GREAT BASIN COLLEGE
HISTORY 417A–Nevada and the West
Fall 2007
Sections ER1, BV1, LV1, UV1,WV1, YV1 (5:30-6:45 PM Monday and Wednesday)
Instructor:Dr. Cyd McMullen
Office:McMullen Hall Annex #117
Phone 753-2232; FAX 753-2131
Office Hours:4:00-5:00 PM Monday/Wednesday; 9:30-10:30 AM Tuesday/Thursday; or by appointment
Texts:Into the West: The Story of Its People by Walter Nugent
(ISBN 0-679-77749-0)
Mining Frontiers of the Far West, 1848-1880 by Rodman Wilson Paul
and Elliott West (ISBN 0-8623-2771-0)
Uncovering Nevada’s Past: A Primary Source History of the Silver State
by John B. Reid & Ronald M. James (ISBN 0-87417-567-4)
Seeing and Being Seen: Tourism in the American West by David M.
Wrobel & Patrick T. Long (ISBN 0-7006-1083-9)
Additional articles provided by instructor or on reserve in the GBC
Library
Catalog Description:
Topical examination of Nevada history in relation to issues of regional and national significance, e.g., mining, transportation, conservation, development of water resources, and tourism. Prerequisite: ENG 102. 3 credits.
Course Content:
This course takes a regional perspective of Nevada history, emphasizing those aspects which are key to understanding the West as a region. Issues that particularly involve Nevada will be addressed in a regional context: 1) the Comstock and its contributions to innovations in mining; 2) the transportation and communications corridor that first served as the California Emigrant Trail (also known as the Humboldt Highroad); 3) immigration and settlement patterns from the 1840s to the present; 4) reclamation and water development from the Newlands Act and the Hoover Dam to 21st century water use proposals; 5) tourism as reinvented by Las Vegas; 6) the often contentious relationship between western states and the federal government (the Sagebrush Rebellion, Jarbidge Shovel Brigade, etc.).
Student Outcomes and Measurements:
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will:
understand the key events in Nevada history, as measured first in responses to
readings and in class discussions, later in essay exam performance;
analyze themes and issues in the history of the American West as they relate to
and as are exemplified inNevada history, as measured in responses, discussion,
and exams;
investigate the racial and cultural diversity of the West and its impact upon the state of Nevada, as measured in responses, discussions, and exams;
√write analytical papers on an appropriate topic that utilizes primary and
secondary sources, that demonstrates the ability to use synthesis to organize
those sources, and that accurately uses either the MLA or APA citation system,
as measured by an appropriate rubric applied to papers produced as a class
requirement.
Assignments and Expectations:
This course is designed around discussions and lectures based on the reading material. For this reason the readings for each day must be completed before class so that you can participate in the discussions. Class attendance and participation are required and will affect your final grade.
Responses: For each reading or set of readings, and for visual presentationsorguest lecturers, you should turn in a response paper. The purpose of a response paper is to provide you an opportunity to reflect on the readings and presentations, and to show that you have done some critical thinking about them. Your response should be 350 words (one typed, single-spaced page) and contain the following:
1) A one-sentence statement of the thesis or central point of the assigned reading.
2) A paragraph describing your response to an idea or ideas in the reading, or to the
reading’s failure to address an idea you think is important. From your responses, I want to learn how the reading has engaged your intellect.. You might consider the
following ideas:
-speculations about meanings of the reading and how it might be applied
-connections between and among readings
-connections between readings and class discussions
-analysis of particular points or issues
-questions that come to mind
-possible answers to questions
-relevant personal experience
Response assignments should be submitted before classon the day the reading is to bediscussed. I prefer receiving the responses as attachments to email, but I will also accept printed copies at the beginning of each class. (For my address, see page 1 of this syllabus.) Missing one response won’t hurt your grade as I will drop the lowest score. Points will be deducted for late responses.
Quizzes: Any quizzes given during class will count in the same way as responses, except that missed quizzes cannot be made up.
Preparation, participation, and attendance: Participation in class discussion is an essential part of this course. In order to participate fully in class discussions, you must be in class and be prepared for discussion, having completed the reading and response. Participating doesn’t mean dominating the discussions, but contributing to them regularly and listening respectfully to classmates’ comments. The official GBC policy for attendance is that students in a 3-credit course should miss no morethan three hours of class time. This category is worth 100 points toward your final grade. (See section about grading below.)
Examinations. There will be one mid-term and a final exam in essay format.
Papers. Students must write one paperduring the semester, 12-15 pages in length. Papers should be prepared according to MLA or APA style. I suggest that, if you aren’t familiar with one of these research styles, you will need to consult a handbook such asSF Writer(4thedition, available in the bookstore), the MLAHandbook for Writers of Research Papers(6th edition), or the APA Publication Manual (5th edition). Your topics must be relevant to the course and should use primary as well as secondary sources. Prior approval of topics is required.
Grades:
Grades will be calculated according to the following scales.
Mid-term150
Final Exam200
Paper 350
Responses and quizzes (10 pts. each)200
Participation/preparation/attendance 100
1,000
A94% - 100%
A- 90% - 93%
B+ 87% - 89%
B83% - 86%
B- 80% - 82%
C+77% - 79%
C73% - 76%
C-70% - 72%
D+67% - 69%
D63% - 66%
D-60% - 62%
F59% and below
Withdrawals: Students who wish to withdraw from the course must do so officially by the end of the thirteenth week of the semester. Withdrawal information is available through Student Services. Students who do not officially withdraw will receive an F rather than a W.
