Spring Semester 2003 HISTORY 1301 DR



HISTORY 1301 SYLLABUS: Fall Session 2008,  RGC Rm 025, T-TH 1:25 - 4:05 P.M.

DR. S. MINGS, Section Synonym _21052_, Number_096_. Start: 8-25-08; End: 10-19-08

COURSE OBJECTIVE: This course surveys the major developments in the history of the United States and its people through the end of the Reconstruction in 1876

COURSE RATIONALE: The Texas legislature requires students to take 6 hours of American history to graduate from an institution of higher learning in Texas.  This course helps fulfill that requirement.  Students taking History 1301 can expect to improve their critical thinking skills in order to better succeed in life both in and after academia.

COMMON COURSE OBJECTIVES: You may want to peruse the class Study Guides, see , which cover the range of each chapter’s major themes. The Study Guides are a useful outline but not a specific guide as to what is on the tests. The Guide only points you in the right direction: you must read the chapters and take notes in class. Class notes are the best source for any particular test.

OFFICE HOURS and PHONES::T- Th 12:10- 1:10 P.M., RGC Annex 250.1 (223-3403)

EMAIL: smings@austincc.edu

WEBSITE: (Note Study Guides)

TEXTBOOK: Davidson, J.W., Nation of Nations, Volume 1, 5th edition.

COURSE INSTRUCTIONAL METHODOLOGY: Lecture.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS: No prior college courses are required. The specific criteria for course grades are explained below. Your registration is your responsibility. Check.

COURSE GRADES: There will be five unit tests each of which will have multiple choice questions. The grade you earn in the course will depend on your final average of all five tests modified as follows:

To earn a D:

You must make 60 to 69 on an average of the five unit tests.

To earn a C:

You must make 70 to 79 on an average of the five unit tests.

To earn a B:

You must make 80 to 89 on an average of the five unit tests PLUS a satisfactory museum report (one page hand written) for a “B” grade.

To earn an A:

You must make 90 to 100 on an average of the five unit tests PLUS score a grade of Satisfactory on an analytical essay handwritten in class. The essay may be over any historical monograph that you select on the period we’ve studied in class. This may not be an historical novel nor may it be a diary. Try the Library. See ESSAY below. Also, a satisfactory museum report is needed for an “A” grade.

MUSEUM REPORT/EXTRA CREDIT: Before the day the 5th test is given YOU need to visit one of the local historical museums or libraries such as the Ney Museum, Texas Historical Museum, the French Legation or the LBJ Center in Austin or the Nimitz Museum in Fredericksburg. The one page, hand written museum report you turn in to me on what the museum’s purpose is and if you concur will allow you to partially fulfill the requirements for either an A or a B grade.

A satisfactory on this museum report assignment will also roll a borderline grade over to the next higher grade: a 69.0 a C, a 79.0 to a B, etc.

TESTING POLICY: Each of the five unit tests covers several chapters as indicated in the calendar below.

The day each test is given is clearly marked on the course calendar.  YOU ARE EXPECTED TO TAKE THE TEST IN CLASS. Failure to do so may hurt your grade if you do not take a make-up test promptly and ultimately YOU may have to withdraw from the course. Just do it.

MAKE-UP TEST: If you miss taking a test in class then immediately take the MAKE-UP TEST at the RGC campus Testing Center. You will have ONE week from the day the test is given in class to receive credit by taking the Make-up test on all but the last test. Don’t miss the last test..

RETEST: If you made less than 70 after taking a test in class you have ONE week from the day the test is given in class to take the Make-Up test at the RGC campus Testing Center. On a retest the highest you can score is a 70. Again, no retest or make-up on the last test.

And again: You may NOT RETEST for Test 5. There is NO MAKE-UP for Test 5, if you miss it I will average your 4 test grades by dividing by 5.

If you missed the original test 1-4 and then made a grade lower than a 70 on the Make-Up test you are out of luck as there is no retest for the Make-up test. Take it in class.

FOR TESTING CENTER RULES: Please consult

ESSAY: If you want to write an analytical essay to partially qualify for an “A” in the course note the following material. Otherwise, you may skip the essay and go for a lesser grade.

To earn an A in the course, you will need to write in class following a test an analytical essay on an historical monograph (a study of some particular historical subject) that you select on the period we’ve studied. An historical novel is not a history book. Nor is a diary although they may be used as one of the primary sources for some history books. Ask the librarian for help.

You must receive a satisfactory grade on your essay to get an “A” in the course even if you have an “A” average on all five tests. If you have an average of 90 or higher but no Satisfactory grade on your essay then you will get a “B” in the course. 

Read the book you select and be prepared to write an analytical essay of five paragraphs in class on the day noted on your class calendar below for the third test.  The essay must be hand-written, legible and follow the format of the book report handout provided to you below.

Purchase and bring to class a standard Blue Book from any college bookstore and we’ll pass them all forward then hand them out to write the essay. You’ll need to write at least five pages. You are urged to indicate NUMERICALLY which Part, first through fifth, you are addressing in each particular paragraph. The essay should NOT be a narrative account but an analytical essay. What is the author trying to do? What’s the purpose of the book? When is it written? What are the main issues of that time?

The purpose of this assignment is not just to familiarize you with the extensive historiography of American history as noted in the Recommended Readings after each chapter in the textbook. It is to have you select a history book to read that you have determined to be a history book and to have you write an analytical essay on that book in class. The analytical easy needs to cover ALL of the following items: 1) thesis, 2) proof, 3) persuasiveness, 4) objectivity or subjectivity and 4) relationship to Divine’s textbook.   Not four of then but all five. Pace yourself.

Again, the essay must be written in class, and legible, on the date specified in the course calendar below.  It will be marked either satisfactory or unsatisfactory. You cannot make an A grade in the class without a satisfactory grade on the essay even if you have an A average on the tests.

