HIST 102-1701, 1801

United States History 1865 to Present

Number of Credits: 3

Transferability of Course within Nevada: Transfers to all NSHE institutions

Prerequisites: No course prerequisites but it is recommended that students taking this course are eligible to enroll in English 101, are currently enrolled, or have completed English 101.

Instructor:Kim DesRoches

Contact Info:

327 Bristlecone: 445-4288

Required Texts:

American Horizons: US History in a Global Context, Vol.II Since 1865,Scahller, Schulzinger, Bezís-Selfa et al., Oxford University Press, 2014.

ISBN: 978-0-19-973991-2

Reading American Horizons: Primary Sources for US History in a Global Context Vol. II, Scahller, Schulzinger, Bezís-Selfa et al., Oxford University Press, 2014.

ISBN: 978-0-19-976850-9.

Course Details

I.Course Description

Covers American history and civilization since the end of the American Civil War

II.Course Objectives and Linkage to General Education Program

The purpose of this course is provide a foundation of knowledge that allows students to further their study of American History and/or apply this knowledge to meet their personal and professional needs. The information in the parenthesis after a course objective refers to the specific general education (GE) learning outcome that the objective meets. Objectives without this information are not linked to WNC’s general education program.

Upon successful completion of this course, students will have demonstrated they can:

  1. Exhibit factual knowledge of fundamental principles, factors for change, theories, and generalizations from the field of American history after 1865 (GE 1).
  2. Examine historical and cultural changes through the location and evaluation of information including primary and secondary sources (GE 4).
  3. Describe diverse historical and/or contemporary positions on selected democratic values or practices (GE 5).
  4. Demonstrate analytical and critical thinking through substantially error-free prose suitable in style and content to the purpose of the document and the audience (GE 2, 9).
  5. Draw a conclusion about a contemporary or enduring issue in American History and support the conclusion with appropriate reasoning and evidence (GE 10).

This course is also designed to encourage the critical analysis of ideas, argument, and points of view. This is demonstrated through written communication, asynchronous discussion posts and in class discussions. Students will learn to apply course materials and in class experiences to improve analytical skills and rational thinking. This goal is achieved by formulating questions, seeking answers, and participation during class. As such, attendance is mandatory and will be monitored each class session. Should you need to miss class, contact me prior to the event to make any necessary alternative arrangements.

Policies and Procedures

  1. Classroom conduct: This course is designed to encourage a great deal of discussion about a variety of topics and issues including controversial themes and adult material. It is quite possible that there will not be a consensus on these issues; thus, we will work together to create an environment where all participants feel free to express themselves. This will be accomplished by following basic rules of courtesy: no name-calling, interrupting, or use of pejorative language directed at either classmates or outside groups.
  1. Academic Dishonesty: This category includes: plagiarism, cheating, and /or falsifying medical excuses for absences. This includes the use of “cut and pasted” information from the internet without attribution, submitting passages of quoted text without use of quotation marks or attribution. Any violation will result in a failing grade on the particular assessment where the infraction occurred, and may result in a failing grade for the overall exam or assessment, and could result in a failing grade in the course at the instructor’s discretion. If you receive a failing grade in the course for cheating, you will not be able to withdraw (W) from the course. The determination to assign a failing grade is subject to the College’s Appeal process. To avoid the issue in the first place, review the following from WNC’s Academic Dishonesty policy at

From WNC Manual Section 4: What are Specific Acts of Academic Dishonesty?

A. Cheating
Cheating is an act of deception by which a student misrepresents that he or she has mastered information on an academic exercise, which in fact has not been mastered. Examples include:

  • Copying from another student's test or assignment.
  • Allowing another student to copy from a test or assignment.
  • Collaborating during a test with any other person without instructor permission.
  • Using the course textbook or other course materials during a test without instructor permission.
  • Using prepared materials during a test (e.g., notes, formula lists, notes written on the student's clothing, etc.) without instructor permission
  • Taking a test for someone else or permitting someone to take a test for the student.

B. Plagiarism: Plagiarism is presenting someone else's words, 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 student 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
  1. Americans with Disabilities Act: This institution and this instructor are committed to accommodating any student who requires additional or optional resources in order to succeed in this course. Disability support services are available to any student requiring accommodations. You can access the Disability Support Services office at (775) 445-4459 or by email at
  1. Electronics: Use of cell phones, PDA’s, and any audio or video recording devices is prohibited unless prior permission of instructor obtained.To comply with WNC’s Emergency Management plan, cell phones are to be left on but set to vibrate so emergency communications are received.
  1. Instructor Communication: I will make every effort to respond to email requests/correspondence within 48 hours Monday through Friday. I will notify the class prior to any changes in this schedule.
  1. For Student Grievances: Any issues with the class are to be addressed first to me. If you are not satisfied that a just solution has been reached, you have 30 days to contact the division head and file a written grievance. The attached link provides the College Policy for Student Grievance procedures.
  1. Canvas Learning Management System. ALL written work is to be submitted to Turnitin via the Canvas Learning Management System. Canvas is also used for all Discussion Forum assignments. All students are required to create a login to Canvas if not already established. You will have received an invitation to join the course prior to the start of the semester.
  1. Ask the Class Forum on Canvas: This is a semester long opportunity to pose specific questions about navigating the course, issues concerning access to external links or material, areas of concern in the readings, or to pose questions of related interest that can benefit the whole class. This provides an opportunity for peer-to-peer problem solving as you are encouraged to ask questions and provide answers to others.
  1. Canvas Orientation: You will find an orientation to Canvas provided in the class modules. Complete this orientation by the end of week one. Please review the topics and refer to the orientation for technical and navigation questions.

