History 1565: American History 2017-2018
Instructor:Don BurkeOffice: 107
Office Hours:10:04-10:56AMPhone: 735-8271 ext. 1028
E-mail:
Catalog Description: The study of the major economic, social, and political developments in the United States from the prehistoric period through 1860. Emphasis is placed on the interactions between Native Americans, Africans, and Europeans that shaped the American experience and that influenced issues relating to race, ethnicity, class and gender.
Textbook: Readings: Nation of Nations, A Narrative History 6th edition Davidson, J., Gienapp, W., Heyrman, C., Lytle, M., & Stoff, M. (2006). Nation of nations: A concise narrative of the American Republic (4th ed. Vols. 1, 2, and Combined). Boston: McGraw Hill. ISBN 0-07-297087-1.
Besides the textbook, you will be responsible for other readings that are assigned including one of the following books: 46 Pages: Thomas Paine, Common Sense, and the Turning Point to Independence by Scott Liell; or 1831-Year of Eclipse by Louis P. Masur, or Half Slave and Half Free: The Roots of the Civil Warby Bruce Levine.You have a choice of one of these three titles; be sure to purchase one of them in the bookstore. This is not an optional assignment.
Prerequisites: READ 092 and ENGL 0092 or placement above.
This course is writing and reading intensive. I believe it is necessary for you to demonstrate that you have thought about the material being presented and that you are able to interpret what you have learned by writing about it. The exams are essay. Because paragraphs and thesis statements are the building blocks of an effective essay, failure to use them will result in an automatic one-grade deduction from your total score. Part of being a good writer is being able to spell well. Your spelling will be taken into account when grades are assigned. If you have a learning disability that affects your ability to spell, notify Donna Prichard in the Disabilities Office (235-2177) immediately so she can determine what accommodations need to be made to help you succeed. Part of this course will be devoted to teaching you how to take good notes for an essay test, how to write a proper exam essay, how to take research notes, and how to footnote a paper.
Assessment and Learning Outcomes:
As a member of the faculty of Vermilion Community College, I am committed to helping you learn as much as possible about the history of the United States and to helping you acquire the skills, common knowledge, and values of a generally educated citizen. Throughout the semester on a daily, weekly or periodic basis, aspects of this course will be assessed as well as what you have or have not learned. The following types of learning outcomes will be measured in this course.
Minnesota Transfer Curriculum learning outcomes: (for more information see the college catalog)
As a result of taking this course, you will be able to:
5a.Employ the methods and data that historians and social and behavioral scientists use to investigate the
human condition.
5b.Examine social institutions and processes across a range of historical periods and cultures.
5c.Use and critique alternative systems or theories.
Course Outcomes:
American History I will provide you with the information you need to understand the development of the United States, its ideals and institutions, and the complex web of relationships between the people who were native to this land, those who were forced to come here against their will, and those who made a choice to make a new start in America. As a result of taking this course, you will be able to:
a.Describe the rise of Native American civilization from the Paleolithic period through the development of
complex civilizations in North and South America prior to first contact.
b.Recognize the issues surrounding first contact between Native Americans, Euro-Americans and African-
Americans.
c.Demonstrate an understanding of the issues and ideals that culminated in the American Revolution and the
writing of the U.S. Constitution.
d.Examine the development of the United States from 1789 through 1820 including Manifest Destiny and
Indian Removal.
e.Analyze the reform movements of the Antebellum Period including transcendentalism and abolitionism.
f.Trace the progression of events leading up to the Civil War.
g.Analyze the social, cultural, economic and political ideas at the heart of the conflict.
Assessment Methods:
Assessment of learning and of the course will be done throughout the semester in a variety of ways. The measures will be both direct (graded) and indirect (not graded). Some of the methods used in this course are included below:
Discussion: Participation in class discussions is very important. At the end of the semester, I will assign points for classroom participation. Actively participating in class, however, may benefit you at the end of the semester if you need a few points to get to the next higher level.
Research Project:
You may be asked to prepare an annotated bibliography and write a short research paper about an aspect of American History prior to the Civil War. The report will be based on three of the sources from your bibliography.
Group Projects:
Students will be asked to do group powerpoints and present them to the class.
Exams and Quizzes: Essay exams will be given at various points during the semester and will cover readings, lectures, class presentations, and discussions. Point values will range between 60 and 100 points. Quizzeswill be given throughout the semester and will be essay format.
Assignments:
Other class work will include readings from various sources and will include worksheets. For most of the readings, you will be expected to analyze what you read, what you learned, and what your reaction was in a short essay.
Most class assignments and lecture notes will be posted on D2L. I may hand out a few assignments in class but that will be the exception not the rule. You must check D2L often to make sure nothing new has been posted. Assignments will not be available beyond the due date.
Class notes will be made available to you on D2L. If you are sick, involved in a school activity, or dealing with a family crisis, you must be responsible for accessing the course materials you need from the course website.
Grades:
Sloppy work on your assignments is absolutely not acceptable and will be graded severely. You must proof read your work! If you turn in an assignment with multiple grammatical and spelling errors, your grade will start at a C and go down from there! If you do the assignments right the first time, you will not have to worry about this issue.
Some assignments will only receive a checkmark grade. You will not, however, know in advance which assignments will be graded with a check so you should plan on doing all assigned work.
