History of the United States II Syllabus for 2011-2012
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Course

HIST-1302-031 History of the United States II

Prerequisites

RDNG 0331-minimum grade of C or a score on a state-approved test indicating college-level reading skills

Course Description

A general survey of United States history from the European background to the present. The study includes political, economic, social and cultural aspects of life in this country and follows the development of the United States as a world power.

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Department Expectations

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Hours

(3 sem hrs; 3 lec)

Class Type

Dual Credit Course

Syllabus Information

Textbooks

\ Roark, James L., Michael P. Johnson, Patricia Cline Cohen, Sarah Stage, Alan Lawson, and Susan M. Hartmann. The American Promise: A History of the United States. Volume II: From 1865, Fourth Edition. Boston and New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2008.

Supplies

\ Paper, pens, #2 pencils and scantrons for tests.

Student Performance

After studying the material presented in this course, the student will be able to:

1. Trace the development of a stable, democratic political system flexible enough to address the wholesale changes that occurred since the founding of the nation.
2. Explain how this nation has been peopled from the first inhabitants to the many groups that arrived in slavery or servitude during the colonial period down to the voluntary immigrants of the Civil War era.
3. Evaluate economic and technological changes as they have affected daily life, work, family organization, leisure, the division of wealth, and community relations.
4. Delineate the role of religion in our nation since 1877.
5. Recount how the recurring reform movements in U.S. history dealt with economic, political, and social problems in attempting to make their ideals congruent with reality.
6. Define the changes in our beliefs and values over time and describe how they have varied among different groups: women and men; non-whites and whites; and people of different regions, religions, and classes.
7. Describe the role of geographical factors in the history of the U.S.
8. Practice critical thinking and information retrieval skills.

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Expected Student Behavior

\ Students are expected to follow all Amarillo College and high school policies and procedures.

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\ Academic dishonesty:
\ Cheating in any form will not be tolerated. Some collaboration with other students on projects is acceptable; however, students must do their own work. Papers which bear a striking resemblance to the work of other students will not be accepted. If the instructor determines that a student is not responsible for his/her work, no credit will be given for the assignment.

Grading Criteria

\ Course requirements/grading:

\ Exams. There will be four major examinations during the semester including a final exam on Monday, April 30, 2012.  Students may drop the lowest grade on one exam other than the final. Students may not drop the final exam. Exams will be multiple choice and cover both the readings and the lectures.

\ Makeup Exams. There are no makeup exams without prearrangement with the instructor. If a student misses an exam, that exam automatically becomes the one that the student must drop. If the student misses a second exam, then the student must arrange with the instructor to take an essay makeup exam.

\ Las Vegas Option. On exam #3 only, if a student has achieved a minimum grade of 70 on each of the first two exams, he/she may attempt to answer all 50 of the questions on the third exam incorrectly. If a student is able to incorrectly answer all 50 questions on this exam, then a grade of 100% will be entered for this exam in the gradebook. All questions must be answered and no questions may have more than one answer. If a student is unfortunate enough to exercise this option and answer at least one question correctly, then the Las Vegas Option exam becomes the exam which the student is allowed to drop.

\ Class participation grade. Since some portion of the readings will be presented and discussed in class during virtually every class period, all students are expected to contribute to classroom discussion. It is obviously impossible to add much to classroom discussion if you are absent, therefore, attendance is considered by the instructor in formulating the class participation grade. Class participation is 10% of the final grade. Students with perfect attendance will have two points added to their final grades at the end of the semester. Students with 1 absence will receive 1 point. Additionally, the instructor reserves the right to deduct up to all ten points from the class participation grade for behavior detrimental to the class. For example, a student who misses 20% of the class periods will probably receive only 8 of the possible 10 percentage points for the class participation grade at the discretion of the instructor. Students who continually exhibit disruptive, disrespectful, or otherwise detrimental behavior may receive a zero for their class participation grade at the discretion of the instructor.

\ Synopsis of Grading
\ Total
\ Three Exam scores 100%
\ Total 100%

\ Academic dishonesty:
\ Cheating in any form will not be tolerated. Some collaboration with other students on projects is acceptable; however, students must do their own work. Papers which bear a striking resemblance to the work of other students will not be accepted. If the instructor determines that a student is not responsible for his/her work, no credit will be given for the assignment.

\ 90-100 = A

\ 80-89 = B

\ 70-79 = C

\ 60-69 = D

\ Below 60 = F

Attendance

\ Amarillo College Attendance Policy:  Regular attendance is necessary for satisfactory achievement. Therfore, it is the responsibility of the student to attend class.
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Calendar

Additional Information

\ Purpose and Goals of this class: To fulfill the requirements of State law that no person shall be granted an undergraduate degree of any kind from any institution of higher learning supported or maintained by the State of Texas, except that he or she has taken and passed six (6) semester hours in American history provided that any student shall have the option, at his or her request, to substitute three semester hours of Texas history for three (3) of the six (6) semester hours in American history required by this law.