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Course Information Sheet
History 1301 Spring 2010
Instructor Contact Information
Instructor: L. Winningham
Office: Old Main 408
Email: leewinningham@blinn.edu
Phone Contact: 979-830-4741
Office Hours:
TTH: 10:50-12:00; 1:00-4:00 PM
MW: 10:00-12:00; 1:00-2:20 PM
Friday: 9:00-12:00
Online: Thursday 8:00-10:00 PM
The Course
Course: History 1301.07 Spring 2010 TTH 9:25-10:40
CID: 0028
Credit: 3hrs
Course Overview
Description: A survey of United States History that begins with the migrations of people to the western hemisphere and
continues through the Civil War and Reconstruction Period. The course focuses on the periods of discovery,
colonization, revolution, and nation building. Material presented covers a wide variety of topics encompassing social,
cultural, intellectual, military, and political history. This is a core course in the 24-hour core of Blinn College. As such,
students will develop proficiency in the appropriate intellectual competencies, exemplary educational objectives, and
perspectives. www.blinn.edu/corecurriculum is the curriculum website. Prerequisites: Appropriate score on the THEA
test or alternative test, or completion of READ 0306 with a grade of “C” or better. Credit: 3 semester hours.
Textbook: American Destiny: Narrative of a Nation 3rd Edition by Mark C. Carnes and John A. Garraty
Course Learning Outcomes: After successfully completing this course students should be able to:
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Describe the periods of discovery and colonization.
Summarize the causes and results of the revolution.
Explain the creation of the nation between 1787 and 1861.
Examine the social, economic and political issues that led to the Civil War and the consequences of the war.
Discuss the period of Reconstruction and its results.
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Instructor Guidelines and Policies:
Civility Statement: Members of the Blinn College community, which includes faculty, staff and students, are expected
to act honestly and responsibly in all aspects of campus life. Blinn College holds all members accountable for their
actions and words. Therefore, all members should commit themselves to behave in a manner that recognizes personal
respect and demonstrates concern for the personal dignity, rights, and freedoms of every member of the College
community, including respect for College property and the physical and intellectual property of others. Civility
Notification Statement: If a student is asked to leave the classroom because of uncivil behavior, the student may not
return to that class until he or she arranges a conference with the instructor; it is the student’s responsibility to
arrange for this conference. ADA Statement: In order to receive accommodations on exams or assignments proper
documentation must be provided to the Office of Disability Services located in the Administration Building on the
Brenham campus.
No food, drink, or tobacco products are allowed in Blinn College Classrooms.
Blinn Attendance Policy: If a student has one week’s worth of absences (2 for MW & TTH classes) he or she will be sent
a warning email by the college. Should the student accumulate two week’s worth of absences, he or she will be
administratively withdrawn from the course. Excused absences include the following: The observation of religious holy
days (Please notify me no later than the 15th day of the semester concerning this date), representing the Blinn College
District at an official institutional function, or a High School student representing an independent school district at an
official function. If you are absent for any reason you must contact me at least 24 hours (including weekends) following
your absence or that absence will be unexcused. Contact can be made by email, phone, or in person. If you do miss you
are responsible for any missed work, announcements, or notes from the days in which you were absent. Your
attendance is important to your performance in this class. If you foresee a problem attending class it would be wise to
withdraw. I would also note that though it is your right to appeal being dropped from my class for absences, it is
extremely hard to be reinstated once I have dropped you. Athletes or other students participating in a Blinn College
function or event must contact me at least two class periods before their scheduled absence so that I can document it.
The email from student activities is not enough.
Professionalism: Students are expected to be on time and attentive and disruptive or rude behavior will not be
tolerated. If you arrive after I have closed the door you are considered tardy. After three tardies I will log in one
absence. Students are also expected to be awake during class and any student caught sleeping will be charged an
absence for the day. Also, your responsibility as a college student is to come prepared. That being the case, each
student must come to class with the proper supplies (i.e. paper, pen, etc). Any student failing to arrive in this manner
will be asked to leave and may come back with the proper supplies and charged a tardy.
Technology: The use of computers, cell phones, ipods, tape recorders, and all other electronic devices is strictly
prohibited. I love my toys as much as the next nerd, but these items are a distraction in the classroom. Texting is
especially distracting and students caught texting will be counted absent for the day with no exceptions. You may not
like it, but this rule will help you perform at your best; one recent study of Microsoft found that employees needed a
full 15 minutes to refocus after receiving an email or IM, and another found that American businesses lose and
estimated $650 billion a year to electronic interruptions and distractions.
Flu Policy: As the flu becomes more prevalent in our community, Blinn College wants you to know that if you have
flu-like symptoms, you should not come to class. The virus is highly contagious and we need your help to keep it from
spreading.
If you have flu-like symptoms:
 Stay home. Do not come to class.
 Report your illness to your instructors so the absence is recorded properly.
 It is not necessary for you to provide a doctor’s note to be excused or return to class.
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 You are responsible for missed work.
Seasonal flu vaccines are now available from health providers and at county health departments. The vaccine for
the H1N1 flu is expected to be available to high risk groups beginning in mid-October.
Throughout this academic year, Blinn College will closely monitor the spread of flu in our communities. Please know
that we are taking steps to help prevent the spread of the virus.
Please follow these guidelines:
 Practice good hand hygiene by washing your hands with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing.
Alcohol-based hand cleaners also are effective and have been placed throughout the campuses.
