Syllabus
Tulsa Community College
Spring 2015
Course: U.S. History Civil War-Present (Hist 1493)
Section #: 240
Day and Time: 8:00-9:20 M/W Room # 1323
Course Delivery Method: Lecture, Class Discussion, Assigned Reading, Written Assignments
Instructor: McWilliams, Rebecca A.
Office Hours: Before or After Class
and by appointment
Office Email: rebecca.gunter@tulsacc.edu and rmcwilliams86@yahoo.com
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course will provide an introduction to key themes and events
in the history of the United States from 1865 to the present. The purpose of this course is not to
test your ability to memorize facts and dates. Instead, it focuses more on teaching you to
understand how people have conceptualized past events and the ways their interpretations guide
or influence American society. Thus, this class centers on readings and discussions that push you
to consider the complexity of history.
TEXTBOOK:
Title: America: A Narrative History. Ninth Edition, Vol. Two
Author: George Brown Tindall and David Emory Shi
TEXTBOOK AND SUPPLIES MAY BE PURCHASED AT THE NORTHEAST CAMPUS
BOOKSTORE.
There will be outside readings that will be posted on blackboard as well as three books listed
below that can be purchased or loaned at any bookstore (online included) or library.
Title: Hiroshima
Author: John Hersey
Title: The Jungle
Author: Upton Sinclair
Title: Night
Author: Elie Wiesel
FOOD AND CELL PHONES: Please leave your cell phones on silent during class time. If for
some reason you need to have it available during the class period please speak to me before class
about the situation. There is NO texting during class. A pet peeve of mine is the clicking noise
that the buttons on phones make when people are texting so if I hear it I will call you out. Food
and drink during class time is fine as long as the drinks have caps and the drink is school
appropriate. Snacks are fine but on test day I ask that you do not bring any snacks, though you
can bring a drink. Don’t be the student crunching on chips in a quiet testing room. It’s gross!
TEACHING METHODS: This class will be conducted through lectures and notes and also
discussions on outside reading.
EVALUATION TECHNIQUES:
Final Paper- The final research paper in the class will be 8 pages long, double-spaced, with
Times New Romans 12 point font. You will need at least 6 or more sources for the paper. Two of
the sources should be books and four can be articles. Sources should be academic in nature and
be careful on any web sources that might not be credible (ex. Wikipedia, Buzzle, Huffington
Post). If you are worried whether or not a a site is credible please come and ask me. The paper
will be worth 400 points and must involve a subject of American history from 1865-present.
Your topic should be chosen or at least narrowed down by January 28th so that you will have
enough time to do your research. An outline of your sources should be turned in by March 4th.
The first draft of the paper will need to be turned in by April 1st and should be at least 4-5 pages
with an outline and sources so that I may read them before the paper meetings as posted in the
syllabus calendar. The first draft is worth 100 points. Any form of citation can be used MLA,
APA, Turabian, etc. but a bibliography is required as well as citations on all final papers or they
will not be graded.
Tests- There will be two tests each worth 125 points. Tests will be in short essay format about a
major historical figure, department or event (ex. Freedmen’s Bureau, The New Deal, J.P.
Morgan, etc.). There will be six options on the test but you are required to answer only 5 of the
options and you may choose to answer the sixth option for extra credit of 25 points.
Reading Notes- Reading notes are required on days of discussion as labeled in the syllabus
calendar. Notes can be informal in format but must be useful during time of discussion. They
should be one page or more, typed and also contain one discussion question for the class
discussion that day. They will be turned in at the end of discussion and are worth 10 points each.
There will be 8 reading notes in all. The notes are to help you during discussion so make them as
useful as possible.
Creative Writing Paper- You will choose one of the three books read in class: The Jungle, Night
or Hiroshima to base your creative writing paper. In the paper you will create a week long diary
(5-6 full pages, Times New Roman, 12 pt font) as if you were a person living through the event.
Events can be based off of the books but you can do some outside research to help flesh out your
story and you can embellish some. Your diary should not be a re-telling of one of the survivors
from the books read in class. Again, this is a creative writing assignment so use your imagination
to create a piece of historical fiction! The paper is worth 50 points and will be due on March 30th.
