KENNESAW STATE UNIVERSITY
UNDERGRADUATE PROPOSAL
NEW COURSE (NOT General Education)
Course Prefix/Number/Title: HIST 2271
Course Title: Introduction to the History Profession
Credit Hours: 3-0-3
Prerequisites: HIST 1110, HIST 2111, HIST 2112 and EDUC 2111
(Prerequisites are courses or requirements that non-negotiable and must be successfully
completed by any student before enrolling in the course or program under consideration.
Corequisites are courses that can be taken before or in the same semester as the course under
consideration. Courses at the upper-division level will require lower-division competencies or
prerequisites.)
Course Description for the Catalog:
This reading and writing intensive course surveys basic methods and concepts relevant to the
discipline of history and teaching history. Students engage in the close reading of scholarly
historical work; learn and practice a variety of research methods; analyze historical sources;
learn and practice proper citation form; develop analytical papers, and a plan for teaching about a
specific historical topic. Course content will be focused on a particular historical theme or
period.
II. Justification for Course
A. Explain assessment findings which led to course development.
Faculty members in History and Philosophy who regularly teach the History Education Methods
class over the last three years have observed that students had difficulty connecting the concepts
and practices used in the field of history to the concepts and methods used for planning to teach
historical content in the secondary and middle grades classroom. The current HIST 2270 acts as
the foundation for the study of history, but in its current forms lacks an introduction to the
connections between understanding history as a discipline and thinking about teaching historical
content in organized and appropriate ways. In Spring 2010 and Fall 2010 two sections (4 total) of
HIST 2270 were “team taught” by a professor who designed the original 2270 and another who
teaches HIED 4413 regularly. These sections were open only to HIED majors and specifically
designed to cover all of the current content of HIST 2270 and additionally infuse concepts and
assignments that introduce students to certain concepts and assignments they will study in depth
in their HIED coursework. The proposed course is based on an assessment of the outcomes of
results of those sections. It maintains content and components that support student success in
their own college level history classes, but additional provides a foundation for greater success in
their history specific education course work. It addresses the two connected goals of an
introduction to the discipline and an introduction to teaching history as a subject.
B. Explain for Prerequisites:
1. What is the substance of content in each prerequisite that commands its inclusion as a
prerequisite to the proposed course?
HIST. 1110, HIST. 2111 and HIST. 2112 as prerequisites ensure that the students have a basic
level of knowledge of themes, content and chronology in U.S. history.
2. What is the desired sequence of prerequisites?
Not applicable.
3. What is the rationale for requiring the above sequence of prerequisites?
Not applicable.
4. How often are the required prerequisites offered?
Every semester.
C. Give any other justification for the course.
The course allows major concepts and practices in the history discipline to be delivered no
matter what theme or topic is covered (women's history, U.S. since 1945). All members of the
History Education faculty are qualified to teach history under SACS requirements, and most
regularly engage in teaching the HIED methods class or in field supervision. Additionally,
history faculty who regularly teach HIST 2270 have expressed a desire to work with the HIED
faculty to more fully address the needs of the pre-service teacher candidates in their classes. The
creation of this course will allow more faculty members to be involved in the delivery of a core
disciplinary course and will allow the department to offer a course specifically designed to meet
the outcomes for both the current HIST 2270 and outcomes designed provide a foundation for
the content specific methods class taken by HIED students their senior year. The designation of
the course that contains history teaching content with a separate number – HIST 2271—will
make it easier to assure that students who enroll in the course are declared History Education–
Interest or History Education majors.
III. Additional Information
A. Where does this course fit sequentially and philosophically within the program of study.
Area F, lower division requirements. Students are encouraged by their advisors to take this
course in their sophomore year so they have a basic understanding of the core concepts and
practices of the discipline. It will be added --as a substitute for HIST 2270-- to the prerequisites
for HIED 4413: Teaching of Social Sciences.
B. What efforts have been made to ensure that this course does not duplicate the content of other
college courses with similar titles, purposes, or content?
It is actually designed to include content and concepts in HIST 2270, but to add additional
concepts and material appropriate for those planning to teach history.
C. Where will the course be located in the program (elective, required in Area F, required or
elective for the major)? Indicate and justify its placement in the curriculum.
Area F, lower division requirements. Students are encouraged by their advisors to take this
course in their sophomore year so they have a basic understanding of the core concepts and
practices of the discipline. The content of the course that addresses ways of thinking about
planning for teaching will allow HIED students a foundation for an evaluation of how the
content courses they themselves take are organized and taught.
D. How often will this course be offered?
Every semester.
