U.S. History After 1877 Internet Books Eric Foner, Give Me Liberty, WWNorton (Seagull Edition) Volume 2, 3 rd edition ISBN-13: 978-0393911916 Eric Foner, Voices of Freedom, WWNorton Volume 2, 3 rd edition ISBN-13: -0393935684 Sheryl Sandburg, Lean In Knoph 2013 ISBN-13: 978-0385349949 Required course materials are available at the Brazosport College bookstore, on campus or online at http://www.brazosport.edu/bookstore. A student of this institution is not under any obligation to purchase a textbook from the college bookstore. The same textbook is/may also be available from an independent retailer, including an online retailer. Learning Objectives Welcome to History 1302. In this course we will develop and hone critical thinking skills and improve communication through a discussion of U.S. history. We will increase our knowledge and understanding of how and why the United States came to its current form. The ultimate goal of this course is to increase students analytical and expressive abilities through the study of history. In accordance with state requirements, by the end of this course students should be able to: 1) Interprets information from sources to develop a comprehensive analysis or synthesis, 2) develop, interpret, and express ideas through oral communication, 3) evaluate the local and broader consequences of individual and collective interventions, and 4) evaluates personal choices and actions and relate consequences to ethical decision making. Office Hours Major Topics Mondays and Wednesdays 9:30-10:30am and by appointment. This course will explore: The New South, Second Industrial Revolution, Urbanization, Gilded Age, American Imperialism, Progressivism, World War I, Roaring 1920s, Great Depression, New Deal, World War II, Cold War, Affluent 1950s, Civil Rights Movement, Vietnam, Counter Culture, Great Society, Conservative Resurgence and Watergate. Grading Exam 1 20% Grade Scale Chapter Quizzes 20% 100-90 A Website Analysis 10% 89-80 B 1
GATOR Options 15% 79-70 C Documents 15% 69-60 D Final 20% 59-0 F Description of Grade Criteria Exams Examinations consist of one essay as well as multiple choice and true/false, questions from the textbook and documents. Students should prepare by taking notes over lectures, reviewing quizzes, reading documents carefully and brainstorming answers to possible essay questions posted under Content, Advice and Information in the course website. The Midterm and Final Exams are proctored in Learning Services (formerly called the Learning Assistance Center LAC). To schedule an exam time stop by the LAC (E201) or call 230-3253. Students who do not complete an exam within the allotted time will earn a 0 for that exam. There are no make-up exams. Chapter Quizzes Chapter quizzes use multiple choice and true/false questions to measure retention of textbook information. Students take each quiz online. Quizzes last a maximum of fifteen minutes, during which students may use the book or notes. Students may retake each chapter quiz up to three times to improve their grade. Only the highest grade counts, so there is never a penalty for re-taking a quiz. Website Analysis 2 Each student will write a comparative analysis of three different websites which address a common topic of the students choosing related to this course. The purpose of this paper is to assess the websites, not summarize the topic of the sites. Students need approval of the websites they wish to analyze from the instructor before proceeding. To gain approval, email the teacher a brief description of the topic along with links to the sites. Once approved, students should develop a comparative analysis of the three sites which addresses the following: a. How thoroughly does the web site document its sources of information? Do they offer footnotes, a bibliography, links to support their statements and conclusions? b. Is authorship and responsibility for the website clear? Is it easy to contact the publishers of the website for further inquiry or explanation of information? c. How does the information in each website compare to the information in the textbook and primary documents? Based on your readings for this course, is the website accurate? d. Does the information in the three websites confirm or contradict the data in the other sites?
e. Is the information in the websites logical and does it make sense based upon your personal life experiences? f. How do the layout, structure, organization and aesthetics of the site compare to other sites? What works and what does not? This assignment seeks to help students ponder the accuracy and utility of information on the internet. It will focus on historical sites, but the paper should analyze the sites, not summarize the history. Examples of Website Analysis papers are available under Content, Advice and Information inside of the course homepage. GATOR GATOR (Gaining Achievement Through Organized Reading) or Book Review and Personal Applications Project GATOR is a campus-wide program designed to engage faculty, staff, students, and community members in discussions of important issues related to student success. Students wishing to participate in the GATOR program for this portion of their grade will be required to actively participate in the three on-campus discussion sessions for this semester. 3 What Length Tues Wed Times Documentary & discussion Gator Hall H-100 Lean In discussion #1 Gator Hall H-100 Introduction through Chapter 6 Lean In discussion #2 Gator Hall H-100 Chapter 7 to end 90 min Sept 15 Sept 16 60 min Oct 13 Oct 14 60 min Nov 17 Nov 18 9:30, 11, 12:30, 4, 7 9:30, 11, 12, 12:30, 4, 7 9:30, 11, 12, 12:30, 4, 7 Sessions will contain the same information and discussion questions. Participants are free to choose a date and time that best suits their schedule. Participants may shift day and time from one month to the next as needed. To participate in discussions students must score a 70 or higher on a 10 question book quiz administered at the sign in table. No quiz is required for the September documentary session. Students must attend all three discussion sessions in order to receive credit. At the end of the semester, students who attended the GATOR discussions will submit a one-page reflective paper. Specific questions will be posted inside the course. Students who opt not to participate in the GATOR discussion program will instead read the book, submit a 3-5 page review of the book and a
