Instructor:
Chris Reid Room A212
MAIS History (University of Houston-Victoria)
BAIS (University of Houston-Downtown)
E-mail: (This is the best way to reach me)
creid@staffordmsd.org
(281)261-9239
Tutorials after school Mon-Thurs-3:10-4 pm
Tutoring Times:
Students can come in for help any time except Friday. If a student missed a test or quiz
and they need to make it up in tutoring, that student will be expected to see me to
schedule a time.
Course Overview:
Dual Credit U.S. History is not a college preparatory course. It is a two-semester college
survey course. First semester we will cover Pre-Columbian societies all the way to the
Civil War. Second semester we will focus on Reconstruction all the way to the present.
The materials used are not high school texts, but college texts. The work required is not
simply "advanced" high school work, but college work. Upon completion of each
semester, students will be issued a college transcript from HCC that will be used to gain
admission into other colleges, universities, or graduate programs. In short, this course is
not required. Students who take dual credit are expected to attend class, complete the
reading and assignments, and work at a college level.
Dual Credit US History is a survey of American history from the age of exploration and
discovery to the present. Solid reading and writing skills, along with a willingness to
devote considerable time to homework and study, are necessary to succeed. Emphasis
is placed on critical and evaluative thinking skills, essay writing, interpretation of original
documents, and historiography.
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.
Attitude is Everything!
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
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
David McCullough, 1776
Ellis, Joseph E. Founding Brothers.
Harriet Jacobs, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl—free Gutenberg.org
Additional readings will be provided by the instructor.
Attendance:
If you accumulate more than six (6) hours of unexcused absences, you may be
dropped from this class. Attendance in this class is essential. Much of the material for
success is provided through lecture/discussion. Missing class can create problems.
Should a student miss class, arrangements should be made to obtain a copy of lecture
notes, handouts, etc (find a buddy and get his/her phone number!) Should a student
miss a quiz or a test, that student is expected to present him/herself at tutoring the next
morning to discuss with the teacher an appropriate time to take that quiz or test.
However, because students are made aware of the dates of quizzes and tests so far in
advance, they should be prepared to take that assessment the next day they are back at
school.
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
Attitude is Everything!
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 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 31, 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.
Grading Policy:
Quizzes/Tests/Writing = 30%, Midterm = 25% Final= 25%
Book Reports= 10% each
Rubric: 100-90 = A, 89-80 = B, 79-75 = C, 74-70 = D, below 70 = Failure
Stafford High School grades will be given a numerical value. HCC grades will appear as
a simple letter: A, B, C, etc.
I expect papers to be turned in on the day they are due. Papers and other assignments
turned in late will be subject to the SHS late policy:
Late work will be accepted through the end of the week in which the assignment
was due. The grade penalty for late work, regardless of the number of days late,
is 10 points. Any work turned in after the end of the week will not be accepted.
If a concept or portion of the assignment is not understood, arrangements for tutoring
may be made. If I have not received the assignment on the due date, and the student
has neglected to get it to me by the end of the week, I will be making a phone call home.
E-mailed papers will not be accepted.
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 (713 718-7909) 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.
Attitude is Everything!
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) or you will receive a ZERO.
Plagiarism is defined as:
1. the unauthorized use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another
author and the representation of them as one's own original work.
2. something used and represented in this manner. (Webster’s)
In short, you are expected to do your own work in class and outside of class. I routinely
check papers electronically for words and phrases copied from the Internet. Should an
incident of plagiarism or cheating occur within my class, the offending student(s)
will be removed from HCC with a grade of F for the college portion of the course.
The high school grade will receive a numerical score of zero.
Comprehensive Semester Exam:
All students will take a semester final exam and a Midterm.
Class Rules: Each Student should abide by the following Guidelines:
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1. Be in class on time and be prepared for the day’s activities.
2. Be prepared to be involved from the bell beginning class until the
bell rings to end class.
3. Students will remain on task.
4. Treat all persons with dignity and respect.
5. Keep a positive attitude and do not allow yourself to become
discouraged.
While in class, students may not read, talk unless during discussions,
sleep or pass notes.
Please TURN OFF your cell phones during class and NO Texting!!!
Class Materials: You should bring all of the following to class each day:
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Pen, blue or black ink only, and a pencil. All written work must be
completed legibly in blue or black ink unless otherwise told. Failure to
follow these guidelines will result in no credit given for the assigned work.
HIGHLIGHTERS. These will be used for document and writing analysis.
Spiral notebook, composition book or journal. Something to take
notes in.
Three-ring (2” or larger) Binder with sufficient loose-leaf paper. In this
class you will be given a significant amount of handouts, readings and
assignments in which you will need to keep in a binder.
A positive attitude and a willingness to work hard. What you will
achieve in this class will be directly related to the effort you give.
“It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong
man stumbles or where the doer of good deed who could have done them
better. The credit belongs to the man in the arena whose face is marred by
dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short
again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming;
but who does actually strive to do the deeds, who knows the great
enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause,
who at best knows in the end that triumph of high achievement and who at
worst, if he fails, at leastAttitude
fails daring
greatly, so that his place shall never
is Everything!
be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat”
Theodore Roosevelt