SYLLABUS
United States History from 1865 Online
History 2620:032, 889
University of North Texas
January 17 to May 12, 2017
Instructor: Elizabeth Hayes TurnerProfessor of History
Distinguished Teaching Professor EmeritusEmail:
It is possible to read the history of this country as one long struggle to extend the liberties established in our Constitution to everyone in America. - Molly Ivins
Course Objectives:
Goal I: Students who successfully master the course will be able to demonstrate an understanding of the facts and chronology of United States History from 1865 to 2008.
Goal II. Students who successfully master the course will be able to read critically and analytically.
Goal III. Students who successfully master the course will be able to demonstrate an understanding of historical (primary) documents in American history since 1865.
Course Description: The work of this course will be to discover the growth and development of the United States from the end of the Civil War through industrialization, overseas expansion, global wars, the Great Depression and WWII, the post-World War II era, civil rights movement, and into the 21st century. The purpose of this course is to acquaint students with basic political, socio-economic, and cultural developments in the history of the United States from 1865 to 2008. It will focus on diverse subjects including politics, race, gender, economics, and culture. The objectives include identifying significant persons, events, and ideas from which students will be able to demonstrate an understanding of historical causal and consequential relationships.
Format:Thiscourse combines written material, class media, class discussions over the primary documents and outside readings, quizzes for each Learning Module, tests on material from the textbook, After the Fact, a Midterm Exam, and a Final Exam. The course was developed in part under the auspices of the Center for Learning Enhancement, Assessment, and Redesign (CLEAR).
Course Materials:
The course includes material in each Learning Module withlinked documents, web pages, and linked library pages. In addition there is a required textbook for this course.
Text: James West Davidson and Mark Hamilton Lytle, After the Fact: The Art of Historical Detection, Vol. 2, 6th edition (New York: McGraw Hill, 2010), paperback. This book is available from the UNT bookstore or can be ordered online. ISBN #: 978-0-07-729269-0
Class Webpage:Blackboard Learn, 9.1
This class is supported by a website through Blackboard Learn, 9.1.
To access the website go to learn.unt.edu
Log in with your EUID and password. Click on History 2620:032, 889Spring
2017. On this Blackboard page you can access:
- Announcements from the instructor
- The syllabus
- Learning Modules with history reading material.
- EDUzines: An Active Learning Initiative E-publication assigned for certain Learning Modules. Read these like you would a Life magazine.
- Primary historical documents in the Learning Modules to be used in Discussion
- Discussion Forums
- Weekly quizzes over the reading material in the Learning Modules. These are
found in Assessments
7. Tests over the chapters in After the Fact foundin the Learning Modules
8. My Grades
9. Midterm Exam found in Assessments
10. Final Exam found in Assessments
If you have any difficulties contact UNT UIT Helpdesk: (940) 565-2324.
Assignments and Projects:
1. Read the material from the Learning Modules andthe accompanying chapter
from the textbook, After the Fact. What I suggest, and what I have done
myself, is to copy the material from the Modules each week into a Word
document, minus the interactives (which will interfere with the formatting) in
order to have handy access to the material.
2. Take the weekly quizzes after studying the material in the Learning Module.
The quizzes are open all semester and can be taken as many times as
needed. The weekly quizzes are found in Assessments.
3.Read the primary documents in each Learning Module as assigned and
participate in the discussions, usually on Fridays. Refer to the model
Discussion post found in Start Here, before writing yours. ALWAYS read the
Learning Module material before engaging in the discussion over a primary
document. Contextualize the document in history, explaining its relevance to the
events that unfolded in that time period. Ill- informed discussion posts always
stick out. Discussions close at midnight on the day assigned but you
can begin them anytime. Discussions include your initial post and a response
to another student. You must complete both a post and a response to earn
fullcredit (20 points).
4. Take the tests from the textbook, After the Fact during the week they are
assigned. You can take them 3 times until the test is closed on the assigned
day, usually Mondays at midnight.