Part I Thesis

In this part of the report, you will identify the author's hypothesis.  A hypothesis is a statement capable of proof.   Thus the statement, "X maintains the Civil War resulted from an abrupt shift in policy under Lincoln" is a hypothesis, while "This book is about Lincoln and the Civil War" is not.   You will want to consult the introduction and conclusion of the book where the author most frequently expresses his/her hypothesis succinctly.  You will need to write a paragraph or so explaining the hypothesis in all its complexity.

Part II Proof

 In this part you will give several examples of how the author substantiates his/her hypothesis.  What proof does he/she put forward?  Choose examples carefully to show how the author validates the hypothesis.

Part III Persuasive? Why?

 In this part you will determine whether you are persuaded by the author's argument.  Using the examples from Part II, you will determine whether they in fact validate the hypothesis.  Is there any other way of interpreting the data?  Why or why not?  Is the data complete?  Remember to challenge the author to prove every point he/she makes.

Part IV Subjective or Objective?

 In this part you will evaluate sources and footnotes.   Are the footnotes accurate and to the point?  What sources has the author consulted?  Are both sides of the conflict represented to the same degree, or is the author relying too heavily on only one set of sources? Also, you will comment on the objectivity or subjectivity of the author.

Part V Comparison With Text

 In this part you will compare the author's interpretation in the book you have chosen to similar material in the textbook.   Do Divine and your author agree?   Why or why not?

In determining whether the report is OK for credit, I will also consider whether it follows standard rules of English spelling, grammar and punctuation.  Feel free to consult with me if you have questions about this project. However, I judge content over cover (function over form) as paramount. You may bring an outline you’ve made by hand but nothing typed or “down-loaded” from your PC/MAC. No laptops may be used on the in-class essay.

ATTENDANCE POLICY:  You will be permitted 3 excused absences. That is, we’ll keep a class attendance roll and excessive absences (more than 3) may result in your WITHDRAWAL FROM THE COURSE or a lower grade.

If you exceed the allowed number of absences and it is after the last date for withdrawal, your final grade for the course will be lowered by one full letter grade.

LATENESS:   You are expected to be on time for class.  I will take attendance during the first few minutes of class, make whatever announcements are appropriate, and quickly review material from the previous class meeting.  At that point, I will shut the door.   If you enter class after that point, you will be counted as absent for the day.  After the appropriate number of absences, you will be withdrawn from the course.

DEADLINES:  All tests must be taken in class on the dates specified in the calendar below. Retests and make-up tests plus restrictions are explained above.

WITHDRAWAL POLICY: If you miss a test and the Make-up test, you ARE SUBJECT to being withdrawn from the course by the instructor.   This is at the discretion of the instructor.  If you determine during the course of the semester that you will not be able to successfully fulfill the requirements for this course, WITHDRAW YOURSELF!

INCOMPLETES:  The grade of I (Incomplete) will only be awarded for medical or military reasons verified by a satisfactory letter from a physician or appropriate armed services office.  All Incompletes must be completed within four weeks in the following semester. There are no exceptions to this policy.

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES: Each ACC campus offers support services for

students with documented physical or psychological disabilities.  Students with disabilities must request reasonable accommodations through the Office for Students with Disabilities on the campus where they expect to take the majority of their classes.  Students are encouraged to do this three weeks before the start of the semester.

ACADEMIC FREEDOM: The free and open exchange of ideas is vital to the pursuit of learning.

STUDENT PRIVACY: The federal government requires that student privacy be

preserved.  Thus the posting of grades, even by the last four digits of the social security number, is forbidden.  All communication will remain between the instructor and the student, and the instructor will not be able to share details of the student's performance with parents, spouses, etc.

SCHOLASTIC DISHONESTY:  Any form of scholastic dishonesty by the student, including cheating in the testing center or plagiarism on the book report, will

automatically earn the grade of F for this course.  THE COLLEGE POLICY READS:

Acts prohibited by the College for which discipline may be administered Include scholastic dishonesty, including but not limited to cheating on an exam or quiz,

plagiarizing, and unauthorized collaboration with another in preparing outside

work.  Academic work submitted by students shall be the result of their thought,

research or self-expression. Academic work is defined as, but not limited to tests, quizzes, whether taken electronically or on paper; projects, either individual or group; classroom presentations, and homework.

CONTACTING THE INSTRUCTOR:  It is far preferable to speak to me before you

have a problem than to pick up the pieces afterwards.  To that end, I hold office hours at scheduled times noted above and I check my email regularly.  Feel free to contact me with any problems you may be having. Best of all, ask in class as others may have the same question.

HISTORY 1301 SYLLABUS: Fall Session 2008,  RGC Rm 025, T-TH 1:25 - 4:05 P.M.

DR. S. MINGS, Section Synonym _21052_, Number_096_. Start: 8-25-08; End: 10-19-08

8- 26  Unit I Introduction, geography, Ch.1 & 2

8- 28  Unit I Ch. 3, 4 & review

9- 2  Unit I Geography Quiz & TEST UNIT I

9-4   Unit II Ch. 5 & 6

9-9 Unit III Geography Quiz & TEST UNIT II

9-11 Unit III   Ch. 7, 8

9-16 Unit III   Ch. 8, 9

9-18 Unit III Geography Quiz, TEST UNIT III & in-class Essay

9-23 Unit IV Ch. 10, 11

9-25 Unit IV Ch. 12, 13

9-30 Unit IV Ch. 14

10-2 Unit IV Geography Quiz & TEST UNIT IV

10-7 Unit V Ch. 15, 16

10-9 Unit V Ch. 16, 17

10-14 Unit V TEST UNIT V

10-16 Round-Up    

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