Writing Course Review Form (1/12)
I. General Education Review – Writing Course
Dept/Program
Course # (i.e. ENEX
HSTA
385
Subject
200)
Course Title
American Families and Children
II. Endorsement/Approvals
Complete the form and obtain signatures before submitting to Faculty Senate Office.
Please type / print name Signature
Instructor
Anya Jabour
Phone / Email
anya.jabour@umontana
.edu
Program Chair
John Eglin
Dean
Jenny McNulty
III. Type of request
New
X
One-time Only
Reason for new course, change or deletion
Date
Change
X
Remove
The History Department seeks to provide
more Writing courses prior to the UDW
requirement. HSTA 385 is not a new course;
the instructor is simply requesting approval
for the Writing designation.
IV Overview of the Course Purpose/ Description: Provide an introduction to the subject
matter and course content.
This course offers an historical overview of families and children in America from the colonial era to
the present. Goals for this course include achieving an understanding of the changing patterns of
family life, including children’s experiences, from the nation’s founding to the present; learning to read
both primary and secondary sources carefully and comparatively; and improving speaking and writing
skills.
V Learning Outcomes: Explain how each of the following learning outcomes will be achieved.
Students will practice writing throughout the
Student learning outcomes :
semester, writing short essays on particular
Use writing to learn and synthesize new
topics and completing essay exams that will
concepts
synthesize course material to date.
Students’ writing will be evaluated on the
Formulate and express written opinions and
basis of a rubric that includes argumentation
ideas that are developed, logical, and
and evidence.
organized
Students will use the standard 5-paragraph
Compose written documents that are
appropriate for a given audience, purpose and essay format described in the syllabus.
context
Revise written work based on constructive
comments from the instructor
Students will re-write one essay based on
instructor comments.
Find, evaluate, and use information
effectively and ethically (see
http://www.lib.umt.edu/informationliteracy/)
Begin to use discipline-specific writing
conventions
Demonstrate appropriate English language
usage
VI. Writing Course Requirements
Enrollment is capped at 25 students.
If not, list maximum course enrollment. Explain
how outcomes will be adequately met for this
number of students. Justify the request for
variance.
What instructional methods will be used to teach
students to write for specific audiences, purposes,
and genres?
Students will be required to locate
appropriate information, evaluate sources
critically, and use information to support an
argument.
Students will provide documentation
according to the Chicago Manual of Style.
Students will be evaluated on grammar and
spelling.
Enrollment is capped at 25 students.
Weekly class discussions will include
writing instruction. Students will use a
guideline and a rubric when preparing
assignments. Students will receive
written feedback on assignments.
Which written assignments will include revision in Students will re-write one 2-page essay
response to instructor’s feedback?
based on instructor comments.
VII. Writing Assignments: Please describe course assignments. Students should be required to
individually compose at least 16 pages of writing for assessment. At least 50% of the course grade
should be based on students’ performance on writing assignments. Clear expression, quality, and
accuracy of content are considered an integral part of the grade on any writing assignment.
Formal Graded Assignments
Five 2-page essays (including one
rewrite)
Two 5-page essays (midterm and final)
20 pages of formal graded assignments
over the course of the semester.
75% of course grade based on written
work.
Informal Ungraded Assignments
N/A
VIII. Syllabus: Paste syllabus below or attach and send digital copy with form. 
For assistance on syllabus preparation see: http://teaching.berkeley.edu/bgd/syllabus.html
The syllabus must include the following:
1. Writing outcomes
2. Information literacy expectations
3. Detailed requirements for all writing assignments or append writing assignment instructions
Paste syllabus here.
History 385H: Families and Children in America Prof. Anya
Jabour
E-mail: anya.jabour@umontana.edu
Phone: 243-4364
10-11 a.m.
Office: LA 254
Office Hours: MWF
Course Description and Goals:
This course offers an historical overview of families and children in America from the colonial
era to the present. We will look at family life in an array of settings, including immigrant
tenements, slave quarters, and the western frontier. Topics for discussion will include changing
attitudes toward children and youth, the relationship between the American family and the
modern welfare state, and debates over “family values” from the nation’s founding to the
present.
