History 312: History of the United States (to 1865) Professor Gregory Beyrer gregory.beyrer@crc.losrios.edu 916.467.9272 d2l.losrios.edu apps.losrios.edu #hist312 Monday and Wednesday 11am 12:20pm in EGA 206 Office hours by appointment in EGA This is an introduction to the history of what is now the United States from the time the first people lived here. It includes many fascinating stories of the people and events leading up to the Civil War. Your understanding will be enhanced through your reading of historical scholarship, careful analysis of primary source material, and interaction with your fellow historians as we take this academic journey together. History is the study of how people in the past reacted to change, and we do this by looking at how they answered the questions that confronted them. Some of those questions were specific to a particular time and place, and some of those are the same questions that Americans still struggle to answer today. In this class we will look at these questions and answers, and we will use timeless questions to help structure our course themes: What does it mean to be "American"? What is the place of America in the world? What are the roles of men and women? What are the limits of individualism? How should the environment be treated? What is the role of religion? What is the balance between local and central (royal/imperial/national) authority? You may recognize these questions as ones that current Americans cannot agree on how to answer. Neither did Americans (nor the ancestors of those who became Americans) in the period covered by this class. History is entirely interpretive, and there is a neverending debate on what is true about the past. Objectives Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to: 1. Demonstrate a basic knowledge of the key events, individuals, and themes that have shaped United States history, to 1865. 2. Demonstrate an understanding of and an appreciation for historiography. 3. Demonstrate the mastery of higher level analytical skills. The connection between course activities and these learning objectives is explained in the Assignments and Grade section of this syllabus.
Academic Integrity I value academic integrity (honesty, trust, fairness, respect, and responsibility) and I assume you do too. Academic integrity recognizes that individuals can achieve their maximum potential and contribute appropriately to the well being of the larger community only if they recognize the ethical dimensions of decisions and actions. In our Desire2Learn course offering is a copy of the CRC Honor Code and a letter about this that another professor wrote to his students. As part of my effort to encourage academic integrity, your formal writing assignments (document analyses, website synopsis, and group summary pages) will be screened by the plagiarism detection service Turnitin.com. Any assignment that has a greater than 50% score on the originality report, excluding properly quoted material, will be given a score of 0. A second assignment that has a greater than 50% score on the originality report will be reported to the college s student discipline officer. For the document analysis assignments only, you will be able to view the originality report for each analysis prior to submitting it. Requirements Attendance Attendance in class is essential to your success. If you miss four class meetings at any time during the semester, you may be dropped from the class. I realize that there are events in all our lives that are beyond our control, but fortunately this class is regularly offered. Materials to Take Notes Our class time will include ample lecture and video presentations, so you should bring materials to take notes. Outlines of class meetings may be made available online ahead of time. Mobile Technology You are strongly encouraged to bring your mobile technology to class. I expect you to participate actively, and that includes asking questions and sharing comments during lecture. In addition, there will be regular group activities and I will depend on someone within each group to submit group projects (including attendance) online during class. A laptop computer or tablet will be best, but smart phones are also okay. Reading There is one required book for this class: Locks, Catherine, Sarah K. Mergel, and Pamela Thomas Roseman. History in the Making: A History of the People of the United States of America to 1877. Edition 1, Version 3. University System of Georgia, 2014. http://upnorthgeorgia.org/?page_id=2181 The text is free online, and you can optionally purchase it in print. History 312 Professor Beyrer 2
Requirements Testing Materials All exams except for the final will be taken online. You will need an examination book for the final exam only. Internet Access I will use D2L and Los Rios Google Apps extensively to support the learning in our class. Supplemental materials will be distributed in the course offering for our class on D2L. There you will also complete course assignments and receive feedback. You will complete the major assignment for the course, a history website, within Los Rios Google Apps. If you do not otherwise have access to a reliable internet connection, you can use the computer lab on the main campus or in the Elk Grove Center. Assignments and Grade Your grade is based on the points you earn completing course assignments: A = 900 or more B = 800 899 C = 700 799 D = 600 699 F = Fewer than 600 You must earn at least 700 points to pass if you are taking this class on a pass / no pass basis. Team-based learning Early in the semester you will be placed into a group, and you will work together regularly throughout the class. Your contributions to the work of your group will be used to adjust your score on several grade items. Attendance and Participation 155 points Helps you achieve all objectives Attendance at each class meeting is worth 5 points (except the final). On most days you will earn points via an in class activity. No points can be earned for missing class. It is your responsibility to contact a classmate for information about what you missed. Your score for attendance will be adjusted based on your contributions to your group. Document Analyses 240 points Helps you achieve learning objective 2 There are a total of four document analyses. Each is a three paragraph analysis of a primary source that you will select. Each is worth 80 points, and the lowest score for this group of assignments will be dropped. Complete details and a grading rubric are online. The due date for each is listed on the course calendar. No late submissions are accepted. History 312 Professor Beyrer 3
