HIST 102 (All Sections): United States History 1865 to Present

History 102 – Erwin – Spring 2015

HISTORY 102: U.S. History from 1877 to Present

Semester: Spring 2015

Time: Tu./Th. 9:30-10:45am

Place: Cedar building, rm. 204

Contact

Instructor: Matt Erwin, MA (Ebor.)

Email: matthew.erwin@wnc.edu

Office hours: Bristlecone rm. 350H, Mo./We. 3-3:50pm

Division Information

Division of Liberal Arts

Bristlecone rm. 350

Phone: (775) 445-3290

Course Content

History 102 will survey the major topics, issues, ideas, and problems in American history from the end of the Civil War to the new millennium. The point of this class is to give you a good grounding in recent American history in all its aspects: social, political, economic, cultural, etc. Some of you may come into it knowing a lot about our history, others won’t know much at all. That’s ok! The point is for us to explore and examine the past together. In History 102, we will not only study the past but also engage with it to form a dialogue between our ‘ancestors’ and ourselves. By building these links with our past we can better understand where we’re going in the future.

Course Information

Credits: Three (3)

Prerequisites: None

Transferability: This course is designed to apply toward a WNC degree and/or transfer to other schools within the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE). It may transfer to colleges and universities outside Nevada.

Course Catalog Description

Covers American history and civilization since the end of the American Civil War.

Course Objectives

 Gain factual knowledge (terminology and trends) about the field of American history and civilization since the end of the civil war.

 Learn fundamental principles, causal factors for change, theories, and generalizations from the field of American history and civilization since the end of the civil war.

 Learn to apply course materials and presentations to improve analytical skills and rational thinking.

Required Text

F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby (Scribner, any edition)

Nancy A. Hewitt and Steven F. Lawson, Exploring American Histories, Vol. 2 (Bedford-St. Martins,

2013)

Requirements

Reading

A reading assignment is assigned for almost every class meeting and should be completed beforehand. Please keep up on the reading as it will contribute to class discussion and will be on

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History 102 – Erwin – Spring 2015 the exams. Failure to do so will result in a major headache when it comes time to study for the midterms.

Weekly journal

There will be an in-class journal entry every week (either Tu. or Th.) over the assigned material for that week. This is a way to both take attendance and to ensure that every one is thinking critically about the reading. There will be 14 opportunities to write journal entries over the course of the semester. You should do a minimum of 12 entries, meaning that you are allowed two excused absences. After two missed entries, your final grade will be negatively impacted as these form 60 points of your final grade. You can use these on the exam. You may turn in one journal late at no penalty; otherwise, no make up journals will be offered unless proof of a verifiable emergency is

provided.

Discussion

This is the part where you actively ‘do’ history. Everyone should come to class having done the assigned reading and be ready to discuss it as a class or in small groups. Think of the class as an hour-and-fifteen-minute conversation between us all: everyone has a different viewpoint or impression that will contribute to how we analyze and interpret historical events. This class will also cover adult topics such as religion, gender and sexuality. Remember that respect and diversity is the key to an open discussion, so please be polite in class. Students who do not respect the opinions and beliefs of others will be asked to leave.

Biography assignment

Each student will independently research an assigned person from history. A list of famous names will be provided for you to choose from at the beginning of the semester. No switching with a classmate once you’ve chosen. You will need to prepare a 5-8 minute presentation to be given in class about your person. A list of references needs to be turned in with your presentation. The due dates of these projects are staggered throughout the semester as each biography fits with a certain class lecture. Late presentations will not be allowed unless proof of a verifiable

emergency is provided.

Exams

There will be three exams. These may consist of identification questions, maps, concept definitions, a short essay or two, or any combination of the above. The exams are not cumulative

(meaning not all the covered information is on every exam). All coursework assigned or ideas discussed in lecture may appear on exams. If a student misses an exam there will be no make-up

test except in the case of verifiable illness or emergency.

Checking email

Please be sure to check your emails at least once a day. This is how we will communicate with each other outside of class. All reading packets, new information, class cancellation notices, links to articles or videos, etc., will be sent by email. I’ll do my best to respond to all emails within 48 hours. However, please note that I do not check my mail after 5pm or on the weekends.

If at any time during the semester you are struggling with the coursework, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me by email or in my office hours ASAP. The sooner I’m informed of any issues, the sooner they can be resolved.

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Grading (500 points total)

Exam 1 (100 pt.)

Exam 2 (100 pt.)

Exam 3 (100 pt.)

Biographical presentation (100 pt.)

Journals (100 pt.)