Participation- Participation is a key part of discussion time. Everyone must participate or it will
affect their grade. This is a time to come out of your shell and engage in discussion with the
other students. Every student will be responsible for leading one class discussion article that
will be included in your participation grade. When leading the class in discussion you will need
to provide a list of 10-15 questions about your article for the class that day. The questions should
be sent to the class at least one day before the day of discussion. Participation will be worth 50
points.
Attendance- Attendance is worth 50 points and excessive absences can also affect your
participation grade.
Presentations- Your presentations will be on the last two classes as posted in the syllabus. You
will present your paper topic to the class. The presentation does not need to be more than 10
minutes long but should include your thesis, a description of the sources you used, your
contribution to the originality of the paper and the final findings. The presentation will be worth
20 points.
GRADING SCALE: 1000/1000 points possible
1000-900
899-800
799-700
699-600
599-0
A
B
C
D
F
ATTENDANCE: Because of the class time format (two days a week for 1 hour and 20 minutes)
it is imperative that students do all that they can to attend all scheduled classes. If, however, an
absence is unavoidable, it is the responsibility of the student to contact the instructor as quickly
as possible. It is the student’s responsibility to acquire any notes from the missed class from the
other students.
LATE ASSIGNMENTS AND MAKE-UP WORK: Assignments are meant to be turned in on
the date shown in the syllabus calendar. The final paper and reading notes cannot be made-up
and will not be accepted late. Notes must be ready for the discussion that day. Tests can be made
up in very particular circumstances. The decision on whether or not you can make the test up and
the time and place will be at the discretion of the instructor.
EXTRA CREDIT POLICY: Extra credit assignments are possible throughout the semester.
Some are due to events that may arrive during the semester and others are at the discretion of the
instructor. If you are interested in some extra credit then please talk to me.
COURSE WITHDRAWAL: The deadline to withdraw from a course shall not exceed 3/4 the
duration of any class. Check the TCC Academic Calendar for the deadline that applies to the
course(s). Begin the process with a discussion with the faculty member assigned to the course.
Contact the Advisement Office at any TCC campus to initiate withdrawal from a course ('W'
grade) or to change from Credit to Audit. Withdrawal and/or change to an audit from a course
after the drop/add period can alter the financial aid award for the current and future semesters.
Students may receive an outstanding bill from TCC if the recalculation leaves a balance due to
TCC. Students who stop participating in the course and fail to withdraw may receive a course
grade of “F” or “AW”, which may have financial aid consequences for the student.
COMMUNICATIONS: Email: All TCC students receive a designated “MyTCC” email address
(ex: Jane.doe@tulsacc.edu). All communications to you about TCC and course assignments will
be sent to your MyTCC email address; and you must use MyTCC email to send email to, and
receive email from, the instructor regarding this course.
INCLEMENT WEATHER: TCC rarely closes. If extreme weather conditions or emergency
situations arise, TCC always gives cancellation notices to radio and television stations (The
News on 6). This information is also posted on the TCC website (www.tulsacc.edu).
GENERAL EDUCATION GOALS: Tulsa Community College graduates value cultural
diversity, ethical behavior, and the unique role of public education in sustaining a free society.
The following general education goals function independently and in concert. TCC graduates
demonstrate:
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Communication Skills - effective written, oral, visual, technological, and interpersonal
interactions.
Critical Thinking - aesthetic and qualitative reasoning for creative inquiry, analysis,
synthesis, and evaluation of information, both abstract and concrete.
Empirical Skills - problem solving and quantitative reasoning in support of scientific and
mathematical concepts.
Teamwork - the ability to collaborate in support of shared purposes and goals.
Personal Responsibility - choices and actions that recognize consequences and exhibit
ethical decision-making.
Social Responsibility - the ability to evaluate one’s own ethics and traditions in relation
to others and to embrace the diversity of human experience while engaging local,
regional, and global communities
CLASSROOM ETIQUETTE: Since there will be discussions during class time it is important
that you remain open and respectful of each other’s opinions, beliefs, and perspectives during
classroom discussions. Discussions should encourage the free exchange of ideas so that you may
learn from each other. Please learn the difference between a discussion and an argument. To
ensure the highest level of learning please be respectful to the other students in the class.
SYLLABUS CHANGES: Occasionally, changes to the syllabus may be necessary. Students
will be notified of any changes to the syllabus in writing.