Exams 240 points Helps you achieve learning objectives 1 and 2 There are a total of four online exams. Each consists of two sections. The first section covers the key terms from the text, and the second covers lectures and other in class presentations. Each is worth 80 points, and the lowest score for this group of assignments will be dropped. The due date for each is listed on the course calendar. No late submissions are accepted. History Website 245 points Helps you achieve all objectives The major assignment for this course is to create a history website, which you will do as part of a group. The site will be available via Los Rios Google Apps. You will find, organize, and interpret primary sources as part of your group s answer to one of the questions that form the thematic structure for our course. We will spend time in class looking at how to set up a history website, and a grading rubric and detailed instructions are available online. Your score for this assignment will be adjusted based on your contributions to your group. The due date is listed on the course calendar. No late submissions are accepted. Final Exam 120 points Helps you achieve learning objective 3 The in class final exam will consist of two parts. The first will be a presentation of your group's website, and classmates will have an opportunity to ask questions. The second part will be a comprehensive essay that will give you a chance to articulate what you have learned in this class. The date for the exam is listed on the course calendar. No makeup exam will be given. Extra credit Helps you earn a higher grade Extra credit opportunities may be offered during the class. Calendar I expect you to read each chapter before we cover the material from that chapter in class. Reading the chapters will give you the broad context for the particular topics that we will cover together and will be essential for the group work you will do on most days. Additional reading to be assigned will be available online and announced in class. Assignments submitted online must be completed by 11am on the due date (except those due on the date of the final exam). Late assignments are not accepted. Aug 25 & 27 Course introduction, how to be a historian, group formation Sep 3 Assignment practice Sep 8 & 10 Key terms Monday for chapters 1 and 2 Critical thinking Wednesday for chapters 1 and 2 History 312 Professor Beyrer 4
Sep 15 & 17 Key terms Monday for chapter 3 Document analysis 1 due Wednesday Critical thinking Wednesday for chapter 3 Sep 22 & 24 Key terms Monday for chapter 4 Exam 1 due Wednesday Critical thinking Wednesday for chapter 4 Sep 29 & Oct 1 Key terms Monday for chapter 5 Critical thinking Wednesday for chapter 5 Oct 6 & 8 Key terms Monday for chapter 6 Document analysis 2 due Wednesday Critical thinking Wednesday for chapter 6 Oct 13 & 15 Key terms Monday for chapter 7 Critical thinking Wednesday for chapter 7 Oct 20 & 22 Key terms Monday for chapter 8 Exam 2 due Wednesday Peer review 1 due Wednesday Critical thinking Wednesday for chapter 8 Oct 27 & 29 Key terms Monday for chapter 9 Critical thinking Wednesday for chapter 9 Nov 3 & 5 Key terms Monday for chapters 10 and 11 Document analysis 3 due Wednesday Critical thinking Wednesday for chapters 10 and 11 Nov 10 & 12 Key terms Monday for chapter 12 Exam 3 due Wednesday Critical thinking Wednesday for chapter 12 Nov 17 & 19 Key terms Monday for chapter 13 Critical thinking Wednesday for chapter 13 Nov 24 & 26 Key terms Monday for chapter 14 Critical thinking Wednesday for chapter 14 History 312 Professor Beyrer 5
Dec 1 & 3 Key terms Monday for chapter 15 Document analysis 4 due Wednesday Critical thinking Wednesday for chapter 15 Dec 8 & 10 Key terms Monday for chapter 16 Exam 4 due Wednesday Critical thinking Wednesday for chapter 16 Dec 17 Note the times the assignments are due: Website due Wednesday at 10:15am Peer review 2 due Wednesday at 10:15am Final exam: 10:15am 12:15pm Special Notes All students must be officially registered. You can expect a reply to an email, phone message, or text sent to me within two business days. I will do my best to provide advance notice of any changes to this syllabus, including the calendar. I will announce changes in class and post them online. Incomplete grades will not be given in this class. If you have need of special educational services, please provide campus authorized verification and a list of needed services. As a courtesy to our classmates and the others who use our classroom, food and drinks are not permitted in class. Please respect the learning environment by not using your cell phones during class except as directed. Any disruptions will be referred to the college s student discipline officer. A Final Word I am looking forward to a great class with you. We have some interesting material to explore together. Please do not hesitate to contact me with your questions. This course will reward the effort you put in to it, and I am here to be your tour guide as we journey together into the foreign country that is the past. History 312 Professor Beyrer 6