Reading and Exam Schedule

Text: Out of Many: A History of the American People Brief, 3rd Edition

John Mack Faragher, et. al.

Handouts: mandatory reading list in italics, although any reading handout may be removed or added at the instructors discretion -- these will be discussed in class

Topics Reading and Quizzes

Tradition and the American Ideal 18) Conquest (quiz Aug 26/27)

Who Controls the Land? pp. 323-324 (railroad)

Opening the West / Great Expectations A Road They Did Not Know

Political Struggles and Jim Crow 17) Reconstruction (quiz Sep 5/6)

Survival of the Fittest / Who gets Rich?

Rule of Technology / Mechanization

Populating the Cities / Wage Systems Undermining the Molly Maguires

Conspicuous Consumption Labor Violence (written assign)

Gaining International Respect 20) Commonwealth (quiz 16/17)

The Color Line in America and Abroad The Chinese Must Go

Nativism / Who is an American? "Homestead Strike"

Mon/Tue Sep 23/24 Exam #1 (covers 17,18,19,20)

Building a Better America 21) Progressive Era (quiz Sep 30/1)

Working Class Protests USDA Government Inspected

Government Regulation / Modern Presidency

Disillusionment with WWI

Women's Suffrage / Racial Tensions The Red Scare / Unearthing a Riot

Economic Boom and Bust (written assign)

The Roaring Twenties? 23) The Twenties (quiz Oct 7/8)

Tradition versus Modern America Alcohol in American History

Scandal in the Oval Office

Unemployment / HELP! 24) Great Depression (quiz 14/15)

Restoring Confidence / Inclusion Brother, Can You Spare a Dime

Rise of the Left and Labor Eleanor Roosevelt

Mon/Tue Oct. 24/25 Exam #2 (covers 21,22,23,24)

Neutrality & Nazis or Commies? 25) World War II (quiz Oct 29/30)

End of the Depression A Menace to the Neighborhood

Who's #1!

Fighting Communism 26) The Cold War (quiz Nov 5/6)

Naming Names / Spies & Anxiety Point of Order!

The Forgotten War Echoes of a Distant War

Subsidizing Middle-Class America 27) Am at Midcentury (quiz 12/13)

Television, Music, and American Youth The Baby Boom

Intervening Around the World / CIA

American Divisions / Civil Rights

Why Vietnam? 29) War at Home (quiz Nov 18/19)

The Generation Gap The Spirit of '68

Watergate / Distrust of Government The Legacy of Watergate

Crisis of Identity 30) Overextended (quiz Dec 2/3)

The Conservative Shift How the 70s Changed America

Growing Gap Between Rich and Poor Our Century… and the Next One

Final Exam -- TBA (covers 25,26,27—29,30)

Three (3) exams are given during the semester, two midterms and a final. Each midterm is worth 75 points, the final is worth 100 points. The dates for the midterms are listed above, but MAY be changed by the instructor. Exams will include sentence-completion, multiple choice, and essay questions. Essay questions will be passed out one week prior to the exam and one will be selected at random.

Eleven (11) multiple choice quizzes based on the readings for each date are listed above. Your eight (8) highest scores will be recorded. These quizzes will be given at the beginning of the class period and CAN NOT be made up. 7-10 short answer or T/F quizzes will be randomly given at the end of class periods. These random quizzes will cover presented that same day and CAN NOT be made up.

Make-ups for missed exams MAY be given for medical and other legally acceptable reasons. No quiz can be made up. Exam make-ups must be completed before the exam is returned to the rest of the class, OR on the weeks of Oct. 7 - 11 and Dec. 2 - 6. To reward those students taking the scheduled exam, there is an automatic point deduction on make-up exams, and they will be more difficult. Verification of absence is required for all make-ups.

