United States History II Syllabus for 2015-2016
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Instructor Information

Course Information

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Course

HIST-1302-015 United States History II

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: 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 Civil War/Reconstruction era to the present. United States History II examines industrialization, immigration, world wars, the Great Depression, Cold War and post-Cold War eras. Themes that may be addressed in United States History II include: American culture, religion, civil and human rights, technological change, economic change, immigration and migration, urbanization and suburbanization, the expansion of the federal government and the study of U.S. foreign policy.

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Department Expectations

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Hours

(3 sem hrs; 3 lec)

Class Type

On Campus Course

Syllabus Information

Textbooks

Texts: Farmer et al. Foundations of American History Volume II. Twelfth Edition. Redding, CA: BVT Publishing, 2015. ISBN 978-1-62751-785-0

Farmer, Brian R., ed. Retrieving the American Past: Amarillo College e-Reader in American History Volume II. Boston, MA: Pearson Custom, 2012.  

Supplies

Needed:  Internet Access

Product Key inside the back cover of the Foundations of American History Volume II text for access to bvtlab.

Access Card to Retrieving the Past Volume II purchased from the AC Bookstore.

Student Performance

Learning Outcomes: 

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

Log in using the AC Connect Portal

In order to receive your AC Connect Email, you must log in through AC Connect at https://acconnect.actx.edu .

If you are an active staff or faculty member according to Human Resources, use "Exchange". All other students, use "AC Connect (Google) Email".

Expected Student Behavior

Academic dishonesty:

Cheating in any form will not be tolerated.  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.

Behavior policy.  To the mature adults which are members of this class I apologize for the insult imposed upon you by this section of the syllabus.  Unfortunately, past behavior of your fellow students has necessitated its inclusion.  Students are expected in this class to behave in a manner befitting adult, university students, with the proper respect displayed for their fellow students, the instructor, and the University.  This is not junior high, elementary school, nor the Lad 'N' Lassie day care center, and I have no intention of tolerating behavior which is more stereotypical of any of the aforementioned.  In order to clarify my position, the following list of behaviors are included as examples of behavior which will result in permanent expulsion from this class.  A student will receive one verbal warning only.  Verbal warnings may include dismissal from class for the remainder of the class period.  A second incident results in permanent expulsion with no chance for reinstatement.

Prohibited behavior includes, but is not limited to the following:

5. disruptive talking/visiting     10.  doing quizzes related to  15.  knitting, needlepoint,

between students                                 this class or any other                        other arts and crafts.

The instructor reserves the right to assign seating if necessary to preserve order.  Contrary to what you are probably now thinking, it is not my intention to design a class which is a prison camp for college students.  I am in favor of having fun in class perhaps as much as anyone; however, it must not be at the expense of an environment conducive to learning.  

Grading Criteria

Course requirements/grading:

Exams.  There will be four major examinations during the semester including a final exam on Friday, May 13, 9:00-10:15AM.  Students may not drop an exam.  Exams will be multiple choice and cover both the readings and the lectures. Each exam is fifty questions worth two points apiece for a total of 100 points. The four exams combine for 400 of the possible 600 points in the class.

Makeup Exams.  There are no makeup exams without prearrangement with the instructor.  If a student misses an exam, they can replace it with an extra credit book review on a book chosen by the instructor.

Historical Ethical Dilemma Paper: Students will read a historical ethical dilemma assigned by individually by the insturctor. In a one page typed paper, students will briefly identify and accurately describe the ethical dilemma. Students will use appropriate insights from two or more areas of study at AC to make connections and clarify the ethical dilemma. Students will recognize connections to their own personal values and rules, articulate the sources of their insights, and incorporate personal values in a reasoned response.  Keep the length of your response to one page. The Historical Ethical Dilemma Paper is worth 50 points.

Online Quizzes in bvtlab. Students will answer the online quizzes on each chapter in bvtlab. There are ten quizzes with ten questions each that cover the readings in Foundations of American History. All Quizzes will be open all semester until noon on Friday, May 8. It is the responsibility of the students to get them completed. The quizzes combine for 100 points of the possible 600 points in the class. For access to bvtlab, students must have the product key inside the back cover of Foundations of American History and the section code that is found in the instructions for bvtlab accessed through the content button in the class in blackboard under the bvt lab folder. 

Instructor Attendance Policy. Attendance is considered heavily in calculating class participation grade. Habitual absenteeism may cause students to lose the full ten points for class participation. Tardies count as one third of an absence, and over 20 minutes tardy counts as an absence.  Leaving class early without prior arrangement with the instructor counts as a tardy.  Leaving class 20 minutes or more early counts as an absence. 

Class participation grade Attendance is considered heavily by the instructor in formulating the class participation grade.  Class participation is worth 50 points of the possible 600 points in the class.  Additionally, the instructor reserves the right to deduct up to all 50 points from the class participation grade for behavior detrimental to the class.  A student who misses 20% of the class periods will probably receive only 40 of the possible 50 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

Four Exam scores (4 x 100)                                                     400

Ethical Dilemma Paper                                                              50

Online Quizzes from BVT Publishing                                      100

Class Participation Grade                                                           50

Total                                                                                        600

Grade Scale

540=A

480=B

420=C

360=D

<360=F

Attendance

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

Instructor Attendance Policy. Attendance is considered heavily in calculating class participation grade. Habitual absenteeism may cause students to lose the full ten points for class participation. Tardies count as one third of an absence, and over 20 minutes tardy counts as an absence.  Leaving class early without prior arrangement with the instructor counts as a tardy.  Leaving class 20 minutes or more early counts as an absence. 

Class participation grade Attendance is considered heavily by the instructor in formulating the class participation grade.  Class participation is worth 50 points of the possible 600 points in the class.  Additionally, the instructor reserves the right to deduct up to all 50 points from the class participation grade for behavior detrimental to the class.  A student who misses 20% of the class periods will probably receive only 40 of the possible 50 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.

Calendar

Additional Information

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