SURVEY OF U. S. HISTORY I HIST 1301, Section 17 254 ELABS (Arts and Humanities) R 7:20-9:50 Dr. Robert Miller robert.miller@utrgv.edu Office: ELABS (ARHU) 344A Office hours: TR 12:30-1:30pm; R 6:00-7:00pm; F 10:00-10:30am; and by appointment Assigned Texts: (available for purchase at UTRGV bookstore or online): John Mack Faragher, et al., Out of Many: A History of the American People, volume I (8 th edition) Course Objectives: Students will be introduced to the discipline of history and will increase their knowledge of United States history. They will examine the social, political, economic, cultural, and intellectual history of the United States from the pre-columbian era to the Civil War/Reconstruction period. As such, students will analyze the origins of the world we live in today, while developing their critical thinking, honing their communication skills, and increasing their understanding of society and culture. Students will think critically about historical narratives and explanations by identifying and evaluating the evidence on which they are based. Through readings, lectures, films, discussions, quizzes, papers, and exams, students will synthesize, interpret, and analyze information. o In lectures, students will work on visual interpretation and note-taking skills. o Discussion portions of class will encourage students to think historically to arrive at interpretations of primary sources. o Students will demonstrate their ability to connect ideas, contextualize information, and communicate cogently through a variety of assessments A major goal of the course is to improve your ability to write and communicate effectively and persuasively. Course Description: United States History I includes the study of pre-columbian, colonial, revolutionary, early national, slavery and sectionalism, and the Civil War/Reconstruction eras. Themes that may be addressed in United States History I include: American settlement and diversity, American culture, religion, civil and human rights, technological change, economic change, immigration and migration, and creation of the federal government. Lectures, films, and readings will sketch the context in which the aforementioned themes and changes took place. In the discussion portion of our daily classes, students will have the opportunity to think and work as historians, analyzing a variety of sources, including selections from literature, artwork, films, statistical studies, photographs, and cartoons. As the semester progresses, they will acquire the skills and knowledge to answer the following questions, and many more. What motivated European empires to pursue colonialism in North America?
How did life vary from colony to colony? Further, how did one s race, gender, ethnicity, or religion impact life in the colonies? In what ways did colonists consumer choices catalyze an effective revolution? Who was included in the American Community? Who was excluded? How did that change over time? How did the United States come to accept democratic-republicanism as its dominant political culture? Why did the United States pursue frontier expansion? To what end? How did the advent of certain technologies affect the economies of the North, South, and West differently? Course Requirements: Attendance and Discussion Participation 10% Role Playing Assignment 10% Midterm Examination 15% Annotated Bibliography Project 20% Take Home Quizzes 20% Final Examination 25% Midterm and Final Exams will assess your ability to recall and describe key themes of a given unit of the course, and to make connections between lectures, readings, and discussions. They will include short answer identifications and essay questions. On the final exam you will write an answer for at least one cumulative question that encourages you to reflect on an important theme of the entire course. Students are responsible for purchasing and bringing at least one Blue Book to each exam. Role Playing Assignment and the accompanying write-up will encourage you to better understand the lives of people from the distant past. Students will be assigned to a particular group (representing a community from various times and places) and, working with their group, will select an individual character from the list assigned to their group. Over the course of a week, the students will then read background information about the time and place relevant to their community and will write a two-page creative work in the voice of their character. Each group will then present information about their community to the class while the rest of the audience engages the group with questions. Students will be graded on the historical accuracy of their project, the project s creativity, their in-class presentation, and their engagement in discussion by asking thoughtprovoking questions of the other groups. Annotated Bibliography projects gauge students abilities to locate and properly evaluate sources when conducting research. Such a project demands that students make judicious use of their time, quickly and carefully analyze sources, familiarize themselves with the resources available in university libraries and digital archives, display keen organizational skills, and provide their own synopses of academic works. Students will select a broad topic, of their choosing, that falls within the study of this course. Once their topic is approved, they will then select six academic books or articles relating to the topic and submit the list to the instructor. Finally, students will submit a properly cited (using Chicago Manual of Style) annotated bibliography (including a brief summary of each work). Students will not be responsible for reading each work in its entirety, but will utilize useful research skills (publishers descriptions, book reviews, skimming, etc.) in order to evaluate the sources and complete the project.
