Syllabus - Spring 2011

US History 111

Syllabus - Spring 2011

Instructor: Mr. Hamilton

Text: APeople anda Nation: Volume I to 1877 8th Edition

America Compared: American History in International Perspective VolumeI to 1877 2nd Edition

Class Times:HIST 111 C04 7-10:00 p.m.Thursday in Shields 107

HIST 111 M017-10:00 p.m.Tuesday in MINCC A-08

Office hours: By Appointment

Contact Information: or

Work Phone 208-536-2100

Cell Phone 208-320-7617

Pre-requisites: None

CSIMission Statement

The College of Southern Idaho, a comprehensive community college, provides quality educational, social, cultural, economic, and workforce development opportunities that meet the diverse needs of the communities it serves. CSI prepares students to lead enriched, productive and responsible lives in a global society.

General Education Objectives and Goals: This course satisfies all eight criteria for general education. It is designed to:

1.Provide a broad-based survey of a discipline and show the interconnectedness of knowledge.

2.Develop a discerning individual.

3. Practice critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

4.Promote awareness of social and cultural diversity in order to appreciate the commonality of humankind.

5.Foster the balance between individual needs and the demands of society.

6.Reinforce reading, writing, speaking, and/or quantitative skills.

7.Encourage and inspire life-long learning.

8.Encourage creativity.

Social Science Department Mission Statement

The mission of the Social Science Department is to provide educational, social and cultural opportunities, which encourage enriched, productive and responsible lives primarily by instructing students to understand, interpret, and apply Social Science discipline coursework.

Social Science Department Objectives and Goals: This course also addresses the following Social Science Department goals:

1.Help students understand important facts, concepts and theories of Social Science subjects.

2.Help students acquire techniques and methods used to gain new knowledge in the disciplines.

3.Help students learn to distinguish between fact and opinion.

4.Teach students to use evaluation, analysis and synthesis to interpret and solve problems.

5.Teach students to use different perspectives from the social sciences to make better-informed decisions

6.Help students acquire an informed understanding of various cultures.

7.Prepare students to transfer to a university.

History Program Mission Statement

In order to prepare learners to lead enriched, productive and responsible lives, the History Program prepares students to understand and interpret a variety of historical areas and perspectives with the intention of encouraging a lifelong love of the subject.

History Program Objectives and Goals: The student will:

1. Examine central themes of United States History and various cultures in Western Civilization and Latin America.

2. Use reading, lecture-discussion, and supplementary material to understand and interpret the past.

3. Demonstrate an understanding of the past by writing interpretive essays.

4. Explore different perspectives about the past.

5. Acquire an appreciation of the historical process, which will encourage a lifelong study of the past.

History 111 Catalog Course Description

History 111 examines United States history from its beginning to the Civil War. An emphasis will be placed on tracing the development of the American political system, economic institutions, andU.S. culture during the Colonial Period, the Age of Revolution, the National Era, the Jacksonian Period, and the Civil War.

History 111 Course Outcomes and Assessment aligned with GE Goals, Social Science Goals and History Program Goals:

History 111 Course Objectives and Goals

1. Students will demonstrate their understanding of important developments in US History from the Age of Discovery through Reconstruction.

2. Students will write essays, which interpret selected developments in US History.

3. Students will define through class discussion the thesis, the supportive arguments and strengths and weaknesses from textual readings.

4. Students will write a book critique, which develops the thesis, supportive arguments and strengths and weaknesses.

5. Students will attend class responsibly.

Course Outcomes Assessment: Alignment of above course outcomes with assessment methods:

History 111 Course Requirements

Tests

Test material will be taken from the chapter readings, videos, study guide, and notes taken in class. Students are expected to take tests on the same day that it is scheduled. If a student misses a test for any reason it is his or hers responsibility to contact me and schedule a make-up time. All tests will be returned the following week. There will be two tests for this class worth 200 points each. Any student found cheating on a test will receive a Zero on the test and it will affect his or hers grade drastically. Cheating, Plagiarizing, or copying answers will not be tolerated and is grounds for failing the course. The midterm will be given in class on March8th or10th and the final will be given on May10th or12th.

Essay

Each student will write two different 4 to 5page typed essay on a prepared question that I will issue to you in class. Students are to use oneother source for their paperbesides their textbook and in class notes. The two papers will be worth 200 points each and will be due throughout the semester. Essay #1 will be due March 1st or3rd and Essay #2 will be due May3rd or 5th.

Book Critique

Analyze one historical book that is written about a historical subject that takes place between 1607 and 1877. It must be a work of non-fiction. It should be 3 to 4 pages in lengthtyped, double-spaced, ontop of the first page include the bibliographical information. While you are reading your book take some notes on key ideas, use these notes for interpreting the author’s thesis. Discuss the author’s thesis (central argument): Give the author’s thesis in the first paragraph, be sure and underline the thesis. Discuss three supportive arguments: Develop each one with a good paragraph. Use evidence to demonstrate supportive arguments; do not summarize. Be faithful to the author’s arguments even if you disagree with them. This should be no more than one and a half pages. Also, discuss three strengths and three weaknesses of the book. This should have detail and require about two pages. Discuss whether the thesis was achieved successfully. The Book Critique is worth 200 points and due April 19thor21th.

Attendance

Attendance will be taken every class session. Students can miss one class without losing any attendance points. Students will receive 10 points for attending each class and must stay the entire session.

