TBA and by appointment
If you have a disability (learning, mental, physical) that affects your ability to participate effectively and have access to any program or service at Amarillo College please contact Disability Services at (806) 345-5639 . Our offices are located in the Student Service Center office 112. More information may be found at www.actx.edu/disability.
Disability Services facilitates access to all programs and services according to the ADA, Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, as well as other federal and state laws.
Amarillo College is committed to providing equal access to all programs and services, including all working, learning, and service environments that affect equal access for persons with disabilities. This commitment to provide equal access and opportunity for persons with disabilities is in compliance with federal and state law. Amarillo College also strives to provide Electronic and Information Resources (EIR) that are accessible to all authorized users.
If you find you are unable to access material in an accessible format please contact the Disability Services Office at (806) 345-5639 . This office will work in conjunction with other campus resources to address and accommodate your issue in a timely manner.
As a student you may experience a range of issues that can cause barriers to learning, such as strained relationships, increased anxiety, alcohol/drug problems, feeling down, difficulty concentrating and/or lack of motivation. These mental health concerns or stressful events may lead to diminished academic performance or reduce a student's ability to participate in daily activities. Amarillo College offers services to assist you with addressing these and other concerns you may be experiencing. If you or someone you know are suffering from any of the aforementioned conditions, you can learn more about the broad range of confidential mental health services available on campus by calling the AC Counseling Center at 806-371-5900. The AC Counseling Center website is https://www.actx.edu/counseling/ . Also, if you are in need of social services (affordable housing, utilities, transportation, food, clothing, childcare, medical/dental/vision, legal), please call the AC Advocacy & Resource Center at 806-371-5439. The AC Advocacy & Resource Center website is https://www.actx.edu/arc
The Tutoring for Success policy applies to any student whose grade or performance in the course falls below a departmentally determined minimum threshold. In either of those cases, the instructor will direct the student to the appropriate tutoring service, which may be faculty-led, discipline-specific, and/or general. Under this policy, the instructor will follow specific departmental guidelines governing the use, duration, and grade component of the tutoring need.
Students who do not attend class on or prior to the census date will be administratively dropped. Effective Fall, 2016
Students who wish to withdraw from a course must complete all steps indicated on the Academic Withdrawal Request form by the course withdrawal deadline.
NOTE: Students who are attending Texas institutions of higher education, for the first time fall 2007 and later, may not withdraw from more than six courses during their academic career. This withdrawal limitation does not include dual credit or developmental classes (Senate Bill 1231 Rule 4.10.) For more information on Drop and Withdrawal Policies, please visit the Registrar's Office Web site.
The Amarillo College Privacy Policy is found at https://www.actx.edu/-amarillo-college-privacy-notice , and applies to all Amarillo College students. If you have questions about this privacy statement or you believe that your personal information has been released without your consent, send email to humanresources@actx.edu .
HIST-1301-003 United States History I
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.
Student ResourcesStudent Resources Website
Notice to Students enrolled in an educational program for preparation of issuance of certain occupational licenses:
Students enrolled in an educational program in preparation for obtaining certain occupational licenses are potentially ineligible for such license if the student has been convicted of an offense. For further information, please contact:
Melodie Graves
Justice Involved Advocate
Student Service Center 117
mgraves24@actx.edu
806-371-5995
Make appointment at https://melodiegraves.youcanbook.me
You can also contact the Legal Clinic, or the faculty member in charge of the educational program that you seek to enroll in. The further information you will receive will include notification to you of your right to request a criminal history evaluation letter from the licensing authority in order to clarify your particular situation.
(3 sem hrs; 3 lec)
On Campus Course
American Yawp (free online textbook)
Online readings for this course will come from Volume I (on the left side of the main page linked here) of American Yawp. At that website, each one of the chapter titles is a hyperlink that will take you to the content for that chapter. A print edition of this book is now available. Students who use the print edition of American Yawp should know that it contains only the "textbook" section of online edition. Primary sources for each chapter are not available in the print edition. The primary sources can be read only online. When students are assigned to read a secondary source, they will have to do that online since the print edition does not contain that material.
You are required to have regular access to a Mac or PC computer with reliable internet access. Keep in mind that you may access computers in the AC library on the fourth floor of the Ware Student Commons, or at any branch of the Amarillo Public Library, provided you have an active library card. Students who do not live in Amarillo should be able to access a computer in the public libraries of their home towns and counties.
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
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".
You are expected to follow all Amarillo College policies and procedures, particularly those relating to academic integrity and personal conduct. The following are especially important:
You may not use outside sources such as Wikipedia and other websites for assignments unless specifically authorized. The use of unauthorized sources will result in significant grading penalties.
Course materials created by your professor, 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. Do not make video or audio recordings of class sessions.
