FACULTY SYLLABUS – FALL 2008

 

 

COURSE NUMBER: History 1301-P014

 

COURSE TITLE: United States History I

 

COURSE DESCRIPTION: History of the United States with focus on development of American characteristics and institutions, including the forging of new societies from European, African, and American cultures. Emphasis on the colonial and early national periods through the Civil War and Reconstruction. Students must take 6 credit hours of  HIST 1301, HIST 1302, or HIST 2301 to fulfill the Texas legislative requirement for history.

 

PREREQUISITE: Placement levels:  Reading Assessment at College Level. Writing Assessment ENGL-1301

 

COURSE CREDIT HOURS: 3

 

COLLEGE REPEAT POLICY: A student may repeat this course only once after receiving a grade, including “W”.

 

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES: Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to do the following:

 

1.       Describe pre-Colombian civilizations in the Americas and summarize the impact of European discoveries and settlements on those civilizations.

 

2.       Describe the aspects of Western and Non-Western culture that have contributed to the American experience.

 

3.       Describe the development of the English colonies and the growth of independent colonial government.

 

4.       Reconstruct the internal social, economic, and political events which led to the War for Independence.

 

5.       Identify the factors, values, and compromises which shaped the U.S. Constitution.

 

6.       Describe the formation of political parties, the development of sectionalism, and the early nationalist era.

 

7.       Define Manifest Destiny and describe nineteenth century territorial expansion.

 

8.       Outline major social, economic, political, and religious aspects of antebellum United States.

 

9.       Describe the slavery controversy.

 

10.    Outline the series of events which culminated in the Civil War.

 

PROFESSOR: Dr. David Buice (pronounced like Bice)

 

Email: dbuice@ccccd.edu

 

PHONE: 972-377-1554 (Emergency messages can be left with the secretary at this number.)

 

OFFICE HOURS: 10:00-11:30, TR, D158

 

VIRTUAL OFFICE HOURS (at home at the computer) 9-10AM, MWF

 

CLASS MEETING TIMES AND PLACES: Section P14, 11:30-12:45, TR, F251

 

TEXTBOOK: Created Equal: A Social and Political History of the United States, by Jacqueline Jones, Peter H. Wood and others

           

REQUIRED MATERIALS:

·         Class notes from the web site, along with pen or pencil for taking notes

·         Scantron sheets for the exams (1 scantron for each exam)

·         No. 2 pencil for exams

           

COURSE REQUIREMENTS: To complete this course successfully, you must take four 100-point tests. See the course calendar for the dates of the tests.

 

METHOD OF PRESENTATION

A combination of lectures, PowerPoint materials, and some occasional audio-visual materials.

 

TESTS: Four examinations of 100 points each will be given during the semester. The tests will be made up of multiple choice and true-false questions from the lectures and the text.

 

Missing a scheduled exam is a serious matter, and makeup exams may or may not be given at the discretion of the professor. Generally the only valid reasons for missing an exam are for a death in the family or a serious, documented medical emergency (not, I had a cold, sore throat, upset stomach etc.). Your reason for missing must be presented to me at the first class meeting when you return to class. If you do not offer an explanation at that time, there will be no makeup.

 

Make-up exams have only essay and identification questions and are much harder than the regular exams. It is to your advantage to take the regular exams given during the scheduled times. Do not skip a regular exam thinking you will have more time to study and will make a higher grade on a makeup. You will not!

 

There is no make-up for the fourth and last exam. The only exception would be for a serious medical emergency, such as an emergency appendectomy or something of that sort.

 

METHOD OF EVALUATION: How is my final grade for the course determined? The grade that you receive at the end of the course is determined by the total number of points compiled on the four exams from a possible total of 400 points. Any extra credit points that you earn during the semester will be added to your test/quiz point total to “boost” your grade.

 

§         A = 360 or more total points = 90% or better

§         B = 320-359 = 80-89%

§         C = 280-319 = 70-79%

§         D = 240-279 = 60-69%

§         F = 239 or fewer = less than 60%

 

ATTENDANCE:

Regular class attendance is the responsibility of the student. Habitual tardiness is disruptive and unacceptable. A student is expected to remain for the entire period, and if for any reason you must leave early you are to make proper arrangements before class with me. If you do not, you will be counted absent.

 

You can miss two classes without penalty. After that, five points will be deducted from your semester point total for each absence.

 

If you are late to class, it is your responsibility to let me know THAT DAY at the end of that class meeting so that the absence can be changed to a tardy.  If you are habitually late, I reserve the right to begin marking a tardy as an absence.

 

WITHDRAWAL: The last day to drop with a W is November 14. If a student withdraws after November 14, a performance grade is given. Any change in a student’s class schedule may be made by telephone registration, on-line registration, or by submitting an add/drop form to the admissions and records office when telephone and on-line systems are not available.

 

Religious Holy Days: Please refer to the current Collin Student Handbook for information on the observance of Holy Days.

