SYLLABUS FOR HISTORY 17A
San Joaquin Delta College, Spring 2007
Course: History 17A (History of the United States: Pre-Colonial
through Reconstruction, Sec. 13143)
Term: January 17 through May 23, 2007
Day/Time: Wednesdays, 6:30 p.m. to 9:15 p.m.
Location: Tracy Center, Room 120
Instructor: Cheryl Stewart
e-mail:
Phone: In an emergency, you can leave a message at the Tracy Center
209.822.7900
PREREQUISITES: Reading Level II. (NOTE: If you have not passed this level of reading, you will have a very difficult time in this class.)
Required Books: There are no bookstore services at the Tracy Center at this time. Textbooks may be ordered online (http://bookstore.deltacollege.edu), through regular mail (Delta College Bookstore, 5151 Pacific Ave., Stockton, CA 95207-6370), by telephone (209.954.5086), or purchased in person at the main campus Bookstore.
The American Journey: A History of the United States, Volume I (1) by David Goldfield, et al;
Brief Third Edition (2005).
The Way We Lived, Volume I: 1492-1877 by Frederick M. Binder and David M. Reimers;
Fifth Edition (2004).
Course Description/Objectives: This course is a survey of United States history from its pre-colonial beginnings through Civil War and Reconstruction. Covered topics include all geographical regions ultimately encompassed by the United States; initial cultural contact; European settlements; racial, class, religious, and gender conflicts; immigration; the development of a national identity and American institutions; as well as sectionalism and transcontinental expansion.
The course will examine the political, social, and cultural development of the early United States, with an emphasis on economic, social, and technological changes, and the rise of the United States as a world power. Upon completion of this course, given your active participation, each student will be able to perform a variety of skills which includes the following:
§ Develop research skills and write an analytical paper.
§ Use maps and atlases to locate regions, sites, and landforms to better understand the physical content of early American history.
§ Analyze articles about the early history of the United States.
§ Comprehend significant theories of historical development.
§ Understand how various groups such as ethnic minorities and women influenced early U.S. history.
Course Requirements
Assignments: Turn in all assignments to me in class on the day they are due. If, for some reason, you cannot turn in an assignment in class, please turn it in at the Tracy Center on the day it is due. (I strongly suggest that you make copies of all your work and that you keep all graded work until the end of the semester.)
Attendance and Participation: There is a great deal of material to cover in this course. Learning will take place inside and outside the classroom. Information presented in class is intended to add to your readings, not duplicate them. DO THE ASSIGNED READINGS BEFORE COMING TO CLASS EACH WEEK IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND THE LECTURE AND FILM MATERIAL, AND TO PARTICIPATE IN DISCUSSIONS. (PARTICIPATION IS GRADED.) One of our classes is the equivalent of 2 meeting days during a regular 18-week semester. Missing two classes will reduce your participation grade significantly. Missing more than this is considered excessive and, at the instructor’s discretion, could result in your being dropped from the class with a grade of “F.”
Regular attendance and active participation are essential to understanding the material and to performing well in class:
Ø In the event of an absence, YOU are responsible for all material covered in class, turning in all assignments on time, and any schedule changes or class announcements. Coming to class late or leaving early is a distraction to the class. If done regularly, it will affect your participation grade. If you are late, make sure you sign the roster at the end of the class period.
Ø Class participation depends on several things: Have you done the reading? Are you working on the assignments? Do you initiate discussion? Are you attentive? Do you take notes? Your participation grade will depend on how well you handle the material and interact with your fellow classmates.
Communication: Please see the contact information on the first page of this syllabus. Whenever you send me an e-mail, please include your name, and the course (HIST 17A) in the subject heading so that I will recognize you as a student. Please allow 24 hours for a response.