You are responsible for taking the proper steps to solve technical problems with technology used in 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 you will be given ample time to complete your work, technical problems will not be an acceptable excuse for failing to meet deadlines. 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, but you are encouraged 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. Use your AC email to send messages to the instructor. Please observe the proper etiquette for business emails when contacting your professor: provide a descriptive yet concise subject in addition to a professional salutation and closing; additionally, you should write in complete sentences and avoid net- or text-speak. Most workplaces use email, so this should be good practice for you. Do not send an email that simply asks something like "When's the test?" All such emails will be deleted, as they would be by a prospective employer, for example.
You should check your school email each weekday, particularly before leaving for school: Mr. Bellizzi will occasionally send out reminders and other important information via email. If class is canceled, an email will be sent out as early in the day as possible.
Email is not an instantaneous form of communication: Mr. Bellizzi 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. Emails received over the weekend may not be replied to until the following Monday.
Electronics in the Classroom: Because electronic devices distract both the student and other students around them, all electronic devices must be turned off during class time. This means no texting or other use of cell phones, and no laptop computers. A laptop may be used only if the instructor gives permission, which will require a face-to-face meeting in which the student will be given the opportunity to make a case for use of a laptop. This meeting is no guarantee that permission will be granted. If permission is granted, the student must use the computer for class-related activities only, such as note-taking. This means no email. social media, Internet surfing, video watching, or other non-academic activities. Students using unauthorized electronic devices during class will be asked to leave and will be counted absent for the day. If, during a quiz or an exam, a student is seen using any electronic device, the exam will be collected immediately and receive a failing grade. What is the point of this policy? See the following web page with links to several good articles that provide the answer: http://www.markstoll.net/Electronics.htm
You will take 3 exams consisting of mostly multiple-choice questions. These will be based on your assigned readings in the online textbook, plus in-class presentations and discussions. The exams will amount to 60% of your course grade (20% each).
Your will be graded on your attendance and participation. Attendance will be worth 10% of your course grade. 10 classes will be selected at random at the end of the semester to count towards this grade; beyond two instances, each absence will lower your grade by 10%. Students who are disruptive or inattentive during class may be considered absent at the instructor's discretion.
20% of the final grade will be based on a few course paper, which will satisfy the Common Assessment requirement. The paper will require students to compare and contrast two primary-source documents. The completed paper will be submitted electronically. Instructions and guidelines for the paper will be issued and explained to students more than once and in a variety of ways (primarily through in-class discussion and emails).
A U.S. map quiz. This quiz will be taken in the second week of the semester and will be worth 10% of your course grade. Students must be able to locate the following on an outline map:
All 50 states by name, Canada, Mexico, Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, Ohio River, Mississippi River, Missouri River, Arkansas River, Colorado River, Columbia River, Rio Grande, the 5 Great Lakes by name, Puget Sound, Chesapeake Bay, Cape Cod, Long Island, Appalachian Mountains, Rocky Mountains, Great Plains, Great Basin, Washington, D.C., New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Chicago, New Orleans, Santa Fe, St. Louis, Salt Lake City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle. Why? Because the physical environment is the theater of history. So, in order to understand American history, the student must know the basics of American geography.
Late work/exam policies
You may only make up an exam or a quiz if you email Mr. Bellizzi before it is given with an explanation of your need to reschedule. The instructor will only make exceptions to this rule in extreme circumstances (i.e. you are in the hospital, a car accident, etc.). Requests will only be granted in true emergencies, and I may require you to provide proof of your situation.
Electronic submission policies
It is your responsibility to submit any work to Blackboard in the correct format, docx (Microsoft Word). Google Docs, which every Amarillo College student has access to, has the ability to export files to this format. So, there is no reason why anybody will not be able to meet this requirement.
It is also your responsibility to verify that your work was submitted correctly. After submission, you will be able to see your submission in the Box viewer (in the middle of the web page). If something is amiss, you will be able to see it there. Submitting your work incorrectly is not an excuse for lateness: contact Mr. Bellizzi as soon as possible if something is not right.
Extra credit
There will be no extra credit awarded in the class.
Grade calculation
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.
The instructor will take attendance at the beginning of class. If you are more than 10 minutes late, you will be marked late. Students who come in after attendance was taken are required to report their presence to the instructor at the end of class. Otherwise, your attendance may not be counted.
It is rude and disruptive for a student, for no real reason, to get up and leave before class is over. True emergencies are rare. If a student knows he/she will need to leave before the end of a class session, that student should mention this to the instructor well before class begins.
Week One
January 21-23: Introductions, Syllabus, Class policies + Why are we doing this? Primary and secondary sources: what are the differences?, etc.
Week Two
Week Three
Exam 1, in Blackboard. Friday, Feb. 7--Sunday, Feb. 9. Details to be announced via email and in class.
Week Four
Week Five
Week Six
Exam 2, in Blackboard. Friday, Feb. 28--Sunday, Mar. 1. Details to be announced.
Week Seven
Week Eight
Exam 3 (=Final Exam), in Blackboard, during the week beginning Mar. 8 Details to be announced.
Consider this a dynamic syllabus. The instructor reserves the right to change the syllabus and course calendar as needed.
01/20/20 4:03 PM
02/02/20 10:04 PM