All grades are awarded on a strict percentage basis. There is no curve.
A—89-100%B—79-88%C—69-78%D—59-68%F—58% and below
All grades will be posted on D2L as soon as I have completed them. You are responsible for checking D2L on a regular basis. You must be responsible for keeping yourself updated on your progress throughout the semester.
Classroom Policies and Conduct:
Attendance is required.
You will receive three points for attendance, and the points will likely count towards your final grade. If you miss class, you will suffer the following consequences: (a) you will do poorly on exams; (b) you will miss quizzes with no chance to make them up; (c) you will lose attendance points that might affect your final grade; (d) you will lose points on group projects that are assigned in class; (e) you will not be allowed to hand in any assignment that is due on the day you are absent unless you have notified me before class.Notifying me before class just allows you to make up your work or hand in an assignment late; you will not receive the attendance points for an excused absence.
Classroom behavior:
While classroom participation is expected and welcomed, you must respect your classmates’ right to learn. You will be asked to leave if you fail to adhere to the following policies:
a.Electronic devices including but not limited to iPods, Mp3 players, cell phones, CD players, headphones,
PDAs and Blackberries are not allowed in this class. Make sure to turn them off and store them in your book bag during the class period.
b.No private conversations; share your thoughts with the group.
c.No disrespectful behavior shown to members of the entire class or those in your small group.
d.Feet on the floor not on the chairs or tables.
e.No disruptive comments during presentations of classroom material. Raise your hand if you wish to comment or ask a question.
f.Check your cynicism at the door; it is damaging to democracy.
While the above may seem “Mickey Mouse” or “high school”, these are serious policies. We must all work hard to respect others. We can have fun in this class, but the learning process must not be disrupted. Do not forget that everyone paid to be in class and most want to learn as much as possible.
Tardiness:
No one will be allowed to enter the classroom once the door is closed. No exceptions. Be on time. Start practicing for the real world. Employers do not like to keep workers who are continually late.
Assignments: You are responsible for being in class when announcements about assignments, readings, study guides and notes are made.
Academic Integrity:
While you are encouraged to discuss assignments with your classmates, all work submitted for a grade must be your own. No excuse will be accepted. Do not copy anything from another student, a reading assignment or a web site.
Plagiarism and cheating will not be tolerated and will result in an automatic zero on the assignment. If the infraction is egregious, it will result in automatic failure of the course and will be reported in accordance with the conduct code in the student handbook.
Make-up Policy:
Make-up exams will be allowed only if you are hospitalized, a family member is hospitalized or has died, or you are ill or participating in a college sanctioned activity and have an excused absence. The make-up exam will be different from the exam given in class. I will choose the questions you will answer. You will not have any choice as to which questions you answer on the make-up exam.
No make-up exams will be allowed for anyone who does not notify me before class.
The exam must be taken within one week of the original test date or it will become an automatic zero.
All other assignments and quizzes must be turned in on the due date. No late papers will be accepted unless you have one of your coupons. But all late assignments that are turned in with a coupon must be submitted within 24 hours, or you will receive a zero on the assignment. Quizzes may not be made up without a coupon. In-class assignments may not be made up without a coupon. If you are have used your coupons and are not in class for a quiz or in-class assignment, you will receive a zero for that assignment.
Support and Assistance:
If you need help or need to discuss anything at all, talk to me! I will always try to be available to meet with you. If you have a personal problem, do not ignore it so it hurts your performance in class or your grade. I want you to do the best work you can do in this class.
If you have a personal problem or a family issue that is making it difficult for you to succeed in class, please let me know or talk to an advisor or counselor in student services. The staff in student services is there to help you, to offer moral support (so am I), to put you in touch with services to assist you, and to teach time and stress management.
If you have a disability, either temporary or permanent, which might interfere with your performance in class, please let me know or contact Donna Prichard in the Disabilities Office (235-2177) as soon as possible. Adaptation of methods or testing can be made to provide for equitable participation in this class.
If you need tutoring for this class, contact the Academic Resource Center to schedule time with a tutor or a counselor. They are here to make sure you succeed; please use the service if you need help. I will also tutor you if necessary.
Hints for Success:
1.Keep up with assigned readings. Procrastination leads to poor performance on exams.
2.Learn the vocabulary and facts of the course; it is half the battle.
3.Form a study group with the Supplemental Instruction tutors; group work will make it easier to study. Get
together on a weekly basis but remember not to copy answers from each other.
4.Ask questions. If you are confused, so are others in class. Help yourself by speaking up.
5.Be prepared and on time. Class will be more fun if you have done your homework. You will also do better
on exams and in class discussions.
6. Have Fun! This is a fun course, and you will learn things here that will serve you when you are 75 and using a cane. Guaranteed!
Tentative Schedule
All due dates will be announced at the time the assignment is handed out. Changes will be announced in class, and you are responsible for knowing when assignments are due.
Semester OneSemester Two
Exam #1= chapters 1-4Exam #1= chapters 18-20
Exam #2= chapters 5-7Exam #2= chapters 21-24
Exam #3= chapters 8-11Exam #3= chapters 25-28
Exam #4= chapters 14-17Exam #4= chapters 29-32
(From early American Civilizations-(From Reconstruction-
The Civil War)1980’s)