Criteria for Written Assignments:
Mechanics: Standard Heading:
Typewritten Single-spaced
Black ink Upper right corner
Standard 12 font (Your Name)
Number all pages HIST 17A
1” margins Cheryl Stewart, Instructor
Right margin not justified (Date Due)
Use only one side of the paper Title: Centered
Staple pages together Main Body: Double-spaced
Debates: Two times during the semester you will choose sides for a debate with your classmates – March 21 (War for Independence) and May 2 (Civil War). You will type your notes for use during the debate and turn them in as part of your participation grade. You will receive instructions at a later date.
Educational Assessments: During the last class of the semester, you will write an informal reflection paper in class about this class and what you’ve learned.
Extra Credit: Many times during the semester, I will announce films you can view that pertain to weekly course material. You may do two during the semester worth a maximum of 5 points each. Within one week of being offered, you will complete a Film Analysis Worksheet. You will receive more instructions on this when the first one is offered.
Group Work: Cooperative learning and reflection can lead to a more meaningful educational experience. Throughout the semester, you will have several opportunities to participate in group work during class. I will give you more details the first time we do this.
Internet: This is a “source,” just like a book. Material from web sites must be properly cited or it is plagiarism.
See separate handout for more details.Late Work: Late submission of assignments/tests is not acceptable without serious, compelling reasons (this does NOT include computer/printer problems). Late work will be downgraded at my discretion. Check the Course Calendar regularly. There is always a way to meet a responsibility. (Please see me ahead of time if you know you have a conflict with an upcoming deadline.)
Research Project: Research ANY topic of interest to you that pertains to United States history from its pre-colonial beginnings through the Civil War and Reconstruction and covers no more than 30 years. This assignment must be turned in on time in order to do the presentation (below).
See separate handout for more details.Research Project Presentations: On May 9, 16, and 23, students will give a 5-minute presentation pertaining to their Research Project that illustrates ways they are relating to and mastering the material. This is your chance to be creative! Later in the semester, student names will be drawn at random. When your name is called, be prepared to pick one of the above dates for your presentation.
See separate handout for more details. If you have an idea not covered in the handout, please see me by Week 5 to discuss it.(PLEASE NOTE: Attendance is mandatory during presentations. Due to a conflict in schedules, Wednesday, May 23 is the day scheduled for your Finals Day. This is a change from Friday, May 23. The dates and times of your other finals are due to me by Jan. 31 so that I can schedule the time of this last class.)
Student Survey: In order to get to know each student personally and to help determine the best direction for this particular group of students, you will receive a Student Survey on the first day of class.
Syllabus: Students are expected to know the contents of this syllabus. Dates, grading, expectations for behavior, etc., are an important part of running this class efficiently; therefore, you are responsible for this information. We will cover this material thoroughly on the first day of class. Please review this syllabus before the next class meeting; there will be a quiz.
Tests: There are seven (7) take-home tests based on reading assignments, lectures, and media instructional material. If you are missing information needed to answer the questions, contact a classmate (you may share information; however, DO NOT COPY each other’s ANSWERS).
Expectations
Academic Honesty: You are free to discuss ideas and strategies with others; however, with the exception of in-class group work, you must complete your own work individually. Academic honesty is expected at all times. You are scholars and, as such, you must properly cite sources and other scholar’s ideas used in your written work (use MLA style). Plagiarism is defined as using the writings or materials (in full OR in part) of someone else as your own ideas, without permission or acknowledgement. If you plagiarize, you will receive zero points and no option for re-doing the work. I will also notify college officials. Additional sanctions may be applied as stipulated in the current San Joaquin Delta College Catalog. (Additional material will be provided on the first day of class and there will be a quiz.)
Messaging Devices and Noisemakers: Please turn the power and/or noisemakers off for all messaging devices, cell phones, pagers, watches, etc., before class begins and do not retrieve/answer messages during class.
Respect: We will undoubtedly discuss topics about which we will not all agree. Feel free to disagree with me or with other students, but please do so respectfully. To maintain a learning environment, mature adult behavior is expected at all times. Talking during lectures, exams, or when another student is speaking is considered rude – as is retrieving messages from ANY device during class! Those who engage in such behaviors will either be given a warning or be dismissed from the class session.
