HIUS 502/ EDIS [ ] Counterpoint Seminar

Spring 2004

Thomas Fallace and Johann Neem, Instructors

The object of this class is to teach students how to read and understand historiographical debates and how to use historiography to inform how they teach history in the classroom.

Required Texts to Purchase

Lizabeth Cohen, A Consumer's Republic: The Politics of Mass Consumption in Postwar America (New York, 2003)

Michael McGerr, A Fierce Discontent: The Rise and Fall of the Progressive Movement in America, 1870-1920 (New York, 2003)

Gary B. Nash et al., History on Trial: Culture Wars and the Teaching of the Past (New York, 2000)

Diane Ravitch, The Language Police: How Pressure Groups Restrict What Students Learn (New York, 2003)

Sam Wineburg, Historical Thinking and other Unnatural Acts: Charting the Future of Teaching the Past (Philadelphia, 2001)

Assignments

The major assignment for this class is the Final Project, which will consist of a historiographical essay based on your own research and a unit that connects historiographical questions to the classroom. On the way, we have assigned smaller assignments so that you can practice the various elements that must be integrated into your Final Project. We will talk about the Final Project at our first class meeting and you should start working on it from the beginning.

1. Research Proposal for Final Project DUE WEEK 3. One paragraph stating your Final Project topic and your initial questions.

2. Book Review on McGerr, A Fierce Discontent (3-5 pages). DUE WEEK 6.

3. Content Outline DUE WEEK 9. Lesson Plan on either World War I or the Twenties, based on lectures and readings.

4. Bibliographical Essay for Final Project DUE WEEK 10 (5 pages).

- Define the major questions in the historiography.

- Identify your major secondary sources.

- Provide a rationale for how you chose your sources.

- Briefly summarize the arguments.

5. Rough Drafts for Final Project (at least 8-10 pages) DUE EITHER IN WEEK 13 or 14.

6. Final Project DUE WEEK 16. Composed of the following elements:

A. Historiographical Essay (12-15 pages)

- Must use at least 6 sources, at least 2 of which are books. One of your sources must be a lecture in HIUS 202. You may rely on more than one lecture but lectures only count as a single source for the final project.

B. Classroom Unit

- Rationale (3-4 pages)

- must incorporate course readings and deal with the following issues:

- Content vs. Historical Thinking Skills (Behavior vs. Cognitivism)

- Pluralism vs. Collective Memory

- History vs. Social Studies

- Daily Content Lesson Plan for 5 to 8 days

- Major Themes/Concepts

- Pedagogical Objectives

- Assignments

Topics and Readings

Week 1: Introduction/ History and the Nation

Reading:

David Thelen, "Making History and Making the United States," Journal of American Studies 32, 03 (1998), 373-97. On Toolkit

Week 2: Politics and Textbooks

Reading:

Dianne Ravitch, The Language Police

In Class:

- Research Projects Assigned

- Discussion: How to do Historiographical Research (in computer lab)

Week 3: Politics and Historiography

Reading:

Nash et al., History on Trial

In Class: Sample Book Review and Discussion on Historiography.

RESEARCH PROPOSAL DUE IN CLASS

Week 4: Historical Narrative and the New West

*Attend Lecture on the New West*

Reading:

1. Peter Sexias, “...Does postmodernism have a place in the schools?,” in Knowing, Teaching and Learning History. OnToolkit

2. William G. Robbins, "Laying Seige to Western History," Reviews in American History 19, 03 (Sep. 1991), 313-331. On JSTOR

3. William Cronon, "A Place for Stories: Nature, History, Narrative," Journal of American History 78, 04 (Mar. 1992), 1346-1376 On JSTOR

Week 5: Social Studies vs. History/ Progressivism 1

* Attend Lecture on Progressive Reform*

Reading:

1. Linda Levstik, “NCSS and the teaching of history,”in NCSS in Retrospect OnToolkit

2. "Was the Progressive Movement Really Progressive?" on HIUS 202 website.

3. Daniel T. Rodgers, "In Search of Progressivism," Reviews in American History (Dec. 1982), 113-32. On JSTOR

4. Chapter Readings in HIUS 202 Textbook.

Week 6: Progressivism 2

*Attend Lecture on Theodore Roosevelt*

Reading:

McGerr, A Fierce Discontent

BOOK REVIEW OF MCGERR DUE IN CLASS

Week 7: Behaviorism vs. Cognitive Theory

Reading:

1. Diane Ravitch, “Who prepares our history teachers? Who should prepare our history teachers?” The History Teacher 31(4). On JSTOR

2. Wineburg, Historical Thinking, Ch. 2.

Spring Break

Week 8: Classroom Teaching

Reading:

Wineburg, Historical Thinking, Chs. 6, 7

Week 9: CONTENT PLAN DUE IN CLASS

Week 10: BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ESSAY DUE/ MEET WITH INSTRUCTORS

Week 11: The Fifties and Beyond

Reading:

Cohen, A Consumer's Republic

Week 12:

*Attend Lecture on the Fifties*

FIRST SET OF ROUGH DRAFTS DUE BY THURS A.M./ CRITICAL GROUPS

Week 13: SECOND SET OF DRAFTS DUE BY THURS. A.M./CRITICAL GROUPS

Week 14: History and Race

Reading:

1. Review Moody, Coming of Age in Mississippi, from HIUS 202.

2. Thomas C. Holt, "African-American History" On Toolkit

3. Thomas Sugrue, "Crabgrass-Roots Politics: Race, Rights, and the Reaction against Liberalism in the Urban North, 1940-1964," Journal of American History 82, 02 (Sep. 1995), 551-78 On JSTOR

4. Reading TBA

Week 15: FINAL PROJECTS DUE IN CLASS

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