U.S. History: Reconstruction to the Early 21st Century — Sample exam

Parent / teacher answer key

Course-authored written history assessment with a worked key. Use two 50-minute blocks for the midterm, three for the final, or one 60-minute block for the sample. Allow additional time for accessibility and marking. The sample is an optional rehearsal, not an additional required exam.

8 questions · 24 points · suggested 60 minutes

Student instructions

Tasks are course-authored teaching cases. Unnamed letters, advertisements, accounts, and practice figures are illustrative scenarios, not claimed original records or historical quotations. Distinguish them from the separately cited original excerpts in chapter workshops.
Use the supplied evidence and reference notes; a dictionary and timeline are permitted.
Write a short reasoned response for each task; equivalent supported explanations are accepted.
Distinguish facts, source assertions, and interpretations.
Keep worked keys closed until after your attempt.

Historical inquiry reference notes

Task	Method
Context	Identify period, place, institutions, and relevant earlier developments.
Source	Identify creator, date, audience, purpose, and scope.
Causation	Explain a mechanism and chronology; distinguish trigger from conditions.
Interpretation	Use evidence, counterevidence, and a qualified conclusion.

Coverage and marks

Chapter	Questions	Points
Reconstruction, Land & Historical Inquiry	1	3
Industry, Migration & Urban Life	2	3
Reform, Empire & Democratic Participation	3	3
World War I, the 1920s & Depression	4	3
World War II, Genocide & Consequences	5	3
Cold War: Systems, Conflicts & Transition	6	3
Civil Rights, Social Change & Public Access	7	3
Recent History, Global Connections & Citizenship	8	3

Name: ____________________ Date: ____________________

Question 1 · 3 points

A family letter mentions relatives offering a room and work contacts in Chicago. Explain how a migration network can lower the risks of moving.

Question 2 · 3 points

A city adds a school building but charges a fee some families cannot afford. Explain the difference between capacity and access.

Question 3 · 3 points

A 1915 telephone advertisement shows a comfortable urban household. What conclusion about rural access is unsupported?

Question 4 · 3 points

A 1935 program excludes an occupation held disproportionately by one group. Explain how a rule without a racial label can still have unequal effects.

Question 5 · 3 points

A textbook calls D-Day the beginning of the Allied war in Europe. Correct the claim.

Question 6 · 3 points

A caption calls the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Correct it.

Question 7 · 3 points

A monument installed in 1925 celebrates an 1880 event. Which two historical contexts should be considered?

Question 8 · 3 points

A student gives a well-supported policy recommendation different from the parent’s preference. What should marking consider?

Revisit the covered chapters

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