State University of New York
Graduate School of Education
FALL 2012
HIST 530A/EDUC 507: Issues in American History
Before 1877
Professor: Adam Laats
Class Times:
Mon. 4:40-7:40 PM
Office:
AB 231
Meeting Place: S2-G35
Phone:
777-3329
Office Hours: M 9:30-11:30/by appt.
E-Mail:
alaats@binghamton.edu
This graduate seminar is intended provide students with a deeper understanding of the
broad sweep of American history. It focuses on both key themes in American history and
central concepts about teaching that history. It will assist students pursuing the
Certificate in the Teaching of American History by providing a strong foundation of key
historical and historiographical issues in American history. It is built upon the idea that
good historical teaching and thinking requires structured analysis of primary documents.
We will discuss formative analyses of American history, competing arguments about the
nature and meaning of that history, and the challenges of teaching history.
CLASS MEETINGS
The class meets on Monday nights from 4:40-7:40 pm in Science II-G35. This is a
discussion-based course. The assigned readings are the basis for the discussions, and
students are expected to carry the bulk of our conversations. Students should come to
class prepared to critique the readings assigned for that night's meeting. A high level of
participation is expected. For most class meetings we will spend half of our time
discussing the reading. The other half of the class will be devoted to developing teaching
strategies and lessons with primary documents through the internet.
COURSE DETAILS
Readings/Discussions: The goal of assigned readings (indicated in schedule of class
meetings) is for students to engage one another with regard to the material at hand and
unpack the ways in which historians practice their craft through the use of evidence,
argument, theoretical paradigm, and methodology. Students must commit to open and
respectful discussions. See Student Handbook for details:
http://www2.binghamton.edu/student-handbook/
Attendance: Due to the fact that our class meets only once per week, attendance at all
class meetings is mandatory. If an emergency occurs and a student must miss a class, she
or he must meet with me at a convenient time to discuss the class proceedings. If a
second class is missed, the student must write a five-six page review essay of that week’s
reading AND meet with me to discuss it. If more than two classes are missed, or if a
student does not make up missed classes, we will meet to ascertain an appropriate
penalty. Penalties may range from a grade penalty on the participation grade to a grade
of incomplete for the entire course, depending on circumstances.
Assignments: All student work must be original. Plagiarism and cheating will not be
tolerated. See Student Handbook for details: http://www2.binghamton.edu/studenthandbook/, pp. 93-94.
STUDENT REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING
Students will complete a range of written assignments. These include a book review, a
medium-length paper, a documents-based question or similar teaching tool, and an
annotated compendium of internet resources.
Class participation: 10% of the course grade: Students will come to each class
prepared to discuss the reading assigned for that day. Discussion formats will vary; at
times I will lead the class in the discussion, other times I will divide the class into smaller
discussion groups which will have their own discussions. Each week, students will earn a
participation grade. Ten points per week (only weeks with assigned readings are
included) are possible, adding up to a total of 110 possible points for the entire semester.
Every week, students will be responsible to send one discussion question or topic by
email by the end of the day Sunday. We will build our discussions around those topics.
Book Review: 15% of the course grade
Students will select one of the required readings to review. The book review is limited to
five pages. Students will email their book review to me no later than the Friday before
class; I will then forward the review to the rest of the class so that all will have read it by
the time we meet. You may revise and resubmit your book review if you wish. First and
second grades will be averaged for an improved final grade. See appendix for details.
Paper: 25% of the course grade
Students have two options for this paper.
Option 1: Primary source analysis paper. Students will select one well-known primary
source document to read and analyze.
Option 2: Teaching with primary sources paper. Students will choose one topic and
discuss how it could be successfully taught as a unit using a rich collection of specific
primary sources.
Each type of paper will be between ten and fifteen pages in length, and should use
Chicago format. Note: students will be able to revise and resubmit this paper for an
improved grade. Paper drafts will be presented and published in November. See
appendix for details.
Documents-Based Question: 20% of the course grade
Students will create a DBQ, based on any topic from this course that consists of two
parts: a short-answer section where the scaffolding questions come directly from primary
documents and an essay section where students must answer a capstone question using
the same documents. The primary documents should come from the semester-long
compendium project.
