HIST2111-FALL15-A-Syllabus-Addendum

GWINNETT TECHNICAL COLLEGE 5150 Sugarloaf Parkway Lawrenceville, GA 30043

HISTORY 2111: U.S. HISTORY I -‐ Syllabus Addendum -‐ Fall 2015

1

Instructor: Michael Taylor, Adjunct Instructor of History Office Hours: Monday 8-‐9pm and Wednesday 6-‐7pm via ANGEL email Email: [email protected] Class: HIST 2111 -‐ U.S. History I (CRN -‐ 21094) Class Meets: Friday, 6:00pm -‐ 8:50pm in Building 900, Room 1318 Credits: 3 Text: U.S. History I - HIST 2111 COURSE GOALS: The study of history involves a quest to discover who we are as a people. History, to borrow a phrase, is a story of US. An overarching framework that connects the various facets of American History, in this class, is the examination of how we govern ourselves. The imperial crisis leading to the American Revolution was based in a conflict over constitutional interpretations between people on both sides of the North Atlantic. As we examine these conflicts and others that recur throughout our history, we are able to see the evolving definition of who US encompasses. This class will be more than just me, as the instructor, imparting knowledge to you that may or may not appear on a graded assignment. We will try to connect events in our past with issues relevant to our lives in the 21st century. History is best experienced as a series of stories, stories of real people, and as such we will read their words, try to see the world through their eyes, and construct our own stories through writing and discussing our shared history as Americans. COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course is a survey of U. S. History from the pre-‐Colombian period to 1877. The course focuses on the periods from the Age of Discovery through the Civil War to include geographical, intellectual, political, economic and cultural development of the American people. Topics include: colonization and expansion, the Revolutionary Era, the New Nation, nationalism, sectionalism, and reform, the Era of Expansion and crisis, and the Civil War. UNIT OUTLINE: I. From Colonialism to Independence II. The Early Republic III. Nationalism and Sectionalism IV. American Civil War and Reconstruction



2

COURSE MECHANICS FOR STUDENTS Attendance Policy: Each student is expected to attend ALL classes. Your success in this course (and in life) depends upon showing up and putting forth the effort to learn. If you come to class you are expected to remain for the entire class. If you must leave early please consult with the instructor in advance. I will be keeping a record of class attendance, so be sure to sign-‐in at the beginning of each class. Note: quizzes and in-‐class assignments cannot be made up. If you missed it, you missed it. Attendance will be factored into the final grade as follows: perfect attendance (+40 points); one class missed (+20 points). Inclement Weather Policy Students will be expected to obtain the PowerPoint presentation for the missed class and study the material on their own. This will be available on ANGEL. Please consult your GTC email for the latest information. Student Conduct Policy: Each college student is considered a responsible adult who maintains appropriate standards of conduct. Courteous, attentive behavior is expected at all times. Please do not come to class late.

⇒ Pagers, beepers, and cell-‐phones must be switched off or silenced during class.

⇒ If a family emergency is expected please inform the instructor in advance for permission to leave class early.

⇒ The use of laptop or notebook computers is not permitted during class. PowerPoint

presentations and video clips used during class will be on ANGEL. It will not be necessary to write everything down from the slides, they will be available BEFORE our scheduled class meeting.

⇒ Send emails to me through ANGEL. Always send an email if you are going to miss a class.

An e-‐mail is not a sufficient excuse to miss class, tests or other assignments. ⇒ It is the student's responsibility to know the material assigned, the class schedule, any

assignments due, and exam dates.



3

ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADING

Grading Scale: Breakdown of Points: Range: Letter: Point Total: Area: Points: 90-‐100 A 900 to 1000 Quizzes 100 80-‐89 B 800 to 899 WA -‐ Rough Draft 20 70-‐79 C 700 to 799 Writing Assignment -‐ Final 80 60-‐69 D 600 to 699 4 Exams 800 Below 60 F Below 599 Total: 1000 Quizzes: There will be 9 quizzes during the semester. Quizzes will help you learn how I ask questions in a low cost assessment. The top 5 quizzes (each worth 20 points) will constitute your quiz grade. Writing Assignment: You will find this information under the LESSONS tab on ANGEL in the folder labeled WRITING ASSIGNMENT. Please read ALL MATERIAL in the folder. The rough draft for the writing assignment will be DUE on November 6 by 11:45pm. This is worth 20 points. The final writing assignment is worth 80 points and is DUE on December 7 by 11:45pm. Exams: There will be four exams, each worth 200 points. The first three exams will be timed and taken on ANGEL. All exams will be comprised of multiple choice questions covering only the textbook chapters indicated on the course schedule. The tests will be available for several days, but once you begin the test, you will have only 90 minutes to complete it. You cannot logout and go back to the test. Once you begin, the 90 minutes also begins. Study guides for each exam can be found in the LESSONS folder. The Final Exam will work just as a regular exam, except that it will be taken in class. All four exams will be non-‐cumulative. An essay make-‐up test will be issued in the event of an excused absence. Grading Policy: Students must wait 24 hours from the return of a graded assignment to contact the instructor about the grade. If no contact is made regarding a grade within 7 days from the return of the graded assignment, the grade becomes final.