Grade breakdown

Attendance150 points

Midterm(In class March 8 or 10)200 points

Essay#1(Due March 1 or 3)200 points

Essay #2(Due May 3 or5)200 points

Final Exam (In class May10 or12)200 points

Book Critique (Due April 19 or 21) 200 points

TOTAL 1150 points

Grading Scale

For the purpose of grading, a points system will be used. All exams, essays, book critiques and

attendance will be assigned a point value. Points will be added and then placed on a percentage scale

which is:

Percent

100-97 A89-87 B79-77 C69-67 D

96-94 A86-84 B76-74 C66-64 D

93-90 A83-80 B73-70 C63-60 D

Honesty Policy

The CSI honesty policy explained on page 15-16 of the College Catalog applies to this class. Students must produce original work. Although the professor encourages the honor system, any cheating or plagiarism will result in failure for the class.

Late Paper Policy

Late work will receive a 10% point loss each class period that the paper is late. After 3 weeks, the paper will not be accepted. No exceptions. Hard copies of all papers need to be handed in to the instructor.

CSI E-mail

Since email is the primary source of written communication with students, all registered CSI students get a college email account. Student e-mail addresses have the following format: <address>@eaglemail.csi.edu where <address> is a name selected by the student as a part of activating his/her account. Students activate their accounts and check their CSI e-mail online at Instructors and various offices send messages to these student accounts.Students must check their CSI e-mail accounts regularly to avoid missing important messages and deadlines. At the beginning of each semester, free training sessions are offered to students who need help in using their accounts.

On-line course evaluation statement

Students are strongly encouraged to complete evaluations at the end of the course. Evaluations are very important to assist the teaching staff to continually improve the course. Evaluations are available online at Evaluations open up two weeks prior to the end of the course. The last day to complete an evaluation is the last day of the course. During the time the evaluations are open, students can complete the course evaluations at their convenience from any computer with Internet access, including in the open lab in the Library and in the SUB. When students log in they should see the evaluations for the courses in which they are enrolled. Evaluations are anonymous. Filling out the evaluation should only take a few minutes.

Students with disabilities policy

Any student with a documented disability may be eligible for related accommodations. To determine eligibility and secure services, students should contact the coordinator of Disability Services at their first opportunity after registration for a class. Student Disability Services is located on the second floor of the TaylorBuilding on the Twin Falls Campus. (208) 732-6260 (voice) or (208) 734-9929.

Class Schedule

January 18 or 20 – Syllabus. Introduction to the Course

January 25 or 27– Age of Discovery, Columbus, and Colonial America. Jamestown, and the Thirteen Colonies. TextbookReadings: pgs. 19-31, 35-58, 61-69. Also, America Compared, Chapter 2: Two Colonial Frontiers pgs. 17-32.

February 1 or 3 – More on Colonial America, Puritans, Quakers, and the Reasonsfor the American Revolution. TextbookReadings: pgs. 35-58, 98-103, 109-117, 119-143. Also, America Compared, Chapter 3 and 4: Albion’s Seed and As Various as Their Land pgs. 35-74.

February 8 or 10– The American Revolution, The Declaration of Independence, and the Articles of the Confederation. TextbookReadings: pgs. 119-143, 145-167. Also, America Compared, Chapter 7 and 8: The American Revolutionin Comparative Perspective and Independence and Revolution in the Americans pgs. 103-134.

February 15 or 17 – Constitutional Convention, Federalists andAnti-Federalists and Ratification, George Washington and the Establishment of theAmericanRepublic. TextbookReadings: pgs. 186-194, 197-205.

February 22 or 24– Thomas Jefferson, The Louisiana Purchase, Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery. TextbookReadings: pgs. 221-230. Also, America Compared, Chapter 10: Napoleon Bonaparte and the Louisiana Purchase pgs. 149-168.

March1 or 3–Marbury v. Madison, Jacksonian Democracy and the nullification crisis in South Carolina. Study Guide Review. TextbookReadings: pgs. 311-331. Also, America Compared, Chapter 13: The Coming of Demos pgs. 203-224. Essay #1 Due

March 8 or 10- Mid Term Examination

March 15 or 17 - Oregon and CA Trail. Donner Party Video. TextbookReadings: pgs. 337-365.

March 22 or24- Spring Break

March 29 or31– The Mexican American War and the Gadsden Purchase. Finish the Donner Party video. Textbook Readings: pgs. 337-365, 370-373. Also, America Compared, Chapter 16: Mexicans and North Americans on the War of 1847 pgs. 256-268.

April 5 or 7 –The events that lead to the Civil War, Slavery, Dred Scott, The Compromise of 1850, The Missouri Compromise. Uncle Tom’s Cabin. John Brown’s raid at Harper’s Ferry. TextbookReadings: pgs. 374-388. Also, America Compared, Chapter 17 and 18: Importing a Revolution: Machines, Railroads, and Immigrants and Slavery in Brazil and the United States pgs. 270-301.

April 12 or 14– The North and the South, Generals, Leaders, Lincoln’s Assassination video. America Compared, Chapter 21: One among Many: The United States and National Unification pgs. 344-361. Book Critique Due.

April 19 or 21- The Civil War FortSumter to Chancellorsville. Textbook Readings: pgs. 388-393, 395-432. Also, America Compared, Chapter 22: Why the Confederacy Lost pgs. 362-374.

April 26 or28 – The Civil War Gettysburg to Appomattox. TextbookReadings: pgs. 395-432.

May 3 or 5 – Reconstruction. Study Guide Review. Essay #2 Due. TextbookReadings: pgs. 435-464. Also, America Compared, Chapter 23 and 24: The Politics of Freedom and Reconstruction: Acounterfactual Playback. pgs. 376-409.

May 10 or 12 -Final Examination