HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM
SOUTHWEST COLLEGE – Missouri City Campus
HISTORY 1302
COURSE SYLLABUS
FALL 2011
INSTRUCTOR
PHONE
OFFICE HRS
EMAIL
Dr. Gretchen Jackson-Odion
713-718- 2900
12-12:30 M-Thur. or by appointment
gretchen.jackson@hccs.edu
Course Overview:
History 1302 provides students with a general overview of American history from 1877 to the
Reagan-Bush years. Emphasis will be placed on how political, economic and social developments
from the past influence present society. Some of the topics that will be identified and examined
this semester include, the New South, Industrialization, the New Manifest Destiny, the Progressive
Era, World War I, the Roaring 1920s, the Great Depression, the New Deal, World War II, the Cold
War, the Civil Rights Movement, the Vietnam War, the New Frontier, the Great Society, the
Turbulent 1960s, the Watergate Crisis, Reagonomics and the Gulf War.
Course Intent:
This class will offer an approach to American history, recounting the story of our country by
focusing on the experiences of diverse groups of Americans. Unfortunately, for many students,
history is depicted as a catalog of names, dates and places that is irrelevant to contemporary
society. The intent of this class is to help students understand American history by looking at three
levels: its major arguments, its thematic and chronological organization, and the impact that major
historical events have on the present. This course will be primarily taught through a series of
lectures, discussions and Web reading assignments. In addition to the primary teaching methods,
accommodative (active) learning will be included. Activities such as museum assignments,
historical debates, role playing and music will be incorporated into some of the topics to help you
to analyze and comprehend the material. You must come to class prepared and get involved in the
class discussions and activities.
Student Learning Outcomes:
1. Students will be able to create an argument through the use of historical evidence.
2. Students will be able to analyze and interpret primary and secondary sources.
3. Students will be able to analyze the effects of historical, social, economic and cultural
forces on this period of American History.
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Textbooks:
Ayers, Gould, Oshinsky and Soderlund. American Passages: A History of the United States Vol. II,
4th edition.
American Perspectives, Volume II. The access code for this electronic book can be purchased at
the bookstore or directly through Pearson Publishing.
Class Policies:
1. While in class, students may not read materials that are irrelevant to the class, talk unless
during discussions, sleep or pass notes.
2. Please TURN OFF cell phones during class and NO TEXTING!!!!
Attendance:
If you accumulate more than six (6) hours of unexcused absences, you may be dropped from this
class.
Tardiness:
I strongly discourage coming late to class because you will miss important information when you
are tardy. It is extremely difficult to understand a lesson when you catch it midway not knowing
how it began. On exam days, if you arrive late (10 minutes) you will not be allowed to take the
exam unless there was an extenuating circumstance. Any student who arrives 10 minutes after
class has begun or leaves before class is dismissed, without prior approval from the
instructor, is considered absent. A total of three violations of either will be equivalent to an
absence.
Withdrawal:
If you are not performing at a passing level and do not withdraw by the official drop date, you will
receive the grade that you earned. All students who wish to withdraw from the class are
responsible for officially completing the required documents. The last day for student
withdrawal is March 29, before 4:30 p.m. If your name is on the roll at the end of the semester,
you WILL receive a grade. Therefore, I will not automatically give you a “W” if you stopped
attending class. This is an administrative policy that I will strictly enforce.
Exams: Four (4) exams will be given during the semester; that is, 3 exams during the semester and
the final exam. These exams will constitute 50% of your grade. The exams will consist of
multiple-choice and essay questions from class activities, lectures and the textbook. A book
review, from an assigned monograph, will be worth 25%. The final 25% of your grade will come
from ten from American Perspectives and other outside articles. A scantron will be required for all
exams.
NOTE: This class does require a lot of reading. Therefore, I encourage you to keep up with
the reading assignments.
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Grading: The lowest class assignment and test grade, excluding the final exam, will be dropped.
As a result, there will not be any make-ups given for missed assignments.
Your course grade will be computed as follows:
Four exams = 50%
Book Review = 25%
Reading Assignments from American Perspectives / Web Assignments = 25%
NOTE: The book for the book review and the articles for the reading assignments will be
given to you during the second week of class.
Letter grades will be assigned as follows:
90 – 100
A
80 – 89
B
70 – 79
C
60 – 69
D
59 and below F
Academic Dishonesty: Any student involved in cheating on an exam will receive a 0 on the exam.
That is the minimum punishment. Your case could be reported to Dean for further punishment
(NO TEXT MESSAGES).
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA):
Any student with a documented disability (e.g. physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing, etc.) who needs to
arrange reasonable accommodations must contact the Disability Support Service Counselor, Dr. Becky Hauri (713 7187909) at the beginning of the semester. Faculty members are authorized to provide only the accommodations quested
by the Office of Disability Support Services (DSS). Students who are requesting special testing accommodations must
first contact the office.
EGLS3 -- Evaluation for Greater Learning Student Survey System
At Houston Community College, professors believe that thoughtful student feedback is necessary
to improve teaching and learning. During a designated time, you will be asked to answer a short
online survey of research-based questions related to instruction. The anonymous results of the
survey will be made available to your professors and division chairs for continual improvement of
instruction. Look for the survey as part of the Houston Community College Student System online
near the end of the term.
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COURSE CALENDAR
Week 1
Introduction, Text Chapter 17
“The Rise of Big Business”
Week 2
Chapter: 18
“Urban Growth and Farm Protest”
Computer Lab: How to use the World Wide Web
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Chapter: 19
“A Troubled Nation Expands Outward”
Text Chapter: 20
“Theodore Roosevelt and Progressive Reform”
Exam 1: Chapters 17-20, September 19&20
Chapter 21: “Progressivism at High Tide”
Week 6
Chapter: 22: “The Impact of World War I”
Week 7
Chapter: 23
“The Jazz Age and the Mass Culture”
Week 8
Chapter: 24
“The Great Depression”
Week 9
Exam 2: Chapters 21-24, October 17&18
Chapter 25 “The New Deal”
Week 10
Complete Chap. 25 & Start Chapter: 26 “The Second World War”
Week 11
Complete Chapter 26 & Start Chapter 27 “Postwar America”
Week 12
Complete Chapter 27
Week 13
Exam 3: Chapters 25-27, November 14&15
Start Chapter 28 “The Eisenhower Years”
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Week 14
Chapter 29 “The Turbulent Years”
Week 15
Chapter 30 “Crisis and Confidence
Week 16
Chapter 31 “The Reagan Years”
Final Exam chapters 28-31,
December 12-15
Book Review due date is November 7 & 8. Late papers will be penalized 10 points each late
day.
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