History Behind American Treasures
HIS 317 online 8 week format
Professor: Dr. Debra Meyers ( meyersde@nku.edu
)
Course Description: Students compare the way historians use material culture with its use by television producers and museum curators.
Contact Information:
Please email me to schedule face-to-face, skype, Face Time, or phone appointments. I respond to emails Monday-Saturday several times per day and I grade postings within 48 hours after the due date/time. Please note that all times are Eastern Standard.
Steps to Take In Case of Emergency:
 Power outage or computer melt down-- email me as soon as possible to make arrangements to complete the course.
 Blackboard is down-- you are required to email assignments on time to the address above.
 Family/work/health – please email me to discuss your options for completing the course.
Minimal Technical Requirements for this Course:
You will need access to a computer (either a PC or a Mac), Internet service, a Web browser (preferably Mozilla Firefox or Internet Explorer 9), Microsoft Word and
PowerPoint, and Adobe Reader. Note : If you do not have Microsoft Office installed on your computer, you can access light versions of Word and PowerPoint through your
NKU Webmail account. (See the “Technology Assistance” menu item for more details.)
You will also need access to a headset or speakers to hear the introduction and orientation to the course via Blackboard Collaborate Voice Tools . A text version is provided.
Should you have difficulties with these audio tools, visit the “Technology Assistance” content area in the left-hand menu.
Finally, you should plan to use a PC or Mac for this course, as opposed to a mobile device. Although much of Blackboard’s content is accessible via mobile device, some features (such as commenting within a blog) are not available.
Select “Technology Assistance” on the left-hand menu to access other information related to technical needs for this course.
Students with Disabilities:
Students with disabilities who require accommodations (academic adjustments, auxiliary aids or services) for this course must register with the Office of Disability Services.
Please contact the Disability Services Office immediately in the University Center, Room
101, http://disability.nku.edu
, or call (859) 572-6373 for more information. Verification of your disability is required in the Office of Disability Services for you to receive reasonable academic accommodations.
Plagiarism and NKU’s Honor Code:
In A Dictionary of the English Language of 1755, Samuel Johnson defines plagiarism as
“Theft: literary adoption of the thoughts or works of another.” The NKU Student Honor
Code is a commitment to the highest degree of ethical integrity in academic conduct, a

commitment that, individually and collectively, the students of Northern Kentucky
University will not lie, cheat, or plagiarize to gain an academic advantage over fellow students or avoid academic requirements . The full text of the Honor Code may be found at http://www.nku.edu/currentstudents/policies/honorcode.php
.
The NKU Code of Students’ Rights and Responsibilities is available at http://deanofstudents.nku.edu/codes_and_policies/codeofstudent_rights/index.php
.
All work submitted must be written exclusively for this course and is subject to the NKU
Student Honor Code. The use of sources (ideas, quotations, argument structures, and paraphrases) must be properly documented. In addition, you may not adapt work written for a previous or concurrent course for this course unless you obtain written permission to do so by the instructors of both courses. Plagiarism and other forms of cheating will not be tolerated and will result in a final grade of “F” for the course and possible dismissal from the program.
Modification of the syllabus may occur due to unanticipated circumstances, in which case students will receive maximum prior notification.
Course Goals/Student Learning Outcomes: History is concerned with understanding change and development over space and time. Students in history courses should obtain a fundamental grasp of the major eras, driving forces, formative movements and ideas in the shaping of nations or regions in a global context.
Students will hone their research and communication skills as they evaluate and analyze primary and secondary sources and gain an understanding of how historians interpret the past. This process will also encourage students to think historically, to develop their capacity for understanding complexity, and to understand the extent to which people’s opportunities and choices are shaped by their historical contexts.
Student Learning Outcomes
Students successfully completing this course will demonstrate:
I. Knowledge Gained by:
 Addressing important questions, both contemporary and enduring in written work.
 Acquiring, synthesizing, and analyzing a sufficient volume of content to master the program of study.
II. Acquisition of Intellectual and Practical Skills by:
 Demonstrating intellectual curiosity, resources of the imagination, and critical engagement.
 Displaying a significant capacity for critical thinking, inquiry, and analysis.
 Exhibiting precision and clarity in reading, writing, and oral communication.
 Showing accomplished levels of research and information literacy skills used effectively and ethically.
 Reconciling disparate points of view in scholarly work through written expression.