4

Syllabus Revisions The syllabus may be revised from time to time. In the event of a change to the syllabus, a student may learn about the change in one of two ways: an announcement will be made during class and an email will be sent to all students' ANGEL accounts. Important Points and Dates:

∗ Check your ANGEL email regularly. ∗ Last day to withdraw and receive a grade of W: October 26. ∗ No Class: September 4, October 9, October 16, and November 27. ∗ Final Exam: Friday, December 11 (6-‐8pm)

COURSE SCHEDULE

Aug 21 Introduction; Lesson 1: The Meeting of Cultures and Begin Lesson 2: Transplantations and Borderlands Assignment: Read Chapter 1 through Chapter 4 (p. 79). Aug 28 Finish Lesson 2: Transplantations and Borderlands and Begin Lesson 3: Society and Culture in Provincial America Assignments: Take QUIZ #1 (Lessons 1 & 2) and Read Chapter 4 (p. 79 to 97). Sep 4 LABOR DAY HOLIDAY -‐ NO CLASS Sep 11 Finish Lesson 3: Society and Culture in Provincial America and Begin Lesson 4: The Empire in Transition Assignment: Take QUIZ #2 (Lesson 3) and Read Chapter 5. Sep 18 Finish Lesson 4: The Empire in Transition and Begin Lesson 5: The American Revolution Assignment: Take QUIZ #3 (Lesson 4) and Read Chapter 6. Sep 25 Finish Lesson 5: The American Revolution Assignments: Study for and Take Unit #1 Exam, and Read Chapters 7 & 8. Sep 26-‐28 Unit #1 Exam: Lessons 1 -‐ 5

[Chapters 1 -‐ 6 and Chapter 7 (p. 149-‐156)]



5

Oct 2 Lesson 6: The Constitution and the New Republic Assignments: Take QUIZ #4 (Lesson 6) and Read Chapter 9 (p. 186-‐203). Oct 9 VIRTUAL CLASS -‐ Lesson 7: The Jeffersonian Era Assignment: Read Chapters 9 (p. 203) to Chapter 11 (p. 229). Oct 16 FALL BREAK -‐ NO CLASS Oct 23 Review Lesson 7; Lesson 8: Varieties of American Nationalism Assignments: Take QUIZ #5 (Lesson 7). [October 26 Last Day to Withdraw with a "W" for Term] Oct 30 Lesson 9: Jacksonian America Assignments: Take QUIZ #6 (Lessons 8 & 9), Study for Unit #2 Exam and Read Chapters 12 & 13. Oct 31-‐Nov 2 Unit #2 Exam: Chapters 6 -‐ 9

[Chapter 7 (p. 157) through Chapter 11.]

Nov 6 Lesson 11: Cotton, Slavery, and the Old South; Lesson 10: America's Economic Revolution Assignments: Take QUIZ #7 (Lessons 10 & 11); WA ROUGH DRAFT DUE and Read Chapters 14 to Chapter 18 (p. 349). Nov 13 Lesson 12: Antebellum Culture and Reform; Lesson 13: The Impending Crisis Assignments: Take QUIZ #8 (Lessons 12 & 13), Study for Unit #3 Exam and Read Chapter 18 (p. 359) through Chapter 19. Nov 14-‐16 Unit #3 Exam: Lessons 10 -‐ 13

[Chapter 12 to Chapter 18 (p. 349)]



6

Nov 20 Lesson 14: The Civil War Assignments: Take QUIZ #9 (Lesson 14) and Read Chapter 20. Nov 27 THANKSGIVING BREAK -‐ NO CLASS Dec. 4 Lesson 15: Reconstruction and the New South Dec. 7 Assignments: WRITING ASSIGNMENT DUE and Study for Unit #4 Exam Dec 11 Unit #4 Exam -‐ Lessons 14 & 15 (6-‐8pm)

[Chapter 18 (p. 359) through Chapter 20]

Documents

HIST2111-FALL15-A-Syllabus-Addendum