Syllabus US History 1 HIS 201 section 66L Summer 2005
3 credits	no prerequisite(s)/co-requisites
Class Meets	5/31 7/5 and 8/2	8 - 9:00 PM  6 - 9:00 PM	Class Begins: 5/31	Class Ends: 8/6
Room:	CCD Southwest Room to be announced
Instructor:	Dr. Paul Roebuck
	paul.roebuck@ccd.edu
Address
Phone:	303-477-5864
Office
Office Hours:	by appointment, After Class on CCD Southwest Campus
Website:	http://www.roebuckclasses.com/201
Snow Day #	303 556 2401

CCD Catalog Description:  

HIS 201 explores events, trends, peoples, groups, cultures, ideas, and institutions in North America and United States history, including the multiple perspectives of gender, class, and ethnicity, between the period when Native American Indians were the sole inhabitants of North America, and the American Civil War. Focuses on developing, practicing, and strengthening the skills historians use while constructing knowledge in the discipline.

Course Description:

History 201 is the first of a two-part survey of US History. The course provides the beginning college student with an understanding of the history of the United States from pre-colonial times to the end of the Civil War.  We will look at the conquest of the Americas, the colonial period, revolution, the early republic, the rise of sectionalism, slavery, reform movements and the Civil War.

THE HISTORY OF EARLY AMERICA is a study of cultural adaptations and global confrontations. Native versus imperialist, rich versus poor, city versus farm, passion versus reason, change versus tradition —- through the window of the past we see these enduring divisions, the conflicts that mold our lives today.  

 Why Study History?

(beyond gaining core credit ... ) Studying history provides a key to self-understanding, for our past has been largely responsible for shaping who and what we are, both in our social and personal selves. By acquiring an understanding of the development of US history, students acquire a richer appreciation of the present and possibilities for the future.

Intellectual growth entails the development of academic skills. Effective reading, writing, thinking; analysis and synthesis of concepts; and understanding of key events, ideas and forces that have shaped the world, all contribute to the education the College seeks to provide. Gaining insight into the development of US history, students expand their basis for understanding themselves and shaping their worlds and a reference point for respecting the autonomous development of diverse elements of all cultures.

 Course Objectives:

  Upon successful completion of this course you should be able to:

• Trace aspects of the development of US cultural, political, religious and social processes from pre-colonial times to the end of the Civil War
   

• Identify, understand and discuss some of the major people, events, ideas and time periods of the formative years of the United States
   

• Understand the interdisciplinary nature of the study of historical topics and recognize differences in approach between science, philosophy, economics, and geography to historic questions.
   

• Be able to apply basic historical methodologies and critical thought to current and historical controversies.
  

Textbook

REQUIRED: America and Its Peoples: a mosaic in the making, volume I to 1877.    ISBN: 0321079108 or other edition is acceptable. You can get used copies from Amazon.com cheaper than most bookstores.

For other reading suggestions, see the resources page and topical pages on the course website.

Classroom Procedures:

This course combines independent reading and research, in-class discussion and special assignments. Students are invited to ask questions at any time in class, by phone or via email. 

Success in this course depends on participation. Come to each class and blackboard discussion prepared to question and discuss the issues at hand. Assigned readings must be completed prior to class. Keep good notes - it is your responsibly to be able to argue pro and con on the major discussion points.

Discussions will highlight some of the important aspects of each topic keeping in mind our goal of understanding various ways of knowing about the world. We may also work on cooperative learning exercises that involve group problem solving and presentations.

Academic Misconduct
Admission to the Community College of Denver implies that you agree to respect the rights of others and observe moral and civil laws.  Interference with the normal processes of education in the classroom or elsewhere on the campus will be regarded as unacceptable conduct, warranting suspension or dismissal.  Complete Student Code of Conduct is at this web site: http://ccd.rightchoice.org/Student_Life/COC.html.

CCD's policy is that any student who breaks the college's honor code and is found culpable after due process, will receive an "F" for the assignment. CCD has recently relaxed the standards associated with academic honesty. 

I, however, take plagiarism very seriously. It has always been my policy that students guilty of plagiarism receive an F in the course. I believe they should be expelled from the college as well but that is outside of my jurisdiction. However I have control over grading in the classroom. If, after due process, you are found guilty of plagiarism, you will forfeit all class participation points, you will receive zero on the assignment, and your other class work must be of excellent quality or your semester score will be so low that you will receive an F in my course.

Due process is defined by the Vice President for Student Services.

