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Austin Community College
U.S. History 1
HIST 1301 Section 054
COURSE GUIDE Summer 2009
Instructor: N. A. Biehler
CLASS INFORMATION:
Class meets Monday-Wednesdays, 8:00-9:50p.m. at Northridge Campus, Room 2117. Students are expected to arrive on time. (It will be this instructor's policy to close the classroom door at 7 minutes after the hour. Students should NOT enter the classroom once the door is closed.)
INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION:
Mailing address:
Email address:
Nancy A. Biehler
ACC - History
11928 Stone Hollow Dr.
Austin, TX 78758
Nabiehler@prodigy.net
Instructor Website: www.austincc.edu/rower
Office Hours/Phone:
M-W 5:00-6:00 & after each class wraps
NRG, Bldg 2000, Room2111 (Ph: 223-4827)
Mail Box Messages, dial 223-1795, 22034#
Urgent message: call Division Ofc 223-4770
COURSE RATIONALE: Our state Legislature requires students to take six hours of American History to graduate from all public institutions of higher learning in Texas. This course helps fulfill that requirement.
Students taking History 1301 can expect to improve their reading and writing competencies, critical thinking skills, research skills, etc., all of which help students better succeed in life outside academia.
COURSE OBJECTIVE: This course will acquaint the student with the basic facts of United States History to
1877, using a textbook, classroom instruction, outside readings and multimedia techniques. This is primarily a lecture course with opportunity for student discussion
– the open exchange of ideas is critical to the pursuit of learning. We will emphasize trends, institutions and concepts that shaped the future of the United States during two and a half centuries of settlement. Although the coverage of the material is comprehensive, there will be an emphasis on social and cultural history. Common course objectives can be located on the history website at http://www.austincc.edu/history . Specific objectives for each chapter are provided at the introduction of each unit during the semester.
COURSE ORGANIZATION: The course is divided into a geography unit and three history units. The first unit focuses on U.S. geography and culminates with a Map Test. The history units cover 4-6 textbook chapters each.
For each unit, there are requirements in the form of objectives, tasks that you will be expected to complete. The unit objectives are distributed by the instructor. At the end of each unit, an examination will be administered in class. The questions will be taken directly from the objectives. Thus, at the beginning of each unit, you will know exactly what is required of you at the end of the unit.
TEXTBOOK: The American Promise: A History of the United States to 1877 , 1 st
, 2 nd or 3 rd
editions. Further recommended is The Bedford Glossary for U.S. History . Read and study the text according to the attached
Semester Schedule, keeping the unit objectives in mind. It is also suggested that the student visit the textbook website at www.bedfordstmartins.com
for access to chapter outlines, practice tests and other study resources.
ATTENDANCE: Regular and punctual attendance is suggested as the best way to achieve success in this course. During the second week of class, a seating chart will be established and attendance will be taken for the remainder of the semester. Students who have 2 or fewer absences will be awarded an additional 2 pts. on top of the final point average for the course grade.
If a student does not maintain adequate progress, he/she may be withdrawn from the course at the instructor's discretion. Do not, however, rely on the instructor to withdraw you from the course. Minimum progress is defined as failure to take and/or failure to pass two or more examinations. Exceptions to this policy will be made in case of illness or incapacitation, but the student must notify the instructor at the earliest possible date and keep her informed of the situation.
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HIST 1301
Summer 2009
GRADING SYSTEM
The quality and quantity of the work done by the student determines his/her final grade:
For the grade of "A", the student must:
1. complete all four unit exams with an overall average of 90% or above
For the grade of "B", the student must:
1. complete all four unit exams with an overall average of 80% or above
For the grade of "C", the student must:
1. complete all four unit exams with an overall average of 70%-79.9%.
For the grade of "D", the student must:
1. complete all four unit exams with an overall average of 60%-69.9%.
N.A. Biehler
Section 054
For the grade of "F", the student must:
1. complete all four unit exams with an overall average less than 60.9%.
For the grade of "I", the student must:
1. have a medical excuse certified by a physician.
WARNING: Acts prohibited by the College for which discipline may be administered include scholastic dishonesty, including but not limited to cheating on an examination or quiz, plagiarizing, and unauthorized collaboration with another in preparing outside work. Academic work submitted by students shall be the result of the student’s own thought, research or self-expression. Academic work is defined as, but not limited to, tests, quizzes, whether taken electronically or on paper; projects, either individual or group; classroom presentations, and homework.
