Division of Social Science Human Services Spring 2012 History 1301 4006 3 Credit Hours History of the United States to 1877 Instructor Sara Ruppel Class Time 12 30 1 50 p m MW Classroom C203 Instructor s Email address sruppel dcccd edu Student Help Desk 972 669 6402 Office Hours By appointment Division Office Social Sciences Human Services G237 Division Phone Number 972 860 7156 Textbook American Stories A History of the United States Vol I Eds H W Brands et al Pearson Longman Publishers c 2009 ISBN 978 0 205 57269 4 Students may purchase edition available for purchase Check out book rental opportunities Course Description History 1301 History of the United States 3 Credit Hours This is a Texas Common Course Number Prerequisite Developmental Reading 0093 or English as a Second Language ESOL 0044 or have met the Texas Success Initiative TSI standard in reading The History of the United States is presented in this course beginning with the European background and first discoveries The pattern of exploration settlement and development of institutions is followed throughout the colonial period and early national experience to 1877 3 Lec Coordinating Board Academic Approval Number 4508025125 Intellectual Compentencies Throughout this course students should learn to Analyze and interpret a variety of printed materials such as books documents and articles at a college level Produce clear correct and coherent prose adapted to purpose occasion and audience at a college level Analyze and interpret various forms of spoken communication and possess significant literacy skills of writing and reading at a college level Understand the evolution and current role of the United States in the world Differentiate and analyze historical evidence and differing points of view Learning Outcomes Upon successful completion of this course students should be able to Demonstrate a broad knowledge of the chronology of major events and trends in United States history to 1877 Demonstrate the ability to identify and evaluate historical sources distinguishing between primary and secondary sources Demonstrate knowledge of the causes of various conflicts such as wars social movements political movements and economic events This will include understanding the effects of their outcomes on U S history Assignments There will be three exams throughout the semester The third exam is the final exam and it is not comprehensive Each exam will consist of a combination of multiple choice true false fill in the blank short answer and essay questions Each exam will cover the information from lectures the textbook films group work and handouts from its corresponding unit The instructor will provide a list of terms before each exam Exams will be given in class at the regular scheduled class time Each exam is worth a total of 100 points Make up exams will be given only if the instructor is notified in advance The make up exam must be completed by the next scheduled class period after the date of the exam There is no make up for the final exam There will be several in class assignments group projects throughout the semester The amount of assignments will be determined by the instructor as the semester progresses Each assignment will also have its value in points determined by the instructor based on the work level required Students will write a minimum five page research paper The paper will be worth 50 points Papers that are not turned in on time will be deducted 5 points per class day until it is turned in to the instructor Detailed instructions will be provided at the beginning of the semester during class time There will be two movie reviews required for this course Each review is worth 10 points each You will be shown an outline during class that details how to construct your reviews There will also be an additional movie review that is optional This review will receive a check plus Optional movie reviews are not worth any numerical points The check plus work can be taken into consideration if a student borders a higher grade for their final cumulative score Course Grade Each student s course grade will be determined by adding the points earned for the three unit tests the cumulative homework group work and the research essay first That number will then be divided by the total points possible for the semester The breakdown of points for the semester is as follows Final Grade 3 Exams In class work Homework 1 Research Paper 2 Movie Reviews Total Semester Points 100 points each Varied points 50 points 10 points each 300 points total 50 total points 50 total points 20 total points 420 total points Grade Point Scale 90 and Above 80 89 70 79 60 69 59 and Below A B C D F Attendance Attendance is a must for this course since a large percentage of test material will come from lectures and presentations in class Classroom Environment Since every student is entitled to full participation in class without interruption all students are expected to be in class and prepared to begin on time All pagers wireless phones electronic games radios tape or CD players or other devices that generate sound must be turned off when you enter the classroom Disruption of class whether by latecomers noisy devices or inconsiderate behavior will not be tolerated Repeated violations will be penalized and may result in expulsion from the class Cell phone and or laptop use The instructor for this course has a strict policy against cell phone use from the time each class begins until students are excused from class on the same day Laptops may be used in class for recording lecture notes and or use during student group work The instructor reserves the right to ask a student at any time to discontinue the use of their laptop and or restrict its use for the rest of the semester if it is not being used for class purposes Academic Honesty The purpose of the Student Code of Conduct is to provide guidelines for the educational environment of The Dallas County Community College District Such an environment presupposes both rights and responsibilities Disciplinary regulations at the college are set forth in writing in order to give students general notice of prohibited conduct Students should be aware of disciplinary actions for all forms of academic dishonesty including cheating fabrication facilitating academic dishonesty plagiarism and collusion Your College Catalog and the DCCCD Catalog contain the entire Student Code of Conduct which is also on the Internet at http