Pre Civil War U.S. History.
Fall 2013
Office Hours: See Website →
Assoc. Prof. J. Stratton
e-mail: jstratto@bakersfieldcollege.edu
http://www2.bakersfieldcollege.edu/jstratton/
History 17a
M/W: 1-2:25pm
Textbook: AMERICAN HISTORY Connecting with the Past, Vol I, [14th edition], Alan
Brinkley, et al. w/ built in reader.
This class is a survey of the historical development of the United States of America, from
the Colonization of the New World to Reconstruction. We will be reviewing the major
cultural, economic, intellectual, political, social and territorial events, the people involved
in these events, and the reason they are important to the history of the United States.
Available in bookstore: I don’t have this volume’s ISBN but they do.
Section
71282
Course
Days Times
U.S. History MW 1-2:25pm
Location
H12
Dates
8/26-12/09
Final Exam Date
12/11 12-1:50 pm
CLASS SLO’S [OBJECTIVES]
1.
All students will develop an understanding of the major events and people who have shaped the
development of the United States up to 1876, and be able to identify them correctly on examinations.
2.
Every student will develop an understanding of the common humanity shared by the residents of the
United States by noting the similarities and differences in the development of diverse local cultures
based on specific sets of historically physical or cultural circumstances. The student will be able to
demonstrate this understanding through their answers on examinations and in their research paper.
3.
Every student will develop their critical thinking skills through logical analysis of historical
information, to be able to understand modern issues more effectively. The students will demonstrate
this skill in their essays, their research papers and through class discussion. There will be periodic
readings of primary [and other] documents [in translation, as necessary] and analysis during this
course to develop these skills.
4.
All students will develop an open, inquisitive mind through their investigations into diverse
interpretations of historical events and personalities. The attainment of this objective is recognized
through the class discussions, their research papers and their exam answers.
5.
Every student will develop a more thorough understanding of history through the accomplishment of
a scholarly historical research paper, thus demonstrating an awareness of the various sources of
accurate information as well as demonstrating the ability to express them in a written fashion. This
will amount to no less than 10 pages of writing for the semester.
6.
Every student will demonstrate their knowledge of the major events and personalities that have
shaped the cultures of the world through satisfactory performance upon the examinations/tests taken
in class.
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In accordance with KCCD district policy, all students who have verified needs will be provided educational
accommodations. . “Students with disabilities who believe they may need accommodations in this class are
encouraged to contact Supportive Services (661-395-4334), 1st floor Student Services Bldg., or the alternate
pathway, as soon as possible to better ensure such accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion.”
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
1. ALL CELL PHONES MUST BE TURNED OFF [or on vibrate mode] AT ALL TIMES IN THE
CLASSROOM!! You will be asked to leave the class for the day if you take calls during class.
Participation points will be docked for phone utilization: whether you are using it or a friend calls/texts
you during class.
2. Utilization of the college assigned @email.bakersfieldcollege.edu address for email communications and
receipt of study aids: I will not respond to any other email accounts/addresses.
Note: my desk phone does not work properly. It rings but does not inform me of waiting
messages. If you wish to leave me a message that I will get, email me.
3. Submission of signed acknowledgment form from end of syllabus on second day.
4. Concurrent reading in the textbook of materials covered in class.
5. Attendance. Plainly and simply, be there. Any student who is not in attendance on the first day WILL BE
DROPPED THAT DAY.
 Note: you are a college student. If you family plans a vacation, it needs to be planned around
the college calendar, not have our courses planned around your holidays. Be here.
 Also: Students who repeatedly leave the class for the day will have that day counted as a nonparticipating day, and after 4 of those said student may be dropped by the instructor for failure
to attend.
6. Successful completion of Student Success Assignment, all three exams, the Final Exam, and Term Paper.
See my website for downloading of the Student Success Assignment. It is on the ‘course
materials’ page, as it is a course material.
