United States History, 1840 – 1920: Citizenship in Capitalist America
History 17 B
Section Syllabus
Summer 2006
Professor Furner
Teaching Assistant: Jill Jensen
Email:
Office: HSSB 3219
Office Hours: Tuesday 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm or by appointment
Lecture:
Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs, 11:00- 12:15; Buchanan 1910
Sections:
# 07773Tuesday, 8:00 – 8:50, HSSB 1233
# 07781 Tuesday, 9:30 – 10:20, HSSB 1233
# 07757Tuesday, 2:00 – 2:50, HSSB 1233
Objective: In this course we will be looking historically at many of the critical issues and ideas related to changes in the meaning of citizenship in US history. Students will be considering events and concepts in economics, culture and politics that have influenced the development of citizenship. Additional objectives of this course are to improve your reading, reasoning and communication skills, all of which will be incredibly valuable no matter what career choice you make. It is important to remember that the material covered contains not dead ideas but living issues that give meaning and structure to your life every day. As you do the readings in the course think about the influence the ideas and events have had on your experience as a member of society and keep in mind that in discussion we will all (myself included) attempt to explain this significance. In this way, we will think about how to identify and analyze situations as they relate to the continuing issues of historical interpretations and controversies, all in reference to the distinguishing components of our intellectual and cultural heritage.
Note: In order to access the class website you must type the complete address
Breakdown of Grades:
1. Section, discussion and participation25 percent
2. Paper, due August 1725 percent
3. Mid term25 percent
4. Final 25 percent
Section Grades:
Section grades will be based on attendance, participation, preparedness, and assignments. Each week I will evaluate your participation and note your attendance for a total of 15% of your course grade. Showing up and actively participating will earn you 2.5 percentage points for the week; attendance with limited participation 2 percentage points; and attendance with no participation will earn 1.5 percentage points. Failure to attend will result in zero points. One missed section will not hurt your grade, though you will miss the content. But repeated absences will hurt your grade considerably.
You will have a simple assignment each week, which I will announce in section and/or in an email. Generally, I will assign two discussion questions based on the weekly readings. These weekly assignments will account for 10% of your overall course grade with the first week counting as a freebee week. Thus, each assignment is worth 1.66 percentage points. A bit further explanation follows.
- Attendance: Attendance at the section in which you are enrolled is required. If you know you will miss a section, please contact me beforehand to arrange a make-up. Please note, there are many people waiting to get into this class. Therefore, you must attend the first two meetings of section or you will be dropped from the list.
- Participation: This is the heart and soul of discussion sections. Everyone is encouraged to engage in discussion about topics from lectures and readings. Remember, this is your section and you, the students, make it meaningful. Please feel free to express your thoughts on what we could and should discuss. I cannot read your mind, so you need to speak up.
- Preparedness: Students should arrive to section with questions (specific and/or open-ended), opinions, and a working knowledge of the week’s reading and lectures. Please bring your class notes, notes on the readings, and the week’s text to every session. Keep in mind that in order to participate effectively in class you need to be well prepared.
- Written assignments:You are required to bring two written questions to section each week. One of these will deal with lecture material that you would like clarification on, or simply something that you think merits emphasis. The other question should be something important that you came across in the reading that fits into one of the two categories just mentioned. These need to be written on 8 x 11 paper and handed in at the beginning of section. They will be used for discussion as well for review by your TA. In sections we may have short writing assignments. Both of these exercises serve a dual purpose: First, they will give you a chance to get your thoughts down on paper and raise questions you came across outside of section. Second, it will give me a chance to see how much effort you have put into thinking about the week’s readings, and also what might need additional clarification.
Course Grades:
I will grade all of your work for 17 B, including your paper, your midterm, and final. We will discuss the format and expectations for the exams and papers. I will be happy to go over returned work with you, provided you spend at least 24 hours reviewing and contemplating the work. If you want me to reconsider a grade, put your reasons in writing (be convincing!) and see me in person. Please note that you must contact me within two weeks after the assignment is returned if you want me to reconsider a grade.
Late paper policy: You will lose one letter grade each day after the due date of the paper. If you anticipate any problems in submitting the paper on time please see me as soon as possible.
Cheating and Plagiarism:
Cheating and plagiarism are very serious offenses and will not be tolerated. If you are caught you will automatically fail the assignment and I willreport youto the Office of the Dean of Students. If you have any questions about how to cite sources, or what constitutes plagiarism, please come and talk with me. A valuable resource on this issue is the brochure titled “The Academic Dishonesty Question: A Guide to an Answer Through Education, Prevention, Adjudication, and Obligation,” available from the Office of the Dean of Students.
We are mandated to report any incidents, questionable behaviors, or assignments. For more information on UCSB’s policy on academic dishonesty go to:
This information can also be found by going to clicking on “A” in the index, and then going to Academic Conduct. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the information provided on this page. “I didn’t know I had to cite that” or “I didn’t mean to” will not be acceptable explanations for plagiarism.
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