If a student has already had a great deal of experience crafting DBQs, he or she may
choose another document-based teaching tool to practice, such as a RAFT.
See appendix for details.
Wikurriculum: 15% of the course grade
The class will collaboratively create a sample curriculum for teaching American History.
Every seminar member will be responsible for making weekly contributions to the
curriculum draft.
See appendix for details.
Annotated Compendium: 15% of the course grade
The purpose of the annotated compendium is to help students produce a reference of
web-based materials for use in their own classrooms. Students will assemble, organize,
and critically comment on websites that track the topics of this course.
See appendix for details.
READINGS AND SEMINAR TOPICS
September 10: Introduction to the course and to each other. Issues in history and
historical thinking. Why use documents?
Working with our wiki.
September 17: No class meeting: Rosh Hashanah
September 24: Required reading: John Lewis Gaddis, The Landscape of History
Seminar topics: Historical thinking and teaching in an environment of
high-stakes testing; a look at the NY state tests; sample DBQs
October 1:
Required reading: William Cronon, Changes in the Land
Seminar topics: DBQ analysis; finding and using pre-made lesson plans
October 8:
Required reading: (available via online course reserve/Blackboard)



Chauncey Monte-Sano, “Qualities of Effective Writing Instruction in
History Classrooms: A Cross-Case Comparison of Two Teachers’
Practices,” American Educational Research Journal 45 (2008): 104579.
Joyce Appleby, et al., “Competing Histories of America,” Telling the
Truth about History (New York: W.W. Norton, 1994), 129-159.
Caroline Hoefferle, “Teaching Historiography to High School and
Undergraduate Students,” OAH Magazine of History (April 2007): 4044.
All articles are available on electronic reserve from Bartle Library.
Seminar topics: DBQ analysis; 1/3 review of Wikurriculum
October 15:
Required reading: Mary Rowlandson, Sovereignty and Goodness of God
Seminar topics: DBQ analysis; Teaching history with games
October 22:
Required reading: Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, A Midwife’s Tale
Seminar topics: DBQ analysis; finding what you need from the Library of
Congress
October 29:
Required reading: Gordon Wood, The Radicalism of the American
Revolution
Seminar topics: DBQ analysis; Circle discussions
November 5: Required reading: Edmund Morgan, American Slavery, American
Freedom.
Seminar topics: DBQ analysis; Reading, Writing, and Talking History
November 12: Required reading: Thomas Bender: A Nation among Nations [pp. 3-181]
Seminar topics: DBQ analysis; choose your own adventure video project;
assignments of slavery primary sources
November 19: Required reading: None—Essays DUE.
Seminar topics:
 Essay presentations and publication via class Blackboard
site.
November 26: Required reading: David Brion Davis, Inhuman Bondage
Seminar topics: DBQ analysis; enriching classroom discussions: “royal
rumbles” and other gimmicks
December 3: Required reading: book-length primary source on slavery. See appendix
below for reading assignments. Specific assignments will be made on
November 2.
Seminar topics: Jigsaw and the slave experience; generalizations with
evidence about life as a slave in the united States; teaching slavery.
December 10: Required reading: Drew Gilpin Faust, This Republic of Suffering
Seminar topics: DBQ analysis: course evaluations
Appendix I: Book Review
Write a critical, analytical review of any assigned book. The book review is limited to
five double-spaced pages. Students will email their book review to me no later than the
Sunday before class; I will then forward the review to the rest of the class so that all will
have read it by the time we meet.
A good book review will contain these fundamental features

I. Essential facts about the book:
o Identify the main thesis
o What are the major questions/historical problems being addressed?
o How does the author develop the argument?
o What primary sources were used?

II. Your original analysis:
o What the author proposes that is new
o Where the book fits into historical literature on the subject
o Theoretical and methodological approaches used by the author
o Strengths and weaknesses of the author's use of sources - is this a
convincing argument?
Is there a model for me to use?
Start with a sample. Consult with a well-known model, such as the reviews in the
Journal of American History (http://www.journalofamericanhistory.org) or the American
Historical Review (http://www.indiana.edu/~ahr/
Do I need to bring in outside materials?