Goals for this course include achieving an understanding of the changing patterns of family life,
including children’s experiences, from the nation’s founding to the present; learning to read both
primary and secondary sources carefully and comparatively; and improving speaking and writing
skills.
This course counts toward the “Historical and Cultural” perspective for General Education
requirements and fulfills one of the “U.S.” courses required of history majors. It also may be
used toward a Women’s Studies emphasis within the Liberal Studies major or toward a minor in
Women’s and Gender Studies. If you have questions about either the History Department or the
Women’s and Gender Studies Program, please feel free to discuss them with me.
Course Readings:
All readings are contained in Anya Jabour, ed., Major Problems in the History of
American Families and Children (2005). This text is available for purchase in the UM
Bookstore and is also on reserve at Mansfield Library.
Course Requirements and Grading:
Course requirements are designed to foster and measure achievement of the goals listed above.
This class will follow a lecture-discussion format; on lecture days (generally Mondays and
Wednesdays) information will be presented in class to provide a general overview of the topic
for that week, while on discussion days (generally Fridays) we will emphasize active
involvement in the learning process through discussion of the assigned readings. To facilitate
discussion, practice historical analysis, and improve your writings skills, you are required to
write four short (2-page) papers over the course of the semester, each based on the readings for
that week. You will choose one of these papers to rewrite. Each short essay, including the
rewritten essay, will count for 5 percent of your grade. Your comprehension of the course
material also will be evaluated on essay-style midterm and final exams. Overall, half of your
grade will be based on attendance, participation, and papers, and half of your grade will be based
on performance on the exams, as follows:
Attendance/Participation:
Short Essays (10 pp. total):
Midterm Exam (5 pp.):
Final Exam (5 pp.):
25 percent
25 percent
25 percent
25 percent
Attendance and Participation:
Attendance and participation are vital to your success in this class (and will count for 25%of
your overall grade). Missing lectures will cause you to fall behind in your understanding of the
material, thus leading to poor performance on the exams. Missing discussion days will result in
an immediate lowering of your grade. Each student is permitted two “free” absences from
discussion days. (Late arrivals and early departures will each count for one-half of an absence.)
Thereafter, each absence will lower your attendance/participation grade by a full letter grade: a
third absence will result in an attendance grade of B, a fourth in an attendance grade of C, a fifth
in an attendance grade of D, and a sixth in an attendance grade of F. Under extraordinary
circumstances, such as a documented personal, family, or medical emergency, you may have one
additional “excused” absence. All absences for university-related events (“away” games, Model
UN, etc.) or public service (jury duty, Army Reserves) will be excused with written
documentation. Additional work will be required for all excused absences and should be
arranged in advance except in emergencies.
Good participation is also very important. Discussion days will revolve around your comments
and questions about the reading and other classroom material. This means that the quality of
your preparation and your contributions are essential. First of all, of course, this means that you
must read the material carefully and think about what you would like to say about it in class (see
below). Next, come to class prepared to speak, but be sensitive to others’ comments, too.
Listening and posing questions, as well as offering insights, are important discussion skills.
Listen to your peers, encourage them to expand on their points, offer supporting comments or
alternative viewpoints, and above all, always connect your comments to the reading! Everybody
brings a different perspective to the class, but the text is our common ground.
Careful reading is essential to every aspect of this class. With the exception of the first chapter,
each chapter in your textbook contains both essays and documents. Essays are secondary
sources written by professional historians. As you read the essays, pay special attention to (and
take notes on) these points:
 What is the author’s argument, or thesis?
 What evidence does the author present in support of her/his argument?
 How does the essay relate to other class material (lectures and documents)?
Each chapter also contains documents. Documents are primary sources written by historical
actors. As you read each document, think about (and take notes on your answers to) these
questions:






Who wrote the document?
When was the document produced?
Where was the document made?
What is the document about?
Why is the document interesting or significant?
How does the document support, modify, or contradict relevant material in the secondary
sources (essays) and/or in lecture?
Short Essays:
Your short essays serve several important purposes. They allow you to “rehearse” for class
discussion by writing out your ideas before expressing them verbally in class. They encourage
you read carefully and to make connections between the readings. They provide you with a
study guide for the midterm and final exams. Finally, they give you the opportunity to improve
your historical analysis and your writing skills week by week.
