State University of New York
School of Education
SPRING 2012
HIST 53OB/EDUC 508: Issues in American History After
1877
Professor: Adam Laats
Class Times:
Office:
AB 231
Phone:
777-3329
E-Mail:
alaats@binghamton.edu
Thurs. 4:25-7:00 PM
Meeting Place: SW-330
Office Hours: Thursdays 10-12 and by appt.
This graduate seminar is intended to bolster students’ understanding of key themes in
American history and the teaching of American history. Weekly seminars will explore
important works in history and historiography. Each week we will also experiment with
teaching techniques and ideas. Interested students can gain credit toward a Major in the
Teaching of American History.
LIST OF REQUIRED BOOKS

Sam Wineburg, Historical Thinking and Other Unnatural Acts : Charting the
Future of Teaching the Past

David Blight, Race and Reunion: The Civil War in American Memory.

Lawrence Goodwyn, The Populist Moment: A Short History of the Agrarian
Revolt in America.

Nell Irvin Painter, Standing at Armageddon

Edward Larson, Summer for the Gods: The Scopes Trial and America’s
Continuing Debate over Science and Religion.

Alan Brinkley, Voices of Protest: Huey Long, Father Coughlin, and the Great
Depression.

John Morton Blum, V Was for Victory: Politics and American Culture during
World War II.

Lizabeth Cohen, A Consumer’s Republic: the Politics of Mass Consumption in
Postwar America.

