Boca Ciega High School - St. Petersburg College
Northeast High School
Dual Enrollment
AMH 2020 History of the United States II (3 Credits)
William White, M.A.
Room: 26-07
Phone: 727-570-3138
E-mail: whitew@
Course Description:
Prerequisite: (ENC 0020 or ENC 0025) and (REA 002 or REA 0017) or (EAP 1695) or an appropriate score on the placement test. This course covers the history of the United States from the post-Civil War period(1865 to the present. Emphasis is placed on the social, economic, political and diplomatic history. The course is designed to present history as a dynamic process, encouraging students to think historically and to encourage students to value history. This course partially satisfies the writing requirements outlined in the General Education Requirements. Credit is only given for AMH 2020 or AMH 2020H or IDS 1102H. 47 contact hours.
Course Goals:
The goals of this course are to acquaint you with modern American history; to get you writing clear and .persuasive prose; and to get you thinking and speaking like well-informed students of the past. Ultimately, I want you to make your own sense of, and draw your own conclusions about, this crucial period in American History.
REQUIRED READINGS: Our reading is a mix of primary sources (first-hand accounts written during the time we are studying) and secondary sources (interpretations of history written by scholars.)
Books Required:
• Boyer, Enduring Vision, Volume 2, Cengage, Learning 7th ed., ISBN9780495799986
Additional Readings:
There may be several printed works that will be required reading for this course.
Grading Scale: 90-100%=A; 80-89%=B; 70-79%=C; 60-69%=D; 59 below=F
EVALUATION:
Your final grade will be based on a variety of assignments. In each case, however, I look for a combination of effort, insight, originality, knowledge, and skill.
1. Preparedness, Participation, and Organization
I will use power point presentations as a background and introduce new topics, but a great deal of our class time will be devoted to discussion. Lively and learned discussion will not only make the course more interesting; it will also help you remember what you learn. Listening to your classmates will also sharpen your analytical skills as you weight their interpretations against your own. The success of our discussions, however, will depend on whether you come to class prepared, whether you listen to and respect the opinions of your peers, and whether you are willing to take some intellectual risks. Doing these things means refusing to become merely a spectator in the conversation. While it is my job to facilitate discussion, you can help by raising new issues if you feel the discussion is getting bogged down. If someone is monopolizing, you can politely chime in. If some students are not participating or seem to be having trouble getting a word in, invite them to say what they think. Discussion also works best if it is an open exchange of ideas. This means you have to pay attention and respond to what other say. If you disagree with someone, by all means say so—the class will be dull if you don’t—but do so respectfully. If participating in discussion scares that pants off of you, don’t panic. Keep in mind that I define participation broadly. Attending class everyday, asking questions, confessing to abject confusion, and fomenting rebellion against me all count as participation. I will also take into account both the quality and quantity of your participation when arriving at your grade. You will hand in your Power Point notes as part of this grade/organization. (Returned Quizzes as well.) Preparedness, participation, and organization are worth approximately 5% of your grade. (About 120 points)
***A Note on How To Read For This Class
In order to participate, you must do the assigned reading and come to class prepared to discuss the material in a substantive fashion. Please bring the readings to class on the day they are assigned so that we can refer to particular passages.
Reading, furthermore, is not a passive activity. Thus, I’ve put together some tips on reading for this class:
It is not enough to read a book or article, jot down the information you gleaned from it, and decide whether you found it interesting. You have to evaluate what you read critically. Reading critically, however, does not mean that you have to find something to criticize. It does mean that you have to read closely, analytically, and actively. You want to determine not just whether you like an assigned reading but what you think of it and why. You will need to figure out what the author is trying to say and whether you are convinced by his or her argument.
Here are some tips on how to read critically and taking notes:
Read through each assignment relatively quickly at first, trying to get a sense of the text as a whole and marking the passages that seem most important. Then, go back through a second time, looking for answers to the following questions:
1. What is the subject of the reading? Think: who, what, where, when.
2. What is the author trying to say about this subject? In other words, what is his or her argument?
3. Why is this argument, and the reading as a whole, significant? Think: why does it matter? So What?
4. What sort of evidence does the author use to support his or her claims?
5. Does that evidence seem adequate?
6. Do you think the author is downplaying or ignoring issues that would undermine his or her argument?
7. Did the author approach the subject with assumptions that shaped his or her finding?
8. How is the reading organized? Why did the author set it up that way?
Pay attention to how you respond as you read. Does anything:
1. Surprise you?
2. Challenge your assumptions?
3. Confirm or contradict what you have learned from other readings or what you knew before taking this class?
If you are delighted, bored, frustrated, or puzzled, ask yourself why. If you find yourself drawn to or repelled by a particular person, event, idea, or the, try to figure out why.