E. All sections of the course will be taught with the understanding that the following apply:
1. Purpose of the Course
The course is designed to introduce students to core concepts and practices in the history
discipline by focusing on a particular theme or period. The students regularly engage in the
close reading of scholarly historical work; learn and practice a variety of research methods;
analyze historical sources; practice properly citing references; develop analytical papers, and
develop a plan for teaching an historical topic. The students will cultivate good scholarly
practices that will benefit them in future content and research courses, and be introduced to
thinking about their future profession as teachers.
2. Objectives of the Course
At the end of this course, students will:
 be able to articulate what is encompassed by the discipline of history.
 recognize and follow ethical conventions of the discipline.
 understand the concept of an historical argument.
 know how to read monographs and articles in a scholarly way. Specifically, students will
be able to identify the author’s argument and type of evidence used; explain how the
author relates his/her argument to other work in that area; analyze the organization of the
piece and/or argument; and evaluate the author’s success in proving his/her argument.
 be able to identify different types of sources (primary/secondary).
 be able to locate secondary sources and book reviews using electronic and hardcopy
indices.
 know how to write a scholarly review.
 have visited and become familiar with the structure and philosophy of finding aids and
other research aids available in an archive.
 have become practiced in evaluating and interpreting primary resources.
 be able to develop a valid historical argument from primary sources.
 understand how academic historians locate and develop research topics, and be able to do
this themselves.
 understand how historians position their research within a larger framework, and be able
to do this themselves.
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know and be able to apply the Chicago Manual of Style as it is used by major journals in
the history profession.
have become practiced in giving formal presentations.
understand the differences between academic and public history.
have become practiced in planning, drafting, and completing formal written work. It is
expected that students will have completed a total of at least 15 pages of formal written
work at the conclusion of the course.
be able to use the National Council for the Social Studies thematic standards and the
Georgia Performance Standards in designing units/lessons of study.
know the elements of a formal lesson plan.
have practiced planning lessons for secondary (6-12) level history students.
2. Course Content
SEE SAMPLE SYLLABUS.
F. What instructional methodologies will be incorporated into the course to stimulate group
process, writing skills, multiculturalism, and educational outcomes?
The course has a heavy writing requirement that is required in the course objectives. Students
participate in group analysis of writing samples, work collaboratively on research problems.
Readings cover a range of cultural topics. Knowledge and skill acquisition is measured through
quizzes, projects, and papers.
G. Outline the plan for continuous course assessment. What are the department, school, college,
or professional standards which will be used for the assessment? How will it be determined that
the course is current, meeting the educational needs of students and responsive to educational
standards? How often will the course assessment be done by the department?
The department assesses HIST 2270 in its required 5-year review and through SACS review.
This course will be assessed at the same time in the same manner. The instructors of HIED 4413
will conpare (at the time the skills introduced in the course are used) the skill level of the
students who took HIST 2271 with those who took regularr sections of HIST 2270 or transferred
in with credit for another introductinon to the major course. Students also provide feedback
through the required course evaluation process.
H. Enclose a course syllabus.
V. COURSE MASTER FORM
This form will be completed by the requesting department and will be sent to the Office of the
Registrar once the course has been approved by the Office of the President.
The form is required for all new courses.
DISCIPLINE: History
COURSE NUMBER: HIST 2271
COURSE TITLE FOR LABEL: Intro. to the Hist. Profession
(Note: Limit 30 spaces)
CLASS-LAB-CREDIT HOURS: 3-0-3
Approval, Effective Semester: Fall 2011
Grades Allowed (Regular or S/U): Regular
If course used to satisfy CPC, what areas? ___________NA___________X____________
Learning Support Programs courses which are
required as prerequisites _______________________NA____________X_____________
APPROVED:
_____________________________________________________________________
Vice President for Academic Affairs or Designee
Submitted by:_______________Kay A Reeve, Ph.D.,
Faculty Member
_____16 December 2010 ___________
Date
____ Approved ___ Not Approved _____________________________________________________
Department Curriculum Committee
Date
____ Approved ___ Not Approved______________________________________________________
Professional Teacher Education Unit: Program Area* Date
____ Approved ___ Not Approved ______________________________________________________
Department Chair
Date
____ Approved ___ Not Approved_________________________________________________________
Teacher Education Council**
Date
____ Approved ___ Not Approved _______________________________________________________
College or School Curriculum Committee
Date
____ Approved ___ Not Approved _______________________________________________________
College or School Dean
Date
___ Approved ___ Not Approved________________________________________________________
Undergraduate Policies and Curriculum Committee Date
___ Approved ___ Not Approved _________________________________________________________
Dean of Undergraduate Studies
Date
___ Approved ___ Not Approved _________________________________________________________
President
Date
*The PTEU Program Area Committee collaborates closely with Department Curriculum Committees.
**Signature required for Teacher Preparation proposals (omit College or School Curriculum Committee).