Quizzes, Tests, Discussions and Exams:
1.Learning Module Quizzes. The 10-point weekly quizzes from the Learning Modules are intended to help you master the material in preparation for the Midterm and Final exams. They are required for passing the course. The quizzes will remain open throughout the semester and you can take them as many times as you wish, however, only your highest grade will count. 13 quizzes = 130 points. Look for quizzes in Assessments.
2. After the Fact Tests. The 20-point tests from After the Fact are assigned as shown in the syllabus. They remain open all semester until the deadline for each one has expired. You can take themthree times until the midnightdeadline. Your highest score will be recorded. 8 tests = 160 points. Look for the tests in the Learning Modules.
3. Discussions: Discussions are based on the Primary Documents and material from the Learning Modules.It is essential that you complete the 10 discussions on time throughout the semester. Because this is the only writing assignment in the course, you must participate in at least seven of the discussions. Anything less than 7 discussion entries will result in ahalf grade drop, meaning if your grade overall is a low B, it will drop to a C+.Online discussions based on the Primary Documents must be completed by the assigned deadlines. Because discussions involve other students, late discussion entries cannot be graded. This includes responses to other students.Failure to respond to another student will result in a 10-point loss. You can begin working on discussionsat any time. It will be necessary to read the Learning Module material, situating the document in the context of the times, and contextualizing your answers based on historical facts (most of which can be found in the Learning Modules). Answer all questions for a score of 20 points per discussion forum. To receive full credit, you must post a substantive answerto the discussion question(s) with at least one paragraph (four sentences minimum),and asubstantive paragraph responseto one other person in the class(four sentences minimum). This is intended to stimulate discussion of ideas. For example, “good idea, or “good job,” or “YES”, or “I agree” is not substantive. Reminder: A paragraph must be at least 4 sentences. The more background information you provide, the better the grade; please take the time to analyze the documents in the context of the Learning Modules and formulate your answers using historical facts and analysis.Please read the sample Discussion Post in START HERE. Look for the Primary Documents in the Learning Modules and Discussion forums in Discussions.
4. Midterm and Final Exams: You will have an online Midterm and Final Exam using multiple choice questions from the weekly quizzes and the reading material –50 questions per exam. The dates for these exams are listed in the schedule below. The exams are not timed once you start them, but you have one chance to take them. If you miss the Midterm, you MUST contact me, Professor Turner () to arrange a make-up exam. I will expect a very good reason for missing the exam, and I will decide if you may make it up. Look for the Midterm and Final Exams in Assessments.
Midterm Exam:March 20-23, 2017 50 questions
Final Exam:May 6-10, 2017 50 questions
Grading:
Midterm and Final Exams 200 (100 points each)
Learning Module Quizzes (13)130 (10 points each)
After the Fact Tests (8) 160 (20 points each)
Discussion Threads (10), 7 are required 200 (20 points each)
Total possible points in this course = 690
Grading Scale: A= 690-621; B=620-552;C=551-483; D=482-414; F=413 or below.
Extra Credit: 10 points will be awarded everyone in the class if at least half the class fillsout the SPOT (Student Perspective on Teaching) course evaluation. The grading scale stays the same; these points, if earned, are extra.
Participation Policy:
Participation matters; be online every week.Let me know if there is a reason for your absence. More important, you could be missing assignments with deadlines. Get in touch with me if this happens. If you miss an assignment with a deadline and did not contact me with a serious reason for missing it, the grade will be zero for that assignment. Fill out the Zip Code Quiz (survey). This is a requirement for continuation in the course.
How to pass this course:
The best way to pass this course is to take the reading, quizzes, and discussion formats
seriously. DO THE ASSIGNMENTS. It is not difficult to make a good grade in this course if you do the work. Prepare for your exams at least one week in advance by going over the readings until you feel thoroughly familiar with the material. If you need help,take advantage of help offered by the History Help Center, located in Wooten Hall, Room 220. This center provides help to students enrolled in history courses at the University of North Texas. And finally – Relax, enjoy.