Over the course of the semester, you will complete four short essays based on primary
source materials, or documents. Each essay should be two typed, double-spaced pages
long. You are required to re-write one of the essays. The grade on the rewritten essay
will replace the grade on the original. You may earn up to 25 points for each essay, for a
total of 100 possible points over the entire semester. Use the guidelines (or rubric)
below:
Describe the document. Who produced the document and/or what group(s) does it
describe? When was the document produced and/or what time period does it describe?
Where did the document originate and/or what place (country, region, state, city) does it
describe? (1/2 page; 5 points)
Summarize the document. What is the document about? What information does it
contain? What class themes/topics does it address? (1/2 page; 5 points)
Analyze the document. Why is the document interesting or significant? How does it
support, contradict, or modify other class material (lectures or essays)? N.B.: Be sure to
include at least one specific example and/or quotation in your response to these questions
and to indicate the page(s) where they can be found. (1 page; 10 points)
Use logical organization and proper spelling, punctuation, grammar, and
documentation. See below for proper documentation, or consult the Chicago Manual of
Style. See attached guidelines for Five-Paragraph Essay for logical organization. (5
points)
Include a complete citation for your document in the heading or title page of your paper,
using the following format:
“Puritan Minister Cotton Mather Describes ‘a Family Well’Ordered,” 1699, in Anya
Jabour, ed., Major Problems in the History of American Families and Children (Boston
and New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2005), 39.
To receive credit, short essays must include a citation and must be submitted in class on
the Friday of the week(s) when the selected reading is listed on the syllabus. Except in
emergencies or in cases of excused absences for university-related activities or public
service, no late essays will be accepted.
Midterm and Final Exams:
Finally, the midterm and final exams (25% each) will measure your understanding of all class
material (lectures, readings, and discussion). Both exams will be essay-style, take-home, and
open-book. Both exams will be a total of five pages long and will adhere to standard fiveparagraph essay format (see attached handout).
Course Policies
No late assignments will be accepted except in cases of a documented personal, family, or
medical emergency. There will be no “make-up” exams. Students do have the option of
obtaining and completing exams early. Please arrange this at least a week prior to the scheduled
distribution of exams.
Incompletes are intended for use by students who have fulfilled all course requirements
(including attendance) prior to a documented medical, family, or personal emergency that
prevents the student from completing the remainder of the course. Incompletes will be granted at
my discretion based on theses criteria. Students must arrange incompletes as early as possible.
Students must practice academic honesty. Plagiarism or cheating of any kind will result in a
failing grade in the course. More severe penalties, including suspension or expulsion from the
University, may apply under the Student Conduct Code.
Students with physical disabilities are eligible for assistance in the form of sign-language
translators or all-access classrooms. Students with learning disabilities are eligible for assistance
in the form of note-takers or additional time for exams. If you plan to utilize these options,
please register with Disabled Student Services and consult with me as soon as possible to make
suitable arrangements.
Grades will be assigned according to the following criteria: A=outstanding; B=good;
C=mediocre; D=inadequate; F=unacceptable. Pluses and minuses will be used on both
individual assignments and to compute your overall grade according to the grade scale listed
below. According to University policy, all courses taken for General Education credit must be
taken for a traditional letter grade; students must earn a C-minus or better to count courses
toward either General Education or their major or minor.
93-100 points: A
90-92 points: A87-89 points: B+
83-86 points: B
80-82 points: B77-79 points: C+
73-76 points: C
70-72 points: C- (lowest passing grade for General Education or degree requirements)
67-69 points: D+
63-66 points: D
60-62 points: D
59 and below: F
Practice common sense and courtesy in the classroom. Be seated and prepared for class prior to
the first bell. Do not disrupt class unnecessarily by arriving or departing between the bells. Turn
all electronics (cell phones, iPods, etc.) off before class begins; likewise, put away non-classrelated readings (newspapers, books for other classes, etc.) prior to the first bell. Bring drinks
only in covered containers; do not bring food (except for medical reasons). If you use a laptop
computer or tape recorder, set it up prior to the start of class.
