Table of Contents
Welcome
Course Outcomes
Texts
Attendance Policies
Evaluation and Grading
Other Class Policies

WELCOME!

Do you like solving puzzles? Do you like to read detective stories or watch “whodunnits” on tv or videos? Do you like to read historical fiction or enjoy movies made about historical subjects? Do you wonder why things are the way they are? If you answered yes to any of those questions, then join me in the fascinating and often surprising study of America’s past, beginning with the people who were in the land that became the United States before the arrival of Europeans, through the period of the Civil War.

In this course, we will learn both content and process. We will use a variety of primary and secondary sources to construct a plausible interpretation of the past. We will explore the issues of evidence, significance, chronology, bias, and the politics of voice as we examine how history is understood a past event and constructed as an interpretative account. We will study “history” by doing what historians do.

We will use multi-media materials in the classroom and “Web-enhance” our learning opportunities with-online resources. We will “think out loud” and reflect on our learning experiences in informal online and in class group discussions. Access to a computer with an Internet connection is required. Course work will include reading and writing assignments, a small group project with class presentation, class and online discussions, collaborative learning activities and lectures. This course is designed for active learners with inquiring minds, a sense of adventure, and the desire for a class that is just a little bit different.

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Course Outcomes - Process
By the end of the course, if you have fulfilled your responsibilities as a learner, you will have acquired and/or enhanced your critical reading and thinking skills.
You will be able to:
• Read an essay, article, or chapter of a history book and be able to differentiate between historical fact and interpretation.
• Explain the difference between primary and secondary sources.
• Analyze and assess the credibility, reliability, and utility of a piece of historical writing using rules of Time and Place, Bias, Intent, and Voice.
• Analyze current events, policies or social issues and identify one or more historical antecedents.
• Write a simple essay using historical evidence drawn from primary and secondary sources to support the essay’s thesis or argument.
• Apply and demonstrate methods of historical inquiry, analysis, interpretation, and generalization.
• Formulate an argument for why history matters

Course Outcomes - Content
By the end of the course, if you have fulfilled your responsibilities as a learner, you will have acquired knowledge and understanding of the origins and developments of many of the United States’s institutions and their effects on contemporary society. You will be able to analyze the causes and effects of significant historical ideas and events. And you will be able to discuss and analyze key issues and the diverse political, cultural, social, ethnic, and regional characteristics of distinctive periods of American History to 1865.

You will be able to:
• Identify the major social, ethnic, cultural, political and economic institutions and groups that shaped the history of the United States within a global context into the mid 19th century.
• Identify and Explain the major historical issues that have divided this country during various periods of history.
• Compare and contrast the historical circumstances of Native America, African, and European experiences in this country.
• Analyze the role of the environment in shaping experiences and institutions.
• Identify and discuss the contributions of major groups to American culture, society, and institutions.

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Texts
Required: Jones, Wood, et al, Created Equal: A Social and Political History of the United States, Vol 1 To 1877. (Available in the bookstore)

STRONGLY Recommended: Zinn, Howard, A People’s History of the United States 1492-Present. (Any edition will do, but the more recent the better. This is a trade book available from regular bookstores or online retailers such as Amazon.com.)

NOTE: I have placed a copy of this on reserve in the library. Also, some of the chapters are available online. We will be using only the first 10 chapters in this course.

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ATTENDANCE POLICIES
Students are expected to attend all sessions of the class. Attendance will be taken. Students with more than three unexcused absences may be dropped by the instructor. Should an emergency arise or you become ill and unable to attend, please notify me by phone or email. Students will be allowed to make up missed work if an absence is excused (illness verified by a doctor’s note).

Many of the course objectives will be met through participation in active learning experiences during class time. Therefore it is important that you be in class and come prepared to participate fully. You are expected to arrive on time and stay the full period. Tardiness disrupts the class and puts you at a disadvantage.

Absences and tardiness will negatively affect your grade. If you have no absences or tardies, you will have 10 bonus points added to your final score; no more than 2 absences or tardies will merit 5 bonus points.

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EVALUATION AND GRADING
At best, grades are imprecise measures of academic performance. They do not weigh the worth of a student as a person, now, or in the future. In an ideal world, grades would be irrelevant and students would be engaged learners for the pleasure of expanding their knowledge horizons and developing new competencies. However, the realities of this setting, in this world, require that students be given grades. In this class, it is my intent as instructor to give grades that are based on demonstrated competency at meeting the learner outcomes for each graded assignment. We will analyze the works of professional historians to develop rubrics for evaluating graded assignments. Additionally, students may participate in self-evaluation and peer evaluations.

Written assignments turned in after the due date will receive a grade reduction. Assignments receiving a D or lower must be redone and resubmitted within one week. Graded assignments, quizzes, or exams missed due to excused absences may be turned in late or made up no later than one week following the absence, unless other arrangements are negotiated with me ahead of time.

Because written communication is central to what historians do, use of appropriate language, vocabulary, and good grammar are expected. You are encouraged to seek assistance from the Writing Center if you need to improve your writing skills.

I do not grade on a curve; students do not compete with each other for grades. Careful preparation, thoughtful participation, and consistent performance are keys to successfully meeting the objectives of this class and getting a good grade.

Each graded assignment, quiz or exam is worth a certain number of points.
10 Bonus Points for attendance are possible (See “Attendance” above).
Up to 50 Extra Credit Points can be earned – details to be provided in class.

Final course grades (based on 1000 points total) will be determined as follows:

A = Excellent 900 - 1000+  (90%+)
B = Good 800 - 899            (80%+)
C = Satisfactory 700 - 799   (70%+)
D = Passing, less than satisfactory 600 - 699    (60%+)
F = Failing 599 and below

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Other Class Policies
Classroom Etiquette: This class is intended to be a safe place for all to learn and develop new skills and explore new ways of looking at issues, people and ideas. Be mindful that the experiences and opinions of others may be very different from your own. Practice active listening when others are speaking. Be courteous and respectful of others. Treat others in the way you wish to be treated.

Please silence phones and pagers while in class. Computers may be used for taking notes if their use does not disturb other members of the class. A student whose behavior is threatening or disruptive will be asked to leave the class, and may be suspended or expelled in accordance with the college’s policies.

Study and Preparation: You should expect to spend at least two hours in study and preparation outside of class for each hour in class, plus additional time as need to review for exams or write papers. Part of each week’s study time will be spent in online assignments; one or more chapters from the text will be required reading each week. We will discuss and practice strategies in class that will help you learn how to study effectively and efficiently.

Academic Honesty: Your written work is to be your own. When you use another’s ideas or words, give credit using standard forms of citation. Plagiarism, cheating, or other forms of academic dishonesty will be severely punished in accordance with the policies of the college and the district.

Disabilities: The College provides specialized services and academic accommodations to meet the individual needs of students with qualifying disabilities (recognized under the Americans with Disabilities Act [ADA]) to allow them to demonstrate their skills and knowledge in the classroom and to help them achieve successful completion of their college goals. If you have or think you may have a disability that interferes with your ability to gain the maximum benefit from your educational experiences, or if you need accommodations to meet the requirements of the course, please speak with me and/or seek assistance from the Disabled Students Programs and Services Office (DSPS).

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