DISABILITY RESOURCES: It is the policy and practice of Tulsa Community College to
create inclusive learning environments. Accommodations for qualifying students in compliance
with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act are
available. To request accommodations, contact the Education Access Center (EAC) at
eac@tulsacc.edu or call 918-595-7115 (Voice). Deaf and hard of hearing students may text 918809-1864.
ACADEMIC DISHONESTY: Academic dishonesty (cheating) is defined as the deception of
others about one’s own work or about the work of another. Academic dishonesty or misconduct
is not condoned or tolerated at campuses within the Tulsa Community College system. Tulsa
Community College adopts a policy delegating certain forms of authority for disciplinary action
to the faculty. Such disciplinary actions delegated to the faculty include, but are not limited to,
the dismissal of disrespectful or disorderly students from classes. In the case of academic
dishonesty a faculty member may:
* Require the student to redo an assignment or test, or require the student to complete a substitute
assignment or test;
* Record a "zero" for the assignment or test in question;
* Recommend to the student that the student withdraw from the class, or administratively
withdraw the student from the class;
* Record a grade of "F" for the student at the end of the semester.
Faculty may request that disciplinary action be taken against a student at the administrative level
by submitting such a request to the Dean of Student Services.
Course Drop or Withdrawal: A student who has been found responsible for academic dishonesty
in a course may not drop or withdraw from the course. If the student processes a drop or
withdrawal from the course, the action will be reversed and the appropriate grade will be
recorded on the student's transcript.
INSTITUTIONAL STATEMENT: Each student is responsible for being aware of the
information contained in the TCC Catalog, the TCC Student Policies & Resources Handbook,
and semester information listed in the class schedule. All information may be viewed on the TCC
website: www.tulsacc.edu
Tobacco Free College: Tulsa Community College is a Tobacco Free college in accordance with
the Governor’s Executive Order 2012-01 and Title 63 of the Oklahoma Statutes, Section 1-1523
which prohibits smoking or the use of any tobacco products in all public places, in any indoor
workplace, and all vehicles owned by the State of Oklahoma and all of its agencies and
instrumentalities. This Order includes property leased, rented, or owned by TCC including, but
not limited to, all grounds, buildings, facilities, and parking lots. Tulsa Community College’s
policy includes a tobacco free environment on all campus and off-campus locations conducting
TCC credit or non-credit classes. The TCC Campus Police is responsible for ensuring
compliance with the Tobacco-Free Environment Policy. Violations of the policy may be
addressed through issuance of campus or state citations.
TENTATIVE COURSE CALENDAR:
M-1/12: Introduction to syllabus
W-1/14: Reconstruction
Lecture/Notes
Tindall- Pgs. 538-576
M-1/19: NO CLASS
W-1/21: New South and The West
Lecture/Notes
Tindall- Pgs. 606-627
M-1/26: New South and The West
Discussion
Readings:
Frederick Turner’s Frontier Thesis
“Buffalo Bill Meet Dracula: William F. Cody, Bram Stoker, and the Frontiers of Racial Decay”
Ida B. Wells- Southern Horrors Excerpt
Darwin Excerpt
*Reading Notes Due
W-1/28: Industrialism
Lecture/Notes
Readings: Tindall- Pgs. 577-605 & 628-651
*Topic chosen for final paper due
M-2/2: NO CLASS
W-2/4: Gilded Age
Lecture/Notes
Readings: Tindall- Pgs. 652-717
M-2/9: Gilded Age
Discussion
Readings:
Orr- “Mary Elizabeth Lease: Gendered Discourse and Populist Party Politics in Gilded Age
America”
Riis- How the Other Half Lives Excerpts
Boas- “Eugenics”
*Reading Notes Due
W-2/11: Progressive Era and World War I
Lecture/Notes
Readings: Tindall- Pgs. 718-789
*Test Review Handout
M-2/16: Progressive Era and World War I
Discussion
Readings: Sinclair- The Jungle
Jones- “The Psychology of Killing: The Combat Experience of British Soldiers During the First