Course Schedule:
In general, Mondays and Wednesdays will be devoted to lectures, and Fridays will be given to
discussions. Be sure to complete the reading for the week by Friday, paying special attention to
the questions outlined above. Also, if you wish to submit a paper for a particular week, bring it
with you to class on Friday!
January 23-27:
Introduction to Class
Read Chapter 1, “Studying Families and Children in Historical
Perspective” (No paper this week)
January 30-February 3:
America
Family and Community in Colonial
Read Chapter 2, “Marriage, Family, and Kinship in Early
America”
February 6-10:
Childhood in Early America
Read Chapter 3, “Children and Childrearing in a Developing
Democracy”
February 13-17:
Love and Marriage in Nineteenth-Century America
Read Chapter 4, “Marriage and Family in Victorian America”
February 20-24:
Enslaved Families in the Old South
Read Chapter 5, “Families in Bondage” (No Class Monday)
February 27-March 2:
Civil War Era
Families, Children, and Youth in the
Read Chapter 6, “Fathers and Children in the Civil War Era”
March 5-9:
Family Life in the West
MIDTERM EXAM DISTRIBUTED FRIDAY, MARCH 9
Read Chapter 7, “Families on the Frontier”
MIDTERM EXAM DUE MONDAY, MARCH 12
March 12-16:
Industrializing America
Reforming Families and Children in
Read Chapter 8, “Children and Child-Savers in Progressive-Era
America”
March 19-23:
Family Welfare in Modern America
Read Chapter 9, “The Family and the State”
March 26-30:
War Two
Parents and Children During World
Read Chapter 10, “The Homefront”
April 2-6:
Spring Break
April 9-13:
Happy Days? Family in the Fifties
Read Chapter 11, “The 1950s”
April 16-20:
New Families in a New World
Read Chapter 12, “The New Immigrant Family”
April 23-27:
Family Values on Trial in Late Twentieth-Century America
Read Chapter 13, “Family Politics”
April 30-May 4:
American Families Today
FINAL EXAM DISTRIBUTED FRIDAY, MAY 4
Read Chapter 14, “Families and Children in Contemporary
America”
FINAL EXAM DUE 12:10 P.M. (NOON), THURSDAY, MAY 10
Standard “Five Paragraph” Essay Format
The best papers are organized around ideas. One way to do this is to follow the “fiveparagraph” essay format. In this format, there is a thesis supported by three main points.
In the introduction, one sentence corresponds to the thesis and each main point. In the
body of the paper, each paragraph corresponds to one main point. In the outline below,
each indented line represents one sentence. Of course, you won’t always have exactly
three main points. However, the “five paragraph” format is adaptable; you can adapt it
for two points, or four points, for instance. Once you become familiar with the principle
of logical organization around ideas, you can play around with the form. If you’re still
struggling to write clear, coherent essays, however, this “five paragraph” essay format is
a good way to gain some focus and organize your thoughts.
Introduction
Thesis statement
Point One
Point Two
Point Three
Thesis statement
Paragraph/Point One
Transition sentence/phrase (when necessary to smooth shift in topic)
Topic sentence (what is the point of the paragraph?)
Evidence, i.e., quote, statistics, example (provide citations for all material!)
Analysis of evidence (how does it demonstrate the topic sentence?)
Summary sentence (how does the topic sentence relate to the thesis statement?)
Paragraph/Point Two
Transition sentence/phrase (when necessary to smooth shift in topic)
Topic sentence (what is the point of the paragraph?)
Evidence, i.e., quote, statistics, example (provide citations for all material!)
Analysis of evidence (how does it demonstrate the topic sentence?)
Summary sentence (how does the topic sentence relate to the thesis statement?)
Paragraph/Point Three
Transition sentence/phrase (when necessary to smooth shift in topic)
Topic sentence (what is the point of the paragraph?)
Evidence, i.e., quote, statistics, example (provide citations for all material!)
Analysis of evidence (how does it demonstrate the topic sentence?)
Summary sentence (how does the topic sentence relate to the thesis statement?)
Conclusion
Thesis statement
Point One
Point Two
Point Three
Thesis statement