Arkansas History
Course Syllabus
HY 153
3 Credits
Aaron Michael, M. Ed. - History, Geography, Political Science
Email: amichael@pccua.edu
Arkansas History
I.
Catalog Description:
This course is a history of Arkansas’ social, political, and economic development from prehistory to the present.
II.
Course Objectives:
 Recognize the names of significant Arkansans and their contributions to the development of the
state.
 Understand the development of Arkansas from the earliest Americans to the present.
 Early explorations of Arkansas.
 Indians and Immigrants in the colonial era.
 The path to statehood.
 Arkansas in the Civil War.
 Reconstruction in Arkansas.
 Progressive reform in Arkansas
 The Great Depression in Arkansas.
 Turmoil and change in Arkansas, the Civil Rights Movement.
 Political, Demographic, and Economic Realignment.
 Evaluate the more significant events as to their impact on the direction of Arkansas history.
 Understand the common thread that binds us all together to become more informed citizens.
 Further develop the skills of critical thinking (analysis, synthesis, evaluation), communication
(listening, reading, writing, speaking), and lifelong learning (curiosity, initiative, openness,
research).
III.
Methods of Evaluation:
Students will be expected to: (1) attend weekly lecture sessions; (2) complete written assignments as
directed; and (3) complete a minimum of four regular exams. This course is primarily a lecture course
with 4 scheduled unit exams including the final exam.
The student is expected to read the assigned pages from the textbook prior to each lecture. The student’s
grades will be determined as follows:
Unit Exams (4) =25%
Exceptional Participation will be considered!
Exams will consist of multiple choice, fill in the blank, matching questions and one essay question. The
essay question will be worth 10 points on every test. The final exam will have “some” comprehensive
questions as well as one discussion question. The class participation grade will be determined by how
well the student participates in group discussion, map exercises, visual aid exercises and attendance.
Any missed test will be a zero unless the absence is excused. . The grading scale for the Social Science
department is as follows:
A = 90-100 %
D = 60- 69 %
B = 80- 89 %
F = 59 % and Below
C = 70- 79 %
IV.
Resources:
The required textbook for this class is Arkansas: A Narrative History. Whayne, Jeanie; Deblack,
Thomas; Sabo III, George; Arnold, Morris. The University of Arkansas Press, Fayetteville.
2002.
V.
Study Guide:
Study guides will be provided for each unit exam and may be your most important tool for success in this
class. The study guide is vague and somewhat challenging. The purpose is for you to research each item
on the study guide very extensively. If you know everything there is to know about the specific items on
the study guide then you will be adequately prepared for you examination. I will provide you with an
opportunity to ask any questions concerning the study guide prior to the examination. At that point, it is
your obligation to have attempted to answer most or all of your study guide. Test questions will consist
of the most significant feature of each item on the study guide.
VI.
Class Policies
The course is fully on-line. Students will be expected to: (1) read power points posted on blackboard; (2)
complete written assignments and quizzes as directed; and (3) take four exams. The fourth and final
exam “may” be proctored. There will also be at least one assignment per week that does require your
participation.
Attendance: Online instruction differs from traditional classroom instruction. You should access the
online resources required to participate successfully in this course at times that are convenient to your
personal schedule within a range of times defined by the course schedule. Failure on your part to take
online tests or submit completed projects within those respective time ranges will be recorded as absences
and result in a “zero.”
Students are expected to login into Blackboard at least twice a week. If you fail to complete TWO
consecutive assignments and/or exam or miss a total of THREE assignments and/or exams you will be
withdrawn from the course.
VII.
ADA Policy
Phillips Community College abides by the regulations outlined in the Americans with Disabilities Act of
1990 (ADA). The college does not discriminate against any qualified individual with a disability in
regard to employment, transportation, accommodations or telecommunications. This policy incorporates
the provisions of the Title VU of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended by the Civil Rights Act of
1991; Section 505 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; Title 11 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; as
amended; and the Communications Act of 1934.
Good Luck!