Taking notes on what you read
Jotting down answers to the above questions will prepare you well for class and for our exams. Such note taking is much more effective than simply underling or highlighting or trying to take notes on everything you read (Avoid highlighting! It’s an awful way of helping you remember what you have read.) Taking good notes will also help you summarize, analyze, and discuss the readings in class. Good notes will also help if you have read an assignment thoroughly days before class, but have a hard time recalling what you read during discussion. Your notes will help jar your memory.
If you take notes in the ways I’ve described every time you read, you will have much better recall of the material and you will find that you have more to say about it. You will also have great notes that you can use to inform your papers and exam essays.
2. Document Based Research
Being able to interpret primary and secondary sources is extremely important in the study of history. Throughout the semester we will have Document based essays on the following topics: The annexation of the Philippines, the Progressive Era, Prohibition, the Dust Bowl, the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Cold War, and Cesar Chavez. Document based research essays/packets are worth approximately 15% of your final grade. (About 366 points)
3. Reading Quizzes—AVOID PRONOUNS (It, they, he, she)
These quizzes are designed to ensure that you are keeping up with the reading. I will administer quizzes many times throughout the semester, almost always unannounced. Quizzes cannot be made up. If you miss a quiz you are still required to know the material. On your 5th unexcused absence, however, all your missed quizzes become a zero(your responsibility to let me know if excused.) Quizzes are worth approximately 12% of your final grade. (About 282 points)
4. Research Paper and presentation
Students must select a topic that pertains to some aspect of American history between the years 1500 to 1865. My suggestion is to finish this paper before the mid-term. The end of the term gets busy with the EOC test and Finals. These topics may involve political, social, cultural, military, or other historical approaches. All topics must be cleared by the instructor. Students should research the subject and write a brief descriptive and analytical paper. Students are to use an essay format (no less than 6 pages but no more than 9 pages of text, double-spaced, using 12-point, Times New Roman Font. The paper will be organized in the Chicago Turabian style. A Bibliography page will be included in the paper. All Research Papers are required to have at least 6 primary sources. Sources may include Web sites (I strongly recommend edu sites for citation), books, journal articles, period newspapers. Students must submit a one paragraph proposal on the desired topics which must be approved by the instructor. The final product will be submitted for a grade on Final Exam date. The paper must be uploaded through mycourses to check for plagiarism. Late papers will not be accepted and the student will receive an “F” for the assignment if it is late. Divergence of this policy will be at the instructor’s discretion.
NOTE: Gordon Rule writing assignments are considered independent research projects. As such, students will not cooperate, collaborate, or otherwise combine their efforts to produce the results of this assignment. Essays written for another SPC class, e.g. American Federal Government, may not be used to fulfill the Gordon Rule writing requirement for History of the United States I. The Research Paper will be worth approximately 15% of your final grade. (About 320 points)
You will submit your papers via email and by hard copy. I will submit the paper to an online database that checks for plagiarism. See the ‘Deadlines” section under “Course Policies” below for my rules concerning late papers.
5. Mid-Term Exam
This exam will be an in-class essay and objective exam. The mid-term is worth approximately 20% of your final grade. (About 450 points)
6. Final Exam
This exam is a cumulative essay and objective exam that you will receive at the end of the semester. The final exam is worth approximately 30% of your final grade. (About 650 points)
7. Critical Thinking and Analytical Test
There will be 5 Unit Test, about 25 points for each test, that will test your analytical and critical thinking skills. The Unit Tests are worth approximately 5% of your final grade. (About 125 points)
Approximate percentages:
Class preparedness and participation – 5%
Critical Thinking and Analytical Test – 5%
Reading/Note Quizzes – 12%
DBQ’s -- 15%
Research Paper -- 15%
Mid-term exam – 20%
Final Exam – 30%
Electronics
Turn off your cell phones, i-pods, pagers, blackberries, i-phones, toasters, microwaves, etc. before entering class. Do not interrupt our train of thought by the annoying sounds of beeps and tones.
Deadlines
Course work is due on the date indicated on this syllabus and on assignment handouts I will make available for you. I will deduct a letter grade for each day an assignment is late up to 3 days. After that, I will no longer accept the assignment. I will accept only one late assignment from any student during the semester.