7. Completion of both Critical Thinking assignments.
8. All documents must be submitted already stapled: do not ask me for one, do not turn one in without a
staple, and do not ask to turn it in late just so you can staple it.
9. Compliance with the student “Standards of Conduct”, as listed in the Catalog. This requirement boils
down to treating everyone with the respect you wish to receive.
COURSE POLICIES
1.
GRADING
The final grade for this course will be determined by student proficiency, as measured in the following
formula:
a.
Completion of Student Success assignment
5
b.
Attendance and class participation: [½ pt off per day missed]
5
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c.
d.
e.
Three exams [worth 15% each]: average of 2 highest, times
Research Paper:
percentage, times
Final Exam:
percentage, times
Total:
f.
Critical Thinking Assignments [2], extra credit:
30
30
30
100%
10%
This calculation reflects the dismissal of one exam score due to whatever reason you choose.
If you complete every test, the lowest test score [in section B] will be dropped.
Also, letter grades are earned based on the ‘traditional’ scale
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2.
90%+ = A
80-89.99% = B
70-79.99% = C
60-69.99 = D
0.01-59.99= F.
STUDENT SUCCESS ASSIGNMENT.
This assignment is accessed ONLY through my
webpage, on page
http://www2.bakersfieldcollege.edu/jstratton/Student%20Success%20info/Student%20Success%20Assignment%20web%
20format.htm [if you try to type this, keep in mind that all “%20” marks is a translation of a space in the actual typing of
the words.]
Follow ALL directions there and submit ALL items printed, after completing them.
 This will require about 2 hours of internet usage on a computer and access to a
printer. The college library is available to everyone if this is an issue.
 Only print what it says to ‘print for submission’ or ‘print’. DO NOT PRINT
EVERYTHING.
3.
ATTENDANCE AND CLASS PARTICIPATION.
Everyone starts with 5 Participation points and you lose them for failure to participate in class. The fastest
way to lose them is by not attending.
 Attendance is also necessary for successful completion of the course, as you will be tested on
information from both the book and class lectures, but the lecture may include data not in the
textbook.
 If you absolutely must miss class, you are solely responsible for obtaining the material covered that
day. I will not give my lecture notes out nor will I spend another hour emailing/talking to you about
every detail we covered in class. Contact your fellow students to get copies of notes.
 If you must be absent, you need to notify the instructor that you will be missing said class to avoid
being penalized for lack of participation [your contact is a form of participation].
Unfortunately, due to budget cuts the college can no longer post ‘cancelled class’ notices on the doors when
the instructors are ill. Thus, all cancelled class notifications will be sent via insideBC announcement [and
email] to the entire class roster, and will arrive in your ‘bakersfield college’ address. If I am not there
within 15 minutes of our start time [sometimes students are in my office and can’t understand ‘I have to get to class’], be
sure you check your email addresses.
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4.
CRITICAL THINKING ASSIGNMENTS
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5.
I have prepared a 3 page explanation of the critical thinking assignments that will be required in this
class.
o This explanation is located in insideBC, in the files section for this course.
In summary, students are required to write two essays in which they will identify certain
characteristics of assigned articles [from the course reader] or sections of the textbook.
This is required, yet the points earned will count as extra credit for the course, based on how well you
did on both assignments.
o You must do both assignments or no points are earned.
o Again, the explanation is 3 pages long, and is a stand-alone document in insideBC.
EXAMS
All exams will consist of at least three sections of approximately these ratios:
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6.
30% matching
20% short answer
30% multiple choice
20% essay.
In order for the essays to count, they must be written on the reverse side of each exam sheet.
The final exam is cumulative, but the completed tests will be your study guides for the ‘review’
sections.
You will never need a blue-book or Scantron form for the tests, nor will blank paper be used on
the essays. You’ll write directly on the test.
There will be one required essay question which all students must attempt, and there will be a
second one which all students may attempt for extra credit.
RESEARCH PAPER
A scholarly research paper is required of all student upon a topic of your choosing.
