United States History I Syllabus for 2023-2024
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Course

HIST-1301-DC006 United States History I

Prerequisites

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.

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

Give Me Liberty! (Volume 1)

by Eric Foner (Author), Kathleen DuVal (Author), Lisa McGirr (Author)

ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 132404134X

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1324041344

Supplies

Prerequisite Skills

Using the Blackboard Learning Management System (LMS), accessing Internet websites, using Amarillo College library resources, and proficiency with creating and submitting files (e.g., .docx files, .pdf files) generated from commonly used programs, such as Microsoft Word.

Course Delivery

This is an online course that will be delivered via the Blackboard Learning Management System (LMS). The course site can be accessed at Amarillo College's Blackboard Learning Management System.

Technology Requirements

To participate in one of Amarillo College’s distance education programs, you will need this technology:

• A computer capable of running Windows 7 or later, or Mac OSX 10.8 or later
• The latest version of one of these web browsers: internet Explorer, Firefox, or Safari
• Microsoft Office Suite or a compatible Open Office Suite
• Adobe Acrobat Reader
• High Speed Internet Access
• Ethernet adapter cable required (wireless connections can drop during tests and Collaborate sessions)

• Webcam

Netiquette

Netiquette is a set of rules for behaving properly online.  Your instructor and fellow students wish to foster a safe online learning environment. All opinions and experiences, no matter how different or controversial they may be perceived, must be respected in the tolerant spirit of academic discourse. You are encouraged to comment, question, or critique an idea but you are not to attack an individual. Working as a community of learners, we can build a polite and respectful course community.  Everyone is expected to follow the rules listed below in our online environment.

• Behind every name, there is a person. Respect one another. Something that is inappropriate in a traditional class is also inappropriate in an online class. Be careful with humor and sarcasm. Both can be misunderstood.
• Always be aware that this is a college academic course and not a ‘fast message or content’ area. Avoid all texting and slang word content.
• Do not write in all CAPS; this is considered yelling or screaming online.
• Write in proper English and follow spelling, punctuation, and grammar rules. Writing for an online class is the same as writing for a regular traditional course.
• Do not dominate any discussion.
• Give other students the opportunity to join in the discussion.
• Do not use offensive language. Present ideas appropriately.
• Be cautious in using Internet language. For example, do not capitalize all letters since this suggests shouting.
• Popular emoticons such as ☺ or / can be helpful to convey your tone but do not overdo or overuse them.
• Avoid using vernacular and/or slang language. This could possibly lead to misinterpretation.
• Never make fun of someone’s ability to read or write.
• Share tips with other students.
• Keep an “open-mind” and be willing to express even your minority opinion. Minority opinions have to be respected.
• Think and edit before you push the “Send” button.
• Do not hesitate to ask for feedback.
• Using humor is acceptable
• Properly write emails or messages by beginning with a proper address, stating the name of the person (i.e.: Assistant Professor Sanchez). Finish the message with the sender’s full name. Always complete the subject area. Last, plan the communication intent and express it in the most concise way possible.

Student Performance

Weekly Online Class Assignments

You will have online assignments each week throughout the semester. This work is designed to replicate what we would do in class, meaning you are responsible for learning the material presented online (as it is usually not covered on our in-class day). These assignments open and close on specific dates; assignments will not be accepted after the due date.  Due dates are noted in Blackboard for each module - please read the list of assignments in each Module, as not all due dates are in the "Calendar."

The types of assignments may vary from week to week, so be sure to read ALL the instructions each week. These include, but are not limited to:  quizzes, readings, discussion questions, videos, lectures, notes, etc.

***You will have multiple days to finish the assignments- it is up to you to use the time wisely. Make up or re-do assignments will not be allowed.  I will not remind you when specific assignments are due.***

Participation

Students are expected to complete all assignments in Blackboard. Regular attendance and participation are important to the learning process. Participation means attentiveness, following the lecture, completing online assignments, and contributing to discussion. Your overall grade will be a reflection of the above items. 

Chapter Reading

You are expected read the chapter and completed the assignments. You will not do well in this course if you do not have the book.

