Division of Arts & Sciences Syllabus for Instructor: Eric Owens Office Phone: 882-3385 E-Mail Address: eric.owens@lsco.edu Office Hours: MWF 7:30 AM 8:00 AM Office Location: AC 117A MWF 9:00 AM 10:00 AM MW 11:00 AM 12:00 Noon TR 8:45 AM 11:00 AM And by Appointment Course: Section 01, MWF 8:00 8:50 AM AC 124 Section 02, MWF 10:00 10:50 AM AC 105 Section 80, desire2learn Course Description: Catalog: This course provides a survey of United States history from the revolutionary period through reconstruction. General: This is a three credit-hour academic survey course designed to provide the student with a broad foundation of historical knowledge of American history beginning chronologically about 1400 and continuing through 1877. This course will survey the nation s political, social, cultural, diplomatic, economic, and ethnic history. By the end of the semester, the student should have a workable knowledge of the major individuals, events, and ideas that have shaped the nation s history. In addition, by attending lectures, doing the assigned reading and homework assignments, and preparing for and taking quizzes and examinations, the student should also improve their critical thinking, analytical, and writing skills. Credit Transfer: Students must check in advance with the particular college to which they plan to transfer credit. According to Texas state rules, this course is transferable to any state institution. Prerequisites: Before registering for this class, students must satisfy all requirements for TSI (The Texas Success Initiative). Required Textbooks: James L. Roark, et al, The American Promise: A Compact History, 4 th edition Kenneth S. Greenberg, Honor & Slavery: Lies, Duels, Noses, Masks, Dressing as a Woman, Gifts, Strangers, Humanitarianism, Death, Slave Rebellions, the Proslavery Argument, Baseball, Hunting and Gambling in the Old South Supplementary Materials: 4 examination blue books (traditional classes only, provided to instructor in advance of exams)
Course Objectives: Upon completion of the course the student will be able to: Synthesize historical material organized by causes, results, and factual data base. Employ the appropriate methods, technologies, and data that social and behavioral scientists use to investigate the human condition Examine social institutions and processes across a range of historical periods, social structures, and cultures. Analyze the effects of historical, social, political, economic, cultural, and global forces on the area under study. Comprehend the origins and evolution of the U.S. and Texas political systems, with a focus on the growth of political institutions, the constitutions of the U.S. and Texas federalism, civil liberties, and civil and human rights. Demonstrate critical thinking skills as evidenced by the ability to analyze facts, synthesize factual information, and evaluate opinions in light of the facts presented throughout this course. Course Outline Unit One Chapter 1: Ancient America: Before 1492 Chapter 2: Europeans Encounter the New World, 1492-1600 Chapter 3: The Southern Colonies in the Seventeenth Century, 1601-1700 Chapter 4: The Northern Colonies in the Seventeenth Century, 1601-1700 Unit Two Chapter 5: Colonial America in the Eighteenth Century, 1701-1770 Chapter 6: The British Empire and the Colonial Crisis, 1754-1775 Chapter 7: The War for America, 1775-1783 Chapter 8: Building a Republic, 1775-1789 Unit Three Chapter 9: The New Nation Takes Form, 1789-1800 Chapter 10: Republicans in Power, 1800-1824 Chapter 11: The Expanding Republic, 1815 1840 Chapter 12: The New West and Free North, 1840-1860 Unit Four Chapter 13: The Slave South, 1820-1860 Chapter 14: The House Divided, 1846 1861 Chapter 15: The Crucible of War, 1861-1865 Chapter 16: Reconstruction, 1863 1877 Critical Thinking Critical thinking is a process involving higher order thinking skills. These skills include, but are not limited to, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of factual information. Lamar State College Orange Advances Critical Thinking Skills (LSC-O ACTS) through assignments of varying natures within the course that are designed to challenge and improve the student s critical thinking processes. In this course, HIST 1301, students will demonstrate the critical thinking components of exploration and explanation by writing a critical book review. All student writing in a college level history course will demonstrate the student s mastery of analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of the particular historical question or concept appropriate to the assignment. A well cultivated critical thinker 1 : Raises vital questions and problems, formulating them clearly and precisely; Gathers and assesses relevant information, using abstract ideas to interpret it effectively; Comes to well-reasoned conclusions and solutions, testing them against relevant criteria and standards; Thinks open-mindedly within alternative systems of thought, recognizing and assessing, as need be, their assumptions, implications, and practical consequences; and Communicates effectively with others in figuring out solutions to complex problems. 1 Paul, Richard & Elder, Linda (2005). The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking Concepts & Tools. Dillon Beach: The Foundation for Critical Thinking. 2