III. Increased Capacity for Learning by:
 Creating written work that unites concepts and practices across multiple levels, disciplines, and settings.
 Applying discipline based knowledge, skills, and abilities to new settings and increasingly complex problems.
Course Requirements and Student Assessment: Students submit writing assignments (blog postings and a concise self-evaluation paper). Late writing assignments will not be accepted.
Grades of “incomplete” will be given only with the instructor’s permission and only for documented serious illness or immediate family emergency.
Blog postings (700 points)
Reflection essay (100 points)
The instructor assigns a grade based on the quality of the work submitted. For the formal writing assignments, students must present a clear and concise thesis statement, followed by supporting evidence (with specific references from the primary or secondary sources required for the assignment), and a concluding summary pointing to the significance of the assignment or the thesis. These exercises introduce students to historical methods by asking them to reevaluate simple cause and effect explanations of historical events.
Required Text-- Select one of the following:


-any edition will work for this course)

Used copies of the above textbooks can be found for less than $10.
You will also need a writing manual that includes Chicago style, such as Hacker, A Pocket Style
Manual
Weekly (blog) writing assignments
Students will read a chapter from one of the required textbooks listed above and then search for one additional secondary source (a scholar’s interpretation of primary sources) that deals with the same kinds of artifacts described in the required reading. This secondary source must be selected using the library’s extensive journal database.
A significant portion of the formal essay will compare and contrast these secondary sources.
Additionally, the essay will compare these scholarly treatments of artifacts with a popular culture treatment of the genre. Use must use at least three museum exhibits and three television programs. For the seventh blog you may choose from any of the sources on the list below that you have not previously used.
Note: the scholarly articles may address the same TYPE of artifact. For instance, if your textbook article deals with gravestone images, your other sources could focus on gravestone images OR you could broaden your essay with a discussion of mourning iconography. In that case, the journal article may deal with antique mourning jewelry and your popular culture source could

focus on mourning needlepoints or perhaps death photographs. (Middle-class families in the nineteenth century often had deceased children photographed.)
The popular culture interpretation of the artifact genre under consideration must come from one of the following:
 Traditional museum exhibit
 Local Historical Society exhibit
 Virtual museum (google “virtual museum exhibits” or search specific museums online such as the Huntington, Smithsonian, DeWitt Wallace, Winterthur)
 Antiques Roadshow (PBS series)
 Antiques Uncovered (BBC series)
 American Pickers (History Channel series)
 Antiques Addicts (YouTube series)
 All Star Dealers (Discovery Channel series)
 America’s Lost Treasures (National Geographic series)
 Cash in the Attic (HGTV series)
 Hard Core Pawn (Tru TV series)
 History Detectives (PBS series)
 Salvage Hunters (Discovery Channel series)
 American Digger (Spike TV series)
 Market Warriors (PBS series)
 Toy Hunter (Travel TV series)
 Auction Kings (Discovery Channel series)
 Hollywood Treasure (Syfy series)
Notes: Many episodes of the TV shows are available online. Also, please avoid citing a particular popular culture venue in more than one essay. In other words, you will use seven different sources from the list above to complete the seven blog essays.
The final product will be a well-organized formal (minimum of 600 words) essay. Essays must be checked for grammar and spelling errors before posting on to the week’s blog site before noon every Friday. Each essay will incorporate specific examples from the scholarly readings and the additional popular culture source to support a clearly articulated thesis. Chicago Manual Style footnotes must be used to cite all sources. Please keep in mind that while brief summaries of the various sources are essential, your critical analysis of the material will have a greater impact on your final grade.
Blog comments
Students are also required to comment on at least one other student’s posting (minimum of 50 words).
Blog comments should always:
 Be factually correct
 Reflect critical thinking and reading skills
 Be respectful
 Encourage further development of peer postings
Online etiquette must be observed in this course.
When writing your blog entries, e-mail messages, etc., keep these points in mind:
 Avoid language that could be interpreted as strong or offensive.
 Be cautious when attempting humor or sarcasm.