Responsibilities: I consider education a team effort. As your instructor, I will work hard to prepare you for success in this class. I expect you to work hard as well to complete assignments carefully, to produce the best work possible, and to be well-prepared for each class.
Instructor’s Responsibilities
Ø Help you succeed in the learning process.
Ø Help you sharpen, inform, and develop your ideas through critical thinking.
Ø Help you base your ideas in sound reasoning and analysis.
Ø Help your learning process by maintaining a safe space in the classroom in which to explore and discuss your ideas and opinions.
Students’ Responsibilities
ü Study, read, and be prepared to speak in class about reading material.
ü Actively listen to the instructor and to other students without interruptions.
When you disagree, give criticism constructively. Try to imagine why the other person holds the beliefs they do. We will never all agree; we can, however, agree to disagree.
ü Be engaged in the learning process.
Develop an awareness of your own discussion style: Do you lead or follow? Do you feel cut out of the conversation? Do you like to take the opposite viewpoint? Can you let others take the lead once in a while? Can you push yourself to speak?
ü Communicate your problems, concerns, and/or ideas with me or with the class.
Examine and question your own beliefs, views, and attitudes; explore why you hold them. Learning requires occasional periods of discomfort.
ü Be true to yourself; stand by your viewpoints; and be willing to critique, modify, or perhaps even change them.
ü ALWAYS use civil discourse when engaging in class discussion:
Establish as comfortable an atmosphere as possible. Recognize and accept differences through the practice of mutual respect and honesty.
Derogatory remarks will not be tolerated, including (but not limited to) race, gender, sexual preference, ethnicity, and physical ability.
Schedule Changes:
Adding the class – Once a class begins, permission of the instructor is required to enroll.
Dropping the class – Withdrawing from a class is the responsibility of the student. The student should request the withdrawal through the telephone registration system.
Student Services: Student services at the Tracy Center include a mini computer lab; a mini career center; a study hall (Room 105 – hours are posted on the door); a pay telephone; an office telephone for college-related business and emergencies; beverage and snack vending machines; and the sale of scantron test forms, college catalogs, and class schedules.
Tips for Success:
Center for Academic Preparation – This center offers support to students throughout their college experience and serves those who wish to improve their comprehension of college-level material by offering mini-courses in specific reading skills and courses in reading and writing techniques, advanced learning skills, and study skills for success in college. Main Delta College campus: Holt 201, (209) 954-5297
Library Services – There are no Library services at the Tracy Center at this time. Goleman Library at the main Delta College campus houses a collection of more than 100,000 volumes and provides a variety of learning resources to students, including electronic online databases and Internet access. Ask SJDC about books loaned from other colleges. (209) 954-5138
Tutor Center – For assistance with most academic subjects, students may obtain tutoring services free of charge, up to three hours per week per course. Main Delta College campus, Shima 217, (209) 954-5542
Writing Laboratory – Students may receive one-on-one help with writing assignments for other courses or take a two-unit writing course in the writing lab. Students can use the Lab on a drop-in basis or at scheduled hours. Main Delta College campus, Shima 217 (inside Tutor Center), (209) 954-5542
Workload: In this three-unit course, you should expect to do at least six hours of work outside of class each week in order to get the most out of it. Each week you will be expected to read 30 to 60 pages from the textbook. There will be additional handouts during the semester. Study Advice – Take notes on everything; think about events and consequences, not just names and dates. Skim over reading material again before you come to class. I do my best to foster discussion in class; please come to class prepared. If you have been absent, get notes from a classmate.
Grading Policies
Grades are earned by the student, not given by the instructor. Methods of evaluating student performance will include writing assignments, research assignments, group discussions, and participation. In all writing assignments, I am looking for evidence that you have done the readings and listened to the lectures/discussions, that you can analyze trends and developments and support this analysis with evidence and specifics, and that you can organize and present your ideas effectively.