HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM
SOUTHWEST COLLEGE
HISTORY 1301
COURSE SYLLABUS
FALL 2015
INSTRUCTOR
PHONE
OFFICE HOURS
E-MAIL
Dr. Gretchen Jackson Odion
713-718-2900
12 - 1:30 Monday – Thursday or by appointment
gretchen.jackson@hccs.edu
Course Overview:
History 1301 provides students with a general overview of United States history from the early
Native American Civilizations to 1877. Emphasis will be placed on how the political, economic
and social developments from the past still influence our present society.
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 assignments. In addition to traditional teaching methods,
accommodative learning will be included. Activities such as museum assignments, historical
debates, historical video clips and sometimes music will be incorporated into some of the
discussions to help you to analyze and comprehend history.
PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES
1. Create an argument through the use of historical evidence.
2. Analyze and interpret primary and secondary sources.
3. Analyze the effects of historical, social, political, economic, cultural and global forces on this
period of United States history.
4. Understand the importance of chronology and how earlier ideas and events shaped later events
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STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
1.
Discuss the Age of Exploration
2.
Explain Colonization
3.
Identify the Causes and effects of the American Revolution
4.
Explain the origins and impact of Slavery
5.
Analyze the formation of the Republic
6.
Summarize the effects of Expansion and Innovation
7.
Explain Nationalism and Sectionalism
8.
Discuss the Civil War
9.
Evaluate the effects of Reconstruction
Textbooks:
James Roark, The American Promise: A History of the United States Vol. I, Fifth Edition
American Perspectives Electronic Book Volume I, Sixth Edition. The access code for this
electronic book can be purchased at the bookstore, or directly through Pearson Publishing. URL:
http://www.pearsoncustom.com/tx/hcc_hist1301
Class Policies:
1. While in class, students may not read, talk unless during discussions, sleep or pass notes. 2.
Please TURN OFF your 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, no extra time is given if you arrive late. 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.
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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 have 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 October 30, before 4:30 pm. 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 exams will be given during the semester; that is, 3 exams during the semester and
the final exam. These exams will constitute 60% of your grade. The exams will consist of
multiple-choice and essay questions from class activities, lectures and the textbook. A scantron
will be needed for all exams. Finally, one of the following will account for 40% of your grade, a
book review from an assigned monograph, assigned articles from the reader, American
Perspectives or a history portfolio from assigned topics.
NOTE: This class does require a lot of reading. I strongly recommend that you keep up
with the reading assignments.
Grading: The lowest test grade, excluding the final exam, will be dropped. As a result, makeups will not be given for missed exams.
Your course grade will be computed as follows:
Four highest exam grades (20 * 3) = 60%
Project / Paper = 40%
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. During the exams, please turn off your cell phones (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
3
718-7909) 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,
Chapter 1
“Ancient America, Before 1492”
Week 2
Chapter 2
“Europeans Encounter the New World”
Week 3
Chapter 3
“The Southern Colonies in the Seventeenth Century”
Week 4
Chapter 4
“The Northern Colonies in the Seventeenth Century”
Exam I, Chapters 1-4
Week 5
Chapter 5
“Colonial America in the Eighteenth Century”
Week 6
Chapter 6
“The British Empire and the Colonial Crisis’
Week 7
Chapter 7
“The War for America”
Week 8
Chapter 8
“Building a Republic”
Exam II Chapters 5-8
Week 9
Chapter 9
“The New Nation Takes Form”
Week 10
Chapter 10
“Republicans in Power”
Week 11
Chapter 11
“The Expanding Republic”
Chapter 12
“The New West and the Free South”
Week 12
Exam III, Chapters 9-12
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Continued
Chapter 13
“The Slave South”
Week 13
Chapter 14
“The House Divided”
Week 14
Week 15
Week 16
Chapter 15
“The Crucible of War”
Chapter 16
“Reconstruction”
Final Exam Chapters 13 – 16
TEST DATES:
Exam I Chapters 1 - 4, September, 14 & 15
Exam II Chapters 5 – 8, October, 12 – 13
Exam III Chapters 9 – 12, November, 9 – 10
Final Exam Chapters 13 – 16 December, 7 – 10
Library Days:
September, 21 & 22
October, 26 & 27
NOTE: Late assignments will NOT be accepted without a valid written excuse.
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