United States History I Syllabus for 2013-2014
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Instructor Information

Course Information

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Course

HIST-1301-007 United States History I

Prerequisites

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

Course Description

A survey of the social, political, economic, cultural and intellectual history of the United States from the pre-Columbian era to the Civil War/Reconstruction period. United States History I includes the study of pre-Columbian, colonial, revolutionary, early national, slavery and sectionalism, and the Civil War/Reconstruction eras. Themes that may be addressed in United States History I include: American settlement and diversity, American culture, religion, civil and human rights, technological change, economic change, immigration and migration, and creation of the federal government.

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Department Expectations

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Hours

(3 sem hrs; 3 lec)

Class Type

On Campus Course

Syllabus Information

Textbooks

\ Roark:  The American Promise,Vol I, 5^th edition (Black & White copy), Beford/St Martins

Supplies

\ Ball point pen (black or blue), #2 pencils for test taking, spiral notebook for note taking (may use laptop computer if desired), material to write homework, 3 x5 notecards and 4 Scantrons

Student Performance

Upon successful completion of this course, students will:

1. Create an argument through the use of historical evidence.

2. Analyze and interpret primary and secondary sources.

3. Analyze the effects of historical, social, political, economic, cultural, and global forces on this period of United States history.

Students Rights and Responsibilities

Student Rights and Responsibilities

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Expected Student Behavior

\ Students are expected to follow all Amarillo College policies and procedures.  In addition, there are a few personal details that need to be included:

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\ If you must have a cell phone, please put it on silent.  If you have an emergency call during the class please take it outside of the class room.  Please ask friends to call you at some other time than class.  If we have too many emergencies, I will ask you not to bring phones to class.  This also applies to texting.  Save all of that for some other time.  Your job in class is to learn history, not being social.

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\ If you must leave class early, do not just get up and leave without telling me at the first of the class that you must leave early.  I consider this your job during the time that you are here, so please treat it as such.

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\ I know there are times when you must leave for bathroom breaks and the like, but please do not make it a daily habit.  When you get up to leave, it disrupts the entire class.

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\ Make every effort to be here on time.  I would rather have you here late if it can not be avoided, but please try to be on time every class period.  We will pass the attendance notebook around when class is scheduled to start.  If you are late you must come up after class to sign it.

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\ These classes are fairly long and I know that at times you may get sleepy, but, as this is a lecture/discussion class it is important that you make every effort to pay attention to what is being said.  If you go to sleep in class I do reserve the right to ask you to leave the class and wake up before returning.  This same reservation holds for anyone who carries on extra curricular conversations during class.

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Grading Criteria

\ You will be given four major tests during the semester.  These tests will be primarily multiple choice as well some discussion questions and short answers.  These tests will cover both the readings and the lectures.  There will be no makeup exams.  You may drop the lowest grade achieved on any exam EXCEPT the final test.  All students must take the final exam.

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\ You will have written homework assignments which will be expected at the start of each class.  If you are not present, they may be turned in the next time you are present.  It is your responsibility to get the homework assignment even if  you are not present.  This may be done the next time you return to class.  They will not be graded as such, as the purpose of these will be to allow you to highlight those areas in the reading that I consider to be important.  These will however be figured in to a daily grade.  Absences are also figured into the final grade.  You may also have pop quizzes (both short answer and written) that will also be figured into this daily grade.  It is important that you keep up with these due tot he weight that is put on them.  If you miss a pop quiz you will not be given the opportunity to take it.  I will average the pop quizzes that you have at the end of the semester to figure this part of the grade.  This daily grade will also cover overall class participation and attendance.  This daily grade will count a quarter of your overall grade.  Note:  Points will be removed from daily grade if students are absent from class or do not turn in required home work. 

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\ Your final grade will be based on the test grades (including the final) plus your daily grade which will then be divided by 4.  Remember that the lowest test grade, not counting the final will be dropped.

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\ I will expect you to take notes during the class period.  This is an important skill and one that you will need to develop if you have not already done so.  If you have problems in this area, please let me know and I will try and give you some pointers that will help you.  There may be times that I will check your notes and give you a grade for what you have done.  I would highly recommend that you keep your notes in some kind of notebook and that you make it a point to bring them to class each time you come.  You will find that much of the test information will come from the class discussions that we will have and these should be reflected in the notes that you take.