Take Home Quizzes will be administered frequently throughout the course. The quizzes are designed to encourage you to read the textbook and primary sources before lecture, assess comprehension of the material, and ensure that you are prepared for daily discussion. Students will receive 13 quizzes which will be graded as satisfactory (80% or more) or unsatisfactory (below 80%). Students will start with 100 points and may miss or receive an unsatisfactory grade on 3 of their quizzes with no penalty; each additional unsatisfactory grade will subtract 10 points from their 100 point total. The quizzes will be open-book and students are encouraged to use the Faragher textbook to answer the questions. Students must not collude with their peers or share answers. Attendance and Discussion Participation matter. Students are expected to be in class on time, be prepared to take notes or participate in discussion, to be an alert and active scholar, and to remain in class for the duration of the period. Habitual tardiness will lead to a reduction to the student s attendance and participation grade. Students who leave class early, who use the class period for purposes other than being an active learner (such as sleeping, working on other university assignments, excessively using technology or chatting with neighbors), or who are otherwise dismissed from class will be counted absent for the day. Violation of classroom policies may, depending on the severity of the violation, result in a reduction of the attendance grade or overall grade. Attendance during your academic career should be viewed similarly to attendance expectations for your professional career; just as your boss expects or will expect you to attend work unless you have a documented illness, I also expect you to attend class regularly. Familial obligations, conflicts with employment, and other scenarios may prevent you from attending class; however, these cases do not constitute excused absences. I appreciate students informing me if they are going to miss a class and students are expected to submit all of their assignments on time, whether or not they attend class on the due date. Most days will include a discussion portion of the class in which you will be able to think like a historian, analyze primary source documents, and think critically about how the primary sources connect with larger themes of the course. Well-prepared and thoughtful participation is encouraged in this portion of the class. I will record your attendance and participation each day. Because this is a condensed, weekly class, attendance is especially important. You may miss one day of class, no questions asked, without penalty (though I do not recommend it). If you meet this quota, however, any absence thereafter will cost you 10 percentage points from your attendance and participation grade. You begin with 85 percentage points. Exceptional attendance and good participation can boost this grade (up to 100 percentage pts); absences beyond those allowed and lackluster participation will drop it. If students miss more than five classes during the semester, they will automatically receive a failing grade (F) for the course. Translation: Consistent attendance and earnest participation can boost your final grade; absenteeism and poor participation will hurt it. University policy allows students to be dropped from the course for excessive absences the instructor reserves the right to drop students from the course, at any time, for particularly egregious absenteeism. Extra Credit opportunities will be available for up to 5% of your overall grade. Students wishing to pursue extra credit opportunities must meet with the instructor in order to receive the extra credit assignment. Students may elect to do a 4-6 page film analysis paper for up to 5% of their overall grade or write (up to 2) 2-3 page interpretive analysis papers each worth up to 2.5% of their overall grade. If students choose to write a film analysis paper, they are responsible finding a way to view the film in a timely fashion this may require purchase or rental of the film. Students must also approve the film they analyze in their paper with the professor. In order to be eligible for extra credit, students must have no missing assignments and must be absent for no more than three
classes during the semester. If a student fails to meet either of these criteria, even after they have submitted the extra credit paper(s), they will receive no credit for the assignment. Plagiarism or cheating on extra credit assignments may led to a reduction of your grade for the entire course. Extra credit assignments must be completed and submitted to the instructor by April 13; no late assignments will be accepted. Grades on each assignment will be assessed on a 100-point scale, with plus and minus grades: 90-100 = A, 80-89.5 = B, etc. A-level work is imaginative, original, and stylistically sound, exceeds the requirements of the assignment, and uses evidence effectively to make a persuasive argument. B- range work generally meets the requirements of the assignment, including use of evidence and effective argumentation, but without the creativity or clarity of an A. C-range work demonstrates effort to fulfill the requirements of the assignment but has more serious flaws in style or content. D-range work demonstrates clear failure to meet or understand the requirements of the assignment and has major flaws. F work demonstrates complete failure to fulfill the assignment. Course Policies: 1. Refer to the syllabus regularly. If you lose it, you can always refer to the copy on Blackboard. Weekly readings, quizzes, and assignments will always be due before the start of the first class of each week unless otherwise noted. 2. This syllabus may be revised at any time. The syllabus posted on the course s Blackboard site is the only copy guaranteed to incorporate all revisions that may be made under this policy and will thus supersede any other versions posted on other university websites. 2. I will use Blackboard to post your grades, announcements, lectures, and assignments, so please check it regularly. You are also responsible for frequently checking your university email or associated email address. Aside from examinations or unless otherwise noted, all assignments must be submitted on Blackboard and a hard copy should be brought to class on the assigned due date. 3. It is imperative that you bring the readings (both the textbook and document reader) to class. It is especially important that you bring the document reader or primary source documents to class for the discussion portion of the day. If you do not have the primary sources in front of you, you will find it quite difficult to participate and your instructor will find it difficult to give you a passing participation grade. I have placed reminders in the syllabus to bring the readings. 4. Reading assignments should be completed before the first class date of the week in which they are listed. It is essential to keep up with the readings. Textbook reading assignments are designed to provide background for the lectures, and will contain information that will appear on exams that may not be covered in lecture. You will find it easier to take notes and understand the lectures if you have read the text. Furthermore, the readings will be required to complete your take home quizzes. I expect you to read, think critically about, and come prepared to discuss assigned readings. Critical reading requires that you question the text, take notes, and come prepared with ideas and questions to discuss. Learning how to read texts and primary sources is one of the most important skills you can develop in this course. 5. Take home quizzes will be administered on Blackboard and are to be submitted before the start of the first class of the week in which that they are due. No exceptions. Students must do their own work when taking the quizzes with no assistance or collaboration with classmates.
