History Survey Project
Teaching Materials
Syllabus (Before)
El Paso Community College
History 1301 – 13996
Fall 2011
Part I
Instructor’s Course Requirements
1. Course Number and Instructor’s Information:
History 1302 – 13996: History of The United States to 1865
Instructor’s Name: Patrick L. Pynes
Class Times: Class is an on-line course, so it does not meet.
E-Mail Address:
or through the Blackboard
System (preferred method).
Campus and Office: Valle Verde A2111
Office Phone: (915)831-3264
Office Hours: MW10:00 – 1:00, TTH 10:00 – 11:30, F 100:00 – 11:00,
And on line throughout the day
1 Copyright (c) 2012, History Survey Project
http://utep.edu.hsp
1
History Survey Project
Teaching Materials
Syllabus (Before)
2. Text and Materials:
A. Required Text:
The required text for this class is American History: A Survey, Vol. I, 13th edition.
Brinkley, Alan. McGraw Hill. 2009.
Text reading is essential as background for the assignments. You will be better
prepared for the discussions and assignments if you have done the required
reading prior to attempting the assignments.
B. Materials:
The only other material you will need is access to a good computer with internet
access. See below for hardware specifications.
III. Course Requirements:
A. Hardware and Technical Specifications:
Technical information can be found at:
http://www.epcc.edu/Programs/Distance/hardware03.htm
B. Grading Scale:
There will be a total of 800 points available throughout the semester. There will
be three essays assignments, one at the end of each unit, worth 100 points each for
a total of 300 points. There will be chapter quizzes for each chapter worth 30
points each for a total of 360 points. Discussion boards worth 100 points, and
group evaluations worth 40 points.
At the end of the semester, the total points accumulated will be evaluated on the
following scale:
720 – 800
A
640 – 719
B
560 – 639
C
480 – 559
D
Below 479
F
2 Copyright (c) 2012, History Survey Project
http://utep.edu.hsp
2
History Survey Project
Teaching Materials
Syllabus (Before)
C. Evaluations:
1. Essays:
There will be three essays over class materials and readings throughout the
semester. The essay assignments can be found in the Essay folder on the
course Content Page. The essays must contain at least one outside source.
Your text, although you may certainly use it, is not considered an outside
source. Encyclopedias, even on-line versions, are not considered outside
sources. Never use Wikipedia as it is not peer reviewed. Encyclopedias
are good places to start, but never use as a source.
To submit your essay, use the BlackBoard assignment system.
Compose your essay in whatever version of document writer your system
supports. Send it to the instructor through the Blackboard assignment
function as an attachment. If your system does not support Microsoft
Word make sure to save your document as an RTF file so that when it gets
to your instructor (me) he will be able to open and read your document.
Essays should be at least three pages in length. Essays will be evaluated
by the following criteria:
Answering the question that is asked in a clear manner,
Proper spelling and grammar,
On-time submission,
And appropriate comments, connections, references, etc.
The date that the essays are due can be found in the course schedule to
follow and are due no later than 11:30 PM on that date. 10 points will be
deducted for each day that the paper is late.
2. Discussion Boards:
Students will be assigned to groups and asked to respond to prompts that
will be developed by the professor. You need to respond to the prompt or
respond to a fellow group member’s response. There will be a minimum
of three responses to each board from each student. I will evaluate based
on your input and the number of posts that you make. Add to the
conversation, do not disrupt it. For the most part, I will try to stay out of
the discussions and allow the students to develop the trajectory of the
discussion. If the thread gets off topic, I will attempt to guide it back on
3 Copyright (c) 2012, History Survey Project
http://utep.edu.hsp
3
History Survey Project
Teaching Materials
Syllabus (Before)
track. Rest assured, however, that I will be reading every post. No “I
agree with . . .” or “ditto” will be allowed. This portion of the course is
worth 380 points, so it is very important that you participate in the
discussions.
3. Quizzes:
There will be a quiz associated with each chapter to turn in for evaluation.
There will be 14 quizzes (one for each chapter), I will use the top 12
scores for the evaluation of this portion of the course (I will drop the two
lowest grades). Each quiz will be 30 questions multiple choice. The
quizzes can be located in the quiz folder of the course content page. Each
chapter quiz will be 30 questions multiple choice or true/false randomly
chosen by the system, so each quiz will be different. Each student may
take each quiz three times and the highest grade will be used for the
evaluation. The quizzes have a 40 minute time limit so watch your time.
The quizzes will be due at 11:30 PM on the date indicated in the course
schedule as well as on BlackBoard. This portion of the course is worth
360 points.