Ellen Schrecker, Many Are the Crimes

John Dittmer, Local People: the Struggle for Civil Rights in Mississippi

Christian G. Appy, Working-Class War: American Combat Soldiers & Vietnam

Lisa McGirr, Suburban Warriors: the Origins of the New American Right.
I. CLASS MEETINGS
The class meets on Thursday afternoons from 4:25-7:00 pm in SW330. This is a
discussion-based course. The assigned readings are the basis for the discussions, and
students are expected to carry the bulk of our conversations. Students should come to
class prepared to critique the readings assigned for that afternoon's meeting. A high level
of participation is expected. For most class meetings we will spend one-third to one-half
of our time discussing the reading. The other portion of the class will be devoted to
reviewing peer work and developing teaching strategies and lessons with primary
documents through the internet.
Attendance: Due to the fact that our class meets only once per week, attendance at all
class meetings is mandatory. If an emergency occurs and a student must miss a class, she
or he must meet with me at a convenient time to discuss the class proceedings. If a
second class is missed, the student must write a five-six page review essay of that week’s
reading AND meet with me to discuss it. If more than two classes are missed, or if a
student does not make up missed classes, there will be a grade penalty on the student’s
participation grade. Penalties may range from a severe grade penalty on the participation
grade to a grade of incomplete for the entire course, at the discretion of the instructor.
II. COURSE DETAILS
Readings/Discussions: The goal of assigned readings (indicated in schedule of class
meetings) is for students to engage one another with regard to the material at hand and
unpack the ways in which historians practice their craft through the use of evidence,
argument, theoretical paradigm, and methodology. Students must commit to open and
respectful discussions. See Student Handbook for details:
http://studenthandbook.binghamton.edu/
III. STUDENT REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING
Students will complete a range of written assignments. These include a book review or
discussion leadership narrative, a medium-length paper, a documents-based question, and
an annotated compendium of internet resources.
Class participation: 10% of the course grade:
Students will come to each class prepared to discuss the reading assigned for that day.
Discussion formats will vary; at times I will lead the class in the discussion, other times I
will divide the class into smaller discussion groups which will have their own
discussions. Every week, students will be responsible to send one discussion question or
topic by email by the end of the day Wednesday. We will build our discussions around
those topics.
Book Review 15% of the course grade
Students will select one of the required readings to review. The book review is limited to
five pages. Students will email their book review to me no later than the Tuesday before
class; I will then forward the review to the rest of the class so that all will have read it by
the time we meet. You may revise and resubmit your book review if you wish. First and
second grades will be averaged for an improved final grade. See appendix for details.
Paper: 25% of the course grade
Students will write a ten-fifteen page paper on any historical topic from the period of US
History treated in this course. They may choose to write either a synthetic research paper
or a teaching-unit paper. You will be able to revise and resubmit your paper. See
appendix for details.
Documents-Based Question: 25% of the course grade
Students will create a DBQ, based on any topic from the period 1877-1990 that
consists of two parts: a short-answer section where the scaffolding questions come
directly from primary documents and an essay section where students must answer a
capstone question using the same documents. The primary documents should come from
the semester-long compendium project. Students will present ONE CHALLENGE
THEY HAD IN CREATING THEIR DBQs throughout the semester. Students will email
their DBQ to me no later than the morning of our class meeting. I will make it available
electronically for the rest of the class to preview. You may revise and resubmit your
DBQ if you wish. First and second grades will be averaged for an improved final grade.
See appendix for details.
Annotated Compendium: 15% of the course grade
The purpose of the annotated compendium is to introduce students to using the internet
for scholarly and pedagogical purposes, to critically consider methods for using it as a
teaching resource, and to help students produce a reference of web-based materials for
use in their own classrooms. Students will assemble, organize, and critically comment on
websites that track the topics of this course. See appendix for details.
Wikurriculum: 10% of the course grade
The class will collaboratively create a sample curriculum for teaching American History.
Every seminar member will be responsible for making weekly contributions to the
curriculum draft.
See appendix for details.
IV. CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT
The faculty and staff in the School of Education are committed to serving all enrolled
students. The intention is to create an intellectually stimulating, safe, and respectful class
atmosphere. In return it is expected that each of you will honor and respect the opinions
and feelings of others.
V. ACCOMMODATIONS
If you are a student with a disability and wish to request accommodations, please notify
the instructor by the second week of class. You are also encouraged to contact the Office
of Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) AT 777-2686. Their office is in LH-B51.
The SSD office makes formal recommendations regarding necessary and appropriate
accommodations based on specifically diagnosed disabilities. Information regarding
disabilities is treated in a confidential manner.
VI. ACADEMIC HONESTY
"All members of the university community have the responsibility to maintain and foster
a condition and an atmosphere of academic integrity. Specifically, this requires that all
classroom, laboratory, and written work for which a person claims credit is in fact that
person's own work." The annual university Student Handbook publication has detailed
information on academic integrity. Binghamton University has obtained a license with
Turnitin.com to facilitate faculty review for potential plagiarism of papers and projects in
their courses, which they are encouraged to do. "Students assume responsibility of the
content and integrity of the academic work they submit. Students are in violation of
academic honesty if they incorporate into their written or oral reports any
unacknowledged published or unpublished or oral material from the work of another
(plagiarism); or if they use, request, or give unauthorized assistance in any academic
work (cheating)." (SOE Academic Honesty Policies) Neither plagiarism nor cheating will
be tolerated in this class. Incidents of either will result in a failing grade for the
assignment in question, at the minimum. If you have any questions about what
constitutes plagiarism or cheating, PLEASE ASK ME! See also
http://soe.binghamton.edu/faculty/policies.html#honesty
SCHEDULE OF CLASS MEETINGS
February 2: Introductions
February 9: What is history? How can we teach it?
Required reading: Sam Wineburg, Historical Thinking and Other Unnatural Acts
February 16: Life after the Second American Revolution
Required reading: David Blight, Race and Reunion
o Teaching controversy: Without Sanctuary & Birth of a Nation
February 23: Farmers and workers, workers and farmers
Required reading: Lawrence Goodwyn, The Populist Moment
o Flipping in the History classroom
March 1: The Progressives
Required reading: Nell Irwin Painter, Standing at Armageddon
o Teaching with games: “Cornering the Market;” Jeremiah McCall on
gaming
March 8: Confronting Modernity? Teaching Science, Religion, and all that Jazz
Required reading: Edward Larson, Summer for the Gods
o What does New York State demand? A look at the Regents’ exams
March 15: FDR and the New Deal
Required reading: Alan Brinkley, Voices of Protest
Required reading: Stephen R. Ortiz, “The New Deal for Veterans,” on Blackboard
o Talking with Stephen Ortiz: Veterans and the New Deal
March 22: World War II and its Aftermath
Required reading: John Morton Blum, V Was for Victory
o How can we cram it all in? Designing a practical teaching unit.
March 29: Eat or be Eaten? Postwar Consumption
Required reading: Lizabeth Cohen, A Consumer's Republic
o Crafting a “Cold War” lesson plan for public consumption
April 5: No Class—Spring Recess
April 12: No Class—research travel
April 19: No Reading: Essays DUE
April 26: Equity, Work and Culture Change
Required reading: Ellen Schrecker, Many Are the Crimes
o Historical fiction and the history classroom
May 3: The Civil Rights Movement
Required reading: John Dittmer, Local People
o Teaching history with more technology; panacea or time-waster?
May 10: Focus on the Cold War - Vietnam
Required reading: Christian G. Appy, Working-Class War
o “RAFT”-ing through Vietnam
May 10: The Right Turn in American Politics (SCHEDULE NOTE: THIS CLASS
WILL TAKE PLACE DURING EXAM WEEK.)
Required reading: Lisa McGirr, Suburban Warriors
o The Big Picture: planning for an entire history semester
Web compendium & wikurriculum additions due no later than May 17.
HIST 530b/EDUC 508
Appendix I:
Assignment I:
BOOK REVIEW
Write a critical, analytical review of any assigned book. The book review is limited to
five double-spaced pages. Students will email their book review to me no later than the
Tuesday before class; I will then forward the review to the rest of the class so that all will
have read it by the time we meet. When class meets, the reviewers will lead the
discussion.
A good book review will contain these fundamental features