Evaluation Method: Making Connections Essay = 200 points (13.33%) A = 1350 + ( > 90%) Book Review = 300 points (20%) B = 1200 1349 (80-89%) Assignments = 170 points (11.33%) C = 1050 1199 (70-79%) Discussion Boards = 60 points (4%) D = 900 1049 (60-69%) Chapter Quizzes = 360 points (24%) F = 899 and below (59% and below) Exam #1 = 90 points (6%) Exam #2 = 90 points (6%) Exam #3 = 90 points (6%) Final Exam = 140 points (9.33%) Total Points Possible: 1500 Chapter quizzes will consist of 15 multiple choice questions, worth two points each. There are a total of 16 chapter quizzes available in Desire2Learn; only the top twelve quizzes count towards the final grade (the lowest four are dropped ). Students may attempt each quiz up to a maximum of TWO times before the deadline; the highest score is what will be used in calculating grades. Students have a 20-minute time limit for each attempt. Details of the book review assignment and homework assignments will be posted on Desire2Learn. Students in all classes will be submitting homework via Desire2Learn. Students are required to write one response of 200+ words to the discussion board questions that have been posted for each of the four units of the course (one per unit). These discussion board postings must be posted no later than the due date for the unit. You will receive ten (10) points per response, up to a maximum of 40. In addition, you must offer five (5) comments or responses of 50+ words to any 5 answers of your classmates (one per unit). These critiques should be posted within one day of the end of the unit to which the question applied. Students will receive 5 points per response (up to a maximum of 20 points) for their comments of classmates' answers. Students must complete one Making Connections essay (questions found at end of each chapter) at a minimum performance level of 70% by the end of the semester. Essays for each chapter are due on the same date as the chapter quiz due date. Students scoring below 70% will be required to continue to write additional essays until reaching the minimum performance threshold. Students requiring more than one attempt to meet the minimum performance threshold will receive a maximum score of 70%. Students unable to meet the minimum performance threshold will receive a score of ZERO for the assignment. The goal of this exercise is to provide those whose writing skills are in greatest need of attention the opportunity to improve their writing to an acceptable college level by the end of the semester. Students enrolled in online classes will take exams online during a two-week window during which the exam will be available; students enrolled in traditional classes will take examinations in blue books in class on the date indicated (these blue books must be provided to the instructor in advance). Exams will consist of the following: 3 of the Review Questions at the end of the indicated chapters of the textbook, to which the students must provide a one-paragraph answer (students will have 5 questions to choose from); AND 3 Identifications terms from the Key Terms at the end of the indicated chapters of the textbook, to which the students must provide a one-paragraph description (students will have 5 terms to choose from). The final exam will also include an essay question. Policy on a Grade Incomplete: The grade of I may be given when any requirement of the course, including the final examination, is not completed with instructor approval. Arrangements to complete deficiencies in a course must be made with the instructor. Incomplete work must be finished during the next long semester; if not, the Admissions and Records Office must change an I grade to the grade of F. The course must then be repeated, if credit is desired. An I grade also automatically becomes an F if the student registers for the course before removing the deficiencies and receiving a grade change. The instructor may record the grade of F for a student who is absent from the final examination and/or is not passing the course. A student must complete at least 75% of the coursework before being eligible for consideration for a grade of I. 3
Procedure for Review of Test Grades: If the student has an issue about his/her grade, the instructor must be contacted no later than seven (7) days after receiving the grade. The instructor will not reevaluate grades on the same date that the quiz/exam is returned to students. Course Assignment & Examination Schedule (all assignments due by 11:59 PM Central Time on the due date): Please note that there is no coursework due until the fourth week of the semester. This is to allow students time to acquire their textbooks. At that time, all work for the first two chapters will be due, with two more to follow the next week, so students are strongly encouraged to start working as soon as those texts are acquired. Where a chapter is indicated in the schedule below, this means that all of the following must be completed by that date: the chapter quiz; any Making Connections essay submissions for that chapter; and any discussion board postings for that chapter. Note that dates exclusive to traditional classes are in BOLD, while dates exclusive to online classes are in ITALICS. Tuesday, September 14 Chapter 1, Chapter 2 Homework: Justifying Conquest (30 points) Wednesday, September 15 Exam #1 (Chapters 1 4) window opens for online classes Tuesday, September 21 Chapter 3, Chapter 4 Homework: Virginia Laws Governing Servants and Slaves (30 points) Friday, September 24 Exam #1 (Chapters 1 4) for traditional classes Tuesday, September 28 Chapter 5 Exam #1 (Chapters 1 4) window closes for online classes Tuesday, October 5 Chapter 6 Tuesday, October 12 Chapter 7 Wednesday, October 13 Exam #2 (Chapters 5 8) window opens for online classes Tuesday, October 19 Chapter 8 Friday, October 22 Exam #2 (Chapters 5 8) for traditional classes Tuesday, October 26 Chapter 9 Homework: Founding Friendship (50 points) Exam #2 (Chapters 5 8) window closes for online classes Tuesday, November 2 Chapter 10 Tuesday, November 9 Chapter 11 Wednesday, November 10 Exam #3 (Chapters 9 12) window opens for online classes Tuesday, November 16 Chapter 12 Friday, November 19 Exam #3 (Chapters 9 12) for traditional classes 4