Academic misconduct comprises scholastic dishonesty or class misconduct.

Scholastic dishonesty includes cheating in assignments; plagiarizing (misrepresenting as one's own anything done by another); depriving another of necessary course materials; or sabotaging another's work.

Class misconduct is disrupting or disrespectful behavior in class. Denigrating comments, reading newspapers during presentations, rude disruptions, online harassment and persistent tardiness are examples of class misconduct.  Either scholastic or class misconduct is grounds for dismissal from the course. Please avoid it.

Special Needs
If you have a learning or physical need, please let the instructor know about any accommodations you would like to be made within the first week of classes. CCD has support services available to assist you in your academic success. Apply for services at the Center for Persons with Disabilities.  More information is available at http://ccd.rightchoice.org/EPAC/disabilities.html.

Assignments Schedule

This is a flex course. We meet in the classroom and online. Students must attend the four class sessions. Attendance will be taken. Assignments are due each week. Discussion participation is the major source of your grade and cannot be made up after the fact.

Schedule US History 1 Summer 2005 CCD

Assignment Instructions

History is about stories - narratives of people, places and events in the past. Good history involves good stories - those that fit the data, have the most explanatory power and are most interesting. To help you become familiar with people, places and events in US History, each week you will post

one identification or narrative from that week's course unit to the assignments forum on blackboard, and

at least 3 good messages a week to the discussion forum on blackboard.

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You must turn in one analysis paper and one timeline, and take both the midterm and final examinations.

To help you with your study, I provide reading questions over the weekly reading assignments, as well as Primary and Secondary sources over each course unit.

The course consists of eight sections or course units: 

conquest, colonization, revolution, republic, slavery, regions, reform and civil war. 

Blackboard discussion will be organized around these topics as are the suggested primary and secondary sources which I provide.

The textbook provides a kind of grand narrative of US History. We rely heavily on the textbook in this course, so comprehending the reading is important. To help you in your reading, I provide reading questions that cover the chapters.  

Use the reading questions as a study guide for the midterm and final as most of the questions on the test will be taken from your reading questions.

In addition to narratives about the past, history involves analysis. Why was America colonized? What caused democracy to emerge? What was the effect of religious beliefs on shaping the new nation? What factors demonstrate the role of women? and so forth. Blackboard discussion will focus largely on analytic questions. However, doing history involves answering analytic questions for yourself, so you will get some practice in writing analysis papers.

Go to the Writing Center for help with your paper, The Writing Center1111 West Colfax, South Classroom Room 142 N, P & T or online at http://owl.ccd.edu/

There will be a short examination at the halfway point and at the end. They will focus primarily on the readings however they will include what is covered in discussion and any additional assignments. You must take the exams. They are designed to track the effectiveness of the course. If you have test anxiety, do not worry, the exams count for very few points and you can do poorly on the exams and still do well in the course.

Identification, narrative, and discussion posts should be submitted directly to blackboard. Analysis papers should be sent directly to me as email or an email message with an attachment (I accept only Word, HTML, RTF or plain text formats). Be certain you receive an email acknowledgement receipt from me.

Be sure you include your name on all your work in order to receive credit.

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The details on each of these types of assignments are below:

Discussion

Discussion is at the core of any online course. You must participate in the weekly online discussion. You will receive a weekly grade. See below for information on how I grade discussions. Check the online guide for discussions. I will let you know how you are doing early in the course and make suggestions if your discussion participation needs improving.

Identification

You identify something by saying who, what, where, when, and why. If it's a person, the who is a bit redundant, but it might be relevant to state their full name or something. The "what" means saying the person was a merchant or a reformer or whatever. Their main role on the historical stage. "Where" is where the person lived, where the battle was fought. Give what detail you can. Thus, you can say the Battle of the Plains of Abraham took place in Canada, or you can say it took place on a  fairly level field adjoining the upper part of the city of Quebec, Canada - whatever you can find. "When" means when they lived. For rulers, it's sufficient to give when they ruled--you don't always need exact birth and death dates. If it's a battle, give the year, e.g. 1759.

The "why" concerns historical significance. The Battle of Plains of Abraham was important because it decided the last of the French and Indian Wars and led to British supremacy in Canada. You could say more. This is the really important part of the answer, yet it is often completely left out by students. The Identification assignment usually comes in around 100 words. You can often state the who, what, where and when portions in a single sentence. For example: The Battle of Plains of Abraham was fought in 1759 between the English under Gen. James Wolfe and French under Gen. Louis Montcalm at a site near Quebec. Then, all you would need is a sentence or two on the significance. Some answers are easier to compact than others. There is no length limit but strive for both completeness and brevity. 

