Appendix B: Aligning History Program Goals with Courses and Course Objectives

Program Goal
Goal 1: Read and analyze primary and secondary sources in history. (CAS Goal 1)
Program Objectives / Course/Course Objectives
Student will be able to
  • understand and articulate the difference between primary and secondary sources in history
  • identify and describe the author, audience, purpose and context of primary sources.
  • apply critical reading and analytical skills to a variety of texts.
/ Student will be able to:
HIS 128: The Creation of the Atlantic World
  • read critically
  • write clear, well-organized, logical essays
  • write in sequence from essays ofdescription, to comparison of texts, to evaluation of arguments
HIS 130 : Introduction to American Civilizations
  • learn to raise historical questions
  • develop critical reading skills
HIS 133: Travelers’ Tales
  • evaluate and use primary sources to develop historical arguments
  • understand the audience, purpose, genre, and context of a variety of primary sources
HIS 135: The Upheavals of War
  • become familiar with the diverse sources, both primary
accounts and secondary analyses, that illuminate the
human experience of war.
HIS 200: Movies, Myths and History
  • evaluate the usefulness of film as a medium for presenting history through the critical comparison of film with both primary sources and scholarly studies
  • indentify and describe the ways in which films reflect the times and places in which they were produced
HIS 201: Trials of the Centuries
  • read and interpret primary sources
  • appreciate the value of film as an historical source
HIS 220: Historian as Detective
  • evaluate and use primary and secondary sources to develop historical arguments
  • understand and describe the structure (thesis, evidence, response to counter-evidence) of complex historical and scholarly texts
HIS 231: Renaissance and Reformation
  • evaluate and use primaryand secondary sources to develop historical arguments
HIS 234: Kings, Commoners, and Constitutions
  • evaluate and use primary and secondary sources to develop historical arguments
HIS 245: Women, Work and Family
  • evaluate and use primary and secondary sources to develop historical arguments
HIS 255: The Contemporary History of the Third World
explore the diverse perspectives that define the shared
experience of Third World societies, both primary accounts
and historians’ analyses.
HIS 328: Darwin and Darwinism: Race, Gender and Power
  • evaluate and use primary and secondary sources to develop historical arguments
HIS 337 : The United States, 1783-1861
  • sharpen skills of analysis through critical reading of
primary sources
  • demonstrate a command of the critical secondary source material relating to the research paper
HIS 338 : The United States, 1865-1941
  • develop skills of analysis through critical reading of primary sources
  • submit research papers based on primary sources
HIS 339 : African American History
  • develop critical reading skills through a focus on the writings of African Americans
  • write several short essays emphasizing the articulation of a thesis and the development of the thesis through the selection of significant detail
HIS 342 : The United States Since 1945
  • become skilled in reading and analyzing primary sources
  • evaluate the primary sources of the late twentieth century
HIS 344 : African American Women’s History
  • focus on the writing of nineteenth-century African American women writers
  • strengthen analytic skills through reading, discussion and written work
HIS 345 : The Civil Rights Movement
  • become familiar with the discourse and thetheoretical frameworks used by historians, sociologists, and political scientists
HIS 358: The Modern Middle East
  • become familiar with some of the most highly regarded works of scholarship on the Modern Middle East
  • appreciate the sources that capture Middle Eastern voices.
HIS 361: People, Plagues and Epidemics: A History of Disease
  • evaluate and use primary and secondary sources to develop historical arguments
  • understand the audience, purpose, genre, and context of a variety of primary and secondary sources including texts and images
  • critique the arguments of secondary sources
HIS 362: Sex, Scandal and Civil War: Tudor and Stuart England
  • evaluate and use primary and secondary sources to develop historical arguments
  • understand the audience, purpose, genre, and context of a variety of primary and secondary sources, including film, text, and visual materials
  • understand and evaluate the changing historical interpretations of the major figures of this period
HIS 363: The Enlightenment and French Revolution
  • evaluate and use primary and secondary sources to develop historical arguments
HIS 369: Vietnam in World History
  • integrate the source perspectives of documents, biography, fiction, music and film, among others, to create a multi-faceted portrait of an historical culture and era.