Sharing answers or dividing questions among a group of students constitutes a form of cheating known as collusion; any evidence of cheating or collusion will not be tolerated and will be submitted as a case of academic misconduct to the university administration. Do not cheat. 6. Plagiarism, which is the use of the work of others without proper acknowledgement, quotation, or citation, is unethical and will not be tolerated. Using material from texts or the Internet without attribution, copying the work of others, or even constructing the arguments and outlines of essays together also constitutes plagiarism and will not be tolerated. The Department of History will take action on such cases of academic misconduct. For university policies regarding plagiarism and other forms of Academic Misconduct please see: http://www.utrgv.edu/_files/documents/studentexperience/report-it/utrgv_sanctioning_guidelines.pdf. 7. Academic Integrity: As members of a community dedicated to Honesty, Integrity and Respect, students are reminded that those who engage in scholastic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary penalties, including the possibility of failure in the course and expulsion from the University. Scholastic dishonesty includes but is not limited to: cheating, plagiarism, and collusion; submission for credit of any work or materials that are attributable in whole or in part to another person; taking an examination for another person; any act designed to give unfair advantage to a student; or the attempt to commit such acts. Since scholastic dishonesty harms the individual, all students and the integrity of the University, policies on scholastic dishonesty will be strictly enforced (Board of Regents Rules and Regulations and UTRGV Academic Integrity Guidelines). All scholastic dishonesty incidents will be reported to the Dean of Students. 8. Be sure to retain all graded assignments until final grades are posted. 9. Make-up exams will be scheduled only in the case of serious illness or emergency. In nearly every case, documentation must be provided and you must contact me before the scheduled exam in order to take a make-up examination. Still, if you miss an exam, please discuss the matter with me. 10. Please be courteous of your classmates and instructor by arriving on time and turning off your mobile phones while in class. Students texting during class or using cell phones for nonacademic purposes will be asked to leave immediately and will receive a penalty to their overall course grade. 11. While certain technologies can be useful tools in a learning environment, they can also be distracting. Please avoid using laptops, e-readers, cell phones, etc. in class unless you have received permission from the instructor or have been told in advance that use of these devices will be needed for the day. 12. Students with Disabilities: If you have a documented disability (physical, psychological, learning, or other disability which affects your academic performance) and would like to receive academic accommodations, please inform your instructor and contact Student Accessibility Services to schedule an appointment to initiate services. It is recommended that you schedule an appointment with Student Accessibility Services before classes start. However, accommodations can be provided at any time. Brownsville Campus: Student Accessibility Services is located in Cortez Hall Room 129 and can be contacted by phone at (956) 882-7374 (Voice) or via email at accessibility@utrgv.edu. Edinburg Campus: Student Accessibility Services is located in 108
University Center and can be contacted by phone at (956) 665-7005 (Voice), (956) 665-3840 (Fax), or via email at accessibility@utrgv.edu. 13. Mandatory Course Evaluation Period: Students are required to complete an ONLINE evaluation of this course, accessed through your UTRGV account (My UTRGV Link); you will be contacted through email with further instructions. Online evaluations will be available Apr 12 May 3, 2017. Students who complete their evaluations will have priority access to their grades. 14. Sexual Harassment, Discrimination, and Violence: In accordance with UT System regulations, your instructor is a responsible employee for reporting purposes under Title IX regulations and so must report any instance, occurring during a student s time in college, of sexual assault, stalking, dating violence, domestic violence, or sexual harassment about which she/he becomes aware during this course through writing, discussion, or personal disclosure. More information can be found at UTRGV Equity Link, including confidential resources available on campus. The faculty and staff of UTRGV actively strive to provide a learning, working, and living environment that promotes personal integrity, civility, and mutual respect in an environment free from sexual misconduct and discrimination. 