If you have the knowledge at your fingertips and doing so is appropriate to your review,
then go right ahead. You may notice that one of the items listed above is "where the book
fits into historical literature on the subject," which can be tricky if you haven't read in the
area already. Do your best with this, and use your judgment.
Appendix II: Essay
OPTION ONE: PRIMARY SOURCE TEACHING UNIT ESSAY
--N.b., this is ONE option for your essay. You may choose to do a primary-source
analysis instead. See next page for details.-The Assignment:
Write a description of a teaching unit about one theme or event in early American history.
How would you teach this using a rich collection of readily available primary sources?
You have a great deal of flexibility in how you approach this kind of essay. For models
of teaching-unit essays, I suggest you check out a few articles in the journal The History
Teacher. Every issue has a “Craft of Teaching” section that includes teaching-unit
essays. Not all of them involve using primary documents. Here are a couple of articles
you could use as models:
 Gregory S. Brown, “The Coming of the French Revolution,” 34:2
(February 2001);
 Russell Olwell, “New Views of Slavery,” 34:4 (August 2001);
 Andrew H. Myers, “Teaching History in the Backyard,” 35:4
(August 2002).
All of these essays are very different. But they all address the same basic question: How
can teachers use X to teach Y better? Your essay should ask that same question.
Also, your paper should include a few key parts:
Rationale:
Why is this an important theme or event? How can the use of primary
documents help enrich its teaching? How is it presented in a standard
textbook?
Document set: What documents would you use to teach this unit? For each document,
you need to explain its context, theme, and main points.
Teaching approach: How will you use these documents? What methods will you
incorporate into your unit? How will you assess learning? Most
important, how does will you use documents to encourage authentic
historical thinking among students?
Purpose:
The goal of this assignment is to push you to combine an analysis of early documents
with a thoughtful presentation of how they can be used in a classroom.
Sources:
For this assignment, you will need to access a set of relevant documents. You will also
need to refer to secondary sources to explain the background of the topic. You may use
our required readings as these sources if you wish. Finally, you should include at least
one history textbook to compare your document-based approach to that of a standard
curriculum.
Format:
You should use the standard format preferred by historians, Chicago style. For a style
guide, consult the Chicago Manual of Style online:
http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/home.html
In short, though, you can copy the style of professional articles in journals such as the
Journal of American History (http://www.indiana.edu/~jah/) or American Historical
Review (http://www.indiana.edu/~ahr/).
Your essay is limited to 10-15 double-spaced word-processed pages.
Due date:
November 19, 2012. This is a firm deadline. You will present your essay in class
this evening.
Appendix II: Primary source analysis paper
OPTION TWO: PRIMARY SOURCE ANALYSIS PAPER
--N.b., this is ONE option for your essay. You may choose to do a teaching unit essay
instead. See page above for details.-The Assignment:
Write an analysis of one of the long primary sources listed below. Your analysis should
identify and consider three or four themes of your document. How does the document
illustrate those themes? Also, how do the central themes of the document confirm or
upset stereotypical understandings about the period? Finally, you must consider the ways
your document illuminates wider historical experience. To do so, you need to refer to at
least one secondary source. You may use our required readings as these sources if you
wish.
For example, how did Joseph Plumb Martin’s experience confirm the traditional story of
the Continental Army? What did he do that surprised you? How was his perspective
different from yours? Did this perspective typify the ideas of the period, or was Martin
unique? In what ways? Why did he bother to write down his story? How did it survive
as a source?
These and similar questions should guide your analysis. In short, your goal should be to
understand your source from the inside, and analyze the ways this person’s experience
and narrative illuminate the period in which she or he lived.
Purpose:
The goal of this assignment is to give you a thorough knowledge of a widely available
primary source. Each of these sources addresses key themes and ideas of American
history, and all can be incorporated into a secondary-school or college classroom to
enrich and deepen students’ understanding of American history.
Sources:
For this assignment, you will need to read one of the primary sources listed below. N.b.,
you may not use the same source you used during our primary readings in slavery.
