HIS 2223-001C Syllabus

SYLLABUS HIS 2223-002C
History of the United States: 1877 – Present
(SBU.CCTC.NOV2008)
© 2007-2009 Southwest Baptist University

INSTRUCTOR:

Dr. Tim Wood
206 Taylor Hall
Southwest Baptist University
1600 University Ave.
Bolivar, MO 65613

DISABILITY DISCLAIMER:

It is the desire of Southwest Baptist University to provide all students with optimum learning experiences. If there are circumstances, due to disability, that may impact your learning in this course, it is necessary for you to inform your instructor within one week of official enrollment (as determined by the Department of Extended Learning) in this course. If you do not notify your instructor, it will be assumed that you do not require special assistance.

CONTACTING THE INSTRUCTOR:

The best way to contact me is via e-mail – I check it on almost a daily basis. You may also contact me by telephone at the office. If I’m not there, just leave a message and I’ll return your call. If you are around Bolivar, feel free to drop by during my office hours to talk in person. Since these hours vary from semester to semester, be sure to e-mail me to make sure I’ll be in. Bear in mind that communication (and grading) may be slower during times when SBU is not in session (weekends, holidays, and the breaks between semesters), so plan accordingly.

COURSE INFORMATION:

History 2223 is a political and social survey of United States history from the Gilded Age to the present. Successful completion of this course is worth 3 credit hours.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

Although all history involves the dreaded learning of “names and dates” to some extent, this class will also begin probing some of the deeper questions addressed by historians, as well as focusing on the development of important career-related skills. By the end of the course, students will have:

- gained greater insight into the cause-and-effect relationships behind historical events.

- sharpened their critical thinking ability by analyzing various historical problems

- learned how to express themselves clearly in writing

- enhanced their understanding of America’s place in the world since 1877

- achieved a greater sensitivity to the complexities of race and gender relations in post-Reconstruction America

TEXTS:

Paul S. Boyer, et al., The Enduring Vision, History of the American People, Vol. 2: Since 1865, 6th edition. 2008. ISBN# 0-618-80162-6. Houghton Mifflin Company.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

Reading the text provides necessary background. Reading the textbook will also help you prepare for completion of the exams.

Suggested sequence of study is to: Read the chapter in the text. Engage the chapter practice quizzes.

Examinations (300 points):

Three (3) unit exams will be given. Each exam covers specific chapters. There are no comprehensive exams. The exams are objective (multiple choice). The exams are web-based. Each exam is 50 questions worth 2 points each. So each exam is worth 100 points. When ready to engage an exam, consult the course for instructions. There is exam information listed in your course. Please follow the directions closely.

Analytical Essay (100 points):

Between the second and third exams, you will compose and submit a final 8-10 page analytical essay.

This essay does not necessarily need to involve research outside of the textbook and the designated primary sources. Rather, students should use this as an opportunity to demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of the material, to articulate their understanding of the relationship between specific events and larger historical trends, and to address the material from a moral perspective.

All essays must be typed (double-spaced, one inch margins, and in #12 font. (NO BIG LETTERS). Please use Microsoft Word (2003 or higher). The essay needs to answer all parts of each question completely, and it should contain no errors in spelling, grammar, style, punctuation and word usage, it must bring out all relevant themes and arguments, it must use specific examples, and should introduce background material as appropriate. Remember to proofread!!!

Rough Draft: Feel free to send me a rough draft for review and feedback. Use the send e-mail function to send me your draft as an e-mail attachment. Place the following in your subject line: HIS2223DraftYourFullName (i.e. HIS2223DraftBobSmith)

Final Submission: Please do not submit your final paper by way of a simple e-mail attachment. You must submit via Drop Box feature if you want your paper graded.

Next, send me an e-mail and let me know I know I have a paper waiting for me. I will grade it and post a grade for you.

GRADING STRUCTURE:

3 exams = 25% each . Total of 75%
1 essay = 25%

GRADING SCALE:
   90%-100% = A
   80%-89%   = B
   70%-79%   = C
   60%-69%   = D
   0%-59%     = F

ACADEMIC HONESTY:

Under no circumstances will any form of academic dishonesty be tolerated in this course, including:

1)   Plagiarism: Using the ideas or writings of another as one’s own, as defined by the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, New College Edition, published by Houghton-Mifflin, 1980. Examples of plagiarism include, but are not limited to, using words or phrases, and/or wholesale scripts from another’s work without proper acknowledgement.

2)   Cheating: a) To deceive by trickery; b) to mislead; c) to practice fraud and/or d) to act dishonestly (as defined by the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, New College Edition, published by Houghton-Mifflin, 1980). Examples of cheating include, but are not limited to: Collaborating without authorization, presenting work done by another as one’s own, either in part or in whole; altering a paper or other evaluation instrument after the grade as been assigned for the purpose of misrepresenting the student’s performance; enlisting another person to take one’s evaluation procedure; using prohibited sources of information for examinations or other testing procedures; knowingly providing any unauthorized assistance to other students; falsifying or changing information concerning academic achievement; and facilitating any act that promotes academic dishonesty, including the withholding of information concerning the academically dishonest conduct of another.

Any student caught cheating or engaging in plagiarism will face a range of disciplinary actions which may include an F for the assignment, and F for the course, or expulsion from the university.

COURSE OVERVIEW:

UNIT 1:
   Ch. 17        The Transformation of the Trans-Mississippi West, 1860-1900
   Ch. 18       The Rise of Industrial America, 1865-1900
   Ch. 19       Immigration, Urbanization, and Everyday Life, 1860-1900
   Ch. 20       Politics and Expansion in an Industrializing Age, 1877-1900
   Ch. 21       The Progressive Era, 1900-1917
   Ch. 22       Global Involvements and World War I, 1902-1920

           FIRST EXAM

UNIT 2:
   Ch. 23       The 1920s: Coping with Change, 1920-1929
   Ch. 24        The Great Depression and the New Deal, 1929-1939
   Ch. 25       Americans and a World in Crisis, 1933-1945
   Ch. 26       The Cold War Abroad and at Home, 1945-1952
   Ch. 27       America at Midcentury, 1952-1960

           SECOND EXAM
            SUBMIT FINAL ESSAY

UNIT 3:
   Ch. 28       The Liberal Era, 1960-1968
   Ch. 29       A Time of Upheaval, 1968-1974
   Ch. 30       Conservative Resurgence, Economic Woes, Foreign Challenges, 1974-1989
   Ch. 31       Beyond the Cold War: Charting a New Course, 1988-2000
   Ch. 32       Global Dangers, Global Challenges, 2001-present

           THIRD EXAM

Welcome to this course

Please feel free to contact me at any time should you have questions or concerns. You may e-mail me questions or comments. My e-mail can be found by clicking-on the "Faculty Information" button. I will attempt to respond to your inquiry within 48 hours of receipt.