History 1301
American History, Inception to 1877
Fall, 2013
Instructor: Alisha Denton Loftin
Campus: West Loop, C252
Phone: 918-809-8661
Email: alisha.loftin@hccs.edu, alishadenton@sbcglobal.net
Section: 64995
Class Time: TTh 8:00am-9:30am Office Hours: By
Appointment
Turnitin Drop Box Information:
Course Name: HIST 1302 Sec 64995 TTh
Course ID #: 6812292
Password: hithere
Texts:
Roark, James, et al. The American Promise: A History of the United States, 5th edition. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin, 2012..
Hawke, David Freeman. Everyday Life In Early America. New York: Harper and Rowe, 1988.
McPherson, James. What They Fought For. Baton Rough: Louisiana State University Press, 1994.
Course Description and Goals: History 1301 is a survey of American History from inception to 1877. The study includes social,
economic, and political aspects of American life and follows the development of the United States as a world power. The course is
based on lectures, readings, films and class participation. This course is designed to improve the student’s skills in the following areas:
critical thinking and reading, clear and concise writing and articulation, comprehension of primary and secondary sources.
HIST 1301 is a 16-Week, 48-contact hour lecture course which fulfills three hours of the state-mandated six-hour history
requirement.
This course transfers as 3 hours of credit to most other colleges and universities.
Program Learning Outcomes (PLO):
Students will be able to:
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. explain the importance of chronology and how earlier ideas and events shaped later events.
Student Learning Outcomes (SLO’s):
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
Course Grades:
The final course grade is based on completion of the following:
Exam I– 100 points
Final Exam – 100 points
Book Test – 100 points each
Participation Points – 5 points per day
Pop-Quizzes – 20 points
In-Class Essays/Homework Assignments – 20-50 points each
Exams: There will be two exams during the semester, Exam I will cover chapters 1 - 8, and the Final Exam will cover chapters 9 - 16.
The Final Exam will not be comprehensive. Exams will be worth 100 points each. Exams will be multiple choice. Students must
provide a green scantron for each exam. Information covered in the exams may come from any lecture, video, reading, discussion, or
activity assigned or completed in class. If students do not complete Exam I or the Book Tests on the day it is scheduled, it must be
made up during the period set aside for the Final Exam.
Book Tests: Book tests will be administered over the two assigned monographs. Book Tests will be essay in nature, and students must
provide a blue book in which to complete each exam.
In-Class Assignments Variable: During class time, students will be sent to complete research on assigned topics and share the
information with the class. Your electronic devices may be used for this portion of the class. Homework assignments may be
assigned at the instructor’s discretion.
Pop Quizzes: At the instructor’s discretion, pop-quizzes over materials pertinent to the previous class’s lecture, reading, or
assignment will be administered at the beginning of class. Students may not make up pop quizzes for any reason. Therefore, it is in
the student’s best interest to come to class on time and prepared, having read the assigned chapter in the textbook or the appropriate
reading.
Class Participation: Points will be assigned at the end of some class periods. They will be awarded based upon each student’s
valuable contribution to the class, via cogent questions, or constructive comments during class discussions or upon a brief in-class
writing assignment. Five points are possible for each day class participation is recorded. Students are expected to come to class
prepared.
Grades on written work (Exam Essays, Homework Assignments and In-class Essays, Extra Credit) will be based upon the
following standards: Clear and concise presentation of thesis, evidence and analysis (content); organization; appropriate voice, tone
and diction, correct grammar, writing structure and spelling, and Turabian-style format. Written work, excluding Book Tests will be
turned in on Turnitin.com
Assignment and Exam Evaluation Techniques:
Grades for the class as well as on exams will be assigned on a 10-point curve of total points possible, as follows.
90% - over =A
80%-89%=B
70%-79%=C
60%-69%=D
Under 59%-F
Attendance Policy:
Regular class attendance is not only important from the standpoint of learning, but also is required in order to be successful in this
course. Students are held responsible for all materials covered during their absence and any changes made in the agenda.
The student is responsible for withdrawal from the class; the instructor will not complete withdrawals. Class Participation and in-class
essay points cannot be made up for any reason.
To withdraw from the class, the student should initiate an official withdrawal through the counseling office; non-attendance
DOES NOT constitute official withdrawal. Failure to withdraw may result in the student receiving a regular grade of “F” at the end of
the semester.
To request a change to Audit (A) or Incomplete (I), the student must be maintaining a passing grade. The student must
initiate the change with the instructor and sign the audit or incomplete agreement. If the Incomplete is due to a circumstance that
prevents the student from being able to sign the form him/herself, the instructor may make other arrangements. See the agenda for the
last day to change to A or I or withdraw.
Electronic Devices Policy
Use of electronic devices in the classroom is not permitted without the instructor’s permission. Please take notes with pen and paper.
If you must leave your mobile phone turned on, please utilize the vibrate setting. Texting, social media and web surfing during class
are prohibited.
Plagiarism, Academic Dishonesty, or Misconduct:
Plagiarism is claiming, indicating, or implying that the ideas, sentences, or words of another writer are your own; it includes having
another writer do work claimed to be your own, copying the work of another and presenting it as your own, or following the work of
another as a guide to ideas and expression that are then presented as your own. The student should review the relevant sections of the
Student Code of Conduct Policy Handbook. A student guilty of plagiarism may receive a zero for the assignment and an “F” in the
course.
Academic dishonesty or misconduct is not condoned nor tolerated. Academic dishonesty is behavior in which a deliberately fraudulent
misrepresentation is employed in an attempt to gain undeserved intellectual credit, either for oneself or for another. Academic
misconduct is behavior that results in intellectual advantage obtained by violating specific standard, but without deliberate intent or
use of fraudulent means. The student should review the relevant sections of the Student Code of Conduct Policy Handbook.
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.
1
Aug 26-30
2
Sep 2-6
3
Sept 9*-13
4
Sept 16-20
5
Sept 23-27
6
Sept 30-Oct 4
7
Oct 7-11
8
Oct 14-18
9
10
Oct 21-25
Oct 28-Nov
1**
11
Text
In-class
Class
Dates
Week #
Tentative Schedule of Activities, Agenda and Course Outline:
The instructor may change the assignment schedule AT ANY TIME by verbal or written notification in class or on Eagle Online.
Syllabus/ Ancient America
European Forays; The Spanish in
America
1
3,4&5
Nov 4-8
English Colonies, South and North
English Colonies – Mid;
Colonial Economics
Book Test, Everyday Life in Early
America; The Revolutionary War
The Transformation of America;
Make up Day
Exam I – Inception – The
Constitution;
Class Warfare under Washington
and Adams
The War of 1812; The Second
Great Awakening
The American System; Slavery
and the South
Slavery and the South; Reform
Movements
The Mexican American War or the
War of American Invasion?
12
Nov 11-15
A House Divided; The Civil War
14&15
13
14
Nov 18-22
Nov 25-29
15
16
15
Dec 2-6
16
*
Dec 9-13
The Civil War
Reconstruction
Book Test, What They Fought For;
Make up Day
Exam II – The Constitution Reconstruction
*Date of Record
**Last Day to Drop
**
2
5&6
7
8
9
10
11
13
12
~
~
I, _________________________ have read and understand the syllabus for course number HIST 1301 52331 and agree to abide by it,
and the instructor’s policies while in the classroom for the duration of the class.
________________________
Signed
__________________________
Date