1. Autobiography of Ben Franklin, by Ben Franklin
 Available full-text at: http://www.earlyamerica.com/lives/franklin/
2. New York Conspiracy Trials of 1741, by Daniel Horsmanden
3. A Narrative of a Revolutionary Soldier, by Joseph Plumb Martin
4. Lewis and Clark Expedition, edited by Gunther Barth
5. Autobiography of Peter Cartwright, by Peter Cartwright
 Available full-text at: http://lincoln.lib.niu.edu/cgibin/philologic/navigate.pl?lincoln.1905
6. Voices from the Trail of Tears, edited by Vicki Rozema
7. Twelve Years a Slave, by Solomon Northup
 Available full-text at:
http://docsouth.unc.edu/fpn/northup/northup.html
8. Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, by Harriet Jacobs
 Available full-text at: http://docsouth.unc.edu/fpn/jacobs/jacobs.html
9. A Diary from Dixie, by Mary Chestnut
 Available full-text at:
http://docsouth.unc.edu/southlit/chesnut/menu.html
10. Cannibals All!, by George Fitzhugh
 Available full-text at:
http://docsouth.unc.edu/southlit/fitzhughcan/menu.html
11. The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the
African, by Olaudah Equiano
 Available full-text at:
http://history.hanover.edu/texts/equiano/equiano_contents.html
12. A Fools Errand, by Albion Tourgee
a. Available full-text at: http://docsouth.unc.edu/church/tourgee/menu.html
Format:
You should use the standard format preferred by historians, Chicago style. For a style
guide, consult the Chicago Manual of Style online:
http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/home.html
In short, though, you can copy the style of professional articles in journals such as the
Journal of American History (http://www.indiana.edu/~jah/) or American Historical
Review (http://www.indiana.edu/~ahr/).
Your essay is limited to 10-15 double-spaced word-processed pages.
Due date:
November 19, 2012. This is a firm deadline. You will present your essay in class
this evening.
Appendix III: Document-Based Question
The Assignment:
Create a Documents-Based Question (DBQ) based on any topic from this course such as
the Revolution, the debate over the Constitution, the Civil War, etc. Your primary
documents (maximum of 8) should come from the compendium that you have been
working on all along.
The DBQ should consist of two parts: a short-answer section where the scaffolding
questions (maximum of 10) come directly from these documents and an essay section
where students must answer a capstone question using the same documents. Unless you
have a strong preference for teaching middle-school or college, assume this is an
assignment for high-school students (i.e., grade 11).
In addition, you need to explain three things:
1. Your reasons for selecting this topic. Why do you think a DBQ about this will be
helpful for students? How will it be useful to you as a teacher?
2. An explanation of the documents you've chosen -- what they are, what their purpose is,
why you have selected them.
3. An explanation of how this will be graded, i.e., identify what will constitute a good
response to your questions.
Purpose:
Document-based questions are a leading method of grading on secondary-school socialstudies standardized tests. Your mastery of the format will allow you to help students
prepare to master these challenges.
Some Guidelines: What is this supposed to look like?
There are many places you can look to see examples of a DBQ in its component parts.
Here are three:
http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/dbq/two.html
New York State Department of Education, Social Studies DBQ homepage.
http://www.edteck.com/dbq/dbquest/quest11.htm
Peter Pappas, "teaching with Documents" > Grade 11 > Civil War
http://womhist.alexanderstreet.com/teacher/dbqs.htm
This site is located at the Center for the Historical Study of Women and Gender in the
"Teacher's Corner."
Due date:
DBQs will be presented to the seminar throughout the semester. Please send your DBQ
to me on the weekend before our seminar meeting. I will post your work so that the
entire class can access it during your in-class presentation.
Appendix IV: Annotated Web Compendium
The Assignment:
Create a guide to useful teaching sites on the internet. You should include at least fifteen
sites. You may include more if you wish.
Purpose:
The goal of this assignment is to create a go-to guide for web resources. It will hopefully
become a dynamic document that you can use and expand as you begin your teaching
career.
Sources:
The sources for this assignment are unlimited. You are encouraged to incorporate web
resources used in seminar throughout the semester.