15. Course Drops: According to UTRGV policy, students may drop any class without penalty earning a grade of DR until the official drop date. Following that date, students must be assigned a letter grade and can no longer drop the class. Students considering dropping the class should be aware of the 3-peat rule and the 6-drop rule so they can recognize how dropped classes may affect their academic success. The 6-drop rule refers to Texas law that dictates that undergraduate students may not drop more than six courses during their undergraduate career. Courses dropped at other Texas public higher education institutions will count toward the six-course drop limit. The 3- peat rule refers to additional fees charged to students who take the same class for the third time. 16. University Attendance Policy: Students are expected to attend all scheduled classes and may be dropped from the course for excessive absences. UTRGV s attendance policy excuses students from attending class if they are participating in officially sponsored university activities, such as athletics; for observance of religious holy days; or for military service. Students should contact the instructor in advance of the excused absence and arrange to make up missed work or examinations. 17. Assignment Technical Details: Unless otherwise noted, students should use Times New Roman 12-point font, 1-inch margins, double spacing, and Chicago Manual of Style citations for all written work. Assignments should contain the student s name, the class section, the due date of the assignment, and a title. Take pride in your work thoroughly proofread your assignments and make sure that they look professional. Remember that professional writing does not use contractions, idioms, or colloquial speech, and that it contains first-person pronouns only sparingly. Class Schedule: Week 1: Historical Method 19 January Introduction: Why Study History? Historical methodology and introduction to sources; role playing group work Assigned Readings: Group readings, Alan Taylor s American Colonies (on Blackboard) Week 2: Pre-Colombian America and Role Playing Presentations 26 January Pre-Colombian America; (A Continent of Villages) Role playing presentations, paper due
Assigned Readings: Out of Many, c. 1; primary documents on Blackboard Due: Role-playing Assignment Paper Quiz 1 Week 3: Frontiers of Contact 2 February The Old World Meets the New World; (When Worlds Collide) Early European Colonies in North America; (Planting Colonies in North America) Census Date: February 1 Assigned Readings: Out of Many, c. 2 and 3; primary documents on Blackboard Due: Topic for Annotated Bibliography Quiz 2 Week 4: Colonial North America 9 February The Slave Trade & the Origins of Slavery in Colonial America; (Slavery and Empire) Discussion Day (bring primary documents to class) Assigned Readings: Out of Many, c. 4; primary documents on Blackboard Quiz 3 Week 5: The Stirrings of Independence 16 February Eighteenth-Century Colonial America; (Cultures of North America) The Path to Independence Assigned Readings: Out of Many, c. 5 and 6; Dr. Alexander Hamilton, Itinerarium and other primary documents on Blackboard Due: List of Sources for Annotated Bibliography Quiz 4 Week 6: The American Revolution 23 February The American Revolution Discussion Day (bring primary documents to class) Assigned Readings: Out of Many, c. 7; primary documents on Blackboard Quiz 5 Week 7: Building a New Nation 2 March The New Nation Expanding the Empire; Review Assigned Readings: Out of Many, c. 8 and 9 Quiz 6 Week 8: The Democratization of America 9 March Midterm Examination The Growth of Democracy; (lecture will follow the midterm exam; students who do not attend lecture will have their exam grade reduced one letter grade) Assigned Readings: Out of Many, c. 11; primary documents on Blackboard Quiz 7 Week 9: Spring Break (No Class) Week 10: The South and the Institution of Slavery
23 March Slavery in the South Discussion Day (bring primary documents to class) Assigned Readings: Out of Many, c. 10; primary documents on Blackboard Quiz 8 Week 11: The Industrialization and Urbanization of the United States 30 March The Northern Industrial Economy; (Economic Developments in the North) Urbanization, Immigration, and Social Reforms; (Challenges of the New Age) Assigned Readings: Out of Many, c. 12 and 13 Quiz 9 Week 12: A Continental Nation 6 April Discussion Day (bring primary sources to class) Territorial and Westward Expansion in the United States Assigned Readings: Out of Many, c. 14; primary sources on Blackboard Due: Final Draft of Annotated Bibliography Quiz 10 Week 13: Sectional Crisis, Fracture, and Rebuilding 13 April The Coming Crisis, the 1850s Bleeding Kansas; (The Coming Crisis) Last Day to Drop Class: April 13 Assigned Readings: Out of Many, c. 15; primary sources on Blackboard Quiz 11 Week 14: The Civil War 20 April Discussion Day (bring primary sources to class) The Civil War Assigned Readings: Out of Many, c. 16; primary sources on Blackboard Quiz 12 Week 15: Reconstruction 27 April Reconstruction Final Exam Review Session Assigned Readings: Out of Many, c. 17; primary sources on Blackboard; secondary source selections from David Blight, Race and Reunion Quiz 13 Final Exam: 11 May, 8:00-9:45pm (Thursday) The final exam will be administered in our normal classroom at the time and date listed above.