Assessments

Assessment Overview: Course evaluations will be based upon four scheduled exams, five short papers, five discussion posts, oneresearch proposal including an outline and annotated bibliography, and one 8-10 page research paper. Schedule your time accordingly as no late work will be accepted. All exams are scheduled and no makeup exams will be allowed except in the case of verifiable medical emergency. Should you anticipate the need to reschedule an exam please contact me prior to the scheduled exam date.

1st Exam100 points

2nd Exam100 points

3rd Exam100 points

4th Exam100 points

10 VSPs @ 10100 points

Five Discussion posts @ 30150 points

Research Proposal100 points

Research paper200 points

Attendance and Participation25 points

Total:975 points

Grade Scale

100-94%A

93-90%A-

89-87%B+

86-83%B

82-80%B-

79-77%C+

76-73%C

72-70%C-

69-60%D No plus or minus grades will be earned below 69% achievement.

59-00%F

Withdrawals are the sole responsibility of the student. The last day for a student to withdraw from the class is Friday of Week 9. Students who discontinue attendance without going through the withdrawal procedure will earn a final grade based upon total number of points earned by the last date of attendance.If you receive a failing grade in the course for cheating, you will not be able to withdraw (W) from the course.

Discussion Forums

After completing the assigned primary source readings for the Discussion Forum, select themes from one or both readings, think critically, and then respond at least twice during the week. For the selected themes, think about responding to what you found interesting, disturbing, challenging, or amusing. You are welcome to use first person but the writing style must remain college level and formal. Avoid summary.

Your first response is due on Thursday the week it is assigned. Your two (or more) responses must be posted by 11:59 on Sundaythe week it is due. Participation in the discussion is mandatory—failure to participate will result in the loss of 33% of available points. Consistent failure to participate will result in failing grades on subsequent discussion forums. A specific grading rubric is attached to each forum.

  • Format: Using paragraphs of 200-250 words, provide a thoughtful and analytical discussion of selected themes. Unlike the short papers, you are not required to compare the readings but have the discretion to select what you believe to be the most salient points to discuss.
  • Submit at least two substantive “reply” posts of 100-150 words. Substantive replies to other students or the instructor make up your participation grade. Substantive replies go beyond “I agree,” or “I see your point.” Effective responses relate course readings, theory, research, or personal experience to the discussion topic.

Grading Criteria: This assignment will be graded on adhering to the above format and the following provisions: Try to tie your analysis into the readings for the week in direct ways (such as citing a key phrase). I do not want a summary of the readings by any means, but this can improve and support your argument. The ultimate goal is for you to address the readings in a critical way (positive or negative). Cite a key phrase, analyze intent, sources, structure, thesis, and apply this to your own ideas about the subject. This means including an in-text citation for any section of the text or another source used for developing ideas or include a full reference citation if a more general approach is taken. An in-text citation includes the publisher(s) name and the year of publication; for a direct quote the page number should also be included.

Written Assignments:

This section contains information on theVery Short Paper (VSP) and Research Paper assignments. For more information on APA style information go to Purdue Owl site:

Very Short Papers(VSPs) (10 points)

All short papers are due on the Tuesdayof the week they are assigned and will be submitted through Canvas. NO LATE WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED. Write a concise (300-350 word) analysis of a selected portion of the chapter reading assigned for the week or from ONE of the primary source readings when attached. All VSPs will include an APA formatted citation for source material and be composed according to the attached rubric. Papers are typed, double spaced, and will convey your analysis NOT SUMMARY of the selected material.

Very Short Paper (VSP) Rubric
College Level Writing (3 pts) / The submission is free of technical and grammatical errors (including punctuation and capitalization) and correctly uses APA citation format.
Components (3 pts) / All necessary components of a VSP are present including: introductory sentence, thesis statement, cited evidence, analysis and discussion of the evidence, and a closing statement. Reference citation included
Insight (3 pts) / Submission reflects college level critical thinking about the chosen topic. The submission goes beyond in class discussion and/or summary.
Unique Contribution (1 pt) / The submission reflects an exceptional level of insight on the topic. This can be achieved by producing a unique argument, unusual perspective, or by integrating class or primary source discussion material in a thoughtful, insightful manner.