I. Essential facts about the book:
o Identify the main thesis
o What are the major questions/historical problems being addressed?
o How does the author develop the argument?
o What primary sources were used?

II. Your original analysis:
o What the author proposes that is new
o Where the book fits into historical literature on the subject
o Theoretical and methodological approaches used by the author
o Strengths and weaknesses of the author's use of sources - is this a
convincing argument?
Is there a model for me to use?
There is no single definitive way of doing this type of assignment. You may find it
helpful, however, to look at book reviews in major academic journals such as the Journal
of American History, the American Historical Review, etc. These are housed in the
Binghamton University Library and available online.
Do I need to bring in outside materials?
If you have the knowledge at your fingertips and doing so is appropriate to your review,
then go right ahead. You may notice that one of the items listed above is "where the book
fits into historical literature on the subject," which can be tricky if you haven't read in the
area already. Do your best with this, and use your judgment.
HIST 530b/EDUC 508
Appendix II:
Assignment II: Synthetic Research Paper OR Teaching-Unit Paper
OPTION ONE: SYNTHETIC RESEARCH
Write a medium-length paper (10-15 double spaced pages) that addresses a topic of your
choosing from American history between 1877-1990. Your paper must articulate an
original thesis and it must draw a substantial amount of its evidence from primary
documents, including the primary documents that you are already gathering for your
compendium. The paper is due no later than April 19. You will be permitted to revise
and resubmit your paper by May 17.
Some Guidelines:
Of course, your readings can shape your thinking and your argument. You must cite them
whenever it is appropriate. Use Chicago-style footnotes or endnotes to identify your
sources. But remember: the key to this assignment is to use documentary evidence to
explore your topic, and these should factor prominently in the paper.
A good thesis matters.
If you can lay out your thesis as clearly as possible at the start of the paper, you will be
making your position clear and you will be framing the boundaries in which you will
tackle this historical issue.
Some examples of successful theses:

Three distinct ideas of the proper role for women’s empowerment movement
competed for recognition in the 1970s. One was a conservative movement, one
was based in workplace justice, and a third fought primarily for elite
empowerment.

