MASTER COURSE OUTLINE
Big Bend Community College
Date: March 2008
DEPT: HIST&
NO: 137
(Formerly: HIS 202)
COURSE TITLE: US History 2
CIP Code:
Intent Code:
Program Code
54.0102
11
N/A
Distribution Desig.:
Social Science
Prepared By:
Christopher P. Riley
Credits:
Total Contact Hours Per Qtr.:
Lecture Hours Per Qtr.:
Lab Hours Per Qtr.:
Other Hours Per Qtr.:
5
55
55
Course Description:
From the end of the Civil War to present day, this course examines Reconstruction, the
Gilded Age, America’s rise to a world power, World War I, the triumph of Modernism,
the Depression and New Deal, World War II, the Cold War, the turbulent 1960s,
disillusioned ‘70s and the Reagan Revolution. More recent events are examined as
ongoing and current events. Students are encouraged to take ENGL 101 prior to taking
this class. Strongly recommend placement in MPC 095 or higher and placement in ENGL
099 or higher.
Prerequisites:
Texts:
None
Instructors may choose from the following:
Out of Many, Volume II Since 1865, by John Mack Faragher, et al.;
Out of Many, Combined Volume, by John Mack Faragher, et al.;
America, Volume II Brief Edition, by George Brown Tindall and David
Emory Shi;
Or other texts deemed appropriate by the instructor.
Course Goals:
1) To introduce students to the richness and variety of their American past
2) To promote an understanding of the tensions a pluralistic democratic society
necessarily undergoes
3) To foster critical perspectives on our current times so that students may view
them more rationally
Course Objectives: Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
1) Define the significant themes used in telling the story of American history from
1865 to the present
2) Identify the major people who contributed to American history from 1865 to
present
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3) Describe the reasons for the growing rift between classes in post-civil war
America
4) Describe the causes, course and results of the Spanish American War, World
Wars One and Two, the Cold War, Vietnam, and the Gulf War
5) Discuss the leaders, themes and accomplishments of the populist, progressive,
New Deal, and civil rights eras
6) Trace the course and describe the results of the women’s movement from 1877 to
today
7) Discuss the moral lessons that can be drawn from the brutality of segregation,
nativism, internment, massive resistance, and the current day ‘profiling’
8) Describe the results of American imperialism during the early 1900s
9) Describe the civil rights movement from 1955 until 1968
10) Describe the accomplishments and failings of American presidents and their
administrative policies since 1932
11) Explore the economic policies of the 1980s and their historical connections
12) Discuss post-cold war realities and America’s role in the modern world
Course Content Outline:
I)
Reconstruction
II)
Western Frontier
III)
Rise of Labor & Industry
IV)
Populism
V)
Progressivism
VI)
Rise to a World Power
VII) World War One
VIII) Segregation
IX)
The growth of Modernism in the 1920s
X)
Great Depression & New Deal
XI)
World War Two
XII) Cold War
XIII) Civil Rights
XIV) 1960s ( including Vietnam)
XV) 1970s (including Watergate)
XVI) Reagan Revolution
XVII) Post-Vietnam lessons (end of Cold War)
XVIII) The Information Age
Evaluation Methods/Grading Procedures:
This is a writing class. Students will be evaluated using a mixture of the
following:
1) A midterm examination consisting of objective questions and essay questions
designed to evaluate students’ understanding of major persons, events, and trends.
2) A critical book review or research paper in which the students are asked to
evaluate the arguments put forward by historians and determine the historical
relevance of their varying attitudes, or develop a historical thesis.
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3) A final examination consisting of objective questions and essay questions
designed to evaluate students’ understanding of major persons, events, and trends.
4) Several quizzes designed to evaluate students’ progress with their assigned
readings and their understanding of the lectures presented.
Planned Teaching Methods/Learning Strategies:
X
__
__
__
Lecture
Laboratory
Supervised Clinical
Special Project
X
X
__
__
Small Group Discussion
Audiovisual
Individualized Instruction
Other (List)
______________________________
Division Chair Approval
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