Tuesday, November 23 Chapter 13 Homework: Defending Slavery (30 points) Exam #3 (Chapters 9 12) window closes for online classes Monday, November 29 Book Review of Honor & Slavery due for all classes Tuesday, November 30 Chapter 14 Wednesday, December 1 Final Exam (Chapters 13 16) window opens for online classes Tuesday, December 7 Chapter 15 Friday, December 10 Final Exam (Chapter 13 16) for HIST 1301-01 8 to 10 AM Final Exam (Chapter 13 16) for HIST 1301-02 12:30 to 2:30 PM Tuesday, December 14 Chapter 16 Homework: The Meaning of Freedom (30 points) Final Exam (Chapters 13 16) window closes for online classes Make-up Policy: Make-ups of QUIZZES will only be considered in the case of certifiable personal emergency (i.e., illhealth, family crises, etc.). Such crisis must be documented (i.e., doctor s note), or else a make-up will not be permitted. It is the student s responsibility to promptly arrange to make-up a missed quiz. The instructor reserves the right to not permit a make-up if arrangements for a make-up are not made within one week of the original quiz date. Students cannot drop an EXAM from their semester grade; a student missing an exam without a certifiable personal emergency (as defined above) will lose the right to select questions on the exam; that is, students will be faced with an exam on which they will have to answer all of the questions. LATE HOMEWORK: All homework assignments turned in after the due date will be subject to a 30% penalty. No late work will be accepted more than one week after the original due date. Classroom Policies: I expect students to be professional, respectful, and courteous at all times. To be more specific, these expectations include but are not limited to the following: 1. No napping, sleeping, or daydreaming in the classroom. 2. After an in-class exam has begun, students may not depart the room under any circumstances until the exam is completed; students leaving the room will be considered as having completed the exam. 3. No studying for other classes during this class. 4. No talking in class to the distraction of others or the instructor. 5. Set your cell phone to non-ringing mode. 6. Make every effort to arrive at class on time. 7. Barring medical emergency, stay for the entire class period. 8. Students departing before class is dismissed will be counted absent regardless of the circumstances. 9. No listening to ipods or MP3 players during the class period. 10. No consumption of alcoholic beverages in the classroom. 5
Attendance: Attendance (in traditional classes) will be taken daily via a seating chart. At the end of the course, those students who have missed three or fewer classes (i.e., one week or less) will receive a 30-point bonus (2% of the semester total). THERE ARE NO EXCUSED ABSENCES. There is indisputable evidence that a direct correlation exists between class attendance and student success. Doing well in this course without regularly attending class periods is extremely unlikely. Upon the student s seventh absence of the semester (i.e., over two weeks), 30 points (2% of the course total) will be deducted from the final course grade. Tardiness: Occasional tardiness is understandable and, to some extent, permissible; however, habitual tardiness is counterproductive to class discipline and morale and will be punished. Three times tardy to class will count as one absence. After five tardies, 30 points (2% of the course total) will be deducted from the final average. Students incurring a deduction of points for tardies will be ineligible for the attendance incentive. Withdrawals and Drops: 9/27 Last day to drop or withdraw from semester without academic penalty. Last day to petition for No Grade. 11/1 Last day to drop or withdraw from semester. Never attending or ceasing to attend classes DOES NOT constitute a withdrawal or drop. You remain registered until you file a Drop/Withdrawal Form at the Registrar's Office by the appropriate deadlines. Failure to act in a timely manner will result in an "F" grade for the course. It is the student's responsibility to turn in all Drop/Withdrawal Forms and follow up to ensure that they were processed as desired. Instructor-Initiated Drop: The instructor reserves the right to drop a student for repeated violations of the classroom policies or for acts of academic dishonesty. Academic Honesty: LSCO will not tolerate cheating or plagiarism. Plagiarism is defined as "taking and using as one's own the writings or ideas of another." Any student caught cheating or plagiarizing, or aiding another student in cheating or plagiarizing on a quiz, test, individual assignment, or examination will be subject to a penalty, ranging (depending on the severity of the offense), from a zero on the quiz/exam/assignment in question, to failure for the course. Students subject to penalty due to academic dishonesty have the right to appeal to the department chair and eventually to the dean and/or academic vice president before imposition of the penalty. Student with Disabilities: A request for special accommodations must be made through the ADA Counselor and the appropriate form submitted to the instructor two weeks in advance of need. Any student with a verifiable learning or physical disability who requires special accommodations is encouraged to speak to the instructor in private regarding his/her special accommodations need. Disruptive Behavior: Classroom behavior should not interfere with the instructor s ability to conduct the class or the ability of other students to learn from the instructional program. Unacceptable or disruptive behavior will not be tolerated. Students engaging in unacceptable behavior may be instructed to leave the classroom. Inappropriate behavior may result in disciplinary action. This prohibition applies to all instructional forums, including electronic, classroom, labs, discussion groups, field trips, etc. Children in the Classroom: The LSCO Student Handbook specifies that no children under the age of 15 are allowed in the classroom or the hallways. Syllabus Content: The instructor reserves the right to make changes to this syllabus, if deemed necessary. All changes will be provided to the students orally or in writing before the implementation of the change. 6