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\ You will be given reading assignments, however, many times the discussion will not be directly on material that you have read.  I will expect the assignments to be read as the material is or will be, directly related to a subject that we will get to.  You will be responsible for the material which is contained in the reading assignments.  This material can and will be included in the tests that you will take.  You will find that it is difficult to remember all of the information that is presented in the text, but if you do not keep up with the reading you will end up with a lot of information that you will not be able to keep straight without doing the reading.

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\ You will also be responsible for learning the presidents, their parties and their dates in office that we will study this semester.  You do not have to learn those that are not covered in this course.  You will not have to learn them all at the same time as these will be studied along with the basic subject and you will be given the whole semester to learn all of them.  These will make up a large part of your final exam as well as being a part of the regular tests.

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\ I will allow you to use one 3 x 5 inch card on each test.  you may use both sides of the card and it will be allowed to be used during the test.  Any other sized card or notes will not be allowed!  Please Note:  You will not be allowed to make any lists for presidents on this card.  This card must be turned in when you turn in your test.  I have found that in the process of making this card you will study more effectively.

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\ You will need to purchase a Scantron sheet for each test unless you are told differently.  Be sure to bring a #2 pencil with you when we have a test using a Scantron.  When we have discussion questions I will require you to do them in ink.

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\ If you get frustrated and want to give up in this class, that is your business.  If you do decide not to finish the course I would ask that you through the formal process of withdrawing, so that your grade average will not be hurt.  If you want to withdraw from class, please contact the college or myself (806-364-4370 or email me).  If you do not go through the proper procedures for withdrawing and do not come to class, you will receive an F for this course.  I will not make an effort to contact you if you miss class periods.  This is your responsibility.  Over the years I have found most of the failing grades that come from this class are due to students not coming to class and not going through the withdrawal process.  If you do plan to drop or decide to stop coming to class, please let me know so I will  not worry about where you are.  In many cases there are things that can be done to assist you.

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\ The grade scale which will be used in this course will be:

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\ 90 - 100 = A

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\ 80 - 89 = B

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\ 70 - 79 = C

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\ 60 - 69 = D

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\ 59 - 0 = F

Attendance

\ Attendance is important. I know that it may be impossible for you to make every class as situations come up where you may need to be absent. However, I also know that the material you will get from class discussions and assignments is very difficult to make up. I would ask that you make every effort to attend each class. If possible, please let me know if you are going to have to miss. At the beginning of each class I will pass a spiral notebook around. Each student will be given a number that will correspond to a page in the notebook.  You are to turn to this page each class period and put the date and your signature. It is very important that you sign this at some time during the class period as that will be the way that roll will be taken.

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\ NOTE:  Points will be removed from the daily grade if students are absent from class or do not turn in required home work. 

Calendar

Additional Information

\ My classes tend to be lecture in nature.  It is not my purpose to give you all the information that you will need to understand history and to pass tests.  You will have to make an effort to keep up.  It is important that you join in the discussions and be a part of the class.  There is only one dumb question and that is the one that is not asked.  Please feel free to ask any questions that you need to understand the topic being studied.  I will give you an oral outline of the events and will hit the high points of the development of our nation and our cultural experience.  The details are supplied by the book.  This course is an overview of how our nations has developed to the place of importance that it now holds in the world.  All of you have gone through many exposures to the history of our nation including your high school work as well as media coverage. You should have some foundation to build upon.  I do not plan to dwell on al the basics but will present enough of them to improve your understanding of history.  Your reading will be important to establish a background for what we are doing.  All of this to say that I will expect you to put out the effort necessary to understand the points which are being presented.  This will require some effort on your part.  It has been said that you should spend at least on hour outside of class for each hour that you are in class.  This is not a bad rule to follow for this class.  There is a great deal information which will be covered hence we will only be able to scratch the surface of the history of our nation.

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\ This course looks at the development of the United States over a long period of time.  It is very difficult to cover as much territory as this encompasses.  We will be able to hit only the major social, political and philosophical trends of the various eras.  Much of what is presented will involve discussion, hence you will be required to keep up with the reading as well as the class discussion.