Research Proposal and Paper

  • Research Proposal: You will select a topic from the timeframe of the course 1877-21st Century. A complete proposal contains the following:Cover page, abstract, brief outline, and annotated bibliography.
  • You must select eight (8) academic articles on the selected topic. Your abstract contains your research topic, research questions, and anticipated conclusions. If you cannot locate sufficient reference material, you MUST select a different topic. Your abstract should be a single, non-tabbed, paragraph that is double-spaced. Your abstract should be between 150 and 250 words.
  • Sources: Your sources must come from peer reviewed/academic sources and can include books or journals articles available through WNC Library resources (
  • NO NON-ACADEMIC INTERNET SOURCES ALLOWED including Wikipedia, Encyclopedia or .com sites found through Google type searches. Do not use: Blogs, Newspaper articles, Trade Journals, book reviews or news weeklies. Do not include any source that does not contain a bibliography (for example WWI Magazine or WWII Magazine)Failure to use acceptable sources will result in the rejection of the project and a failing grade.
  • All projects must be submitted following APA formatting for cover page, abstract, outline, and annotated bibliography. Assignment grade will be based on appropriate choices of reference material, proper use of APA style bibliography and proper spelling, grammar, and punctuation of abstract, cover page, and annotated bibliography in APA style.

Sample Annotated Reference Entry in APA style

Example: Annotated Entry for a Scholarly Journal Article (NOTE: Any annotation starts on a new line and is indented an extra one-half inch)

Osthaus, B., Marlow, D., & Ducat, P. (2010). Minding the gap: Spatial perseveration error in dogs. Animal Cognition, 13, 881-885. doi:10.1007/s10071-010-0331-z

After domesticated dogs followed a course multiple times, the study measured their success of navigating a changed route. The results indicate dogs develop spatial memory and navigation as a conditioned response, and have difficulty overcoming and unlearning that response.

Outline

As part of the research proposal you will construct a brief outline identifying general structure of the paper including introduction content, body paragraph organization and conclusion. A sample outline is provided in Canvas.

Research Paper: (200 points) See sample in Canvas

Analytical Research Essay: No later than the end of Week 13(Sunday) you will submit an8-10page, double-spaced -- excluding cover page, abstract and references-- analytical essay that addresses your topic. The essay will present a coherent narrative, including transitions that illustrates both summary and analytical skills. Your essay must be documented following APA criteria.

Submission format: Final papers will be submitted with APA formatted: cover page, abstract, outline, body of the paper, citations throughout, and non-annotated bibliography. Place all elements in proper order and submit as a single document. NOTE: failure to use citations throughout the paper when warranted will result in a failing grade.

Grading Criteria: The research paper will be graded according to the following essential elements: 1) introduction providing a thesis statement; 2) body providing a discussion of central themes supported by primary / secondary sources; 3) conclusion drawing together the themes of the paper in a succinct, organized, and persuasive manner; and, 4) citations that are properly used for quoted and paraphrased material.

Format: The research paper will be 8-10 text pages using Times New Roman or other common 12-point font and double-spaced throughout. The title of your paper found on the cover page and in headers should accurately reflect the content of your paper’s text. The research paper must include a reference page of at least sixof the eight annotated academicsources. See acceptable sources list above. If there is a question about whether a source meets the academic criteria, contact the instructor. You are encouraged to use as many sources as appropriate. However, a huge bibliography will not compensate for a weak or poorly-constructed paper.

Research Paper Grading Rubric
College level writing (20 Points) /
  • Essay is well organized, contains an introduction, thesis statement, logical body paragraphs and conclusion. Paragraphs adhere to 5-7 sentence model and are internally coherent.

Proper use of reference material (20 points) /
  • Reference material is well summarized and relevant. Quoted passages are kept to a minimum and all paraphrased information is properly cited.

Accuracy and Proper use of APA citation format (20 Points) /
  • Citations are formatted and used properly. This includes proper citation format (APA), avoiding plagiarism, and accurately representing the author’s work.

Spelling, Grammar, Punctuation, and Sentence Structure (20 Points) /
  • Few to none errors in grammar, spelling, or punctuation. Few to none instances of incomplete or run-sentences.

Sufficiency and Relevancy (20 Points) /
  • Writing is sufficient according to the requirements of the assignment. You have explored all questions posed from thesis or through analysis. Your writing is relevant. You have stayed on topic

Schedule of Readings and Assignments

(Subject to change at any time)

Week I:January 25-29

Course Introduction and Canvas Introduction

Historical Thinking and exercise

Reconstruction Review

Read Chapter 15and 16

PS 15.5, 15.7

Week II:February 1-5

Forging a Transcontinental Nation

VSP 1 Due (PS 16.1, 16.5)