World War”
*Reading Notes Due
W-2/18: TEST #1
M-2/23: Great Depression and the New Deal
Lecture/Notes
Readings: Tindall- Pgs. 790-887
W-2/25: Great Depression and the New Deal
Discussion:
Readings: Steinback- Grapes of Wrath Excerpt
Carter- “Prohibition and Democracy: The Noble Experiment Reassessed”
Chasar- “The Sounds of Black Laughter and the Harlem Renaissance: Claude McKay, Sterling
Brown, Langston Hughes”
*Reading Notes Due
M-3/2: Movie Cinderella Man
W-3/4: Movie Cinderella Man
*Sources for final paper due
M-3/9: World War II
Lecture/Notes
Readings: Tindall- Pgs. 888-944
W-3/11: World War II
Discussion
Readings:
John Murnane- “Japan’s Monroe Doctrine?: Re-framing the Story of Pearl Harbor”
John Hersey- Hiroshima
*Reading Notes Due
M-3/16: NO CLASS- SPRING BREAK
W-3/18: NO CLASS- SPRING BREAK
M-3/23: Fair Deal and the 1950’s
Lecture/Notes
Readings: Tindall- Pgs. 945-1013
W-3/25: Fair Deal and the 1950’s
Discussion
Readings:
Friedan- The Feminine Mystique Excerpt
Elie Wiesel- Night
Schreker- “McCarthyism: Political Repression and the Fear of Communism”
*Reading Notes Due
M-3/30: Change and Rebellion of the 1960’s
Discussion
Readings:
King- “I Have a Dream”
King- “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”
Excerpt from the Autobiography of Malcolm X
*Reading Notes and Creative Writing Paper Due
W-4/1: Change and Rebellion of the 1960’s
Lecture/Notes
Readings: Tindall- Pgs. 1014-1089
*First Draft Due
M-4/6: Vietnam
Discussion
Readings:
Hall-“Vietnam Era Antiwar Movement”
Clark-“Remembering Vietnam”
Whittaker-“Psychological Warfare in Vietnam”
*Reading Notes Due
W-4/8: 1977-1990
Lecture/Notes
Readings: Tindall- Pgs. 1090-1127
M-4/13: American in the New Millennium
Lecture/Notes
Readings: Tindall- Pgs. 1128-1173
*Review Handout for Test
W-4/15: Paper Meetings
M-4/20: Paper Meetings
W-4/22: TEST #2
M-4/27: Presentations
W-4/29: Presentations
M-5/4: FINAL PAPER DUE
Final Paper Grading Rubric
Excellent 400360 (A)
Presents a
clear, well
developed,
complex intro
& thesis
Good 359-320
(B)
Presents a
clear, well
developed, intro
& thesis
Adequate 319280 (C)
Presents a
simple intro &
thesis with
limited
development
Poor 279-0
(D-F)
Intro & thesis
are confused
or
underdeveloped;
paper
is lacking one or
both
Knowledge
Demonstrates
superior
knowledge of
the subject
matter
Demonstrates
good
knowledge of
the subject
matter
Demonstrates
average
knowledge of
the subject
matter
Evidence/
Primary Sources
Supports
thesis and
main ideas
with
substantial,
relevant, &
accurate
evidence
Provides an
effective
analysis that
answers all
aspects of the
question;
thoroughly
addresses
counter
arguments
Supports
thesis and
main ideas
with
relevant, &
helpful
evidence
Supports
thesis and
main ideas
with limited, but
appropriate
evidence
Demonstrates
superficial or
insufficient
knowledge of
the subject
matter
Provides
minimal,
irrelevant, or
insufficient
evidence
Provides
analysis but
may not devote
equal weight to
all parts of the
question;
addresses
counter
arguments
Analysis is
present but
superficial; fails
to address
counter
-arguments;
does not
sufficiently
address all
parts of the
question
Introduction/
Thesis
Analysis
Little or no
analysis;
describes rather
than analyzes;
only answers
one part of the
question
Organization and Paper has
strong
Presentation
structure
and logical
flow, and
obvious
agreement
between
introduction
and
conclusion
Written
Expression
Writing
presents no
obstacles to
understanding;
high degree of
skill and
complexity
Paper has
structure and
logical flow;
loose
agreement
between
introduction and
conclusion
Paper has weak
structure,
understandable
flow and loose
agreement
between
introduction and
conclusion
Paper is
wandering;
incoherent, has
mismatched
introduction
and conclusion,
or lacks
either
Contains only
minor errors that
do not seriously
detract from the
essay/argument;
writing is
skillful
Contains some
errors that do
not seriously
detract from the
essay/argument;
writing is
competent
Contains major
errors or
numerous minor
ones that detract
from the
essay/argument
; writing is
inadequate
; illegible