HIS 390: Close Encounters:
Christianity, Judaism and Islam in the Middle Ages
  • evaluate and use primary and secondary sources to develop historical arguments
HIS 396: Honors Seminar:
Religion and Science
  • evaluate and use primary and secondary sources to develop historical arguments
HIS 399: Honors Seminar: Food, Feast and Famine
  • evaluate and use primary and secondary sources to develop historical arguments
HIS 485: The Age of Dictators
  • become knowledgeable about the major historicalinterpretations of the period, both primary andsecondary account, and to develop independentconclusions about their merits

Aligning History Program Goals with Courses and Course Objectives, Continued

Program Goal
Goal 2: Communicate effectively in writing and speech through the logical organization and presentation of evidence and conclusions. (CAS Goal 2)
Program Objectives / Course/Course Objectives
Student will be able to
  • demonstrate the ability to summarize, paraphrase and cite correctly.
  • communicate effectively in writing about historical topics through the logical organization and presentation of evidence and conclusions
  • articulate and support a variety of opinions in ongoing historical debates.
/ HIS 128 : Creation of the Atlantic World
  • write clear, well-organized, logical essays o
  • develop sequentially skill in writing essays of description, comparison, and evaluation of different arguments
  • identify and prioritize the critical components of historical questions.
HIS 130 : Introduction to American Civilizations
  • develop a writing style that is clear, coherent, persuasive and logical
HIS 133: Travelers’ Tales
  • write a thesis-driven essay
HIS 135: The Upheavals of War
  • present historically informed arguments about the human
dimensions of war in essays
  • share ideas in class discussions assessing how humans cope
with war.
HIS 200: Movies, Myths and History
  • engage in oral discussion and debate about a variety of films
  • describe scholarly debates about the usefulness of film for teaching history
  • write a short thesis-driven essay
HIS 201: The Trials of the Centuries
  • present historically informed, persuasive arguments in papers
that include primary source material as evidence
  • express views clearly and persuasively in formal and informal
discussions
HIS 220: Historian as Detective
  • engage in oral discussion of primary sources
  • articulate and debate the merits of a variety of scholarly opinions on assigned topics
  • write a thesis-driven essay using primary source material as evidence
HIS 231: Renaissance and Reformation
  • engage in oral discussion and debate about topics in Renaissance and Reformation history
  • write a thesis-driven essay using primary source material as evidence
HIS 234: Kings, Commoners, and Constitutions
  • engage in oral discussion and debate about topics in 17th century European history
  • write a thesis-driven essay using primary source material as evidence
HIS 245: Women, Work and Family
  • engage in oral discussion and debate about topics pertaining to medieval and early modern women
  • write a thesis-driven essay using primary source material as evidence
HIS 255: The Contemporary History of the Third World
  • enhance ability to present and defend valid historical theses grounded in
evidence, noting common experiences of change
  • rely on critical reading, listening and interpretive skills in evaluation of
assigned readings and in class discussions
HIS 328: Darwin and Darwinism: Race, Gender and Power
  • engage in oral discussion and debate about topics pertaining to Darwin and Darwinism
HIS 337 : The United States : 1783-1861
  • strengthen the formulation of thesisstatements
  • argue from evidence
  • develop skill in the selection ofsignificant detail
HIS 338 : The United States, 1865-1941
  • strengthen the formulation of thesis statements
  • argue from evidence
  • develop skill in the selection of significant detail
HIS 339 : African American History
  • write thesis driven essays
  • sustain the development of the thesis, arguing from evidence
HIS 342 : The United States since 1945
  • strengthen the formulation of thesis statements
  • argue from evidence
  • discriminate in the selection of significant detail
HIS344 : African American Women’s History
  • articulate thesis statements
  • sustain the development of the thesis by selecting significant detail
HIS 345 : The Civil Rights Movement
  • articulate thesis statements
  • argue from evidence to select significant detail and manifest sensitivity to the significant
  • write conclusions that summarize and synthesize
HIS 358: The Modern Middle East
  • enhance ability to present and defend valid historical theses, grounded