4. Extra Credit:
As a rule, I do not believe in extra credit. The quizzes, as well as
everything else, are done at home with access to outside sources. The
essays will always have choices from which to choose, so you will not
have to answer a particular question. No extra credit should be needed.
IV. Instructor’s Policies:
A. Useful Information:
I will generally take Sundays off.
I will be on my e-mail or on BlackBoard throughout the day, first thing in the
morning, and the last thing in the evening. I will generally respond to e-mails
within 24 hours, if I do not, e-mail me again. The quizzes and the essays take
some time to evaluate and the grades may not show in the grade book for a few
days. If a week has elapsed since submission of an assignment to be graded and it
has not posted, then e-mail me to inquire about the grade.
4 Copyright (c) 2012, History Survey Project
http://utep.edu.hsp
4
History Survey Project
Teaching Materials
Syllabus (Before)
You need to log on at least three times a week to check the discussion boards and
see if any new announcements or assignments have been posted. It is also a way
for me to track your “attendance” and to make sure that you are staying on track.
I reserve the right to add, delete, and/or revise segments of the course and
syllabus.
B. Accomplishment of Course Objectives:
Students are expected to complete all assignments for the course. Students are
expected to accomplish the objectives of the course. When the professor
determines that a student is not doing this, he may decide to drop the student from
the course, after consulting with the student. The professor’s criteria for deciding
this are primarily the student’s failure to complete assignments, failure to sign on
regularly, and failure to do the assignments in a timely fashion.
C. Scholastic Dishonesty:
Students who are caught, by the professor or another party of authority, violating
the Student Code of Conduct provisions concerning cheating on essays, quizzes,
plagiarism, and collusion may be given a grade of zero on the assignment
involved and be turned over to the Dean of Student’s Office for disciplinary
action.
D. Grade of “W”:
Please do not wait until the end of the semester to discuss with me your lack of
progress in the course. By then, many times, it is too late. If you are having
problems, please discuss them with me at the earliest possible time through e-mail
or visit me in my office should you be on campus. I probably will not seek you
out.
It is my desire that all of you complete this course, but that is not always possible.
Please keep in mind that the last day to drop any course with an automatic “W” is
November 11th. After that date it is still possible, but it becomes much more
difficult and is not always successful. If you no longer wish to be in the class, it is
your responsibility to drop the course – Do not think that I will drop you
because I may not!
Students who withdraw prior to November 11th will receive a non-punitive grade
of “W.” However, keep in mind the six-drop rule.
5 Copyright (c) 2012, History Survey Project
http://utep.edu.hsp
5
History Survey Project
Teaching Materials
Syllabus (Before)
E. Students with Disabilities:
If students have a disability that requires accommodation, they may contact the
Center for Students with Disabilities at 831-2426. In accordance with federal
law, it is the student’s responsibility to speak to a counselor and provide proof of
the disability. All discussions and documentation are kept confidential.
D. FERPA Statement”
Please refer to the following link for the most up-dated FERPA regulations:
http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/index.html
E.
Copyright issues are addressed at: http://www.copyright.gov/
V. Course Calendar:
This course is designed for flexibility. The unit discussion boards run from the first week
of class. The unit essays and chapter quizzes are due by 11:30PM on the date indicated.
All late assignments will have ten percent deducted for each day that they are late. In
order to have the necessary time to devote to the unit essay, I suggest that you complete
two chapters of reading and quizzes a week.
Due dates:
Chapter 1 Quiz
September 2nd by 11:30 PM
Chapter 2 Quiz
September 7th by 11:30 PM
Chapter 3 Quiz
September 12th by 11:30 PM
Chapter 4 Quiz
September 20th by 11:30 PM
Unit I Essay
September 26th by 11:30 PM
Chapter 5 Quiz
September 28th by 11:30 PM
Chapter 6 Quiz
October 3rd by 11:30 PM
Chapter 7 Quiz
October 7th by 11:30 PM
Chapter 8 Quiz
October 13th by 11:30 PM
Chapter 9 Quiz
October 18th by 11:30 PM
Chapter 10 Quiz
October 24th by 11:30 PM
6 Copyright (c) 2012, History Survey Project
http://utep.edu.hsp
6
History Survey Project
Teaching Materials
Unit II Essay
November 1st by 11:30 PM
Chapter 11 Quiz
November 7th by 11:30 PM
Chapter 12 Quiz
November 11th by 11:30 PM
Chapter 13 Quiz
November 17th by 11:30 PM
Chapter 14 Quiz
November 30th by 11:30 PM
Unit III Essay
December 7th by 11:30 PM
Syllabus (Before)
HIST 1301; Revised Fall 2009
Revised by Discipline: Fall 2009
El Paso Community College
Syllabus
Part II
Official Course Description
SUBJECT AREA History
COURSE RUBRIC AND NUMBER HIST 1301
COURSE TITLE History of the United States to 1865
COURSE CREDIT HOURS 3 3 : 0
Credits Lec Lab
I. Catalog Description
Surveys United States history through the Civil War, emphasizing the Pre-Columbian background, colonial
contributions, the Revolution of 1776, republican government, the growth of democracy, social economic,
and cultural trends, the role of minorities, and the background and course of the Civil War. Prerequisite:
READ 0309 (can be taken concurrently) or by placement exam. (3:0).
