Course Information |
Course Description: |
This course is an examination of the social, political, economic, and intellectual history of the United States from the colonial period to 1877. Each student's success in attaining course objectives will determine her/his grade. Critical essays either in exams or written assignments will measure for the instructor the student’s progress toward these objectives. Students also must participate in group discussions. |
Course Objectives: |
Upon completion of this course the student should be able to:
1. Think analytically and critically and communicate effectively his/her ideas in written form.
2. Explain the contributions of various cultures to American development.
3. Analyze the growth and evolution of the American political tradition.
4. Examine the role and relationship of government to the citizen during this formative period.
5. Differentiate between emerging patterns of development in ante-bellum society and explain the factors that contributed to these patterns.
6. Evaluate the influences that lead to a polarization of American society in the mid nineteenth century.
7. Analyze the forces and stimuli that began the transformation of the nation towards a market and industrial economy. |
Prerequisites : |
Satisfactory completion of DSPW 0800 and DSPR 0800 or appropriate entrance test scores. Students must read and write at a level to be expected from a college freshman. |
Course Topics: |
The Cultural Mosaic of Colonial America
The American Revolution and the Constitution
Jacksonian Democracy and Westward Expansion
A Nation Divided: The Civil War |
Special Course Requirements: |
This course requires an extensive amount of reading and the writing of critical essays. The successful completion of this course will improve students' skills in these areas as well as critical thinking. |
Textbooks, Supplementary Materials, Hardware and Software Requirements |
Required Textbooks: |
Students can obtain textbook information for this class from http://rodp.bkstr.com. |
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Hardware Requirements: |
486 Pentium class computer (recommended), 8Mb RAM (16 Mb or more recommended), 28K modem (56K recommended). |
Software Requirements: |
No specific software is required, but some of the links to other web sites do require software that allows for sound and video play capabilities. For additional information regarding software and hardware requirements, see the Regents Standard. |
Instructor Information |
Instructor Name: |
The instructor can insert here relevant information about himself (i.e. degrees awarded, teaching experience) |
Instructor Contact Information |
E-mail: |
Office Phone: |
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Fax: |
Secretary Phone: |
Virtual Office Hours: |
See Calendar |
Instructor Response Time: |
The instructor will respond to e-mail within 24 hours during the work week although that may not be possible in all cases. Students will be notified when the instructor is not available to meet the stated response time. |
Assessment and Grading |
Testing Procedures: |
Instructors may give exams online or make use of proctors. |
Grading Procedure: |
Instructors need to explain clearly the grading procedures such as the number of exams and the number of points each exam is worth. In addition instructors must discuss the nature of the exams (multiple-choice, short answer, essay or combination thereof) and how students’ work will be evaluated. Instructors also need to assign written assignments, which may include essays, research papers, or book reports. It is necessary to inform students how many points each assignment is worth and how students’ work will be evaluated. Also instructors need to incorporate class discussion into the course through the discussion board and inform students how class discussion figures into their grades. Below is an example of grading procedures, which instructors may or may not follow.
Students will accumulate points based on their performance on three on-line exams, four written assignments, and class participation.
Exams
Exams cover material from specified lessons in the course outline and chapters from the textbook. Each exam will consist of three short essays (60% of grade) and one long essay (40% of grade). The short essay section involves identifying and discussing the historical significance of three out of six terms. These terms include people, places, and events, which have been covered in the course. The long essay section requires students to answer a specific question. Students will know this question in advance and be able to prepare and consult an outline during the exam. For each exam there is a study guide (see study tools), which lists the possible terms and the long essay question. An excellent essay must 1) have a clearly defined thesis or main point, which is stated at the beginning of the essay, 2) support this thesis with sound logical arguments, which cite relevant facts and data, and 3) directly address the question(s) or relate the significance of a term.
Written Assignments
For each written assignment students will answer in an essay questions based on the assigned reading in American Portraits. Each assignment must be a minimum of 300 words in length. These essays will be evaluated according to the same criteria as essays in exams. In addition one half point will be deducted from the total score of each assignment for every egregious error in spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Students must forward their assignments by mail, e-mail, fax, or personal delivery by the due date for each of the four assignments as listed in the calendar. The instructor will not accept late papers unless the student can show good cause (as determined by the instructor) for missing the due date. Students who miss such a deadline must contact the instructor before or at the time of the due date to explain the cause of the delay.