Late Assignments

Online assignments must be taken by the designated due date. These will not be reopened.

However, make-up assignments can be authorized only under the circumstances of excused absences from the course. Excused absences refer to the physical inability to meet a course obligation due to one or more of the circumstances listed below:

• Observance of a religious holy day
• Officially representing an educational institution in which you are a student
• A military service obligation
• Urgent medical treatment
• A civil involvement requiring the attention of public authorities
• Emergency family situations requiring your involvement (ex: funerals)

In any of these instances, third party documentation is required before the instructor officially confirms the absence as excused.  An email from you alone is not sufficient.

Other than in situations with a recognized excused absence, closed assignments which are past due will not be reopened for individual students.  Likewise, individualized extra credit is not offered as a last second way to raise one’s final grade.  Each of these situations would amount to an unfair attempt to raise one’s grade under conditions unavailable to other students.

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

Expected Student Behavior

 

I have the expectation that each student will also take responsible action to fulfill his or her duties and responsibilities in their academic program and in each class.

Therefore, I believe it is reasonable for faculty to assume that students will:

• Treat the classroom as a professional environment. All who enter and act like professionals will be treated accordingly.
• Those who disrupt a class will be asked to leave.
• Class start-times and end-times are prescribed and not negotiable.
• When someone has the floor, let him or her speak.
• Side conversations are forbidden when anyone is addressing the class.
• Never plagiarize. You only cheat yourself and this risk is NOT worth the possible reward.
• Hand in all work on time.
• When in class, silence all cell phones.
• When the class takes a break, make sure you return to your seat 1 minute before the break   is over.
• When working in groups, remember that compromise is the key to success.
• When working in groups, always be accountable for your actions to your group members.
• Take ownership of your performance - academic and behavioral.
• Do not bully anyone.
• Use common sense.

I believe fulfillment of these expectations will create and maintain a positive and high performance environment for everyone.

Students are responsible for knowing (and following) the contents of your course syllabus.  Read it carefully to avoid misunderstandings.  If after reading the syllabus, you find that one or more of the items are unclear, ask me to explain the procedures regarding that information.

End of Term Performance Review

Remember that borderline grades are not automatically rounded up to the next integer: for example, an earned 89.5% is a B, not an A, because it’s less than 90.0%.  However, as a courtesy, all students will receive an individual review of their overall performance before the submission of final grades.  This means that if you have a borderline course average, it isn’t necessary or even productive for you to send emails asking for your final course grade to be rounded upward.  

No points will be taken away from your earned grade upon review, but grades can and will be rounded up when it’s justified.  Rounding will be based on merit and effort alone- not personal circumstances.

Here are some factors which increase the likelihood of a grade being rounded upward:

• The difference between your earned grade and the next letter is .5% or less
• You regularly attended our in-person class meetings
• You took advantage of extra credit opportunities
• You clearly went above and beyond minimal expectations in written assignments
• You used all available attempts on your exams

Here are some factors which decrease the likelihood of a grade being rounded upward:

• You attended class, but used the time to work on material from other courses
• You routinely skipped our in-person class meetings
• You routinely turned in late or incomplete assignments
• You have zeroes in the grade book

You never contacted me to improve your study tactics

Academic Dishonesty

Using others' work to pass off as your own is plagiarism and includes, but is not limited to: not citing sources even when paraphrasing, using direct quotes without quotation marks, using direct quotes without a citation, changing the wording of a direct quote without a citation, not citing statistics you did not compile yourself, copying another student's work, etc.

Copying another's work and simply changing a handful of words is still plagiarism - it is generally obvious as the words chosen are often out of context. Please submit only original work, unless citations are used correctly.

Any instance of academic dishonesty will result in an "F" on that assignment, with further action if necessary.

Remember: I have Google, too.

Cheating on an exam will result in an automatic zero. Contrary to popular belief, online courses are not meant to be easy A's - do the work and you will do well in this course. 

Statement on Group Messaging Apps (GroupMe, Slack, WhatsApp, etc.) and File Sharing (dropbox, google docs, etc.):

Can your use of group messaging apps get you in trouble? The answer is YES. Participating in or joining a Group Messaging App is not an academic misconduct violation; however, the exchange of answers to graded work and the exchange of copyrighted materials (instructors’ exams are considered copyrighted material) are examples of academic misconduct.