This paper will consist of between 7 to 9 pages of text, plus a title page, textual documentation and a
bibliography, in an approved format. Please consult with the professor or librarian if you need assistance
with documentation formats.
 The B.C. Library has a lot of information to help with documentation and searching. Check out its
website and/or go there in person: http://www.bakersfieldcollege.edu/library/
General requirements for this paper are:
a.
7 to 9 pages of your own textual writing, double-spaced, single-sided, and typed with
1” margins and font size of 10-12 pts only.
 7 pages means written from top to bottom of ALL 7 pages, not 6 and 1/8th
pages of writing.
b.
A title page, documentation [endnote, footnote, parenthetic citation or in-source
citation] and a bibliography.
c.
Use of 5-8 scholarly sources [only one may be an encyclopedia or a textbook], listed
in an approved bibliographical format [APA, MLA, CMS are all acceptable].
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d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
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Only 1/3 of all sources used may come from the Internet, unless they are printed
works that are only accessed through the Internet [gale network &ebsco-host, for
example].
Proper documentation of information with appropriate citations throughout text.
Proper spelling, punctuation, and grammar throughout the paper, written in an
academic style.
A title page consisting of: title of paper, student’s name, class name and crn,
instructor’s name, and date of submission. Pictures and style are at writer’s discretion.
Topic: You have free choice, as long as it satisfies these three criteria:
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It must relate to the subject we are studying this semester.
2.
It must relate to the time-frame the course is covering.
3.
It must demonstrate the historical relevance/importance of the
subject in an academic manner, in each paragraph.
Any charts or photographs should be attached in an appendix with textual comments
such as ‘see appendix ‘A’’. Charts and images do NOT count toward the 7-9 page
word count.
all papers turned in must include 2 copies. One for me to return to you and one for me
to keep.
ALL research papers must be turned in by the due date to receive full credit, in hard copy [printed
paper, not emailed/digital copy] form!
ALL papers must be stapled at the time they are turned in, or they will NOT be accepted!
I am VERY happy to help anyone with writing a paper, if you come to me EARLY. Do not expect
much help if you ask me 3 days before it’s due.
I advise that you write the paper early and allow me to proofread it for you.
 I will not be accepting drafts for comment within 2 weeks of the due date.
You MAY turn it in earlier than the due date, to avoid being dropped.
Since you may turn it in early, there is no acceptable reason for turning it in late.
7.
PLAGIARISM AND CHEATING
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Any student caught in either of these activities will be subject to prosecution to the fullest extent of
what the college board allows, ranging from reprimands to expulsion.
Regardless of what the board decides, there will be two immediate consequences: an instant F on the
assignment and a loss of trust by the instructor.
On exams I will NOT disrupt the class by confronting you with your cheating. I will let you sweat
through and finish the exam, thinking you got away with it. However, I will make a note and you will
receive zero % credit for that assignment. A second offense will result in my taking this behavior to
the department chair and dean to see what they wish to do.
Plagiarism is generally understood as either using someone else’s paper/essay for your own or using
phrases/quotes/ideas/facts from some other source without identifying which source provided you
with that specific piece of information. Either behavior will result in receiving a 0% for the
assignment.
The following are guidelines of what not to do on an exam, unless you wish to receive an automatic
0% for that assignment. This is not an ‘all-inclusive’ list, but gives the general outlines. Basically,
keep your eyes on YOUR paper during the exam, don’t talk to anyone and keep your
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phone/ipod/electronic devices in your pocket/pack, in the ‘turned off’ state and you will have NO
problems. Ignore any of the following and you will not be pleased with the outcome.
o DO NOT LOOK AT OTHER PEOPLE’S EXAMS WHILE WORKING ON YOURS.
o DO NOT LOOK AT YOUR CELL PHONE [THERE IS A CLOCK IN CLASS] DURING
EXAMS [I know it is possible to surf the web or text a friend for answers. Thus all use of cell
phones during exam time will be considered cheating].