Midterm Exams 150 points

Final 100 points

Term Paper 110 points

Eight reading quizzes 80 points

Eight random quizzes 80 points

Two handout written assignments 30 points

Attendance / Extra Credit 50 points

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TOTAL 600 points

540 – 600 points = A

480 – 539 points = B

420 – 479 points = C

360 – 419 points = D

The instructor – where justified – may adjust a student's point total based on individual contribution to the class.

Students are expected to attend each lecture and urged to participate in classroom discussion and activities. Asking questions and sharing comments is one of the responsibilities of a good student. Such activity shows preparation and an interest in self-improvement and is highly recommended. Students are discouraged from exhibiting disruptive behavior – talking, eating, or sleeping in class – habit of arriving late or leaving early from class. NO CELL PHONES OR BEEPERS! You may be dropped from the class for this type of disruptive behavior.

The instructor has regular office hours [Davies Hall #358] and is available during those hours without appointment. Other appointments may be possible. Students are encouraged to make use of the office hours and ask questions outside the classroom environment.

Copying and/or a heavy reliance on information or quotes from established written sources is a serious issue. Plagiarism is the unacknowledged use of another person's work, in the form of original ideqas, sentences, phrases, and/or innovative terminology. It is illegal and ethically wrong to use someone else's work as your own. Copying also keeps a student from thinking and learning, which should be the primary purpose of an education.

Please be advised that any written work turned for this class will be scrutinized for plagiarism. The instructor has the discretion to give a zero for any assignment that does not appear to be the student's own work. Further discussion of this policy will take place in class. If you are unsure what constitutes plagiarism, you may ask for a handout from the instructor on this topic.

Each student will write an 8-10 page semester project paper – typed and double spaced, standard margins. The purpose of a semester paper is to show research and connection to ideas and themes developed during this class. There are TWO options for the paper – these options are outlined briefly here and will be discussed during class. If necessary, an additional handout will be distributed in early October. However, the idea is to start thinking about it NOW!

Option #1 -- research and apply history to a professional career, job, or business in Sacramento. A primary portion of your research should come from contacting and interviewing people "in the trade." One basic parameter will be to find a career that has a history of at least 25 years. Other guidelines for your research are fairly loose, I want you to follow your interests and see how history can be applied to daily activity such as employment and developing a career. Basic questions to start might be When did this job or career begin? How does it change over time? Who keeps track of the history and Why?

As you can see, the basic questions apply and should lead you to more specific and interesting options for discovery. One area often overlooked is to start with a particular building or monument related to a business or a career. Rather than just look for facts, think about Why and How people use historical information in the business. Ask the people you interview to express their thoughts on history and how it relates to their work. Your job is to synthesize the information you gather, create a theme, use analysis and thought, and write a good paper.

Option #2 – research and write on three (3) pieces of popular culture that relate to history between World War II and 1985. First of all, you will need to determine a definition of popular culture – then select no more than three options so you can fully describe and make connections to actual history as presented in the textbook and in class. Thematically, it would be best to pick three items that are closely related in historical context.

Again, do not rely on reading books, the internet, or other standard research techniques. Stay within the timeframe listed and use people as a resource. What icons of popular culture do they remember and Why? What was going on that made these particular cultural events notable? Therefore, your paper will be describing history as well as popular culture.

A semester paper should reflect the amount of time you spent on research and putting together a thoughtful piece of writing. Do not sit down the night before and turn in a "sloppy copy" that verifies your disinterest in education. Feel free to discuss your ideas with the instructor at any time. Remember that the topic is yours, but should reflect ideas and themes that relate to this particular course.

Each student will write an 8-10 page written assignment (typed and double spaced). There will be TWO options for the paper – further instructions will follow during the semester. However, the following option is listed for your immediate consideration.

Find a family photograph – ideally something that represents something of a historical nature. The picture may be of several generations together, someone wearing a traditional costume or uniform, a family member visiting a historical site, a family work tradition, etc. The minimum requirement is that a person or a group of people is the central theme of the picture.

It would be greatly appreciated if you would consider submitting a copy of your picture to add to this website. Submission materials can be obtained from the instructor.