Examples of appropriate group messaging activities are questions related to due dates or specific instructions about assignments or where to find materials on Blackboard. Again, if you distribute answers to quizzes/tests to everyone in a group chat, that is academic misconduct. If you upload answers to quizzes/tests to a file-sharing service and then allow people to access those notes, then that is academic misconduct.

AI Usage Statement

While the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, including ChatGPT and other AI-powered writing or research assistive technologies, may be tempting, it is important to consider the ethical implications of their use. In this course, students must consult with the instructor before using any such tools. If approved, the use of AI tools must be properly cited and acknowledged in all submissions. Failure to follow these guidelines may result in a grade penalty or other disciplinary action as determined by the instructor and in accordance with Scholastic Dishonesty policies.

Grading Criteria

You will be evaluated on four (4) examinations, quizzes, assignments, Blackboard discussion board posts and responses, and a cumulative signature assignment that measures the various core objectives of this course.

The exams will be administered on the dates indicated in the course outline.  These exams may consist of multiple-choice, true/false, and short answer questions based on the reading assignments and lecture materials. The exams are not cumulative; each exam will cover only the materials from the appropriate chapters.  The only exception will be if there is material on which the class, as a whole, does not do well.  If you miss an exam, you may make it up only in case of severe, documented illness or family emergency. Makeup exams may involve an all essay format rather than the normal, in-class format. There will be a penalty of one letter grade for each class day that the student is late making up an exam. It is the responsibility of the student to immediately contact the instructor about any missed exams.

Each of the four exams will count for 10% of your total grade, which totals to 40% of your total grade.

20% of your total grade will be for Blackboard discussion board participation. Each unit will have a different set of discussion board questions that correspond with the appropriate unit. In order to successfully complete the Blackboard discussion board assignment, students will need to complete three total posts per discussion topic.

First, students will need to answer the discussion board question through relevant cited information from the appropriate chapters that cover the discussion board question. Students will then need to respond to two of their classmates by providing relevant feedback that also sources their responses to their classmates.  Your first discussion board post must be at least 200 words in total length and must also be at least five sentences in length.  Your two discussion board responses to your classmates must be at least 100 words in length and must also be at least five sentences in length.

These are not mutually exclusive requirements.  You must meet both of these requirements in order to successfully complete the discussion board topic.  Your discussion board posts will be graded via the use of a rubric that will measure both the length and content of your discussion board posts.

10% of your total grade will be for Blackboard online quizzes that will cover the appropriate chapters.

10% of your total grade will be for Blackboard activities and assignments.

20% of your total grade will be for a participatory signature assignment/final project.  Students will incorporate what they have learned throughout the course as the basis for completing the signature assignment/final project in a satisfactory manner.  The synopsis for this signature assignment as well as the rubric that will be used to evaluate the signature assignment will be available on Blackboard.

The total grade breakdown is as follows:

Grading Criteria for the Course                                          Letter Grade

Exam #1 – 10%                                                                      A – 100% to 90%

Exam #2 – 10%                                                                      B – 89% to 80%

Exam #3 – 10%                                                                      C – 79% to 70%

Exam #4 – 10%                                                                      D – 69% to 60%

Discussion Board Posts – 20%                                            F – 59% and below

Quizzes – 10%

Assignments – 10%

Signature Assignment – 20%

Total = 100%

Attendance

Because this is an online course, non-completion of weekly assignments will count as an absence. (You must log in and complete a minimum of one online assignment each week to be counted as "present" for the online portion of the week).

Please read and keep the official Amarillo College attendance policy in mind throughout the semester. It is your responsibility to know how many classes you have missed to ensure you are not dropped. If you have extenuating circumstances that may keep you out of class for an extended period of time, you must get instructor approval. All exceptions to the Amarillo College policy are at the instructor's discretion.

For attendance purposes, only absences outlined in the school's attendance policy will be counted as excused, meaning they do not count against your absences. 

Calendar

Additional Information

No additional information available