Grades are assigned using this percentage scale (%):

94-100% A 74-76 C

90-93

87-89

A-

B+

70-73

67-69

C-

D+

84-86

80-83

77-79

B

B-

C+

Absences and early outs

64-66

60-63

Under 60

D

D-

F

Absences will be measured by missed journal entries. As stated above, you need to do 12 out of

14 entries to get full participation points and you can make up one journal. If you need to leave class early, please inform me prior to the start of class. Do not just get up and leave.

Missed classes

I will not give out notes or PowerPoints for any absences. Also, I will not email study guides if you are absent on the day they are passed out. It is your responsibility to get notes from a classmate in the event of a missed class period. I would suggest getting the email of a classmate or two in case of absences.

Plagiarism and Cheating

Evidence of cheating on exams or plagiarism in journals will result in a failing grade for the assignment. It is your responsibility to know what plagiarism is and how to avoid it. This includes paying a third party or online essay mill to write your essay for you. If you’re not sure, visit this link: http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/plagiarism.shtml

Students with Disabilities

If you have a disability for which you will need to request accommodations, please contact the

Disability Support Services office as soon as possible to arrange for appropriate accommodations.

Contact: Susan Trist ( susan.trist@wnc.edu

).

Note: This syllabus is subject to change at any time throughout the semester.

Class Schedule

Week 1

January 20: Howdy! Getting to know you and course expectations

Handout: Syllabus

January 22: Review: the Civil War

Read: No reading for today

In-class: Sign up for biography

Due: Syllabus quiz (journal entry #1)

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Week 2

January 27: Reconstruction

Read: Hewitt & Lawson 431-446

January 29: Westward ho!


Biographies: Mark Twain (writer)

Week 3

February 3: The Gilded Age


Biographies: Andrew Carnegie (industrialist, millionaire)

February 5: Workers of the World Unite!


Biographies: Emma Goldman (anarchist)

Week 4

February 10: A Nation of Immigrants


Biographies: Jane Addams (social worker), Upton Sinclair (writer)

February 12: The Progressive Era

Read: Hewitt & Lawson 590-593, 604-613

Biographies: Theodore Roosevelt (president)

Week 5

February 17: Women’s Suffrage


Biographies: Carrie Chapman Catt (suffragist)

February 19: Women’s Suffrage, continued


Watch (in class): Iron Jawed Angels (HBO)

Biographies: None today

Handout: Study guide for Exam 1

Week 6

February 24: Imperialism and World War I


Biographies: Woodrow Wilson (president)

February 26: EXAM 1

Week 7

March 3: The Roaring 20s


Biographies: Langston Hughes (writer), Margaret Sanger (birth control advocate)

4


March 5: The Great Gatsby

Read: The Great Gatsby must be read by today.

Biographies: F. Scott Fitzgerald (writer, socialite)

Week 8

March 10: The Great Depression


Biographies: Dorothea Lange (photographer)

March 12: The Dust Bowl


Watch (in class): The Dust Bowl (PBS)

Biographies: Woody Guthrie (folk singer)

Week 9

March 17: SPRING BREAK – Have fun!

March 19: SPRING BREAK

Week 10

March 24: World War II, Part 1


Biographies: Franklin Delano Roosevelt (president)

March 26: World War II, Part 2


Biographies: Douglas MacArthur (general)


Week 11

March 31: Conflict and Cold War


Watch (in class): Monsters are Due on Maple Street (CBS)

Biographies: Joseph McCarthy (anti-communist senator)

April 2: EXAM 2

Week 12

April 7: Selling the American Dream


Biographies: Betty Friedan (feminist writer)

April 9: The Civil Rights Movement Begins


Biographies: Martin Luther King, Jr. (civil rights leader)

Week 13

April 14: The 1960s: Rapid Change


Biographies: Rachel Carson (environmentalist)

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April 16: The Vietnam War, Part 1


Biographies: Lyndon Johnson (president)

Week 14

April 21: The Vietnam War, Part 2

Read: Hewitt & Lawson

Biography: Walter Cronkite (anchorman)

April 23: Vietnam War, Part 3


Watch (in class): Vietnam in HD (History Channel)

Biographies: Richard Nixon (president)

Week 15

April 28: From Dick Nixon to Disco


Biographies: Harvey Milk (gay rights activist, politician)

April 30: Me, Me, Me: The 80s


Biographies: Ronald Reagan (president)

Week 16

May 5: Millennium Approaches


Biographies: Bill Gates (inventor)

May 7: Semester Review


Biographies:


Week 17

May 12: EXAM 3

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HIST 102 (All Sections): United States History 1865 to Present

Note: This syllabus is subject to change at any time throughout the semester.

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HIST 102 (All Sections): United States History 1865 to Present

Note: This syllabus is subject to change at any time throughout the semester.

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