HISTORY 2301 TEXAS HISTORY Blinn College Bryan Campus SYLLABUS SPRING 2012 Instructor: Charlene Vance Office Number: A-216 Sections: 320 & 330 Office Hours: MW 1:15-2:30 Email: www. charlene.vance@blinn.edu Webpage: www.blinn.edu/brazos/socialscience/hist/cvance COURSE DESCRIPTION: Texas history 2301 is a survey of the history of Texas from prehistory of the state to the present time. Emphasis is placed on the periods of European exploration, Anglo-American settlement, the Texas Revolution and Republic, and the development of a modern state. The cultural, economic, ethnic, political and social history will be studied. PREREQUISITES: There are no prerequisites. CORE CURRICULUM COURSE: This is a Core Course in the 42-Hour Core of Blinn College. As such, students will develop proficiency in the appropriate Intellectual Competencies, Exemplary Educational Objectives, and Perspectives. The URL for the Blinn College Core Curriculum web site is: www.blinn.edu/corecurriculum.htm COURSE OBJECTIVES and STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES: After successfully completing History 2301, Texas History from prehistory to the present, students should have a working knowledge of the following: Illustrate the various geographic regions of Texas Classify the Indian tribes of Texas Examine the Spanish exploration and colonization of Texas and its impact on the area. Explain the influx of Anglo-Americans into Mexican Texas Classify the causes of the Texas Revolution and detail the major events of 1835-1836 Relate the successes and failures of the Republic of Texas and the political factions of Sam Houston and his opponents Assess the causes of the annexation of Texas and its place in the American Union prior to 1860 Appraise the involvement of Texas in the Civil War and the impact of the war upon the state Demonstrate the development of Texas from a rural and agrarian state to an urban and modern state
COURSE OUTLINE Chapter 1 Geography and Indians Chapter 9---Pioneer Institutions Chapter 2 Spanish Exploration and Colonization Chapter 10---Secession and Civil Chapter 3---Spanish Texas, 1763-1821 War Chapter 4---Mexican Texas Chapter 11---Reconstruction Chapter 5---Prelude to the Revolution 19 th & 20 th century Cattle Industry Chapter 6---The Texas Revolution 20 th Century Agriculture Chapter 7---The Republic of Texas 19 th & 20 th century Oil Industry Chapter 8---Early Statehood Texas Rangers Law Enforcement Chapter 20---Republican Texas TEXTBOOKS, SUPPLIES, MATERIALS: Textbook: Texas: The Lone Star State, Richardson, 10 th edition. (required) Reader: A Lone Star Reader, Swanlund and Bane, 1 st edition. (required) CIVILITY STATEMENT: Members of the Blinn College community, which includes faculty, staff, and students, are expected to act honestly and responsibly in all aspects of campus life. Blinn College holds all members accountable for their actions and words. Therefore, all members should commit themselves to behave in a manner that recognizes personal respect and demonstrates concern for the personal dignity, rights, and freedoms of every member of the college community, including respect for college property and the physical and intellectual property of others. If a student is asked to leave the classroom because of uncivil behavior, the student may not return to that class until he/she arranges a conference with the instructor. It is the student s responsibility to arrange for this conference. ATTENDANCE POLICY: The College District believes that class attendance is essential for student success; therefore, students are required to promptly and regularly attend all their classes. Each class meeting builds the foundation for subsequent class meetings. Without full participation and regular class attendance, students shall find themselves at a severe disadvantage for achieving success in college. Class participation shall constitute at least ten percent of the final course grade. It is the responsibility of each faculty member, in consultation with the division chair, to determine how participation is achieved in his or her class. Faculty will require students to regularly attend class and will keep a record of attendance from the first day of class and/or the first day the student s name appears on the roster through final examinations. If a student has one week s worth of unexcused absences during the semester, he/she will be sent an e-mail by the College requiring the student to contact his/her instructor and schedule a conference immediately to discuss his/her attendance issues. If the student accumulates two weeks worth of unexcused absences, he/she will be administratively withdrawn from class. Email notices will be sent to your Blinn email account (see further information). There are only four forms of excused absences recognized by the college. Other absences may be excused at the discretion of the faculty and will require valid written documentation immediately upon return to class in order to be excused.