Go beyond the book in your search for explanations. You must rephrase in your own words. Do not just cut and paste from other sources. Think about it. Make it your own. Rephrase it. Post it and cite your sources.

Narrative

Here you just tell the story of an event, a career, a development. The key with the narrative assignment is clarity. Your narrative should tell a story and have a clear beginning, middle and end. It needs to stay on topic and not wander off on side issues or get distracted by giving too much background. Just narrate the events. This assignment will take more words. The length will be determined by the topic, but typically will run to 200 words. Try to go beyond the book in your search for narrative information. You must rephrase in your own words. Do not just cut and paste from other sources. Cite your sources.

Timeline

Our book is organized both temporally and topically and does not always follow a strict linear progression. There are large amounts of primary and secondary information in a broad survey course of this kind that can get confusing. 

To help you keep track of what was going on when, create a timeline of significant events (significant to you) of some portion of US history through Reconstruction.

Content is up to you. Choose people, events and places that interest you.  I have had students trace their family history in the pre Civil War time period, technological inventions, changes in nursing, roles of women, warfare, reform movements. literary and artistic movements, First Ladies, Civil War battles. Anything prior to 1865 is okay.

Format is up to you. A simple linear progression on paper is fine. Some students create web pages or power point presentations. Some create scrolls or mock up newspapers.

Be creative and have fun. 

Analysis

This is your basic history essay or short paper. The key to this assignment is in the name: analysis. Your paper will probably contain some identification and some narrative and maybe even a definition or two, but if you don't do any analysis of the event or person or development, then you aren't really doing this assignment. 

All of the basic paper-writing rules apply here: have a clear thesis statement, include in your paper only those facts that go toward supporting your thesis (unless your paper is specifically addressing differing points of view). You must include a bibliography of sources you consulted or referenced. There is not enough room here to teach you about how to write a term paper, even a short one. Use online resources if you need help.

Your analysis paper should be no less that 750 words and preferably no more than about 1250 words. The lower limit is inflexible and you will be graded down if you go below it. The upper limit is a strong suggestion. This upper limit is to encourage you to be thorough but brief. It sets a limit on how much effort I expect you to expend on this project. It helps you define the scope of the activity. It teaches you to edit your papers for content.

Reading/reaction questions

The textbook covers a great deal of information. Given the accelerated format for this course, I want to help focus your attention in your reading. To assist you, I will provide you with a list of questions from the reading each week. As a further aide, the questions will sequentially follow the flow of the text. These questions will generally be short answer. 

The reading reaction questions are a fair amount of work if you write out complete answers for each question, but they give you a good outline of the readings. The majority of the questions on the midterm and final will be based directly on the reading reaction. 

You do not need to turn in your answers to these questions. They will not be graded.

Submitting Assignments

You can turn papers in to me as email attachments (I accept HTML, MS Word, RTF and TXT formats). When you email me, make sure that you receive an acknowledgement that the email was received.

There will be one midterm and one final - see the course schedule. 

Post identifications/narratives and discussion points to the blackboard forums. I want you to read another's posts both the assignments and the discussion. Points will be awarded if you respond to what others are posting and deducted if you do not.

For assignment posts please format the subject with your last name, assignment type and week number, e.g. roebuck-narrative-week 4.

Grading

Grading		Points
Weekly narrative or biography	10 x 25 =	250
blackboard self-introduction		10
email to instructor		10
Weekly blackboard discussion	10 x 25 =	250
Midterm Examination		50
Time Line		100
Analytic Paper		100
Final Examination		50
Self Assessment by email		10
Class Evaluation by email		10
Class participation		500
If you miss a classroom session you will lose 100 points Grading Scale
90%+ is an A
80%+ is a B
70%+ is a C
60%+ is a D
Below 60% is an F