The racial ideologies used among soldiers in the U.S. forces in Southeast Asia
between 1960- 1976 mirrored the racial arguments at home.
How do I use footnotes?
Consult any academic historical writing for examples. Our books generally use this
format. For more details, consult a style guide, such as the Chicago Manual of Style
Quickguide: http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html
Do I need to bring in secondary materials from beyond our list of required readings?
No. You may find it helpful to cite a book or two not assigned for this class, but it is not
required.
Due date: April 19, 2012
HIST 530b/EDUC 508
Appendix II:
Assignment II: Synthetic Research Paper OR Teaching-Unit Paper
OPTION TWO: TEACHING UNIT
Write a description of a teaching unit about one theme or event in American history
between 1877-1990. How would you teach this using a rich collection of readily
available primary sources? Your paper should include a few key parts:
Rationale:
Why is this an important theme or event? How can the use of primary
documents help enrich its teaching? How is it presented in a standard
textbook? How can you incorporate a rich collection of primary
documents to encourage students to think in an authentically historical
way?
Document set: What documents would you use to teach this unit? For each document,
you need to explain its context, theme, and main points.
Teaching approach: How will you use these documents? What methods will you
incorporate into your unit? How will you assess learning?
The paper is due no later than April 19. You will be permitted to revise and resubmit
your paper by May 17.
Purpose:
The goal of this assignment is to push you to combine an analysis of documents with a
thoughtful presentation of how they can be used in a classroom.
Sources:
For this assignment, you will need to access a set of relevant documents. You will also
need to refer to secondary sources to explain the background of the topic. You may use
our required readings as these sources if you wish. Finally, you should include at least
one history textbook to compare your document-based approach to that of a standard
curriculum.
Format:
You should use the standard format preferred by historians, Chicago style. For a style
guide, consult the Chicago Manual of Style online:
http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/home.html
In short, though, you can copy the style of professional articles in journals such as the
Journal of American History (http://www.indiana.edu/~jah/) or American Historical
Review (http://www.indiana.edu/~ahr/).
Your essay is limited to 10-15 double-spaced word-processed pages.
Due date: April 19, 2012
HIST 530b/EDUC 508
Assignment III: Documents Based Question
The Assignment:
Create a Documents-Based Question (DBQ) based on any topic of your choosing from
this course. Your primary documents (a maximum of 8) should come from the
compendium that you have been working on all along. Students will present and submit
their DBQs throughout the semester. You must email your DBQ to me by the morning
before class. I will post your DBQ for the class to preview.
The DBQ should consist of two parts: a short-answer section where the scaffolding
questions (maximum of 10) come directly from these documents and an essay section
where students must answer a capstone question using the same documents. Unless you
have a strong reason to design a question for another age group, such as a plan to teach
only middle school, please assume this is an assignment for high-school students (i.e.,
grade 11).
In addition, you need to be ready to explain ONE THING that gave you the biggest
challenge when you created your DBQ.
Some Guidelines: What is this supposed to look like?
There are many places you can look to see examples of a DBQ in its component parts.
Here are three:
http://www.nysedregents.org/USHistoryGov/home.html NY State Department of
Education, 11th grade samples
http://www.nysedregents.org/USHistoryGov/home.html NYSED, 8th grade samples
(defunct, but still interesting)
http://www.edteck.com/dbq/dbquest/quest11.htm
Peter Pappas, "teaching with Documents" > Grade 11 > Civil War
http://womhist.alexanderstreet.com/teacher/dbqs.htm
This site is part of the Center for the Historical Study of Women and Gender in the
"Teacher's Corner."
HIST 530b/EDUC 508
Assignment IV: Annotated Compendium
The Assignment
The purpose of the annotated compendium is threefold: to give students practice mining
the web for scholarly and pedagogical purposes, to critically consider methods for using
the web as a teaching resource, and to help students produce a reference of web-based
materials for use in their own classrooms. Compendia should cover the range of topics
we have studied in this course. Focus on websites that are document-rich.
The Compendium is due no later than May 17.
II. Annotations
What constitutes a good annotation is really up to you -- after all, this is an assignment
that you can draw upon long after this course is over. The more you have written now,
the more useful it will be to you later. That said, I am looking to see that you have put
some real thought and substantive effort into this project, and the quality of the
annotations is one measure of that. Follow this basic rule of thumb: an annotation should
have the web address (the URL), the title of the site, and then several sentences of your
comments/analysis. Questions to consider: what were the most useful documents from
this site? What feature of this site did I find particularly useful? What do you want to
remember about this site for future use? If it is easier or clearer for you, feel free to
organize your information about each site in a bulleted list.
III. Organization
How you organize your compendium is again up to you. In the past, students have
created categories into which they placed their annotated websites. These could be
chronological (late 19th century, America between the wars, etc.) or thematic (gender,
class, ethnicity, race) or topical (migration, democracy, capitalism, etc.). It's your choice.
IV. Length
Your compendium should include at least fifteen references. You may include many
more if you wish.
V. Format
You may turn in a hard copy or a digital copy (via email, on a flashdrive, a website
you've made, and so on). You may write this as a Word document, or as a spreadsheet,
or in any practical format you choose. Again, this is your choice -- but do not turn in
printouts of these websites. Save trees!
Appendix V: Wikurriculum
The Assignment:
The goal of this assignment is to collaboratively map a dream curriculum for an
American history class spanning the period from 1877-1990. Using a wiki format, we
will all contribute to a “toolbox” for teaching American history.
Purpose:
The goal of this assignment is to encourage you to think about history curriculum and to
practice working collaboratively with colleagues to assemble a collection of practical
teaching resources. Also, you will get some practice using a wiki in a history class.
Format:
We will be using a Blackboard page. I will provide the basic structure, which will also
be open to editing and improvement over the course of the semester. We will have a
chance to practice with this format during our first class meeting.
Grading:
You will receive a grade based on both the quality and quantity of your participation.
Your participation will be evaluated on five general elements: quantity, quality, tone,
clarity, and practicality. See rubric below.
Due date:
Throughout the semester. You will be expected to contribute at least once per week.
The last date for additions will be May 17, 2012.