(View this page with Japanese pop-up translation: English => 日本語. From Popjisyou.com)
The final exam is worth 30% of your grade and consists of one essay question based on a topic you have researched.
(1) Choose an American leader (political, religious, business) or social activist and discuss his or her contribution to American society.
(2) Choose an American artist, musician, writer or other cultural figure who has made a contribution to his or her field.
Download a list of American leaders. You may choose one for your exam essay.
You will prepare a draft of the essay by doing Internet and library research.
You will also make an outline of the essay on one side of an A4 size paper. On the other side of the paper, you will write the sources for your research. You can bring only the outline to the exam and use it to help you write your essay. Download an example outline and source list (PDF 80 KB)
The essay draft should include:
(1) A title which gives a clear idea of the main point in the essay
(2) An introduction which chooses facts from the person’s life to help introduce the specific topic and the main idea of the essay
(3) A thesis statement placed at the end of the introduction paragraph should focus on an important accomplishment.
(4) Two or more body paragraphs should discuss the person’s life and accomplishments in some detail before focusing on something specific about your leader (achievement, contribution, innovation, etc.). Each paragraph should begin with a clear topic sentence about ht person’s life or special achievement.
(5) The conclusion should begin by restating the thesis and then summarizing the main points (the topic sentences in each body paragraph). The conclusion might also widen its focus: it could give your own opinion about the person and his or her accomplishments or discuss in a more general way the person’s importance in American society and culture.
Download Model Essay 1 (with Outline and Sources), “Bob Dylan’s Music and the Civil Rights Movement, 1962-1964” (PDF Format 90 KB)
Download Model Essay 2, “Buckminster Fuller: The Father of the Geodesic Dome” (PDF format, 66KB)
Doing Your Research
You should use reliable sources of information. Wikipedia may be a good place to start your research, but it is not generally a reliable source of information. The sources that you consult should have been created by experts (professional historians, researchers) or organizations (universities, museums, libraries, etc.).
You can also use sources in Japanese, but you will find that English sources will be more helpful by providing important vocabulary, special terms, collocations and useful expressions.
That said, you should not copy information from these sources. Copied, or plagiarized, essays will receive a grade of 0.
A good place to begin your research, for example, is the Internet Public Library.
Another useful source is the Voice of America homepage and its Learning English programs, which focus on American history, culture and current events.
Download Model Essay 1 (with Outline and Sources), “Bob Dylan’s Music and the Civil Rights Movement, 1962-1964” (PDF Format 90 KB)
Download Model Essay 2, “Buckminster Fuller: The Father of the Geodesic Dome” (PDF format, 66KB)