How Discussions are Graded

Traditional classroom students are not required to post online. They may do so for extra credit. Flex-Online students must post. The information below pertains to online discussion.  Quantity The first and easy dividing point is quantity.  If you are not posting three messages a week, then you automatically get a D or an F for the week's discussion grade. Three a week really is a minimum.  Really. Timely Do not wait till the last minute. Even though you need not post daily, I do not want messages stacking up at 3 minutes to midnight on mondays - that does not make for good online conversation. So I look at how quickly you respond to other's messages. Quality Next comes quality of the messages. Some messages have no real content but merely further the conversation. These are the messages that say "yes, I agree" or "thanks for your interesting post."  These are important because they keep our discussion conversational in tone, so I take note of them, but they don't carry much weight. If this is the only kind of message you post, you will need to improve. Messages posted in the Student Lounge don't count toward the minimum. Here is where you can talk about current events, or tell everyone that there's an interesting show on TV coming up that has to do with our course in some way. It's the on-line equivalent of having a conversation out in the hall. But it's not doing geography. Messages that do count are those that show that you are doing the reading and that you are understanding what you are reading. You are keeping up on current world affairs in the news, and you are listening to others in the discussion. These messages can be questions, replies to questions, or comments and observations (and replies to same). Yes, a question can still show that you are doing the reading. The better thought-out the question is, the more highly I regard it.  Best are questions that give evidence that you have looked around in the available material and the question is placed in that context. But "what in the world are they thinking?" is still an honest question and still counts. Answering someone else's question is good.  It is always better that your answer cite sources than merely state an opinion without substantiation.  Also good are posts that interpret what you are reading--these are the comment and observations. In all these, I look for evidence of historical thinking. Are you proceeding from the materials you are reading? Are you understanding what you are reading? Do you avoid reductionism and anachronism? I am not terribly strict in all this. It is important that our discussion be conversational and not merely a series of potted essays.  I want people to talk to each other and explore and try out ideas. Somewhere along the line, I start making notes to myself about whether you are participating at an "A" level or "B" level.  The "C" level is reserved for those who participate but who fall below the minimum too often, or whose messages are mainly fluff with only a few of substance.  "D" and "F" are for those who are consistently below the minimum requirement.  So the tough choice is between "A" and "B".  In Week 3 or 4 I give you an initial progress report. The main purpose of this report is to serve notice on those who are under-participating, and to note any obvious trends in your messages.  In Week 5 or 6 I send out a second report with a tentative grade. This still gives you time to make adjustments if you want. Please format the subject with your last name, assignment type and week number, e.g. roebuck-narrative-week 4.

Can't think of a topic for discussion? Try asking in the blackboard discussion forum.

Here is the discussion grading rubric:

Assessing Effectiveness of Student Participation in Online Discussions Student Name:
Category	1	2	3	4	points
Promptness and Initiative	Does not respond to most postings; rarely participates freely	Responds to most postings several days after start; limited initiative	Responds to most postings within 24 hours;	Consistently responds to postings in less than 24 hours; demonstrates good self-initiative
Relevance of Post	Posts topics unrelated to the discussion; remarks too short or irrelevant	Occasionally posts off topic; most posts are short; little new insight to topic	Frequently posts on topics related to discussion; prompts further discussion of topic	Consistently posts on topics related to discussion; cites additional references related to topic
Expression Within the Post	Opinions or ideas are not clear; no connection to topic; no citations; little  familiarity with secondary readings	Opinions and ideas are clear; occasionally off topic; poor citations; incomplete understanding of secondary materials	Opinions and ideas are clear and concise; obvious connection to topic; good citations; good familiarity with secondary readings and some primary reading	Clear, concise, on topic, good citations and demonstrates a understanding and synthesis of secondary and primary readings; brings in relevant outside materials
Contribution to the Learning Community	Little effort to participate in learning community as it develops; seems indifferent	Occasionally makes meaningful reflection on group'’ efforts; marginal effort to become involved in the group	Frequently attempts to move discussion forward and to present relevant viewpoints for consideration by group; interacts freely	Aware of needs of community; frequently attempts to motivate the group discussion; presents creative approaches to topic
				Total:

 

Late assignments, make-ups, retakes, and incomplete

If you have an emergency and cannot complete an assignment on time, discuss your need with the instructor (preferably in advance). In general, no late assignments or make-ups will be allowed. However, there are extenuating circumstances, so explain your situation. You must seek the approval of your instructor in advance for an incomplete, and justify your request with a validated medical emergency or a severe personal crisis. Incompletes are given if the student has completed the majority of the work for the course with a grade of C or better, has been unable to complete all of it for a valid reason, and will pass the course if they are given an opportunity to complete the required work within a specified time period.

Changing Grades

No one is perfect. Sometimes test questions are ambiguous or wrong. Graders make errors. I encourage you to challenge your grade on any assignment or test if you feel your efforts were graded incorrectly, but you must do so during office hours, before or after class within one week of an assignment's return date.

Dr. Paul Roebuck
Community College of Denver