 Practice respiratory etiquette by covering your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. If you
do not have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your elbow or shoulder, not into your hands. Avoid touching your
eyes, nose, or mouth; germs are spread this way.
 Know the signs and symptoms of the flu. A fever is a temperature taken with a thermometer that is equal to or
greater than 100 degrees. Look for possible signs of fever: if the person feels very warm, has a flushed
appearance, or is sweating or shivering.
 Stay home if you have flu or flu-like illness for at least 24 hours after you no longer have a fever or signs of a
fever (have chills, feel very warm, have a flushed appearance, or are sweating). Don’t go to class or work or
social gatherings.
 Talk with your health care provider about whether you should be vaccinated for seasonal flu and/or H1N1.
People at higher risk for H1N1 flu complications include pregnant women and people with chronic medical
conditions such as asthma, heart disease, or diabetes. For more information about priority groups for
vaccination, visit www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination/acip.htm.
Stay alert to the situation this flu season. The latest on the spread of the virus in the state is available at
www.texasflu.org. Check your Blinn e-mail for updates. And encourage your family, roommates, and classmates to
take precautions to stay healthy.
Note: Students should report their illness to me within 24 hours of the missed class so that the absence is recorded
properly. If you do not report to me within 24 hours of the missed class I will not accept it as an excused absence. The
best way of communication for both of us if you are sick is email.
Makeup Exams and Late Work: I do not accept late work. Work must be turned in on the due date. If you miss an
exam, you must contact me within 24 hours of the test by phone, email, or in person. After contact, you have 7 days
(1 week including weekends) to make up the exam in the learning center.
Statement on Plagiarism and Cheating: Plagiarism is defined as copying another person’s ideas or work without
giving him or her credit thereby passing the work off as one’s own. Any student caught engaging in cheating or
plagiarism will receive a zero for the specific assignment. Cheating will not be tolerated in the classroom.
Consultations: I take my responsibilities as an instructor seriously. You are warmly invited to come to my office hours
to discuss readings, lectures, sports, movies, or funny things you heard. In other words I am here to get to know you
and help you. My door is always open.
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Grade Determination: Course Points
Exams: Each student will take three regular exams this semester that will consist of fill-in-the-blank questions, short
answer identification question, and a one-page essay over a topic. If you miss one of these exams you may make it up
according to my makeup policy stated above. If you arrive to the test more than 20 minutes late you may not take the
exam.
Birthday Presentation: Each student will conduct research over what happened on his/her birthday using only the
microfilm in the library. The student must turn in to me a written 3-5 page paper over their findings and present it to
the class in a 5-7 minute presentation. The paper must be turned in double-spaced, typed in 12-point, black, Times
New Roman Font. The project must also be stapled and contain a title and page numbers. Remember also to type
your name on your paper. Any paper not meeting these requirements will not be graded. No report folders please.
Current Events: Current events are important and historical knowledge gives people a unique perspective on the
world around them. To help you understand that, you will spend the semester searching for news articles which you
can connect in some way to the material in your textbook. There will be two articles due per unit. A unit begins and
ends on specified dates and your articles must be dated within that time frame. Also, you must solidly connect the
events described in your news article to something in your textbook for that unit (see chapters on course outline).
When you turn in the article you must include a printed copy of the article and a typed 75-100 word explanation of
how that article ties in with the textbook information. I will not accept your work unless both components are there. I
will also not accept anything not typed and stapled together. Simply put, you must read the book and follow
instructions to do well on this project. There are 4 units which equals 8 articles for the semester. See the course
calendar for due dates. This will also serve as your participation since we will be talking about these in class and you
may be called on to defend your article.
Final Exam: There will be a comprehensive final exam at the end of the semester that will include material from
previous exams and material since the third exam. The test will be in the same format as the other exams.
Grading:
3 Regular Exams = 300 points (100 points each)
Birthday Presentation = 100 Points (50 points for the paper; 50 points for presentation)
Current Events = 80 points (10 points each)
Final Exam = 120 points (120 points)
Total = 600 points
*Tentative Course Outline:
UNIT 1 (Begin Jan. 19):
America before European contact
Spanish, French, and English Settlement of the Americas
Colonial America
Chapters 1,2, & 3 in American Destiny
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EXAM 1: FEB. 16
Current Event Article #1 Due Feb. 4
Current Event Article #2 Due Feb. 11
Unit 2 (Begin Feb. 17):
The American Revolution
The Federalist Era
Jeffersonian Era and After
Chapters 4, 5, 6, & 7 in American Destiny
EXAM 2: MARCH 11
Current Event Article #3 Due Feb. 25
Current Event Article #4 Due Mar. 4
UNIT 3 (Begin Mar. 12):
White Man’s Democracy: The Jacksonian Era, 1824-1840
American Slavery, 1796-1861
American Culture: Abolitionism, Reform, and Religion
Westward Expansion
Chapters 9, 10, & 11 in American Destiny
EXAM 3: APRIL 13
Current Event Article #5 Due Mar. 23
Current Event Article #6 Due Apr. 1
UNIT 4 (Begin Apr. 14):
The Sectional Crisis
The Civil War and Reconstruction
Chapters 12, 13, & 14
FINAL EXAM: DURING FINALS WEEK
Current Event Article #7 Due Apr. 22
Current Event Article #8 Due May 4
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Presentations:
In-class presentations are due April 27th
You are to submit an electronic copy to me by email no later than April 20 th, so that I may look over the
essays.
*All dates subject to change