Changes in Syllabus
The Instructor reserves the right to alter course assignments, requirements, or any other information as necessary during the term. Any changes will be provided to students in advance.
Academic Honesty
Learning is shared venture. Thus, I expect you will discuss the course and your work with your peers. HOWEVER, all work turned in to me must be your own. I will not tolerate cheating and/or plagiarism in this course.
Course Schedule and Reading Assignments:
Week 1 Reconstruction
Reading: Read 468-472, 474-475
Week 2 American Imperialism/Expansion
Video: Eyes on the Prize 1
DBQ: The annexation of the Philippines
Video: Excerpt, ‘Dances with Wolves.’
Reading: Read 550-554, 561-563
Week 3 Western Expansion
Film: Eyes on the Prize 2
Film: Far and Away(2nd half of video.)
Reading: Read 506-510, 521-528(not 526 or 527), 557-559
Industrial America
Chapter 18
****Research Topic Due****
Week 4 The Gilded Age and U.S. Political State/Foreign Relations
Chapter 18
Film: American Story of US—Metropolis/Heartland
Reading: Read 568-572, 607-610, 598-600, 616-622, 649-651
Week 5 The Progressive Era
Chapter 21
Film: Eyes on the Prize 3
DBQ: Progressive Era
Reading: Read 664-668
Week 6 Women’s Suffrage and Minority Rights
Film: Ironed Jawed Angels
Reading: Read None
Week 7 America and the Great War
Film: America Story of US—Boom
Reading: Read 668-671, 671-674, 678-683, 688-692
Week 8 The Roaring Twenties and Prohibition
Film: Eyes on the Prize 4
DBQ: Prohibition
Reading: Read 698-700, 717-722, 723-725
****Hand out Mid-Term Review**** Mid-term will cover weeks 1-8
Week 9 The Great Depression and the New Deal
DBQ: Dust Bowl
Reading: Read 730-734
****Mid-Term Exam
Week 10 *********Spring Break Week*************
Week 11 The Great Depression and the New Deal
Film: The Grapes of Wrath
DBQ: Pearl Harbor
Reading: Read 747-748, 749-751, 752-754, 755-755
Week 12 World War II Entry
Film: Eyes on the Prize 6
Reading: Read 766-769, 782-789
Week 13 World War II (The Battle Front)
Film: Eyes on the Prize 7
Reading: Read None
Week 14 America and the Cold War
DBQ: The Cold War
Reading: Read 798-805, 806-808, 811-816
Week 15 America at Midcentury 1952-1960
Film: Excerpt from ’13 days’
Reading: Read 845-849, 867-872
Week 16 The Liberal Era 1960-1968
Civil Rights Movement: The Sixties
Class activity: Non-violent vs. Black power: compare/contrast the two methods
Film: Freedom Riders
Reading: Read 873-876, 901-903, 904-910
Week 17 A Time of Upheaval 1968-1974
Film: 1968 Moon Landing from Earth to the Moon series
Reading: Read 910-913, 918-918
Week 18 Stagflation and the Energy Crisis (1970’s) and the Reagan Era(1980s)
DBQ: Cesar Chavez
Reading: Read 928-934
*****Final exam period—Research paper and presentations due*********
*****Final Examination Review Guide distributed*****************
Week 19 Finals Review
Week 20 Exam—Week of May 16th, 2016
(SYLLABUS APPENDIX)
RESEARCH PAPER
Suggested Topics
*Recommended topics, but students may select a topic not listed below
*A, one paragraph description of topic/thesis must be handed in and approved
*Final paper due during your school final exam period.
Need more ideas? Go to this website: \
Suggested Topics:
• The impact of the Civil War and Reconstruction upon the South
• The motivations and character of American expansionism
• The content of constitutional amendments and their interpretations by the Supreme Court
• The changing nature of agricultural life
• The development of American political parties
• The emergence of regulatory and welfare-state legislation
• The intellectual and political expressions of liberalism, conservatism, and other such movements
• Long-term demographic trends
• The process of economic growth and development
• The changing occupational structure, nature of work, and labor organization
• Immigration and the history of racial and ethnic minorities
• Urbanization and industrialization
• The causes and impacts of major wars in American history
• Major movements and individual figures in the history of American arts and letters
• Trends in the history of women and the family
• Examine the events and significance of General George Custer’s last stand at Little Big Horn.