ADA STATEMENT: Blinn College is dedicated to providing the least restrictive learning environment for all students. Support services for students with documented disabilities are provided on an individual basis, upon request. Requests for services should be made directly to the Office of Disability Services serving the campus of your choice. For the Bryan Campus, the Office of Disability Services (Administration Building) can be reached at (979) 209-7251. Additional information can be found at www.blinn.edu/disability. Reasonable accommodations will be made for documented disabilities. Students must present documentation as soon as possible, so the instructor can arrange the proper learning environment. STUDENT DRESS CODE: Blinn College students are expected to dress following generally accepted community standards of neatness, cleanliness, modesty, and good taste. Shoes must be worn. Spandex, form-fitting apparel is not acceptable. Outer garments should cover under garments. Scanty, revealing clothing is not appropriate. Apparel with suggestive or obscene writing and/or indecent graphics may not be worn on the campus. The right and responsibility to determine the appropriateness of the dress of a student lies with the classroom instructor; when the student is outside the classroom, with the immediate supervisor of the building. An instructor may require specific appropriate dress of students giving presentations or speeches of any type when representing the College anywhere. When a student is informed that their clothing is inappropriate, the student must leave and change clothing or agree not to wear such clothing again, as the instructor directs. ELECTRONIC DEVICE POLICY All functions of all personal electronic devices designed for communication and/or entertainment (cell phones, pagers, beepers, ipods, laptops, and similar devices) must be turned off and kept out of sight in all Blinn College classrooms and associated laboratories. Any noncompliance with this policy will be addressed in accordance with the Blinn College Civility Policy (Administrative Policy).. Students exempted from this policy include active members of firefighting organizations, emergency medical services, commissioned police officers, on-call employees of any political subdivision of the State of Texas, or agencies of the federal government. Exempted students are expected to set the emergency-use devices on silent or vibrate mode only. Additionally, any communication understood by the instructor to be in the nature of cheating will have consequences in accordance with the Blinn College policy section regarding academic dishonesty Any student violating these policies shall be subject to the removal of the device, discipline, including suspension, in accordance with Administrative Policy. OTHER POLICIES: No food or drinks in the classroom. Blinn College does not tolerate cheating, plagiarism or collusion. Procedures for dealing with these acts are outlined in the Scholastic Dishonesty Policy in the Student Handbook.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS: Students are required to attend class; read the textbook; take notes during lectures; take quizzes (announced and unannounced); write one essay (which will count as one exam grade); and take 3 major exams including a comprehensive final exam. In addition to textbook material and videos, students may be assigned articles in the reader, A Lone Star Reader. Knowledge of this information will be demonstrated by answering questions or taking a quiz. CRITERIA FOR GRADING: The semester grade will be calculated as follows: Exam #1, 20% Exam #2, 20%; Exam #3, 20%; Exam #4, (Final Exam Comprehensive), 20% Essay, 10%; Daily participation grade (the average of homework assignments, questions, and quizzes), 10%. Extra credit assignments will be done at the discretion of the student all or none. (See suggestions on the next page) OTHER ESSENTIAL INFORMATION: MAKEUP WORK: Students may make up major exams and will have 5 class days to do so, after which time the student will receive a 0. It is the student's responsibility to contact the instructor and arrange to take a makeup. To take a make-up, students must have an excused absence, requiring written documentation. Students may not make up homework, quizzes, or in-class assignments. Those are part of the class participation grade and the student s presence in class is required. There are normally 8-10 grades; however, two or three of the lowest class participation grades will be dropped at the end of the semester. No makeup will be given for the final exam. Students must take the final at the scheduled time or receive an O.
EXTRA CREDIT: Students may visit one or more of the following sites and turn in a two-page, typed paper describing the exhibits plus a ticket or picture to confirm the visit. (5 points each) Extra credit may be submitted through the day of the last class before the final exam. Extra Credit is like adding points to an exam grade; it is done at the end of the semester. (1) Texas Ranger Museum (Waco). (2) Texas Sports Hall of Fame (Waco). (3) The Star of the Republic Museum (Washington-on-the-Brazos) (4) Texas State History Museum (Austin). (5) The George Bush Presidential Library and Museum (College Station). (6) Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History (Bryan). (7) The Alamo and other attractions in the city (San Antonio). (8) San Jacinto Monument Battlefield and Museum (Houston). (9) Lecture on Davy Crockett by Michael Wallis, author of the new biography of Crockett; February 28, 5:00PM, Banquet Room (Blinn College, Bryan Campus). (10) If students have other suggestions, please see professor for approval. TENTATIVE EXAM/ESSAY SCHEDULE: (Not Carved in Stone) February 13----------------------------------------- Exam #1 March 7 --------------------------------------------- Exam #2 April 2------------------------------------------------ Essay Due April 9------------------------------------------------- Exam #3 May 2---------------------------------------------------Extra Credit Due May 8-------------------------------------------------- Exam #4 Final Exam 12:45-2:45 (Section 320) 3:15-5:15 (Section 330) OTHER IMPORTANT DATES: January 20--------------------------------------------Last day to register or change classes March 12-16----------------------------------------- Spring Break Holiday April 6------------------------------------------------- Good Friday Holiday April 13-------------------------------------------------Last day for students to Q Drop. A student dropping/being dropped after this date will receive a QF for the semester. May 2---------------------------------------------------Last day classes meet May 3---------------------------------------------------Final Exams begin
STUDENT EMAIL ACCOUNTS: Each Blinn student has been assigned an Email account. The address to access your account and instructions for use can be located at: www.blinn.edu/acadtech/studentemail/index. Students should check emails regularly for messages from Blinn College and/or your professors. Urgent Message From Your Professor: Some of you will be absent unavoidability this semester but still responsible for the lecture you missed. Find someone with whom you can share notes in that event. Make a friend, find a buddy, introduce yourself, exchange phone numbers and/or email addresses for that purpose or for any other purpose you might have in mind. Do not wait until you are absent. I make my lecture notes available to no one! No exceptions! So, find a buddy now!