Format:
No specific format is required, but each compendium entry should include the same basic
information. You should include the author or editor of a website, the name of the site,
its URL, and the date you most recently accessed the site. After this identifying
information, you should note in outline or bullet format some key information about the
site. This could include the following:
 In what unit would I use this site?
 What is one document that I would like to use from this site?
 What are some strengths of this site?
 How have I used this site successfully in the past?
Entries should be organized by chronology or theme. For example, you could begin by
listing sites for pre-contact America, then Spanish Colonial America, then British
Colonial America, and so on. Or you could list sites by theme, such as Imperialism,
Military Conflict, Religion, Slavery, and so on.
Due date:
December 17, 2012. This is a firm deadline.
Appendix V: Slavery document selections:
During week eleven of our semester, you will be assigned one book-length primary
source about slavery. N.b., whatever source you read may not be used as the source for
your essay.
Group one: Twelve Years a Slave, by Solomon Northup
 Available full-text at:
http://docsouth.unc.edu/fpn/northup/northup.html
Group two: Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, by Harriet Jacobs
 Available full-text at: http://docsouth.unc.edu/fpn/jacobs/jacobs.html
Group three: A Diary from Dixie, by Mary Chestnut
 Available full-text at:
http://docsouth.unc.edu/southlit/chesnut/menu.html
Group four: Cannibals All!, by George Fitzhugh
 Available full-text at:
http://docsouth.unc.edu/southlit/fitzhughcan/menu.html
Group five: The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus
Vassa, the African, by Olaudah Equiano
 Available full-text at:
http://history.hanover.edu/texts/equiano/equiano_contents.html
For each source, you will be asked to “jigsaw” your thoughts about individual
experiences of slavery. That is, you will represent your reading in a small group
composed of people who have read another source. You will be expected to provide a
description of the
 audience,
 author,
 argument,
 and assessment
for your source. That is, who wrote it? For what audience? What was his or her
argument about the nature of slavery? And finally, how valuable is the source as a lens
into understanding the history of American slavery?
Together, your “jigsaw” group will be expected to formulate a list of three to five
generalizations about the nature of American slavery, with specific examples from the
various sources of each generalization.
Appendix VI: Wikurriculum
The Assignment:
The goal of this assignment is to collaboratively map a dream curriculum for an
American history class spanning the period from 1500-1877. Using a wiki format, we
will all contribute to a fifteen-week class plan. We can include alternate assignments for
various instructional levels (i.e., middle-school, high-school, undergraduate)
Purpose:
The goal of this assignment is to encourage you to think about history curriculum and to
practice working collaboratively with colleagues to shape a curriculum map. Also, you
will get some practice using a wiki in a history class. Finally, we will create a curriculum
plan that all students will be able to draw from in their first years of teaching.
Format:
We will be using a Blackboard page. I will provide the basic structure, which will also
be open to editing and improvement over the course of the semester. We will have a
chance to practice with this format during our first class meeting.
Grading:
You will receive a grade based on both the quality and quantity of your participation.
Your participation will be evaluated on five general elements: quantity, quality, tone,
clarity, and practicality. See rubric below.
Due date:
Throughout the semester. You will be expected to contribute at least once per week.
The last date for additions will be December 17, 2012.
Wikurriculum Grading Rubric:
A:
Student made at least 13 contributions, including edits
All contributions enhanced the value of the curriculum
Tone of contributions was consistently collegial and positive
Contributions were clear
Contributions were practical
B:
Student made at least 13 contributions, including edits
Most contributions enhanced the value of the curriculum
Tone of contributions was consistently collegial and positive
Contributions were mostly clear
Contributions were mostly practical
C:
Student made fewer than 13 contributions, including edits
Some contributions enhanced the value of the curriculum
Tone of contributions was mostly collegial and positive
Contributions were somewhat unclear
Contributions were often impractical
D:
Student made fewer than 13 contributions, including edits
Few contributions enhanced the value of the curriculum
Tone of the contributions was usually collegial and positive
Contributions were generally unclear
Contributions were often impractical
F:
Student made fewer than 13 contributions, including edits
Contributions did not enhance the value of the curriculum
Tone of the contributions was not collegial or positive
Contributions were mostly unclear
Contributions were mostly impractical