in evidence and reflective of the views and values of the cultures studied
  • present written arguments based on sources that offer distinct views of
core course themes and venture independent conclusions
HIS 361: People, Plagues and Epidemics: A History of Disease
  • synthesize primary source evidence to form a coherent description of past events
  • identify and critique the evidence used by authors of secondary sources
HIS 362: Sex, Scandal and Civil War: Tudor and Stuart England
  • engage in oral discussion and debate about topics pertaining to the Tudor and Stuart periods
  • write a thesis-driven essay using primary source material as evidence
HIS 363: The Enlightenment and French Revolution
  • engage in oral discussion and debate about topics pertaining to the enlightenment and French revolution
  • write a thesis-driven essay using primary source material as evidence
HIS 369: Vietnam in World History
  • improve ability to use historical sources as the basis for effective
scholarly interpretation, both orally and in writing
  • gain facility in conducting research and writing an effectively argued
analysis of key findings
HIS 390: Close Encounters:
Christianity, Judaism and Islam in the Middle Ages
  • engage in oral discussion and debate about topics pertaining to the cultural interactions of Christians, Jews, and Muslims in the Middle Ages
  • write a thesis-driven essay using primary source material as evidence
HIS 396: Honors Seminar: Religion and Science
  • engage in oral discussion and debate about topics pertaining to religion and science from the Middle Ages to the 19th century
  • write a thesis-driven essay using primary source material as evidence
  • demonstrate an understanding of contemporary debates about the relationship between science and religion
HIS 399: Honors Seminar: Food, Feast and Famine
  • engage in oral discussion and debate about topics pertaining to the history and politics of food
  • write a thesis-driven essay using primary source material as evidence
HIS 485: The Age of Dictators
  • design, develop and defend the findings of historical research grounded
in the appropriate primary documentation and cognizant of professional
scholarship
  • present research findings clearly and with nuance, drawing sound,
verifiable conclusions.

Aligning History Program Goals with Courses and Course Objectives, Continued

Program Goal
Goal 3: Conduct historical research using scholarly texts, journals, and on-line resources. (CAS Goal 4)
Program Objectives / Course/Course Objectives
Student will be able to
  • locate and evaluate on-line resources related to history
  • conduct textual and on-line research
  • evaluate textual and on-line resources
  • locate and analyze a variety of primary and secondary sources on an assigned historical topic or issue.
  • design and develop a research project.
/ HIS 128 : Creation of the Atlantic World
  • develop critical reading skills of primary sources
  • raise historical questions
  • write three short essays based on primary sources
  • write one short essay evaluating varied interpretations of an historical event
HIS 130 : Introduction to American Civilizations
  • develop critical reading skills of primary sources
  • raise historical questions
  • summarize a primary source document
  • write two short essays based on primary sources
  • write an essay on causation using secondary sources
HIS 135: The Upheavals of War
  • analyze assigned primary source texts and consider complementary
online resources in short, thesis driven essays
HIS 200: Movies, Myths and History
  • identify, locate and evaluate primary and secondary sources, on-line and textual, for a research project
HIS 201: Trials of the Centuries
  • synthesize materials on historical trials, incorporating documents,
scholarly commentary, media portraits
  • use research to establish shared themes that link core courses trials and
additional trial explored by each student
HIS 245: Women, Work and Family
  • identify and locate secondary sources, textual and on-line, for a short biographical sketch of a medieval or early modern woman
  • write a 7-8 page analysis of a single primary source incorporating proper documentation and citation
HIS 234: Kings, Commoners, and Constitutions
  • identify, locate and evaluate primary and secondary sources, on-line and textual, for a research project
  • write a 7-8 page analysis of a single primary source incorporating proper documentation and citation
HIS 255: The Contemporary History of the Third World
  • sharpen research and interpretive skills by exploring historical records,
both primary and secondary, located in print and online, characterizing
and evaluating a contemporary world leader.