 Do not forward virus warnings, jokes, spam, or inappropriate emails to the class or instructor.
 Do not share classmates’ personal information or forward emails without permission.
 Review, edit, and proofread—for both meaning and format—before hitting Submit.
 Never use language designed for social media (e.g., LOL).
 Keep e-mail attachments as small as possible.
WEEKLY BLOG RUBRIC 100 pts
___ (10 pts) textbook chapter was used and cited correctly
___ (10 pts) library database journal article was used and cited correctly
___ (10 pts) popular culture source was used and cited correctly
___ (10 pts) introduction provides background information (who, what, when, where)
___ (10 pts) thesis statement is clearly stated in the first paragraph
___ (10 pts) body of the essay supports the thesis
___ (10 pts) conclusion provides a summary & points to the significance
___ (10 pts) proper spelling, grammar and formatting are used
___ (10 pts) critical thinking is evident
___ (10 pts) comment on peer’s formal essay is relevant and factual (50 word minimum)
General essay writing hints: o Construct each essay as though you were presenting it to an audience that knows little about history. o Each essay must have an introductory paragraph that includes a clear thesis statement and background information. Each subsequent paragraph will begin with a precise topic sentence that supports your thesis. Your conclusion should restate your thesis, summarize your essay and point to its significance.
Conclusions should not introduce new evidence to support your thesis. o Be sure to footnote all quoted material and all major ideas, conclusions, statistics, or interpretations using Chicago Manual Style footnotes. o Never cite Wikipedia or other encyclopedias in a scholarly paper. o Quotes must be short (1-2 lines long). Do not use block quotes . o Proofread for spelling and typing errors.

Reflection Essay (due at the end of the term)
In this 500-word (minimum) reflection paper, students are required to describe the extent to which they have:
 Posted essays to demonstrate critical analysis of central course concepts.
 Learned from others in the class.
 Met the student learning outcomes outlined on the syllabus.
 Addressed one of the following material culture concepts: o Identified the costs and benefits of using material culture to support a historical argument.
o Compared and contrasted the way academic historians and public historians use material culture. How is this different from the way material culture was used in the television shows you researched? o Offered an explanation for the veritable explosion of material culture related television programs in recent years.
REFLECTION ESSAY RUBRIC 100 pts
___ (20 pts) critical analysis of central course concepts
___ (20 pts) learned from others in the class
___ (20 pts) met the student learning outcomes for the course
___ (30 pts) addressed one of the material culture concepts
___ (10 pts) attention to spelling, grammar and formatting
Schedule of Classes and Assignments:
Week One
A few thoughts to ponder before beginning this week’s work:
An essay discussing a particular artifact should indicate that you have read and understood the sources. When writing the essay, incorporate the answers to the following questions in an overall argument; do not merely answer the questions.
1.
Identify the author: his or her importance in the field, bias, etc.
2.
What is the main argument being made (the thesis)?
3.
What is the structure of the argument?
4.
How well does the author make his or her case?
Assignments:
1.
Please post a brief bio on the Blackboard blog site and review the syllabus.
2.
Read one chapter from the textbook you have selected.
3.
Identify and reflect upon one additional secondary source related to your textbook selection . Please seek help from a Steely librarian if you need assistance with locating this source.

