United States History II Syllabus for 2021-2022
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Book an appointment: Use Booking link on Blackboard 

 

 

 

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Course

HIST-1302-002 United States History II

Prerequisites

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 ResourcesStudent Resources Website

Department Expectations

Occupational License Disclaimer

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.

Hours

(3 sem hrs; 3 lec)

Class Type

Online Course

Syllabus Information

Textbooks

Required: REVEL E-Book, The American Nation: A History of the United States Combined Volume or Volume II. The link to join the REVEL course can be found through the textbook tab on Blackboard. 

Supplies

E-book and assignments can be accessed via a smart phone, tablet, or computer. 

Student Performance

 Assignment Breakdown

*25%: REVEL Assignments. There are 17 chapters in the REVEL e-book. Each chapter consists of activities- short quizzes over the reading material and a chapter quiz. If you don't get the answer correct on the first attempt, it will allow you to choose another answer without penalty, as these assignments are intended to be open-book. At the end of the semester, the overall average for REVEL counts as 25% of your course grade. Although self-paced, you will have assignments due every Monday at 11:00 pm, with the exception of the first week. You can complete modules after the due date for 50% credit. Don't sweat losing a few points- 300+ points are usually available each week, but keep up with the assignments or your grade will be negatively effected by the end of the semester! Note: these grades are not automatically transferred. Generally, I manually transfer them every couple of weeks.

*40%: Blackboard Exams. Four Blackboard exams comprise 40% of your course grade. Each exam covers four chapters and consists of 50 multiple-choice questions, which you have 1 hr to complete. You can use your textbook/notes but the exam will automatically submit after 1 hr, so use your time wisely! You are required to use a special browser (Respondus Lockdown Browser) in order to take the exam. You can use an on-campus computer or download the software onto your computer. You MUST use the link that I have provided in Blackboard in order to put the program on your computer! Amarillo College has a license with Respondus for online classes and the link will provide the free version that we have. Because of the special browser, each exam has a generic password (Test1, etc.), which can be found under the test description. Note: The test description doesn't show up on a lot of mobile devices, so if you don't see the password, look on a computer or email a classmate! There is an optional 100 question comprehensive final that can be used to replace your lowest exam grade. You will have a minimum of four days to complete each exam- usually Saturday-Tuesday, with the exception of the optional final where you only have 48 hrs. 

20%: Blackboard Discussions. There are a total of four Blackboard discussions throughout the course of the semester, which generally fall between the exams and are due every other Friday. The introductory discussion is graded on a complete/incomplete basis. Discussions #2-4 utilize primary sources in the REVEL e-book and are graded based on use of document(s) and coherent arguments. Responding to two classmates is a part of your grade for discussions 2-4.  

15%:Course Paper.  The state of Texas requires an ethics paper for this course. You will have to read two primary source documents and answer a set of questions that ask you to compare and contrast them. This is also a research paper and you are required to use at least one academic source. This is a department-wide assignment. Be sure to read the FAQ that I created for this assignment, which can be found on Blackboard! 

Students Rights and Responsibilities

Student 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

Although an online class, you are expected to be polite and respectful to your classmates in online discussions. 

Grading Criteria

A: 90-100

B: 80-89

C: 70-79

D: 60-69

F: <60

Attendance

This is a self-paced class, but assignments must be completed by the due date! I open assignments early to give you as much flexibility as possible. If you miss an exam, you have the option of replacing the 0 by taking the optional Comprehensive Final Exam. For the ethics paper, I will subtract one letter grade for each day the assignment is late. The discussion board posts cannot be submitted late due to the group nature of the assignment.    

REVEL assignments can be submitted after the due date for 50% credit. Please note that REVEL will not give you full credit for work that is submitted after 11:00 pm on the due date. For example, if you open the chapter quiz at 10:48, you will only get credit for the first couple of questions that are answered before 11:00. Do them as early as possible! 

However, Blackboard tests only need to be started by the due date. For example, exams have to be started BY 11:30 pm on the due date. However, the Discussion Board will disappear after 11:30, so make sure to submit all of your responses before then! Discussion Board posts must be completed by the due date!   

Tutoring policy: There will be 4 Zoom office hr sessions throughout the semester. The tentative dates for these meetings are on the Blackboard Calendar. These sessions are optional- they are intended for you to be able to ask more detailed questions and an avenue to meet the tutoring requirement if you score below a 70 on two exams. Then, you will be required to attend or provide documentation of other tutoring through AC. This is an AC policy- "If a student scores below 70% on an exam or writing assignment, he or she will be required to attend tutoring per the instructor’s directions before being allowed to complete the next assigned work." 