Incompletes: The incomplete (I) is assigned in special circumstances (serious illness, death of a family member) when a student who has completed three-quarters of the course with a C or above cannot complete the course. Incompletes must be arranged in advance with the instructor.
Grade Appeals: GBC has a standard procedure for grade appeals and other grievances which is described in detail on page 51-52 of the GBC General Catalog 2007-2008. Note that the first step in initiating a grade appeal is to meet with the instructor.
Policy of Academic Integrity: GBC subscribes to the traditional policy of academic integrity: students are expected to be honest. Students are expected to do their own work. In assignments that utilize sources written by others, those sources must be given credit for verbatim wording or borrowed ideas. Students who plagiarize are violating the standards of academic integrity and are subject to consequences ranging from failing the assignment or course to dismissal from the institution.
PLAGIARISM DEFINED - presentingsomeone else’s word, ideas or data as one’s own.
When a student submits work that includes the words, ideas, or data of others, the source of that information must be acknowledged through complete, accurate, and specific references; and if verbatim statements are included, through quotation marks as well. In academically honest writing or speaking, the students will acknowledge the source whenever:
Another person’s actual words are quoted.
Another person’s idea, opinion or theory is used, even if it is completely paraphrased in the student’s own words.
Facts, statistics, or other illustrative materials are borrowed, unless the
information is common knowledge.
Other Issues:
Cell phones disrupt class; therefore, unless you are an emergency worker, make sure your cell phone is turned off before you enter the classroom. Exceptions can be allowed occasionally in special situations; please check with me before class. Text messaging is obviously prohibited while you are in class.
Coming to class late is also disruptive. Habitual lateness will eventually be counted as absence, three times late equating to one absence.
Because this is an interactive class, be aware that noises such as moving papers or books, digging in backpacks, etc. can be picked up by the microphones and make it difficult for students at other sites to hear. This is particularly true for those sitting near microphones. Interactive courses can be frustrating for everyone unless everyone speaks loudly enough, refrains from outside conversations, listens attentively when others speak, and tries to create a positive learning environment for the whole class.
During the first week of class, please send an email to the address on page 1 of this syllabus. I will occasionally send messages to the class via email, and I’d like to have a file of class emails by the beginning of the second week of class.
Returning papers: Response papers, quizzes, papers, and the midterm exam will be returned as they are graded—in class to students in Elko, by mail to students at branch campuses. After the semester has ended, final exams can be picked up in the Social Sciences office in Lundberg Hall. Papers and exams of branch campus students will be mailed to the branch campuses to be picked up there. Be aware that papers not picked up will be discarded after a reasonable time period.
History 417C Course Schedule(subject to change with adequate notice)Fall 2007
Week 1
8/27Course introduction
Nevada Geography and Prehistory; Exploration and the Emigrant Trail
Reading for next class:
Uncovering Nevada’s Past, pp. xv-32
Mining Frontier, pp. 1-36
*Response #1 due 8/29
8/29The Far Western Mining Frontier: the Gold Rush; Discovery of the
Comstock Lode
Reading for next class:
Mining Frontier, pp. 37-86
Uncovering Nevada’s Past, pp. 33-68
*Response #2 due 9/05
Week 2
9/03Labor Day holiday – no class
9/05The Comstock: Mining Advances
Contrasts between California and Nevada Mining
Reading for next class:
Mining Frontier, pp. 109-175
*Response #3
Week 3
9/10Mining Across the West
Reading:
Mining Frontier, pp. 197-225; 253-283
*Response #4
9/12Assign paper [handout]; topic approval before class on 9/19
The Social World That Mining Created
Reading:
Mining West, pp. 226-252
*Response #5
Week 4
9/17The West as Cultural Meeting Place
Reading for next class:
Into the West, pp. 18-53
*Response #6
9/19Paper topic approval before class today!
Assign prospectus [handout]
The West Before 1848: the Indians and the Spanish
Reading:
Into the West, pp. 54-97
*Response #7
Week 5
9/24Euro-Americans Capture the West
Reading:
Into the West, pp. 98-130
Uncovering Nevada’s Past pp. 87-99
*Response #8
9/26The Early-20th Century West
Nevada’s Mining Boom
Reading:
Into the West, pp. 131-173
*Response #9
Week 6
10/1Prospectus due
20th Century Settlement: the Homestead Act
A Nevada Case Study: Metropolis
Reading: no assignment – review for Midterm
10/3Midterm Exam
Note: The schedule for the rest of the course will be handed out later.
Week 7
10/08
10/10
Week 8
10/15
10/17
Week 9
10/22
10/24
Week 10Tourism:Begin Wrobel & Long, Seeing and Being Seen
10/29
10/31
Week 11
11/05
11/07
Week 12
11/12Veterans’ Day holiday – no class
11/14
Week 13Reclamation and Water Use: Readings TBA; presentation by speaker
or use AV presentations about Nevada water rights issues
(KUED’s Desert Wars; PBS Cadillac Desert)
11/19
11/21
Week 14
11/26
11/28Paper #2 due
Week 15States vs. the Federal Government:Readings from Uncovering Nevada’s Past and other information about Sagebrush Rebellion; speakers
representing different perspectives on Jarbidge Shovel Brigade
12/03
12/05
Finals Week
12/10(regular class time) Final Exam, Part I
12/12( “ “ “ ) Final Exam, Part II