o DO NOT TALK TO ANYONE DURING THE TEST, FOR ANY REASON, UNLESS YOU
HAVE CHECKED WITH ME FIRST.
o DO NOT USE ANY OTHER PAPER THAN THAT PROVIDED DURING THE EXAM:
USE OF ANYTHING ELSE WILL BE CONSIDERED CHEATING.
o DO NOT SLIP ANY NOTES TO ANYONE ELSE DURING A TEST, WHETHER YOU
ARE FINISHED OR NOT.
o WHEN YOU ARE FINISHED, DO NOT PULL OUT NOTES OR YOUR BOOK IF THERE
ARE PEOPLE WITHIN 4 CHAIRS OF YOU IN ANY DIRECTION WHO ARE STILL
WORKING ON THE EXAM. Generally, unless you are in a night class, you will be finished
for the day once you have finished the exam. Ask if you have any doubts.
You are better than this, so don’t do it. Respect your abilities and the effort others have put into
their assignments and studying. Don’t belittle either by cheating.
8.
DROPS
There are many people trying to get into very few seats, due to financial cuts the college has been forced
to experience due to our state budget woes. As a result, we invariably have more people wanting a class
than we have room for. This is NOT high school. There is no government requirement that you go to
college. It is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to attend and do well. If you don’t think this is your cup of tea,
please drop the class to make room for someone willing to do the work. To try to give motivated
students a shot at being enrolled in this class, I try to motivate you to stay-or leave, if you don’t want to
work.
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Any student who is not in attendance on the first day, or who has not emailed me prior to the end of
said class about their absence, WILL BE DROPPED THAT Day by the instructor.
All drops are the responsibility of the student, who must drop the class through BanWeb to officially
drop the course.
 Failure to attend classes does not mean you have dropped it. It means you are absent
and not completing the assignments. The majority of the F grades earned in my
courses come from those who either quit showing up or who don’t complete
assignments.
However, I reserve the right to drop students who have failed to attend the course on a regular basis
[missing 4 or more classes], especially during the first few weeks. I may not exercise that right, but I
reserve it.
 If you must miss a class, send an email to me or run the risk of being dropped.
Email: jstratto@bakersfieldcollege.edu
My phone does not inform me of waiting messages, so do not leave a message there: leave me an email. If I
am in the office when it rings I do pick up, but I don’t know when there is a message or not.
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APPROXIMATE SCHEDULE OF CLASS SESSIONS: Due dates for Student Success Assignment,
Research paper and Final exam dates will not change, others may vary as announced in class.
Assignments from the READER/PRIMARY SOURCE
Documents will be added by the end of the first week.
SCHEDULE OF CLASS SESSIONS
Week #1:
Week beginning August 26th.
Introduction and Meeting of Cultures.
Textbook: Chapter 1
Reader:
Introduction
Week #2:
Week beginning September 2nd.
Monday: Holiday
Wednesday: Syllabus acknowledgement due.
Wednesday: Critical Thinking Assignment #1 due [see files in
insideBC]
Meetings of Cultures and The settlement of the colonies.
Textbook: Chapters 1 and 2.
Reader:
Week # 3.
Week beginning September 9th.
Monday: Check messages in insideBC. Class may have alternate
assignment that day due to impending Jury Duty.
Nature of History lecture
Wednesday:Student Success Assignment
on professor’s website] due.
[located
Social History and the path to revolution
Textbook: Chapters Three and Four.
Reader:
Week # 4.
Week beginning September 16th.
The Path to Revolution finishes
Textbook: Chapter 4
Reader:.
Wednesday: Exam #1.
Week # 5.
Week beginning September 23rd.
The American Revolution
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Textbook: Chapter Five.
Reader:
Week # 6.
Week beginning September 30th.
Finish the Revolution and begin a new nation and our constitution;
Textbook: Chapters Five and Six.
Week # 7.
Week beginning October 7th.
The Constitutional era and Jeffersonian America
Textbook: Chapters Six and Seven.