second 3-5 page paper exploring their understanding of social and personal responsibilities after reading and reflecting upon the project. Document Summaries Each student will sign up for 5 readings from Voices of Freedom during the first week of class. Articles are assigned on a firstcome-first-served basis. Once students email me within the course website with their request including document number and title, I will assign that reading and post the responsibilities to a table in the Content, Advice and Information folder in the course website. The Course Calendar indicates a due date for each Document Summary. Students who sign up for each reading will record and upload a 2-4 minute video of themselves summarizing the document to the Document Category within the Discussion Board. For technical assistance please contact the IT helpdesk. Although one student agrees to begin the discussion with a summary of each document, all students should read all documents in case a student fails to post a summary or posts an inadequate summary. Posting titles and requests should consist of the article number and its title. EX: 105 The Populist Platform (1892) 1. Statement about the context, or historical setting for the article 2. Analysis of the article Learning Environment Policies This is an adult learning environment. All participants should respond to one another with respect at all times. Feel free to disagree with one another, the textbook and even me, as long as you do so appropriately. It is important that we disagree with each other s ideas without attacking or insulting. The teacher will not withdraw students. Grammar Ensure that all writing is grammatically correct. This includes but is not limited to capitalization, punctuation, sentence structure and spelling. Students should write all assignments in a word processor, use spelling and grammar checks and proof read before submitting. Writing and editing assistance available through the Student Success Center. Work with more than two grammatical or spelling errors will earn a 0. Students with Disabilities Brazosport College is committed to providing equal education opportunities to every student. BC offers services for individuals with special needs and capabilities including counseling, tutoring, equipment, and software to assist students with special needs. Please contact Phil Robertson, Special Populations Counselor, 979-230-3236 for further information. 4
Homework Cheating & plagiarizing College professors expect students to spend 2-3 hours per week outside of class preparing for each hour in class. In a 15 week semester this means 3 hours in class, and 6-9 hours out of class weekly reading, studying, researching and writing outside class. In online classes the in class time is added to the out of class time, so for an fully online class students should spend 9-12 hours working on this class each week. Brazosport College assumes that students eligible to perform on the college level are familiar with the ordinary rules governing proper conduct including academic honesty. The principle of academic honesty is that all work presented by you is yours alone. Academic dishonesty including, but not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, and collusion shall be treated appropriately. Please refer to the Brazosport College Student Guide for more information. This is available online at http://www.brazosport.edu. Academic dishonesty violates both the policies of this course and the Student Code of Conduct. In this class, any occurrence of academic dishonesty will be referred to the Dean of Student Services for prompt adjudication, and may, at a minimum, result in a 0 for the assignment or and F in this course. Sanctions may be imposed beyond your grade in this course by the Dean of Student Services. Cheating and plagiarizing are not tolerated. Cheating or plagiarizing will result in a minimum 0 for the entire category, and submission for disciplinary action. Thus, cheating on one quiz will result in a 0 for the entire quiz average (20% of the overall grade) not just one quiz. All work submitted for this course must be the sole product of each student s individual effort and unique to this course. Studying together is wise, developing group answers constitutes cheating. Submitting work that is in part or whole duplicated from work submitted to other classes, projects or efforts is plagiarizing. Student Services Information about the Library is available at http://www.brazosport.edu/library or by calling 979.230.3310. For assistance with online courses, an open computer lab, online and make-up testing, audio/visual services, and study skills, visit Learning Services next to the Library, call 979.230.3253, or visit http://www.brazosport.edu/learningservices. For drop-in math tutoring, the writing center, supplemental instruction and other tutoring including e-tutoring, visit the Student Success Center, call 979.230.3527, or visit http://www.brazosport.edu/studentsuccesscenter. To contact the Social Sciences & Business Department call 979-320- 5
3226 Student Services provides assistance in the following: Counseling and Advising 979.230.3040 Financial Aid 979.230.3294 Student Life 979.230.3355 Technical Difficulties To reach the Information Technology Department for computer, email, or other technical assistance call the Helpdesk at 979.230.3266. BC offers students use of numerous computers on campus in the Learning Services and elsewhere which are properly configured to work with course software. Staff on duty in LS can answer many questions about online courses. We cannot, however, ensure that the millions of possible individual variations on personal computers will work properly with this course. Although most students never encounter difficulty, if you run into problems: a. Read and follow instructions for compatible browsers found on the Log In screen for the class. b. Disable firewall or pop-up blockers. Many of these will clash with the security functions in the course software. c. Install and update virus protection on a regular basis. When all else fails, contact BC Information Technology at http://www.brazosport.edu/it/pages/default.aspx Or Online Learning http://www.brazosport.edu/bconline/pages/default.aspx Please understand that we can only offer the most general advice for improving compatibility of home computers with the course because it is impossible for us to know all the details of your computer s configuration. You are responsible for knowing your computer or for completing assignments on campus. To prepare for exams 1. START EARLY! Take notes and paraphrase information at the same time we cover that material. 2. Read carefully and take good notes. 3. Review as you go. Students report feeling overwhelmed if they try to cram the night before an exam. 4. Outline a possible answer for each question indicating which terms to use where in the essay. 5. Memorize key words from the outline to jar your memory. 6. PLEASE call, e-mail or stop by my office so I can help! 6