A Word about the Honesty Code:
The University of North Texas maintains an honesty code, which is an essential element of the institution’s academic credibility and integrity. It is the student’s responsibility to become familiar with the code as found in the UNT “Code of Student Conduct and Discipline” and abide by it. Academic honesty is the foundation upon which the student builds personal integrity and establishes a standard of personal behavior. A violation of the honesty code is any activity that compromises the academic integrity or subverts the educational process of the university,including but not limited to, the following examples: You are reminded that you are in a university course and as such are subject to the UNT code of student conduct and discipline. Do NOT cut and paste from the internet to answer the discussion questions. This is considered plagiarism and can result in a severe grade reduction or a failing grade in the course.
* Providing or receiving information for unauthorized use during exams, quizzes, or other graded work.
* Failing to report incidents of academic dishonesty.
* Using unauthorized notes, books, or other disallowed materials to aid in answering questions during an examination.
* Serving as or enlisting another person to take a test in the student’s place or to do any academic work for which the student will receive academic credit.
*Plagiarizing (using another person’s work without acknowledgment).
* Changing answers or grades and attempting to claim instructor error.
* Any other conduct intended to obtain academic credit fraudulently or dishonestly, which a reasonable person in the same or similar circumstances would recognize as dishonest or improper in an academic setting.
Any of the above violations could result in at least a diminished grade or at worst an F in the course.
Etiquette: Website etiquette rules. Do not use all caps.
Rule 1: Remember the Human
Rule 2: Adhere to the same standards of behavior online that you follow in real life
Rule 3: Know where you are in cyberspace
Rule 4: Respect other people's time and bandwidth
Rule 5: Make yourself look good online
Rule 6: Share expert knowledge
Rule 7: Help keep flame wars under control
Rule 8: Respect other people's privacy
Rule 9: Don't abuse your power
Rule 10: Be forgiving of other people's mistakes
ODA Statement:
The University of North Texas makes reasonable academic accommodation for students with disabilities. Students seeking accommodation must first register with the Office of Disability Accommodation (ODA) to verify their eligibility. If a disability is verified, the ODA will provide you with an accommodation letter to be delivered to faculty to begin a private discussion regarding your specific needs in a course. You may request accommodations at any time, however, ODA notices of accommodation should be provided as early as possible in the semester to avoid any delay in implementation. Note that students must obtain a new letter of accommodation for every semester and must meet with each faculty member prior to implementation in each class.Students are strongly encouraged to deliver letters of accommodation during faculty office hours or by appointment. Faculty members have the authority to ask students to discuss such letters during their designated office hours to protect the privacy of the student.For additional information see the Office of Disability Accommodation website at. You may also contact them by phone at940.565.4323
Assignments
January 17-23, 2017Week 1
Discussion Introduction, Friday, Jan. 20
Test 1- Monday, Jan. 23
Total 40 points / Introduction
Introduce yourself in Discussions by Friday, Jan. 20 at 11:59 pm. You may post a photo of yourself. This post is graded, so please complete the assignment on time.Read the syllabus and mark your calendar for assignments. Acquire After the Fact Vol. 2 and begin reading Chapter 8.
Learning Module 1 – Reconstruction
Read Module 1 Material:
Interactives:
Web Field Trips and Did You Know sections
Sharecropping in the South
Populism and the Expression of sentiments
Have a phrenological reading
Washington and DuBois
Read: “View from the Bottom Rail” Chapter 8 from After the Fact(ATF). Complete Test #1onMonday, Jan. 23 by 11:59 pm --End of Day for all assignments.
Jan 23-30, 2017, Week 2
Quiz 1
Documents /Discussion, Friday, Jan. 27
30 points / Learning Module 2 – Creating the New South
Read Module 2 Material:
Complete Quiz 1, Found in Assessments
Interactives and Links:
Click on the link in the Race Relations section to read the essays concerning Jim Crow.
Web Field Trips and Did You Know sections
Sharecropping in the South
Populism and the Expression of sentiments
Have a phrenological reading
Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois
ReadDocuments 1 and 2: Sharecropping and HenryGrady Speech
Participate in Discussion on Friday, Jan. 27 by 11:59 pm.
Jan. 30-Feb.6, 2017, Week 3
Quiz 2
Document/Discussion, Friday, Feb. 3.
