United States History II Syllabus for 2016-2017
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Course

HIST-1302-007 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.

Student Resources Student Resources Website

Department Expectations

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Hours

(3 sem hrs; 3 lec)

Class Type

On Campus Course

Syllabus Information

Textbooks

You are required to obtain the following books at the beginning of the semester:

The American Nation Fifteenth Edition Volume 2 by Mark Carnes

• You will be provided with a paper copy and an access card for the electronic version of the book; you may use whichever version you prefer.

Greenwich Village, 1913 by Mary Jane Treacy, ISBN 0393938905

Supplies

You are required to have regular access to a reliable computer with reliable internet access

Student Performance

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

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 in 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

You are expected to follow all Amarillo College policies and procedures, particularly those relating to academic integrity and personal conduct. Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be dealt with harshly; of particular importance is properly citing the sources you use in written work. You will be respectful of your peers during class discussions.

It is only acceptable to use outside sources when specifically instructed: your texts provide plenty of material to work with. It is never acceptable to use non-scholarly internet sources: use of unauthorized sources in an assignment will result in it receiving a failing grade.

Course materials, including assignments, handouts, lectures, and similar materials and derivative works such as course notes are protected by copyright and for personal educational use only, and may not be reproduced, distributed, sold, bartered, or publicly posted to the Internet without your professor’s express written permission.

You may not record class with audio or video recording equipment without permission; if permission is granted, you agree to only use said recordings only for your own personal educational purposes and will not reproduce, distribute, sell, barter, or publicly post the recordings without your professor’s express written permission.

You are responsible for taking the proper steps to solve technical problems with technology used during the class: a list of support resources has been provided for you under the “help” section of the course’s Blackboard site. It it particularly important to give yourself enough time to work through technical issues before due dates because technical problems will not usually be an acceptable excuse for late work.

Your professor is not a technical support person and will simply refer you to the “help” section if you come to him with technical problems; it is appropriate, however, to speak with him if you are unable to reach a resolution after consulting the appropriate resources.

The best way to get in touch with your professor is through email. Please use Blackboard’s email tool, linked to in the course menu, not your personal email or school email through ACConnect.

Please observe the proper etiquette for business emails when contacting your professor: provide a descriptive yet concise subject in addition to a professional salutation (such as Hi) and closing (such as Sincerely); additionally, you should write in complete sentences and avoid net- or text-speak. Your professor earned his PhD, so it is appropriate to address him as Doctor (abbreviated Dr.). Most workplaces use email, so this should be good practice for you.

Email is not an instantaneous form of communication, so give your recipient time to respond. Dr. Fauss checks his email at least once a day Monday through Friday, which means that usually, but not always, you will get a response within 24 hours.

Grading Criteria

There will be three exams administered in class: each will consist of 40 multiple choice questions. The average of the two highest exams will be 40% of your course grade (20% each).

You will write two papers during the Reacting to the Past game. One paper will be submitted early in the game and the other will be due at the end. The first paper will be 20% of your course grade, the second will be 15%.

Finally, you will be assessed on your participation during the Reacting to the Past game. You will be expected to participate in online discussions related to the game and in class when the game is being played. Participation will be 25% of your course grade.

You may view your grades and course average any time using the “My Grades” link in the course menu on Blackboard; your course average is calculated as a running weighted total.

Final grades will be calculated according to the following criteria:

90-100 = A

80-89 = B

70-79 = C

60-69 = D

Below 60 = F

Your final grade will be rounded to the next highest integer.

Late work, including papers and exams, will only be considered if you submit a “request to complete late work” form (available on Blackboard) by the end of class on the due date or day the exam was administered and abide by the stipulations specified on the form; exceptions to this rule will only be granted in true emergencies. You must take the third exam at the date and time it is administered.

Attendance

Attendance is critical for your success in this course: you cannot expect to do well on exams and your papers if you miss class, and your participation grade will suffer if you miss class during Reacting to the Past. Excessive absences will trigger an intervention by your academic advisor.

It is your responsibility to obtain notes from a fellow student if you miss class: your professor will not hand out lecture notes to anybody.

Calendar

Additional Information

This class features Reacting to the Past: a multi-week experience in which you will be stepping into the role of people in history and engaging in structured roleplaying.

The instructor reserves the right to change the syllabus and calendar if needed.