Calendar

Week 1: Discussion Board Post #1 due Friday October 29th 

Week 2: Assignments due Monday November 1st

By 11:00 PM CDT / Worth 405 points 

CHAPTER: 16: Reconstruction and the South

Introduction: Reconstruction and the South

16.1: Presidential Reconstruction (15 points)

16.2: Radical Republicanism (15 points)

16.3: The Southern Economy during Reconstruction (15 points)

16.4: The End of Reconstruction (15 points)

Summary: Reconstruction and the South

Source Collection: Chapter 16

Chapter 16 Quiz: Reconstruction and the South (75 points)

CHAPTER: 17: The Conquest of the West

Introduction: The Conquest of the West

17.1: The Real (versus the Mythical) West (15 points)

17.2: Western Indians under Threat (15 points)

17.3: The American West exploited (15 points)

Summary: The Conquest of the West

Source Collection: Chapter 17

Chapter 17 Quiz: The Conquest of the West (75 points)

CHAPTER : 18: An Industrial Giant Emerges

Introduction: An Industrial Giant Emerges

18.1: Essentials of Industrial Growth (15 points)

18.2: Competition and Monopoly (15 points)

18.3: Economic Consolidation: Good or Bad? (15 points)

18.4: The Government Response to Big Business (15 points)

18.5: The Rise of Organized Labor (15 points)

Summary: An Industrial Giant Emerges

Source Collection: Chapter 18

Chapter 18 Quiz: An Industrial Giant Emerges (75 points)

Week 2: Test #1 opens on Saturday November 6th

REVEL Assignment due Monday November 8th

By 11:00 PM CDT / Worth 210 points

CHAPTER: 19: American Society in the Industrial Age

Introduction: American Society in the Industrial Age

19.1: The Urban Middle Class (15 points)

19.2: The Urban Working Class (15 points)

19.3: The "New" Immigration (15 points)

19.4: Growth of the Cities (15 points)

19.5: Urban Reformers (15 points)

Summary: American Society in the Industrial Age

Source Collection: Chapter 19

Chapter 19 Quiz: American Society in the Industrial Age (75 points)

CHAPTER: 20: Intellectual and Cultural Trends in the Late Nineteenth Century

Introduction: Intellectual and Cultural Trends in the Late Nineteenth Century

20.1: "Modernizing" Education (15 points)

20.2: Intellectuals Reinterpret Darwin (15 points)

20.3: Realism Triumphs over Sentiment (15 points)

20.4: Pragmatism and the Knowledge Revolution (15 points)

Summary: Intellectual and Cultural Trends in the Late Nineteenth Century

Source Collection: Chapter 20

Week 3: Test #1 closes Tuesday November 9th.  DB #2 due on Friday November 12th

Week 4: REVEL chapters 21 & 22 due on Monday November 15th

Chapter 21: From Smoke-Filled Rooms to Prairie Wildfire: 1877–1896

Introduction: From Smoke-Filled Rooms to Prairie Wildfire: 1877–1896

21.1: National Politics (15 points)

21.2: African Americans (15 points)

21.3: Urban and Rural Politics (15 points)

21.4: Economic Crisis and Political Turmoil: 1893–1896 (15 points)

Summary: From Smoke-Filled Rooms to Prairie Wildfire: 1877–1896

Source Collection: Chapter 21

Chapter 21 Quiz: From Smoke-Filled Rooms to Prairie Wildfire: 1877–1896 (75 points)

CHAPTER : 22: The Age of Reform

Introduction: The Age of Reform

22.1: Elements of Progressivism (15 points)

22.2: Political Reform (15 points)

22.3: Theodore Roosevelt: A Progressive as President (15 points)

22.4: Taft and the Demise of the Republican Party (15 points)

22.5: Woodrow Wilson: A Progressive Democrat (15 points)

22.6: The Progressives and Minority Rights (15 points)

Summary: The Age of Reform

Source Collection: Chapter 22

Chapter 22 Quiz: The Age of Reform (75 points)

Test #2 opens Saturday November 20th

Week 5: REVEL chapters 23 & 24 due on Monday November 22nd  

By 11:00 PM CDT / Worth 285 points

CHAPTER: 23: From Isolation to Empire

Introduction: From Isolation to Empire

23.1: The Lure of Empire (15 points)

23.2: War with Spain over Cuba (15 points)

23.3: Seizing the Philippines (15 points)

23.4: Imposition of Order on the Caribbean and Central America (15 points)

23.5: Toward an Empire in the Pacific (15 points)

Summary: From Isolation to Empire

Source Collection: Chapter 23

Chapter 23 Quiz: From Isolation to Empire (75 points)

CHAPTER: 24: Woodrow Wilson and the Great War

Introduction: Woodrow Wilson and the Great War

24.1: Wilson as President (15 points)

24.2: The War at Home and in Europe (15 points)

24.3: Wilson's Plan for Peace (15 points)

24.4: Repercussions of War (15 points)

Summary: Woodrow Wilson and the Great War

Source Collection: Chapter 24

Chapter 24 Quiz: Woodrow Wilson and the Great War (75 points)

Test #2 ends Tuesday November 23rd 

DB #3 due on Friday November 26th 

Week 6: REVEL chapters 25 & 26 due on Monday November 29th

By 11:00 PM CDT / Worth 285 points

CHAPTER : 25: The Roaring Twenties

Introduction: The Roaring Twenties

25.1: A New Era of Conservative Politics (15 points)

