Fall 2011: History 1301, United States History to 1876 Section 007: MW 2:30PM – 3:45PM, AD129 Instructor: Dr. Scott Buchanan Email: [email protected] Office: AD 128 Levelland Campus Office Hours: M 9:15 – 11:00AM, 2:15 – 2:30PM *T 10:45AM – 11:00PM, 12:15 – 1:00PM, 2:15 – 4:00PM W 9:15 – 11:00AM, 2:15 – 2:30PM *T 10:45AM – 11:00AM, 12:15 – 1:00PM, 5:15 – 7:00PM F 9:45 – 11:.45AM, and by appointment *Tuesday - Thursday office hours are at Reese Center Office Phone and Voice Mail: (806) 894-9611 ext. 2465 Textbook: Retrieving the American Past. Pearson Custom Publishing, 2009 (2008) There are three primary objectives for the student of American history at the college level. First is the acquisition of facts about American history that will give the student a degree of cultural literacy that is required for an individual to be considered college educated. Second is to imbue and develop in the student a faculty for critical thinking when addressing political, economic, cultural or social issues and institutions. The third objective is the combination of one and two. To create opinions and discussions rooted in fact and refined by the student’s own logic. The subject matter will begin with theories of how humans first came to the western hemisphere and proceed through the ages of discovery and colonization, the formation of the United States and its history through the Civil War and Reconstruction. This instructor will focus primarily on the political, technological, military and economic facets of the period. Religious, social and cultural history will not be ignored, but will be secondary themes. Class Format: The teaching style will consist almost universally of lecture. The board will be used to spell terms from the lecture. Students should not hesitate to ask the instructor to define a term with which they are not familiar. Students are expected to take notes from the lecture to help them learn the material and study for exams. Students taking notes on laptop computers will sit on the front row. Class Behavior: Behavior during the class period that interferes with the learning process of other students, such as talking, excessive tardiness, and reading non-class materials or sleeping will not be tolerated. Cell phones in any incarnation will not be tolerated. Students attempting to communicate with the outside world (via text messaging or other technology) will be penalized the total amount of their participation and attendance. If a students cell phone interrupts the class, they will compensate the class by bringing snacks within three class periods or have points deducted. Attendance: Attendance is expected and required. Roll will be taken at each class meeting. On the fifth unexcused absence, the student will be dropped from the course with an F. Students who arrive late to class should talk with the instructor following the class or during office hours to prevent being counted absent.Time Management: Success in a college level course requires that the student discipline themselves and spend significant time learning the course material outside of lecture. To determine the amount typically needed the student should take the number of credit hours of a given class and multiply by three. Thus for History 1302, a three credit hour class, the student should expect to spend nine hours a week outside of class working with the material. Students with disabilities: Students with disabilities, including but not limited to physical, psychiatric or learning disabilities, who wish to request accommodations in the class should notify this instructor and the Special Services Office at the beginning of the semester so that the appropriate arrangements may be made. In accordance with federal law, a student requesting accommodations must provide acceptable documentation of his/her disability to the Special Services Coordinator. For more information, call or visit the Special Services Office in the Student Services Building, 894-9611 ext. 2529, 2530. Student Absence for Observation of Religious Holy Days: A student who is absent from classes for the observation of a religious holy day shall be allowed to take an examination or complete an assignment scheduled for that day within a reasonable time after the absence if, not later than the fifteenth day after the first day of the semester, the student had notified the instructor of each scheduled class that the student would be absent for a religious holy day. Grade Calculations: Examinations 25% each for 75% of total grade Participation, attendance and lecture quizzes 5% Reading Quizzes 20% Examinations: There will be four exams during the semester including the final exam. Exams will primarily be composed of multiple choice, matching and true/false questions. There will be identification or essay questions on at least two of the exams. There will be four exams given; the lowest grade will be dropped from the average. If a student misses an exam, they will be allowed to take a comprehensive make up exam on Friday, Dec. 11th at 9:00AM in the Administration Building Room 129 (Levelland Campus). Reading Assignments: Retrieving the American Past has four sections that will be assigned through the semester. On the due date listed in the Course Schedule below, students will be prepared to take a quiz over the reading material for that section, and do group discussion of the questions over the section. Students absent from a discussion date will be required to do the extra-credit assignment to replace the points missed. Extra-Credit: Often during the semester students will find themselves in need of an extra-credit assignment to offset poor exam performance or an attendance issue. Students opting to undertake this assignment will produce a book review four pages in length over a historical monograph they have selected with the instructor’s approval (see book review instructions below). The student will turn in a typed, double-spaced, twelve-point font, four page review of the work and meet with him during his regularly posted office hours do discuss the concepts of the work. This meeting will not normally exceed thirty minutes. The application of the extra-credit points will be agreed on before the project commences. Extra-credit assignments will improve the final grade up to five percent if completed