 

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT COMPLIANCE:

It is the policy of Collin County Community College to provide reasonable and appropriate accommodations for individuals with documented disabilities. This college will adhere to all applicable Federal, State, and local laws, regulations and guidelines with respect to providing reasonable accommodations as required affording equal educational opportunity. It is the student’s responsibility to contact the Access office at 972-881-5898 (V/TTD: 972.881.5950) in a timely manner if he/she desires to arrange for accommodation.

 

ACADEMIC ETHICS: The College District may initiate disciplinary proceedings against a student accused of scholastic dishonest. Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, statements, acts, or omissions related to applications for enrollment or the award of a degree, and/or the submission as one’s own work material that is not one’s own. Scholastic dishonesty may involve, but is not limited to, one or more of the following acts: cheating, plagiarism, collusion, use of annotated texts or teacher’s edition, and/or falsifying academic records.

 

Some definitions of terms mentioned in the preceding paragraph:

 

Plagiarism is the use of an author’s words or ideas as if they were your own, without giving credit to the source, including but not limited to, failure to acknowledge a direct quotation.

 

Cheating is the willful giving or receiving of information in an unauthorized manner during an examination, illicitly obtaining examination questions in advance, copying computer or internet files, using someone else’s work for the assignments as if were your own, or any other dishonest means of attempting to fulfill the requirements of a course.

 

Collusion is intentionally aiding or attempting to aid another in an act of scholastic dishonesty, including but not limited to, providing a paper or project to another student; providing an inappropriate level of assistance; communication answers to a classmate during an examination; removing tests or answer sheets from a test site, and allowing a classmate to copy answers.

 

COURSE CALENDAR

 

Test 1Thursday, September 18, Topics 1, 2, and 3 and reading assignments (date may vary)

 

Test 2 Tuesday, October 14, Topics 4, and 5 and reading assignment (date may vary)

 

Test 3Thursday, November 13, Topics 6, 7, 8, and 9 (in Testing Center, and we will also have class that day (date may vary)

 

Test 4 – Thursday, December 11 (final exam week) Topics 10-13, reading assignment, and an end-of-the-course general assessment test

 

Note One: I will provide a review sheet for each exam, and you can earn some extra credit by participating in some in-class reviews (details to be provided later).

 

Note Two: For each test you will be allowed to bring ONE, 3x 5 note card to class with handwritten notes on front and back.

 

 

 

COURSE TOPICS AND READING ASSIGNMENTS

History 1301

FALL 2008

 

Topic One – New World Encounters

·         Text: Chapter 1

·         Reading Assignment: Spain Enters the Americas, Pp 18-22

 

Topic Two – England’s Colonial Experiments

·         Text: Chapters 2, 3, 4, & 5

·         Reading Assignment: The Descent into Race Slavery, Pp 84-88; The Great Awakening, Pp 125-129

 

Topic Three – The Struggle for Empire

·         Text: Pp 129-34

 

Test 1 over Topics 1, 2, & 3 and reading assignments, February 14

 

Topic Four – The Age of the American Revolution

·         Text: Chapter 6

 

Topic Five – The Revolution and American Society

·         Text: Chapters  7 & 8

·         Reading Assignment: Turned Adrift Like Old Worn-Out Horses, p 194

 

 

Test 2 over Topics 4, & 5 and reading assignment, March 25

 

Topic Six: The Washington Administration

·         Text: Chapter 9 to p 222

 

Topic Seven – The Administration of John Adams

·         Text: Chapter 9, Pp 222-23 & p 235

 

Topic Eight – The Age of Jefferson

·         Text: Chapter 10 to page 245

 

Topic Nine – The Age of Jefferson: Jefferson’s Successors

·         Text: Chapter 10, Pp 245-259

 

Test 3 over Topics 6, 7, 8, & 9, April 15 in the Testing Center

 

Topic Ten – The Age of Jackson

·         Text: Chapter 11

Topic Eleven – Territorial Expansion and Rising Sectional Tensions

·         Text: Chapters 12

·         Reading Assignment: Senator John C. Calhoun Warns Against Incorporating Mexico into the United States, p 304

 

Topic Twelve – Sectional Conflict, Secession, and War

·         Text: Chapters 13 & 14

 

Topic Thirteen – Civil War and Reconstruction

·         Text: Chapters 15

 

Test 4 over Topics 10-13 and end-of-the-semester assessment test, May 8

EXTRA CREDIT – HISTORY 1301

 

On Tuesday afternoon, November 25 at 4:00, I will show a half-hour documentary dealing with the history of the White House. After you have viewed the documentary, I will give you a 20-point quiz for extra credit. The documentary is very enjoyable, and in less than an hour of your time, you can earn some valuable extra credit points, rather than spending hours of time doing outside research. You may take notes during the documentary, and you may use these notes to answer the quiz questions. The room number will be announced later.