HIS 328: Darwin and Darwinism: Race, Gender and Power
  • develop a research proposal
  • identify, locate and evaluate primary and secondary sources, on-line and textual, for a research project
  • write an 8-10 research paper incorporating proper documentation and citation
HIS 337: The United States, 1783-1861
  • prepare a research design for a 8-10 page research paper that includes historical question/s, tentative thesis, and bibliography of primary and secondary sources
  • review and apply the rules for documentation and citation
  • a tentative draft of the first few pages for critique
  • write the research paper incorporating arguments from evidence that support the thesis.
HIS 338 : The United States, 1865-1941
  • write two five page “mini-research” papers based on primary sources
  • prepare research designs that include the historical question and tentative bibliography
  • review and apply the rules for documentation and citation
  • write the research paper incorporating arguments from evidence that support the thesis and a conclusion that summarizes and synthesizes
HIS 339 African American History
  • write four short three page essays based on a critical reading of primary sources
HIS 342 : The United States since 1945
  • conduct research arising from an historical question
  • evaluate evidence from the analysis of primary source research and to provide arguments groundedin this research.
HIS 344 : African American Women’s History
  • write two three page analytic essays based on theprimary source writings of African American women
  • evaluate the strengths and limitations of internet research
  • prepare a tentative bibliography for the six to seven page course project
  • present a brief oral report on the research project
  • write the research paper incorporating arguments from evidence that support the thesis and a conclusion that summarizes and synthesizes
HIS 358: The Modern Middle East
  • become familiar with primary and academic documentation on Middle
Eastern peoples and societies, evaluating chosen texts in critical reviews
and thesis driven essays.
HIS 361: People, Plagues and Epidemics: A History of Disease
  • use internet sources as evidence for a short research project
  • practice using Chicago-style citation in short research papers
HIS 362: Sex, Scandal and Civil War: Tudor and Stuart England
  • develop a research proposal
  • identify, locate and evaluate primary and secondary sources, on-line and textual, for a research project
  • write an 8-10 research paper incorporating proper documentation and citation
HIS 363: The Enlightenment and French Revolution
  • develop a research proposal
  • identify, locate and evaluate primary and secondary sources, on-line and textual, for a research project
  • write an 8-10 research paper using proper documentation and citation
HIS 369: Vietnam in World History
  • gain facility in conducting research into primary sources, academic
debates, and online archives about Vietnam
  • present independent research analysis, supported by evidence drawn
from diverse sources, including media, in a paper of 8-10 pages
HIS 390: Close Encounters: Christianity, Judaism and Islam in the Middle Ages
  • develop a research proposal
  • identify, locate and evaluate primary and secondary sources, on-line and textual, for a research project
  • write an 8-10 research paper incorporating proper documentation and citation
HIS 396: Honors Seminar:
Religion and Science
  • develop a research proposal
  • identify, locate and evaluate primary and secondary sources, on-line and textual, for a research project
  • write an 8-10 research paper incorporating proper documentation and citation
HIS 399: Honors Seminar: Food, Feast and Famine
  • develop a research proposal
  • identify, locate and evaluate primary and secondary sources, on-line and textual, for a research project
  • write an 8-10 research paper incorporating proper documentation and citation
HIS 485: The Age of Dictators
  • conduct intensive research into a critically framed question reflecting
sophisticated historical scholarship and incorporating well chosen and
illuminating primary sources
  • present conclusions in a well argued analysis of 8-10 pages, modeling
disciplinary norms for professional citation and using significant
evidence

Aligning History Program Goals with Courses and Course Objectives, Continued