PROCEDURES FOR WITHDRAWING FROM THE COURSE: If you find that you are unable to meet course requirements, you should withdraw from the course to avoid any possibility of being assigned a failing grade. Withdrawal is accomplished by completing a withdrawal form available at Admissions and Records.
It is the student's responsibility to obtain and complete the withdrawal form. The deadline for withdrawing for Summer 2009 is July 30, 2009.
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HIST 1301
Summer 2009
N.A. Biehler
Section 054
UNIT EXAMS
There are three unit exams and the map test, which consists of 20 multiple choice questions. The remaining three unit exams will consist of 16-20 multiple choice questions, 8-10 short identifications and two one-page essay questions. Approximately 60-65% of the questions cover the textbook material and 35-40% will be drawn from classroom lecture, both of which are highlighted by the learning objectives issued for each chapter. Rarely is anything queried on the exams that has not been previously addressed in class.
All unit exams except the map test may be taken twice. The first time will be in class on the day and time specified in the attached semester schedule. If the student would like to retest, he/she may take the exam one more time in the Testing Center.
There are two restrictions on the retest: (1) the highest grade possible on the retest is 70%; and (2) the retest must be taken in the Testing Center within one week of the date the unit exam is given in class.
The higher of the two grades will be the one recorded for the student for that exam. If the student misses the unit exam in class for good cause (as determined by the instructor), he/she may take the exam on the date specified as a retest date, for the first time, with no restrictions on the grade.
There is no comprehensive final exam for this course. There is NO retest for the last unit exam.
The map test and three other exams will be averaged at the end of the semester, to determine the average
Unit Exam grade. The average unit exam grade is only one determining factor in your grade. Other factors include the bonus points for class attendance.
Each ACC campus offers support services for students with documented physical or psychological disabilities. Students with disabilities must request reasonable accommodations through the Office of
Students with Disabilities on the campus where they expect to take the majority of their classes. Students are encouraged to do this three weeks before the start of the semester.
The federal government requires that student privacy be preserved. Thus the posting of grades, even by the last four digits of a social security number, is forbidden. All communication will remain between the instructor and the student, and the instructor is bound not to share details of the student’s performance with parents, spouses, or friends.
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July 15
July 20
July 22
July 27
July 29
Aug. 4
June 17
June 22
June 24
June 29
July 1
July 6
July 8
July 13
HIST 1301
Summer 2009
June 1
June 3
June 8
June 10
June 15
N.A. Biehler
Section 054
SEMESTER SCHEDULE
Introduction/Syllabus; Ancient America, before 1492 Chapter 1
Europeans and the New World, 1492-1600
The Southern Colonies in the 17 th
Century, 1601-1700
MAP TEST
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
The Northern Colonies in the 17 th
Century, 1601-1700
Colonial America in the 18 th
Century, 1701-1760
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
UNIT 1 EXAM (Chapters 1-5) [Deadline for Make-up Test is June 23 rd
]
The British Empire and the Colonial Crisis, 1754-1775
The War for America, 1775-1783
Building a Republic, 1775-1789
The New Nation Takes Form, 1789-1800
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Republican Ascendancy, 1800-1824
The Expanding Republic, 1815-1840
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
STUDY DAY !
UNIT 2 EXAM (Chapters 6-11) [Deadline for Make-up Test is July 21 st
]
The Free North & West, 1840-1860
The Slave South, 1820-1860
The House Divided, 1846-1861
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
The Crucible of War, 1861-1865
Reconstruction, 1863-1877
UNIT 3 EXAM (Chapters 12-16)
SCANTRONS WILL BE NEEDED FOR ALL EXAMS!
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
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HIST 1301
Summer 2009
STUDENT INFORMATION
N.A. Biehler
Section 054
Please PRINT the following information. This information is for the instructor's use only, is kept confidential and is not given out to anyone without your written permission.
Today's Date: ______________
Name: ____________________________________________________
Mailing Address:
Please contact me at (check one): Home Phone __________ or Work Phone ________________
Hours per week employed: ___________ # Credits enrolled in this semester:
Home Phone: Best time to call this number:
Work Phone: Best time to call this number:
Email address: _________________________________
Leave Message at Phone Number:
In case of fire, do you need assistance in reaching building exits?
In this space, please write any special information about you that I should know, that may affect your performance in this course, particularly with respect to:
My signature below indicates that I have (1) received a copy of the syllabus and fully understand its contents; and (2) that I agree to work on the requirements for the letter grade of in this course.
I understand that a "D" grade MAY NOT transfer for U.S. History credit to another college or university.
Student's Signature:
____________________
Date:
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