Reader:
Week # 8.
Week beginning October 14th.
Finish Jeffersonian America and the Rise of American Nationalism
Textbook: Chapters Seven and Eight.
Wednesday: Research Papers Due-2 copies.
Week # 9.
Week beginning October 21st.
Monday: Exam #2
Finish Jackson’s era and Foundation of American Industry
Textbook: Chapters Nine and Ten.
Reader:
Week # 10. Week beginning October 28th.
Finish American Industry, as well as the ‘old’ south.
Textbook: Chapters Ten and Eleven
Reader:
Week # 11. Week beginning November 4th.
Antebellum Cultural History: the Era of Reform
Textbook: Chapter Twelve
Reader:
Week # 12. Week beginning November 11th.
Monday: Exam #3
Westward expansion and the path to Civil War
Textbook: Chapter Thirteen
Reader:
Week # 13 Week beginning November 18th.
The path to Civil War.
Textbook: Chapter Thirteen
Reader:.
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Week # 14. Week beginning November 25th.
The [un]Civil War in America
Textbook: Chapter Fourteen
Reader:
Week # 15. Week beginning December 2nd.
Monday: Critical Thinking Assignment #2 due.
Reconstruction in American History
Textbook: Chapter Fifteen
Reader:
Week # 16. Week beginning December 9th.
FINAL EXAM: Wednesday the 11th, 12-1:50 pm
Student performance record.
Participation: # of days missed = ____x .5 [or ½] = _____.
5 pts – [above end number] _____ =
______pts
Student Success assignment points earned [out of 5]
______pts
=
Test # 1= __________%
Test #2 = __________%
Test #3 = __________%
Test Average [of two highest] =
______________%
Convert all percentages to a decimal, then multiply by the proper factor
Test Average
= __________% =
.__________ x 30 =
________pts
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Research Paper =
___________% =
__._________
x 30 =
________pts
Final Exam =
___________% =
__._________
x 30 =
________pts
Semester Grade= [add all points and they become a percentage out of 100] __________%
Remember, letter grades are associated with the ‘traditional’ scale of 90%+ = A, 80-89.99% = B, 7079.99% = C, 60-69.99 = D, etc.
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Student acknowledgement of syllabus requirements
Professor J. Stratton’s History Course.
Print name in this space
I, ____________________________________________, a student enrolled in the above described class] by
signing below hereby acknowledge that I have read the syllabus and understood it.
 I recognize that my BC email address will be used to inform me of cancelled classes and to deliver
study material periodically throughout the semester, and I will take responsibility to learn how to use
my BC address for academic communications. ______________[initials]
 I further understand that all students enrolled at B.C. are provided with free email addresses and have
free access to both said address and the internet through the college’s computer labs, such as in the
library. ____________[initials]
 I also acknowledge that the schedule of readings/lectures and ‘mid-term’ dates are approximations
that may change based upon fluctuations throughout the semester [with the exception of the final
exam: That date is established by BC and thus unchangeable]. Updated readings and exam dates will
be provided throughout the semester both in class and in emailed updates as deemed necessary.
__________ [initials]
 However, I understand that the due dates for the Student Success Assignment and Research Papers
are as set in stone as the final exam. They are independent of the lecture/class discussions and, as
such, are fixed dates. Furthermore, failure to submit either assignment on the scheduled due date
WILL result in my being dropped from the class. I know I can always turn it in early. ___________
[initials].
 I further understand the policy regarding cheating and will do my own work this semester.
___________ [initials]
Signed,
_________________________________________
Course Name and CRN:
Date: _______________________
____________________________________________________
Mark the appropriate section to refer to your status on day 1.
Enrolled: __________
Waitlisted: __________ [on first day]
To be signed and returned on the third day of class, no later than our class
period.
Electronic submissions of this form to my email address are acceptable, but
must be done BEFORE the end of our third class.
Failure to do so results in being dropped from the
roster or the wait list as soon as I return to my office on
the third day of class.
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