4.
Identify and reflect upon one popular culture interpretation of your artifact genre from the list provided on the syllabus.
5.
Create and post a formal essay (see instructions on the syllabus) to the blog site (due
Friday at noon).
6.
Review your peers’ submissions and post your comments by Friday at noon.
Week Two
To get you started with this week’s tasks, consider the following questions.
Questions for secondary sources:
1.
What is the subject of the work? What is the author seeking to explain?
2.
What explanations does the author offer for the material culture used in the article? Are the explanations logical and clear? Does the author offer counter arguments? Is this a definitive explanation?
3.
Who was the author? Why was this written? Does the author’s bias invalidate the work?
4.
What evidence did the author use? What are the benefits/drawbacks in using this type of evidence?
5.
Overall, do you accept the arguments made? Why?
Assignments:
1.
Read one chapter from the textbook you have selected.
2.
Identify and reflect upon one additional secondary source related to your textbook selection. Please seek help from a Steely librarian if you need assistance with locating this source.
3.
Identify and reflect upon one popular culture interpretation of your artifact genre from the list provided on the syllabus.
4.
Create and post a formal essay (see instructions on the syllabus) to the blog site (due
Friday at noon).
5.
Review your peers’ submissions and post your comments by Friday at noon.
Week Three
A few thoughts to ponder before beginning this week’s work:
What types of artifacts does a historian use? Is this an objective/scientific selection process?
Does this process support or undermine “objectivity”? What does this tell us about the
PURPOSE of history?
Assignments:
1.
Read one chapter from the textbook you have selected.
2.
Identify and reflect upon one additional secondary source related to your textbook selection.
Please seek help from a Steely librarian if you need assistance with locating this source.
3.
Identify and reflect upon one popular culture interpretation of your artifact genre from the list provided on the syllabus.
4.
Create and post a formal essay (see instructions on the syllabus) to the blog site (due
Friday at noon).
5.
Review your peers’ submissions and post your comments by Friday at noon.
Week Four
A few thoughts to ponder before beginning this week’s work:

What is the purpose of history for the scholars from your textbook? How does this differ for the popular culture interpretations of the artifacts? Why are there so many popular culture interpretations of material culture?
Assignments:
1.
Read one chapter from the textbook you have selected.
2.
Identify and reflect upon one additional secondary source related to your textbook selection. Please seek help from a Steely librarian if you need assistance with locating this source.
3.
Identify and reflect upon one popular culture interpretation of your artifact genre from the list provided on the syllabus.
4.
Create and post a formal essay (see instructions on the syllabus) to the blog site (due
Friday at noon).
5.
Review your peers’ submissions and post your comments by Friday at noon.
Week Five
A few thoughts to ponder before beginning this week’s work:
Is the work done by scholarly historians different from the popular culture interpretations? What are the benefits and drawbacks to both types of interpretations?
Assignments:
1.
Read one chapter from the textbook you have selected.
2.
Identify and reflect upon one additional secondary source related to your textbook selection. Please seek help from a Steely librarian if you need assistance with locating this source.
3.
Identify and reflect upon one popular culture interpretation of your artifact genre from the list provided on the syllabus.
4.
Create and post a formal essay (see instructions on the syllabus) to the blog site (due
Friday at noon).
5.
Review your peers’ submissions and post your comments by Friday at noon.
Week Six
A few thoughts to ponder before beginning this week’s work:
What KINDS of questions do scholarly historians ask? Are they "enduring" questions that relate to racism, national identity, etc.? Compare these enduring questions with the questions asked and answered in the popular culture venues.
Assignments:
1.
Read one chapter from the textbook you have selected.
2.
Identify and reflect upon one additional secondary source related to your textbook selection.
Please seek help from a Steely librarian if you need assistance with locating this source.
3.
Identify and reflect upon one popular culture interpretation of your artifact genre from the list provided on the syllabus.
4.
Create and post a formal essay (see instructions on the syllabus) to the blog site (due
Friday at noon).
5.
Review your peers’ submissions and post your comments by Friday at noon.

Week Seven
A few thoughts to ponder before beginning this week’s work:
Were there multiple answers to the "enduring" questions raised in the scholarly articles? Do the questions asked in popular culture venues have multiple answers? Finally, and most importantly, what impact do these answers have on our society?
Assignments:
1.
Read one chapter from the textbook you have selected.
2.
Identify and reflect upon one additional secondary source related to your textbook selection.
Please seek help from a Steely librarian if you need assistance with locating this source.
3.
Identify and reflect upon one popular culture interpretation of your artifact genre from the list provided on the syllabus.
4.
Create and post a formal essay (see instructions on the syllabus) to the blog site (due
Friday at noon).
5.
Review your peers’ submissions and post your comments by Friday at noon.
Week Eight
1.
Post your Reflection assignment before noon on Friday.
2.
Submit your online course evaluation.