Heartland Community College
Master Course Syllabus
Division: Social and Business Sciences
Course Prefix and number: HIST 150
Course Title: Latin American History
DATE PREPARED: July 15, 1992
DATE REVISED: Nov. 3, 2011
PCS/CIP/ID NO.: 11-549996
IAI NO. (if available): S2 910N
EFFECTIVE DATE OF FIRST CLASS: January 2012
CREDIT HOURS: 3
CONTACT HOURS: 3
LECTURE HOURS: 3
LABORATORY HOURS:
CATALOG DESCRIPTION (Include specific prerequisites):
Prerequisite: Completion of, or concurrent enrollment in, ENGL 101or equivalent.
This course is an introduction to Latin American history. As such, the cultural, economic,
political, and religious characteristics of the region will be discussed. The sixteenth, seventeenth,
and eighteenth centuries are the principal concern. The topics include the indigenous
civilizations of the Americas; the motives for, and the methods and results of, the Iberian
conquest and colonization; the struggle for independence from Spain; the national period; legacy
from the past and new dependency; and twentieth century Latin America. Though the emphasis
will be on the Spanish heritage, the course will include a brief examination of the Brazilian
experience.
TEXTBOOK(S):
Keen, Benjamin, and Keith Haynes. History of Latin America. 7th ed. Boston, MA: Houghton
Mifflin Company, 2009. Print.
RELATIONSHIP TO ACADEMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS AND
TRANSFERABILITY:
This course fulfills 3 hours of elective credit for the A.A. and A.S. degrees. It should transfer to
most colleges and universities as an elective course. However, since it is not part of either the
General Education Core Curriculum or a baccalaureate major program described in the Illinois
Articulation Initiative, students should check with an academic advisor for information about its
transferability to other institutions. Refer to the IAI web page at www. itransfer.org for more
information.
COURSE OBJECTIVES (Learning Outcomes):
Learning Outcome
General
Education
Outcomes
Range of Assessment
Methods
Distinguish between primary and secondary sources as the
foundation of modern historical scholarship from 1400 to
1865.
PS1
exams, quizzes, research
paper, group project, other
methods
Interpret primary sources critically by analyzing their
historical contexts.
CT3
exams, quizzes, research
paper, group project, other
methods
Formulate historical interpretations, both in discussion and in CO4
writing, and defend them critically with reference to primary
and secondary sources.
exams, quizzes, research
paper, group project, oral
report, other methods
Incorporate into historical interpretations, both in discussion
and in writing, an understanding of historical causation
reflecting a) knowledge of important figures and events and
their chronological relationship to each other and b) an
awareness of the contingent relationships.
exams, quizzes, research
Paper, group project, oral
report, other methods
CT3
Acquire at one and the same time a comprehension of diverse DI3
cultures and shared humanity, as evidenced both orally and in
writing.
exams, quizzes, research
paper, group project, oral
report, other methods
COURSE/LAB OUTLINE:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
The Ancient Peoples of the Americas
The Reconquista and the Conquistadors
Colonial Spanish America
The Brazilian Experience: From Outpost to Empire
Creole and Peninsulars: The Struggle for Independence
The Forging of New Nations
The Revolutionary Americas
Modern Latin America and the New Dependence
METHOD OF EVALUATION:




2 – 4 examinations
Quizzes as deemed appropriate by the instructor
1 research paper of 5 – 10 pages
Additional assignments as deemed appropriate by the instructor
which might include but are not limited to: reaction papers,
group projects, and oral reports
GRADING SCALE
90-100=A
80-89=B
70-79=C
60-69=D
Below 60 =F
REQUIRED READING AND WRITING:
This course requires approximately 30-40 pages of reading per week or 500 per semester. A
minimum of 15 pages of college level writing is required in this course. Writing assignments
include papers of various lengths, essay exams and various projects as deemed appropriate by the
instructor.