Class Participation
Students will participate in class discussion through the discussion board. At periodic intervals during the semester the instructor will post questions concerning a specific topic on this board and students will be expected to respond to them or to other students' responses to these questions. All students will have 40 participation points at the beginning of the semester. For every instance that a student does not respond to the questions concerning a certain topic, participate in the resulting discussion, or does not provide a reasonably intelligent response or comment (as determined by the instructor), the student will have 5 points deducted from his/her total participation points. |
Grading Scale: |
Instructors must include a grading scale based on the grading procedures. They can make the exams 60% of each student’s grade (300 out of 500 points) and written assignments/discussion, 40% (200 out of 500 points.
Below is an example of a grading scale:
Students enrolled in this course will be evaluated in the following manner:
First Exam 100 points
Second Exam 100 points
Final Exam 100 points
Writing Assignments (4) 160 points (40 points per assignment)
Class Participation 40 points
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Total 500 points
The grade scale is based on cumulative points as follows:
A = 450 - 500
B = 400 - 449
C = 350 - 399
D = 300 - 349
F = Less than 300 |
Assignments and Participation |
Assignments and Projects: |
Students must complete the assigned readings including the lessons in the course outline page along with the assigned material in the links which are highlighted in the text and the assigned chapters in the required textbooks. The course calendar will also list the due dates for each of the reading and written assignments as well as the dates for all exams. |
Class Participation: |
Students must participate in the discussion board and may participate in one of the chat rooms. The instructor encourages all students to contact the instructor during virtual office hours to ask questions or receive feedback. |
Punctuality:
Academic Integrity: |
Students need to consult the course calendar for the due dates of written assignments and dates for exams.
Plagiarism, cheating, and other forms of academic dishonesty are prohibited. |
Course Ground Rules |
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The instructor has the following recommendations for students:
1. Consult the course calendar for the due dates of written assignments and the dates for proctored exams.
2. Check the discussion board to see if the instructor has introduced a new topic for discussion.
3. Give yourself enough time to read the assigned textbook chapters and lessons before an exam. Consult the course calendar for suggested due dates for the completion of reading assignments.
4. Learn to navigate in WebCT.
5. Use the assigned college e-mail address instead of your personal e-mail address.
6. Address any technical difficulties immediately.
7. Observe course etiquette at all times.
8. Keep abreast of course announcements. |
Guidelines for Communications |
Email: |
Examples:
Always include a subject line.
Remember without facial expressions some comments may be taken the wrong way. Be careful in wording your emails. Use of emoticons might be helpful in some cases.
Use standard fonts.
Do not send large attachments without permission.
Special formatting such as centering, audio messages, tables, html, etc. should be avoided unless necessary to complete an assignment or other communication.
Respect the privacy of other class members. |
Discussion Groups: |
Examples:
Review the discussion threads thoroughly before entering the discussion. Be a lurker then a discussant.
Try to maintain threads by using the "Reply" button rather starting a new topic.
Do not make insulting or inflammatory statements to other members of the discussion group. Be respectful of other’s ideas.
Be patient and read the comments of other group members thoroughly before entering your remarks.
Be cooperative with group leaders in completing assigned tasks.
Be positive and constructive in group discussions.
Respond in a thoughtful and timely manner. |
Chat: |
Examples:
Introduce yourself to the other learners in the chat session.
Be polite. Choose your words carefully. Do not use derogatory statements.
Be concise in responding to others in the chat session.
Be prepared to open the chat session at the scheduled time.
Be constructive in your comments and suggestions. |
Web Resources: |
Examples:
Columbia Guide to Online Style by Janice R. Walker and Todd Taylor
Citation Styles Online http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/online/cite6.html\ |
Library |
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The Tennessee Virtual Library is available to all students enrolled in the Regents Degree Program. Students who wish to conduct further research in United States history may wish to consult the following links:
Academic Info - United States History Resources
United States History Internet Resources at TN Technical University
The Authentic History Center
History Matters
The following are links to online US history sites concerning specific topics:
Columbus and the Age of Discovery
Virtual Jamestown
Plymouth Colony Archives
Tea Party Etiquette
19th Century American Women
Uncle Tom's Cabin and American Culture
The Civil War
Reconstruction |
Students With Disabilities |
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The Tennessee Board of Regents is committed to serving all students, including students with disabilities, and adheres to the guidelines set forth in Title II of the American with Disabilities Act (ADA). If you have a disability and need special circumstances, please contact your home institution's counseling office. |
Syllabus Changes |
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The instructor reserves the right to make changes in the syllabus if necessary due to time restraints or other unforeseen events. If this is necessary, members of the class will be notified as soon as possible BY E-MAIL and posted on the BULLETIN BOARD. |
Technical Support |
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Email Support: |
See http://help.rodp.com |
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