• What was Prohibition and how does it contrast with the current day “War on Drugs?”
• Any Aspect of Theodore Roosevelt.
• What was the significance of the Sacco and Vanzetti Trial?
• Crime in America during the 1920’s and 30’s
• America’s role in World War I
• What was the League of Nations and what was its ultimate fate in the annuals of history? Compare & contrast with the current day United Nations (UN).
• Examine the crisis of Lynching in America
• Explain and explore the origins and/or the 1920’s emergence of the Ku Klux Klan in America.
• Marcus Garvey and his vision for African –Americans
• American women laborers during World War II. How did they change the course of the war and society itself?
• Significant battles of World War II: ex. Battle of Midway, D-Day Invasion, Battle of the Bulge, Tarawa, Invasion of Anzio, etc….
• Was the dropping of the atomic bomb necessary in ending World War II?
• Examine the U.S. involvement in the Korean War 1950-53.
• The struggle for equal rights in America (Civil Rights). Focus on only one aspect. Ex. Rosa Parks & the Bus Boycott, Lunch Counter Sit ins, and individual activists (Martin Luther King, James Farmer, Malcolm X, Ella Brown)
• Explore & examine one or more incidents that contributed to the straining of relations between the U.S. and the Soviet Union in what was known as the Cold War. Ex. Berlin Airlift, U-2 incident (Gary Power shot down over Soviet airspace), Cuban Missile Crisis, U.S. aide to Afghanistan rebels fighting the Soviet Union.
• The re-invention of the automobile in America during the 1950’s or 60’s.
• Billie Jean King—Feminism through sports.
• Title IX history and impact (Women’s rights)
• Music Culture of Rock & Roll. Ex. The origins, the pioneers of this genre, and it’s affect on society
• Some aspect of the Vietnam War. Ex. Protests, battles, culture, wartime technology
• The impact of the book, “The Feminine Mystique” on modern Feminism (role of women.)
• Impact of Cesar Chavez of the immigrant worker/society.
• How did television shows of the 1980’s impact racial relations.
• Cultural significance of a specific TV Show (MASH, Sandford and Son, etc.)
• Shonda Rhimes impact on Network Television (Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal)
• 1968—The year that it all happened.
• Why did the United States become involved in the Gulf War in 1991?
• Terrorism in America---pre 9/11 or post 9/11.
• The rise of reality TV.
• The impact of the Information Age on American life, culture, and communication
• Pick a year in Northeast High School History and write about that specific year—Requires at least 2 interviews by author
(SYLLABUS APPENDIX)
Suggested online sites for Research
*students are not either required or limited to these sites
*students need to use at least 6 sources 4 of which must be primary.
-Reminder: Primary source- document from the period under study.
Ex. Diaries/journals/autobiographies
Speeches/govt. records/newspapers
Secondary source-document that was created after the period
Under study. Ex. Books/documentaries/commentaries
* The Library of Congress
//
* The National Archives
//historical-docs/
* Jamestown archaeological excavations
//
* Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia
//research.
* Women’s Rights Historical Park, Seneca Falls, New York
//wori
* The American Civil War Homepage
//civil-
* The History Place
//
* The University of Oklahoma – Chronology of US Historical Documents
//law.ou.edu/hist/
* History – National Park Service
//
RESEARCH PAPER GRADING CRITERIA
Name:__________________________________
*No pictures allowed. If you need pictures use them as addendums.
Paper Criteria: Possible Assigned
Score Score
I Essay Structure
* Remained focus on thesis 5 _________
* Supporting evidence / sources were established 10 _________
(at least 6 references have been cited)
* Argument is sound and reasonable 5 _________
* Conclusion that draws together the evidence, 5 _________
facts, and your opinion into one paragraph
II Research (Assignment) Requirements
* Page count (word count) satisfied (6-9 pgs) 5 __________
* Chicago Turabian or other acceptable format utilized 15 __________
Effectively. In text referencing mandatory.
* Facts are accurate and correct 10 __________
* Organized (facts, text, topic, etc…) 10 __________
III Writing Mechanics
* Sentences are clear and concise 15 __________
* Effective transitions (Chronological or logical) 5 __________
* Spelling, punctuation, and overall general 15 __________
writing mechanics. (Hook in the 1st Paragraph)
GRADE __________
Note: You will lose 17% off per page short of 6 pages. Title page, any pictures, and Bibliography does not count towards page count.
COMMENTS:
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