30 points / Learning Module 3 –New Frontiers – The West
Read Module 3 Material:
Complete Quiz 2
Interactives:
Web Field Trips and Did You Know sections
Cattle drives
War of the West timeline
Extreme Makeover
Loss of Indian Land map
Read: Document #1- Chief Joseph.Participate in Discussion on Friday, Feb. 3 by 11:59 pm
Feb. 6-13, 2017, Week 4
Quiz 3
Test 2, Mon., Sept. 26
30 points / Learning Module 4 – Gilded Age
Read Module 4 Material:
Complete Quiz 3
Click on link in the Significance of the 1896 election section and read Henry Littlefield’s essay
Interactives:
Web Field Trips and Did You Know sections
Old vs. New Immigration
Match the Inventor with the Invention
Ellis Island video
Haymarket Bombing video
Homestead Strike video
Read: “Mirror with a Memory” Chapter 9 (ATF). Complete Test#2 onMon., Feb. 13by 11:59 pm.
Feb. 13-20, 2017, Week 5
Quiz 4
Document/Discussion, Friday, Feb. 17
30 points / Learning Module 5 - American Empire, 1890-1914
Read Module 5 Material:
Complete Quiz 4
Interactives:
Web Field Trips and Did You Know sections
Watch all video clips
Read “The Story of the Teddy Bear”
Focus on Teddy Roosevelt section.
View: Documents #1 and #2, the New York World and the New York Journal
Read: Document #3- Senator Albert Beveridge’s American Empire Speech, 1900.” Participate in Discussion onFriday, Feb. 17 by 11:59 pm
Feb. 20-27, 2017, Week 6
Quiz 5
Test #3, Monday, Feb. 27
30 points
/ Learning Module 6- The Progressive Era, 1901-1917
Read Module 6 Material:
Complete Quiz 5
Watch all video clips
Web Field Trips and Did You Know sections
Triangle Shirtwaist Fire section
Read: “USDA Government Inspected” Chapter 10 (ATF)
Complete Test#3on Mon. Feb. 27by 11:59 pm.
Feb. 27- March 6, 2017, Week 7
Quiz 6
Documents/Discussion, Friday, March 3
30 points / Learning Module 7 –The U.S. and World War I
Read Module 7 Material:
Complete Quiz 6
Watch all video clips
Web Field Trips and Did You Know sections
Read the WWI EDUzine
World War I timeline maps
Europe at War Interactive
World War I Propaganda Posters Interactive
Read: Document #1: “The Zimmermann Telegram”
Document #2: “Woodrow Wilson and the Fourteen Points.”Participate in Discussion on Friday, March 3by 11:59 pm.
March 6-11, 2017, Week 8
Quiz 7,
Test #4, Friday, March 10
30 points / Learning Module 8 – The Twenties
Read Module 8 Material:
Complete Quiz 7
Watch all video clips
Web Field Trips and Did You Know sections
1920s Interactive
NAACP Interactive
Jazz Age Interactive
Gibson Girl or Flapper Interactive
Learning Module 8– Prohibition Reigns
Read: “Sacco and Vanzetti” Chapter 11 (ATF)
Complete Test #4 on Fri., March 10by 11:59 pm
SPRING BREAK / March 12-19, 2017
MIDTERM EXAM
Mon.-Thurs.., March 20-23, 2017
100 points / The Midterm Exam Covers Learning Modules 1-8 and will be open from Mon-Thurs. March 20-23.The exam will close on Thurs., March 23at 11:59 pm
March 20-27, 2017, Week 9
Quiz 8
Document/Discussion, Friday, March 24
30 points
Begin by numbering and naming (1.2.3.etc) the provisions for economic recovery and reform that FDR provided in his May 7, 1933 speech. Following that, in a well-formed paragraph using at least four complete sentences discover the name of one agency that was implemented during the New Deal and explain how it helped or hindered Americans in their economic recovery. / Learning Module 9 – Great Depression and New Deal
Read Module 9 Material:
Complete Quiz 8
Watch all video clips
Web Field Trips and Did You Know sections
Read the New Deal EDUzine
It’s a New Deal Interactive
Election Interactive Map
Read: Document #1: “Roosevelt Outlines the New Deal, 1933.” Participate in Discussion on Friday, March 24by 11:59 pm.
