HIST 300 Section 01
Early Field Experience in History
Professor Chris Endy Winter 2011
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 4:20 to 6:00 p.m.
Classroom: King Hall C4015
Instructor’s Office: King Hall C4076A
Office Phone: 323-343-2046
Email: cendy@calstatela.edu
Office Hours: Tues/Thurs 12:30 to 1:30, 3:15 to 4:15, and by appointment.
Instructor’s Web Page: http://www.calstatela.edu/faculty/cendy
Overview :
This class offers an introduction to history teaching. You will explore and evaluate different pedagogical philosophies and techniques, and you will practice translating those pedagogical insights into practical history assignments suitable for a high-school or middle-school history classroom.
Many of these assignments will involve group work. You will also engage in twenty hours of field experience by observing a high-school or middle-school classroom. You will record your thoughts and observations in a field journal, and then you will synthesize your findings with our earlier class readings and activities for a final paper.
Required Readings :
Eric Foner, The Story of American Freedom (New York: Norton, 1998).
Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed , 30th anniversary ed. (New York:
Continuum, 2000, orig. 1970).
Various articles on Electronic Reserve through JFK Library.
Students are expected to have a paper copy of each reading for the relevant class sessions.
Assignments and Grading :
Class Participation:
Responses (five of seven):
Group Lesson Plan
25%
15%
20%
Journal on Classroom Observations
Final Reflective Essay (10-15 pages)
15%
25%
• We will use a “+/-” system: A (93-100), A- (90-92), B+ (87-89), B (83-86),
B- (80-82), C+ (77-79), C (73-76), C- (70-72), D+ (67-69), D (60-66), F (0-59).
If you don’t understand the basis of the grade you received or if you disagree with the assessment, speak to the instructor—but only after letting twenty-four hours pass for you to absorb and reflect on the evaluation. Please also note that students will most likely receive a failing grade for the course if they miss five or more class sessions or fail to submit a major assignment.
Late Policy : Out of fairness to other students, late assignments will receive penalties. Late responses will be penalized 5% of their value for each class session late. Late journals will be penalize 5% for each day late. Late final papers are strongly discouraged and may result in a failing grade for the class.
• The Free Late: For one of the responses, you can submit the assignment one session after the due date with no penalty. Simply mark “Free Late” near the top when you submit it. You may only use this option once; choose wisely.
• NOTE: In case of a family or health emergency, special allowances may be made. Please contact me as soon as possible. If you suspect that you might have a problem meeting a deadline, please see me beforehand so that we can make a special arrangement.
Plagiarism: Plagiarism refers to the use of another author’s words or ideas without acknowledgement of this use. This includes copying from texts or webpages as well as submitting work done by somebody else. Other forms of plagiarism include altering a few words or the sentence structure of someone else’s writing and presenting it as your own writing (that is, without quotation marks or footnotes). Violators will receive at minimum a zero on the assignment and will be reported to University authorities.
Disabilities : Students with disabilities should be aware of the resources at the
Office for Students with Disabilities (Student Affairs Bldg 115, 343-3140).
Class Participation : We will spend a substantial part of our class time engaged in some activity other than lecture. Class participation is a part of your final grade and will reflect both attendance and engagement in class activities.
Failure to have a paper copy of each session’s relevant reading will hurt your participation grade. Missing more than two classes will also hurt your grade.
If you encounter obstacles to your participation in class (for whatever reason), please meet with me so we can work out a solution.
One final rule: to promote classroom cohesiveness, no laptops or other electronic devices are allowed in the classroom. (If you have a specific need for one, please consult with me for approval.)

CLASS SCHEDULE :
4 January: Course Introduction
6 January: What Makes a Good Teacher?
Elizabeth Green, “Building a Better Teacher,” New York Times , 2 March 2010
[E-Reserve]
11 January: What Purpose Does a Good Teacher Serve?
Freire, 29-86, but do not read footnote 3 on p. 76!
Response 1 Due
13 January: How Can Teachers Implement Active Learning?
Freire,
93-97, & 103-24
;
Jennifer Frost, ”Integrating Women and Active Learning in the U.S. History
Survey,” History Teacher 33 (May 2000): 363-70. [E-Reserve]
Response 2 Due
18 January: Building Content Knowledge and Pedagogical Skills
Foner, introduction and chapters 1, 2, and 3
Group Presentation on Note-Taking
Response 3 Due
**NOTE: With the Foner Responses (3, 4, 5, and 6), you are required to submit two of these four responses. Every student must submit responses 1, 2, and 7.
20 January: Building Content Knowledge and Pedagogical Skills
Foner, chapters 4, 5, and 6
Group Presentation on Analyzing Primary Sources
Response 4 Due
25 January: Building Content Knowledge and Pedagogical Skills
Foner, Chapters 7, 8, 9, and 10
Group Presentation on Writing Assignments
Response 5 Due
27 January: Building Content Knowledge and Pedagogical Skills
Foner, Chapters 11, 12 and 13
Group Presentation on Creative Assessment Methods
Response 6 Due
1 February: Group Planning for Lesson Plans
Roy Rosenzweig, “How Americans Use and Think about the Past: Implications from a National Survey for the Teaching of History,” in Knowing,
Teaching, and Learning History: National and International
Perspectives , eds. Peter N. Stearns, Peter Seixas, and Sam Wineburg
(New York: New York University Press, 2000), 262-83. [E-Reserve]
Response 7 Due
3 February: More Group Planning for Lesson Plans
8 February: Group Lesson Plan Presentation, Round 1
10 February: Group Lesson Plan Presentation, Round 2
15 February: Group Lesson Plan Presentation, Round 3
17 February: Group Lesson Plan Presentation, Round 4
22 and 24 February: Classroom Observations
Work on your journals! Turn them in as soon as you finish your observations.
1 March: Discussion on What You Saw and Learned in the Classroom
3 March: Discussion, cont.
Group Lesson Plans Due
8 March: Group Meetings with the Instructor
Last Day for Turning in Journals. Late penalties begin today.
10 March: Class Conclusion
17 March: Finals Week Thursday
Final Reflective Essay due in paper in my office by 7:00 pm
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