Course Syllabus HIST 1301—History of the US to 1876 Social Sciences Department; Division of Arts and Sciences South Plains College Instructor: Dr. Sharon Bogener Email: Please use the email function in Blackboard. Course Description: This course is a survey of United States History. Primary emphasis is placed on ideas and social concepts that constitute the US heritage but we will also examine the major cultural, economic, diplomatic, and political trends in the US. The emphasis will be on understanding and interpreting history rather than memorization of dates. Our goals include improving critical thinking skills, formulating significant questions about the past, and understanding past events as products of multiple factors. Required text: The American Promise: A History of the United States, Volume I: To 1877 Author: Roark, et al ISBN: 0-312-45292-6 ISBN-13: 978-0-312-45292-6 This book is available as an e-book from www.ebooks.bfwpub.com. The companion website for the text is www.bedfordstmartins.com/roark. A link is provided in Blackboard. Student Learning Outcomes: Students who have completed this course will be expected to: - demonstrate knowledge and understanding of major perspectives in American history. - demonstrate knowledge and understanding of cause and effect of major events of the past. - understand the nature of history as a fundamental subject in the study of humanity. - evaluate the diversity of interpretations of the past and the quality of evidence for that interpretation. - tolerate ambiguity in explanations of the past and realize that historical explanations will often be complex and tentative - apply historical knowledge with caution to current events, seeing common threads of development of the past with the present. Through course assignments, papers, activities, and assessments, students will: - demonstrate the ability to read and write clearly and concisely, - value diversity and differences in people, - explore relationships of ideas and see their similarities and differences, - gain a basic understanding of the career fields related in the major, - assimilate and synthesize information, - integrate ideas across the curricula, and - interrelate the past to the present.Students need the following basic skills to be successful in this course:  Effective time management skills  Efficient reading skills since you will be reading the entire textbook and taking a quiz from each chapter  Computer literacy  Computer and Internet Requirements:  The student must have access to a computer with a reliable Internet connection. It is the responsibility of the student to make sure that they have the necessary computer resources and skills to take this class.  There are computer labs available for student use on our Levelland and Plainview Campuses and at Reese Center.  To test for the ability to browse the Web, a computer must be able to visit the SPC Home Page. Click on the “Blackboard” tab at the top right corner of the page. Blackboard has several tools you can use to make certain your computer is upgraded to use Blackboard formatting. It also has a tutorial that is very helpful. All technological questions should be directed to the SPC technology center (their information is available on the opening page of Blackboard). I do not offer any computer or Blackboard related technological assistance or advice.  You must be able to receive and send email from and to me.  If you have any trouble opening my attachments or any of the documents, it is YOUR responsibility to find a computer that will allow you access to these documents.  Make sure your computer and Internet connection work properly. The hour before an assignment is due is NOT the time to address these problems.  You must have Microsoft Word. How this course is conducted: This course is conducted using on-line tools. SPC uses Blackboard to deliver course materials, exams, assignments, and correspondence between the professor and all students in the class. Keep in mind that the class is structured so that you have access to all of the course content 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; however, I am not available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. SPC Technical Support: 806-894-9611, extension 2962 or by email using the help link. There is also a help desk link on the Blackboard log-in page. Make sure you do the BROWSER CHECK BEFORE starting the course. **Students who have NOT logged into the course by the day of the official class census will be dropped from the course for nonattendance.** **Attendance: A student who fails to turn in 3 chapter quizzes or assignments (any order for any reason) will be dropped from the course with an F.** There is no such thing as makeup work. If missed quizzes or assignments occur after the final drop date, the student will lose a letter grade for each quiz or assignment missed.**Dropping the Course: There is no on-line drop system so if you choose to drop this course you must do so at the registrar’s office following the procedure outlined in the SPC catalog. Logging into the course: - The software used to manage this class tracks student log-ins, tracking when and where the student has been in the course. Accessing the course on a regular basis is extremely important to meet the objectives of the course. - If you wait until the last minute to turn in your assignments, click submit, and get a message that submission was denied because it is after the deadline, you will receive a zero for that assignment. You may work ahead on quizzes. Accommodations and Statement of Nondiscrimination: A. Students with disabilities, including but not limited to physical, psychiatric, or learning disabilities, who wish to request accommodations in this class should notify the Special Services Office early in the semester so that the appropriate arrangements may be made. Please note that not all internet courses can be adapted for students with disabilities. 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 at Levelland: at 894-9611, extension 2529; Reese: Rooms 809 and 811, Reese Center Building 8, 885-3048 ext. 4654; or Plainview, 296-9611, extension 4301. B. Statement of