II. Course Objectives
Upon satisfactory completion of this course, the student will be able to:
A. Unit One – Meeting of Three Worlds, Beginnings to 1620
1. Compare the characteristics of societies in the Americas, Western Europe, and Western Africa that
increasingly interacted after 1450.
2. Analyze how early European exploration and colonization resulted in cultural and ecological
interactions among previously unconnected peoples.
B. Unit Two – The Era of Colonization and Settlement, 1585-1763
1. Explain why the Americas attracted Europeans, why they brought Africans to their colonies, and
how Europeans struggled for control of North America and the Caribbean.
2. Analyze the development of political, religious, and social institutions in the English colonies.
3. Discuss the values and institutions of European economic life which took root in the colonies, and
how slavery reshaped European and African life in the America.
4. Describe the struggle for Empire between the European powers in America.
C. Unit Three – The American Revolution and the New Nation, 1754-1820s.
1. Explain the causes of the American Revolution, the ideas and interests involved in forging the
revolutionary movement, and the reasons for the American victory.
2. Describe the impact of the American Revolution on politics, economy, and society.
3. Analyze the institutions and practices of government created during the Revolution and how they
7 Copyright (c) 2012, History Survey Project
http://utep.edu.hsp
7
History Survey Project
Teaching Materials
Syllabus (Before)
were revised between 1787 and 1815 to create the foundation of the American political system
based on the Articles of Confederation, U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.
D. Unit Four – A Period of Expansion and Reform, 1801-1861
1. Explain United States territorial expansion between 1801 and 1861, the establishment of a foreign
policy, and how it affected relations between regions of the United States, with Native Americans,
and with external powers.
2. Discuss how the industrial revolution, increasing immigration, the rapid expansion of slavery, and
the westward movement changed the lives of Americans and led toward regional tensions.
3. Analyze the extension, restriction, and reorganization of political democracy after 1800.
4. Describe the sources and character of American cultural, religious, and social reform movements
in the ante-bellum period.
E. Unit Five – The Civil War, 1861-1865
1. Explain the causes of the Civil War.
2. Describe the course and character of the Civil War and its effects on the American people.
III. Evaluation
A. PREASSESSMENT
Due to the nature of history there is no challenge exam for the course. A reading test can be given
to determine preparedness of students. Individual instructors may use a unit preassessment at their
own discretion. Note will be made of this in their personal syllabi.
B. POSTASSESSMENT
The instructor will maintain records of each student’s progress. Number and type of exams will
be determined by each instructor. Information on this will be in the instructor’s syllabi.
C. REMEDIATION
Instructors will determine remediation and make-up policies. Note will be made of these policies
in individual syllabi.
D. GRADING
Grades will be determined by individual instructors based on student performance. Information
regarding grading policy will be included in the instructor’s syllabi.
IV. Disability Statement (American with/Disabilities Act [ADA])
EPCC offers a variety of services to persons with documented sensory, mental, physical, or temporary
disabling conditions to promote success in classes. If you have a disability and believe you may need
services, you are encouraged to contact the Center for Students with Disabilities to discuss your needs with
a counselor. All discussions and documentation are kept confidential. Offices located: VV Rm C-112
(831-2426); TM Rm 1400 (831-5808); RG Rm B-201 (831-4198); NWC Rm M-54 (831-8815); and MDP
Rm A-125 (831-7024)
V. 6 Drop Rule
Students who began attending Texas public institutions of higher education for the first time during the Fall
2007 semester or later are subject to a 6-Drop limit for all undergraduate classes. Developmental, ESL,
Dual Credit and Early College High School classes are exempt from this rule. All students should consult
with their instructor before dropping a class. Academic assistance is available. Students are encouraged to
see Counseling Services if dropping because exemptions may apply. Refer to the EPCC catalog and
website for additional information.
8 Copyright (c) 2012, History Survey Project
http://utep.edu.hsp
8