25.2: The "New Isolationism" (15 points)

25.3: The Jazz Age (15 points)

25.4: Resistance to Change (15 points)

25.5: New and Faster Transportation (15 points)

Summary: The Roaring Twenties

Source Collection: Chapter 25

CHAPTER : 26: The Great Depression and the New Deal: 1929−1939

Introduction: The Great Depression and the New Deal: 1929−1939

26.1: Economic Collapse (15 points)

26.2: The First New Deal (15 points)

26.3: The Second New Deal (15 points)

26.4: The "Roosevelt Revolution" (15 points)

Summary: The Great Depression and the New Deal: 1929−1939

Source Collection: Chapter 26

Chapter 26 Quiz: The Great Depression and the New Deal: 1929−1939 (75 points)

Course Paper due Wednesday December 1st  

Test #3 opens on Saturday December 4th

Week 7: REVEL chapters 27 & 28 & 29 due on Monday December 5th

By 11:00 PM CDT / Worth 435 points

CHAPTER: 27: A Second World War: 1941–1945

Introduction: A Second World War: 1941–1945

27.1: Roosevelt Tiptoes Toward War (15 points)

27.2: War at Home (15 points)

27.3: War in Europe (15 points)

27.4: War in the Pacific (15 points)

27.5: Uncertain Allies (15 points)

Summary: A Second World War: 1941–1945

Source Collection: Chapter 27

Chapter 27 Quiz: A Second World War: 1941–1945 (75 points)

CHAPTER: 28: A New Enemy, Abroad and at Home: 1946–1960

Introduction: A New Enemy, Abroad and at Home: 1946–1960

28.1: Containing Communism in Europe (15 points)

28.2: Containing Communism throughout the World (15 points)

28.3: Communism at Home (15 points)

28.4: The Eisenhower Era (15 points)

28.5: The Civil Rights Movement (15 points)

28.6: The Election of 1960 (15 points)

Summary: A New Enemy, Abroad and at Home: 1946–1960

Source Collection: Chapter 28

Chapter 28 Quiz: A New Enemy, Abroad and at Home: 1946–1960 (75 points)

CHAPTER: 29: From Camelot to Watergate: 1961–1975

Introduction: From Camelot to Watergate: 1961–1975

29.1: John F. Kennedy (15 points)

29.2: Lyndon B. Johnson (15 points)

29.3: Richard M. Nixon (15 points)

Summary: From Camelot to Watergate: 1961–1975

Source Collection: Chapter 29

Chapter 29 Quiz: From Camelot to Watergate: 1961–1975 (75 points)

Test #3 ends on Tuesday December 7th

DB #4 due Friday December 10th 

Test #4 opens Monday December 13th 

Week 8: REVEL chapters 30, 31, & 32 due Monday December 13th

By 11:00 PM CDT / Worth 360 points

CHAPTER: 30: Running on Empty: 1975–1999

Introduction: Running on Empty: 1975–1999

30.1: Ford Fills In (15 points)

30.2: Jimmy Carter and "Constant Decency" (15 points)

30.3: Ronald Reagan and the "Reagan Revolution" (15 points)

30.4: George H. W. Bush as President (15 points)

30.5: Bill Clinton as President (15 points)

Summary: Running on Empty: 1975–1999

Source Collection: Chapter 30

Chapter 30 Quiz: Running on Empty: 1975–1999 (75 points)

31: From Boomers to Millennials 

Introduction: From Boomers to Millennials

31.1: The New Immigration (15 points)

31.2: Modern Feminism and the Gender Revolution (15 points)

31.3: Crime and Punishment (15 points)

31.4: From Public Communities to Virtual Ones (15 points)

31.5: Graying of the Boomers (15 points)

Chapter 31 quiz (75 points)

Summary: From Boomers to Millennials

CHAPTER: 32: Shocks and Responses: 2000 to the Present

Introduction: Shocks and Responses: 2000 to the Present

32.1: George W. Bush and the War on Terror (15 points)

32.2: Bush's Second Term as President (15 points)

32.3: Barack Obama: America's First African American President (15 points)

32.4: Obama's First Term as President (15 points)

32.5: Obama's Second Term as President (15 points)

32.6: The Persistent Past and the Imponderable Future (15 points)

Chapter 32 quiz (75 points)

Summary: Shocks and Responses: 2000 to the Present

Exam #4 due Thursday December 16th @ 10pm

Optional Final: Due Thursday December 16th @ 10pm  

Note: There is some overlap between Blackboard test days and REVEL assignments. You can take the exam before the due date in REVEL, but you have 1 extra day to take the Blackboard exam. In other words, REVEL assignments are due on Mondays, exams are due on Tuesdays, although it opens the previous Saturday.

Additional Information

Please thoroughly go through the Blackboard sections and send me an email with any questions that you might have!

Syllabus Created on:

10/25/21 1:42 AM

Last Edited on:

10/25/21 1:59 AM