Syllabus
Class Web Site
http://faculty.cascadia.edu/cma/HIST146/Contact Information
My e-mail address is: CMa@cascadia.edu. Please feel free to e-mail frequently. I will certainly do my best to answer you as soon as possible and almost always on the same day or within twenty-four hours. My telephone number is: 253.335.8050 (mobile). Please feel free to ring at anytime. Leave a message and I will return your call at my earliest convenience. Office Hours: Very flexible. Please contact by e-mail or telephone to make arrangements
Course Description
History 146 is described as a fully online course. This class is a five-credit college transfer course, which meets the AA degree requirements for Cultural Knowledge Requirements (CKR), and satisfies distribution requirements for both Humanities and Social Sciences at Cascadia Community college.
Required Text:
Roark, James L. et al. The American Promise: A History of the United States. Vol. A. 4th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2009.
ISBN-13: 978-0-312-46999-3; ISBN-10: 0-312-46999-3.
PLEASE NOTE: IF YOU NEED COURSE ADAPTATIONS AND ACCOMMODATIONS BECAUSE OF A DISABILITY, PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOU PROVIDE ME WITH FULL DOCUMENTATION NO LATER THAN THE 10TH DAY OF CLASS.
Examines the creation and evolution of the United States beginning with pre-contact native peoples and continuing through the early years of the 19th century. The course focuses on key figures, events and eras and explores important themes and issues relevant to the nation’s historical development, including Native American societies, colonization, slavery, the revolutionary era, establishment of the Constitution, and the early years of the republic. Students will develop historical thinking skills and draw conclusions from contradictory primary sources and historical interpretations. The diverse history of the nation will be emphasized by examining individual cultures, their interactions, and the challenges faced by multicultural America.
N.B. Courses in the U. S. History series, HIST&146 (formerly HIST 121), HIST&147 (formerly HIST 122), and HIST&148 (formerly HIST 123) may be taken independently and in any order.
Course Outcomes:
I. Learn Actively - Learning is a personal, interactive process that results in greater expertise and a more comprehensive understanding of the world.
- Recognize the role and impact United States history plays in our lives.
- Enhance knowledge of key events, eras, and individuals in 19th Century United States history.
- Recognize the significant questions, themes, and issues in 19th Century United States history.
- Analyze, interpret, and draw meaning from primary historical documents (evidence).
- Critically evaluate a historical document, assess its meaning, and relate it to other information sources.
- Practice the methodological concepts of the discipline.
II. Think Critically, Creatively and Reflectively - Reason and imagination are fundamental to problem solving and critical examination of ideas.
- Articulate the differences between historical experiences of individuals( micro-level) and groups and societies (macro-level).
- Evaluate the role of perspective in historical documentation.
- Critically evaluate 19th Century United States history and recognize ambiguities and uncertainty in documentation.
- Identify and evaluate historical interpretations.
III. Communicate with Clarity and Originality - The ability to exchange ideas and information is essential to personal growth, productive work, and societal vitality.
- Communicate historical awareness through discussion, creative writing, presentations, and historiographic essays.
- Read and discuss historiographies which document the American experience.
- Articulate conclusions about the United States drawn from competing and contradictory evidence.
IV. Interact in Diverse and Complex Environments - Successful negotiation through our increasingly complex, interdependent and global society requires knowledge and awareness of self and others, as well as enhanced interaction skills.
- Apply historical thinking as a lens for viewing and experiencing the nature and function of today’s global and interconnected world.
- Recognize structures of power and inequality.
- Build knowledge of the history of race, ethnicity, class, and gender.
- Recognize the United States as a complex multicultural nation.
- Work cooperatively with others and recognize viewpoints different from our own.
Course Topics from the textbook will include:
- Principles and Practices of Historical Methodology.
- Historical Content.
- Native America.
- Exploration & Colonization.
- European Settlements & Colonial Development.
- Free Labor, Indentured Servants, & African Slavery
- Puritan Mission.
- British Empire & Colonial Relations.
- 18th Century Colonial Society & Economy
- Seven Years War.
- Colonial Resistance & Revolution.
- Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, & the Constitution
- Republican Citizenship
- Early years of the New Nation
- “Revolution of 1800”
Course Requirements:
Each student is required to complete the reading assignments in a timely manner. No one has the luxury of procrastination. You will have four examinations, one citation exercise, three rough drafts, and one final paper.
Course Suggestions:
Supplemental materials have been made available to the class. Rather than view these as cumbersome, it will be more effective to view these readings and links as very helpful tools. In addition, to assist students in reinforcing the reading assignments, audio podcasts and/or PowerPoint presentations are available through the Internet to be accessed in a browser or downloaded into podcatchers to be heard and or viewed at one's convenience.
Submit or Email Assignments:
The writing assignments are listed within the web pages of this course as well as within the Blackboard environment. Submission of completed assignments through Angel is convenient because it provides a storage space for your documents and my feedback (if any). You may, however, e-mail the written assignments directly to me, if you are having problems with Angel or have questions regarding how to complete an assignment until you understand how to submit through the assignment page in Angel. Please attach the assignments as Word.doc files, RichTextFormat.rtf files, or even as .pdf files if you have Adobe Acrobat. Either way, your scores will be posted in Blackboard.
Class Discussions and Elluminate Class Meetings:
Periodic live chat and discussion threads will be planned and assigned as the term progresses. Participation in class discussions is a requirement for this class and is worth a total of 300 points. For instructions on how the discussion board will work in this class, please click on the bold heading above this paragraph. Please review the grading scheme on the Grading Scheme page of this class website. See the menu listing on the left at the top of this page.
Examinations:
There will be four unit examinations each worth 100 points to be taken online through Blackboard. Although neither the midterm nor final examination will be comprehensive, secure knowledge of previous units will ensure greater success with the examinations. Examination questions will be comprised of matching, short answers, and free-form "essay" type answers. You will be expected to support these answers through well-supported logical arguments. The free-form answers also work in conjunction with the writing assignments in helping the student develop logical arguments that support his or her conclusions extemporaneously. There are no plans to include a multiple-choice format - in other words, you are expected to fully grasp the course content.
Writing Assignments:
The writing assignments serve two basic purposes. The first purpose is to learn the rudiments of research skills and the mechanics of documentation the the citation exercises given in two parts. The second purpose is not only to apply those skills in a paper, but to know how to develop a thesis, support the thesis with documentation, and defend one's conclusions using correct grammar, mechanics, and word usage. You will be required to submit three rough drafts. Although you may receive feedbacks, suggestions, and corrections, these rough drafts will not be graded; however, if they are not received, the omission will affect your grade. The research paper is worth 200 points.
Plagiarism:
Plagiarism is using ideas and words that originated with someone else and passing it off as one's own. This is offensive, unethical, and unacceptable. It is quite literally theft and will guarantee an automatic failing grade.