." Consequently, students will not be expected to provide exact quotes to illustrate the points they make in this capsule analysis. However, they will be expected to provide specific examples from the texts they have read to support and illustrate the general points they make.
Note that our final exam takes place on Wednesday, December 21 from 3:30-5:30 in Ed 179.
Note, too, that the final day of class will be devoted to discussing the exam, so come prepared with any questions you may have.
HAPPY STUDYING!
List of Authors and Titles from Profiles of Canada
Kenneth G. Pryke, “A Profile of Canadian History”
Andrew Nurse, “A Profile of Canadian Regionalism”
Bruce W. Hodgins, “The Canadian North”
Len Kuffert, “A Commentary on Some Aspects of Canadian Culture”
Tamara Palmer Seiler, “Model of Virtue or Candidate for Censure: Assessing Canada’s Treatment of Ethnic Minorities”
Heather MacIvor, ”Women in Canada: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back”
Alan Metcalfe, “Sport and Canadian Culture”
Michael Howlett, “Political Institutions and Public Policy”
Stephen Brooks, “Globalization and Its Consequences in Canada”
Yasmeen Abu-Laban, “For Export: Multiculturalism and Globalization”
Patricia A. Monture-Angus, “Organizing against Oppression: Aboriginal Women, Law, and Feminism”
Antonia Maioni, “Canadian Health Care”
Cynthia T. Hahn, “French Language Literature in Canada”
Karen E. Macfarlane, “Issues and Contexts: Canadian Literature in English”
Don Rubin, “Canadian Theatre: Visions and Revisions”
André Loiselle, “Fragments or Persistence of Visions: Continuity in Canadian Film History”
Elaine Keillor, “The Canadian Soundscape”
Sandra Paikowsky, “Canadian Painting”
List of Assigned Stories from The New Oxford Book of Canadian Short Stories in English
Morley Callaghan, “All the Years of her Life” Thomas H. Raddall, “The Wedding Gift” Sinclair Ross, “The Lamp at Noon” Joyce Marshall, “The Old Woman” Hugh Garner, “One-Two-Three Little Indians” Mavis Gallant, “Scarves, Beads, Sandals” Norman Levine, “Something Happened Here” Margaret Laurence, “The Mask of the Bear” James Reaney, “The Bully” Hugh Hood, “Getting to Williamstown” Timothy Findley, “The Duel in Cluny Park” Alice Munro, “The Jack Randa Hotel” Jane Rule, “The End of Summer” Austin C. Clarke, “Griff!” Marian Engel, “Share and Share Alike” Rudy Wiebe, “Where is the Voice Coming From?” Audrey Thomas, ”Bear Country” Alistair MacLeod, ”As Birds Bring Forth the Sun” Barry Callaghan, “The Black Queen” Margaret Atwood, “True Trash” W.D. Valgardson, “God is not a Fish Inspector” Cynthia Flood, “The Meaning of the Marriage” Sandra Birdsell, “Flowers for Weddings and Funerals” Thomas King, “One Good Story, That One” Douglas Glover, “Swain Corliss, Hero of Malcom’s Mills (now Oakland Ontario), November 6, 1814” Katherine Govier, “Sociology” Rohinton Mistry, “The Ghost of Firozsha Baag Neil Bissoondath, “Digging up Mountains”
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