March 27-April 3, 2017, Week 10
Quiz 9
Test 5, Friday, March 31
Discussion “Decision to Drop the Bomb” (ATF) and “Hibakusha” Mon., April 3
50 points
Be sure to use historical facts and examples from the article and the webpage “Hibakusha,” when analyzing the atomic bombings.
Note: The test is on Friday; the Discussion is on Monday because you must read the ATF chapter to participate in the Discussion. / Learning Module 10 – U.S. and World War II
Read Module 10 Material:
Complete Quiz 9
Watch all video clips
Web Field Trips and Did You Know sections
Read the WWII EDUzine
World War II Timeline Maps
Allies versus Axis interactive
War Bonds and Victory Gardens Interactive
Japan’s War Strategy
Read: “Decision to Drop the Bomb” Chapter 13 (ATF) and "Hibakusha"
Complete Test #5on Friday, March 31 by11:59 pm.
Participate in Discussion on Monday, April 3by 11:59 pm
April 3-10, 2017, Week 11
Quiz 10
Documents/Discussion, Friday, April 7, 2017
30 points / Learning Module 11 – The Cold War
Read Module 11 Material:
Complete Quiz 10
Watch all video clips
Web Field Trips and Did You Know sections
Read the Cold War EDUzine
Cold War Map Interactive
Marshall Plan Interactive
Bay of Pigs Invasion Interactive
Cold War Policy/Doctrine Interactive
Read: Document #1: “The Marshall Plan Speech, 1947” andDocument #2: “Enemies from Within: by Senator Joseph R. McCarthy, 1950”Participate in Discussion on Friday, April 7by 11:59 pm.
April 10-17, 2017, Week 12
Quiz 11
Document/Discussion, Friday, April 14
Test 6, Monday, April 17
50 points
This is Easter weekend. All of these assignments can be completed ahead of time. / Learning Module 12 –The Fifties and Sixties, 1955-1968
Read Module 12 Material:
Complete Quiz 11
Watch all video clips
Web Field Trips and Did You Know sections
Decline of the Great Society Interactive
Match the Supreme Court cases Interactive
Read: Document #1:Letter from Alabama Clergy, 1963,” and Document #2: “Martin Luther King, Letter from Birmingham Jail, 1963.” Participate in Discussion by Friday, April 14 before11:59 pm.
Read:"From Rosie to Lucy" Chapter 14 (ATF).CompleteTest #6 by Mon., April 17 before 11:59 pm
SPOT, Student Perceptions of Teaching / Please participate in evaluating the course.
April 17-24, 2017, Week 13
Quiz 12
Document/Discussion, Friday, April 21
Test 7, Monday, April 24by 11:59 pm
50 points / Learning Module 13 – U.S. and the Vietnam War
Read Module 13 Material:
Complete Quiz 12
Read the Vietnam War EDUzine
French Indochina Map
Vietnam Weapons Interactive
Ho Chi Minh Trail Interactive
ReadDocument #1, “Paul Potter’s Anti-Vietnam Speech” Participate in the Discussion on Friday, April 21 by 11:59 pm.
Read: “Where Trouble Comes,” Chapter 17 (ATF). Complete Test #7 by Monday, April 24.
April 24-May 1, 2017, Week 14
Quiz 13
Test 8, Monday, May1
30 points / Learning Module 14 – A Changing Nation –
Watch all video clips
Web Field Trips and Did You Know sections
Nixon’s Supreme Court Appointees Interactive
The New Right Interactive
Read: “Breaking into Watergate” (ATF), Chapter 16. Complete Test #8 on Mon., May 1at 11:59 pm.
May 1-6, 2017 / Catch up on quizzes. Study for Final Exam
FINAL EXAM
May 6-10, 2017, Saturday -Wednesday
100 points / The Final Exam coversLearning Modules 9-14
and will be open from Sat., May 6 through Wed. May 10. The exam will close on May 10at 11:59 pm
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