Course Description & Rationale

Please see http://www3.austincc.edu/catalog/fy2008/deschist.htm. This course provides a survey of U.S. History since 1877 and satisfies three semester hours of the Legislative Requirement in U.S. History.

Common Course Objectives

Please see http://www.austincc.edu/history

Course Methodology

This is primarily a lecture course, supplemented by student analysis of source materials and discussion.

Textbook

Divine, Robert A., et al. America Past and Present. 9th ed. Boston:  Longman, 2010.  Assigned reading for each class period should be completed beforehand.

Grading

The instructor will evaluate students based on four unit tests, a research paper, and a textbook assignment. Students earn up to a maximum of 200 points in the course as follows:

            Unit 1 Test is worth 40 possible points

            Unit 2 Test is worth 40 possible points

            Unit 3 Test is worth 40 possible points

            Unit 4 Test is worth 40 possible points

            Research Paper is worth 30 possible points

Textbook Assignment is worth 10 possible points

The instructor will determine each student's final grade in the course using this scale:

            90-100 percent of the 200 possible points, or 180-200 points, equals A

            80-89   percent of the 200 possible points, or 160-179 points, equals B

            70-79   percent of the 200 possible points, or 140-159 points, equals C

            60-69   percent of the 200 possible points, or 120-139 points, equals D

              0-59   percent of the 200 possible points, or     0-119 points, equals F

Incomplete ( I ) grades will be issued only upon presentation of a doctor's written note explaining why the student cannot complete the course within the current semester. All incompletes must be resolved within four weeks of the start of the next semester; otherwise the incomplete grade will become an F.

Attendance

Regular attendance is required. Students who miss more than five classes may be withdrawn from the course at the instructor's discretion. If the student chooses to withdraw for any reason, then it is the student's responsibility to file for withdrawal. The last date for student withdrawal is 8 August 2012.

Academic Freedom

The free and open exchange of ideas is vital to the pursuit of learning.

Student Privacy

The federal government requires that student privacy be preserved. Grades cannot be given over the phone or by email. All communication will remain between the instructor and the student, and the instructor will not be able to share details of the student's performance with parents, spouses, or others.

Scholastic Dishonesty

College Policy:  "Acts prohibited by the college for which discipline may be administered include scholastic dishonesty, including but not limited to cheating on an exam or quiz, plagiarizing, and unauthorized collaboration with another in preparing outside work. Academic work submitted by students shall be the result of their thought, research, or self-expression. Academic work is defined as, but not limited to tests, quizzes, whether taken electronically or on paper; projects, either individual or group; classroom presentations, and homework." Students will receive a grade of F on any work that does not conform to this policy.

Students with Disabilities

College Policy:  "Each ACC campus offers support services for students with documented physical or psychological disabilities. Students with disabilities must request reasonable accommodations through the Office for Students with Disabilities on the campus where they expect to take the majority of their classes. Students are encouraged to do this three weeks before the start of the semester."

Unit Tests

Students will write answers in a blue book, available at the ACC bookstore. On each test, students respond to short answer questions, multiple-choice questions, and one essay question. A short answer question requires a brief response, and has three parts, each worth one point: a) who/what; b) when; and c) historical significance. For example, say Barack Obama was a short answer question on the last test. A satisfactory answer would be: "Barack Obama—Obama was a Senator from Illinois and presidential candidate for the Democratic Party in 2008. He was the first African-American elected president."

On Blackboard, click Essay Guidelines in the blue navigation tree at the left of the screen for instructions on how to write essays on tests. No notes or other resource may be used during an exam. Students making up a test due to absence must make up the test within one week of the date that the test is given in class. 

RE-TEST Policy

Students may re-take one of the first three tests (Test 1, Test 2, or Test 3) in the Testing Center. The re-test must be taken within one week of the date that the exams are returned to the class, and the maximum score for a re-test is 28 points (that is 70% of the original 40-point exam). Students taking a re-test should not expect all the same questions on the re-test that appeared on the original exam.

Testing Center Policy:  please see http://www2.austincc.edu/testctr

Research Paper

Students will earn points on the research paper in the following manner:

--Written Content: pertinent, factual, source-based…………………………….20 points

--Writing Style:  organized, coherent, grammatically correct…………………..10 points

Research Papers are due as assigned by the instructor. Students unable come to class on the day the paper is due, but have completed the paper, may email the paper to the instructor on the day it is due and they will not lose points. Two points will be deducted for each class period that the paper is late. No work will be accepted after the last class meeting of the semester. Click Research Paper in the course on Blackboard for more information on the research paper.

Textbook Assignment

Write a one-page, single-spaced assessment of what you think are four important facts or ideas from the textbook that are related to this course (Chapters 17-32) but not covered in the notes from class. You must select one item from each of the four units of study. Write a paragraph for each item that you choose. Be sure to explain your choices. Other than single-spacing, follow the same formatting as the research paper.

Students earn two points for each of the four items chosen, and two points for proper formatting, for a total of ten points. The assignment is due the class period before Test 4; two points will be deducted if it is turned in late. No work will be accepted after the last class meeting of the semester.

09 July:  Course Introduction

10 July:  Continuity & Change. Read Chapter 17.

11 July:  Populism. Read Chapter 20.

12 July:  Labor. Read Chapters 18 & 19.

16 July:  Test 1

17 July:  Progressive Era. Read Chapters 22 & 23.

18 July:  U.S. & the World, 1878-1914. Read Chapter 21.

19 July:  World War I; the 1920 Census. Read Chapter 24.

23 July:  The 1920s, Part I. Read Chapter 25

24 July:  The 1920s, Part II.

25 July:  The Great Depression. Read pp. 648-54.

26 July:  Test 2

30 July:  The New Deal. Read Chapter 26 pp. 654-end.

31 July:  Workers, Dust Bowl, and Protest

01 August: World War II. Read Chapter 27.

02 August: The Cold War, Part I. Read Chapter 28.

06 August: The Cold War, Part II

07 August:  Test 3

08 August:  Vietnam. Read pp. 744-753 & 759-767.

09 August:  Civil Rights. Read Chap. 29 & pp. 492-495, 753-759, 767-773.

13 August:  Late Twentieth Century. Read Chapters 31 & 32.

14 August:  Immigration; Current Events. Textbook Assignment due.

15 August:  Test 4

09 July:  Course Introduction

10 July:  Continuity & Change. Read Chapter 17.

11 July:  Populism. Read Chapter 20.

12 July:  Labor. Read Chapters 18 & 19.

16 July:  Test 1

17 July:  Progressive Era. Read Chapters 22 & 23.

18 July:  U.S. & the World, 1878-1914. Read Chapter 21.

19 July:  World War I; the 1920 Census. Read Chapter 24.

23 July:  The 1920s, Part I. Read Chapter 25

24 July:  The 1920s, Part II.

25 July:  The Great Depression. Read pp. 648-54.

26 July:  Test 2

30 July:  The New Deal. Read Chapter 26 pp. 654-end.

31 July:  Workers, Dust Bowl, and Protest

01 August: World War II. Read Chapter 27.

02 August: The Cold War, Part I. Read Chapter 28.

06 August: The Cold War, Part II

07 August:  Test 3

08 August:  Vietnam. Read pp. 744-753 & 759-767.

09 August:  Civil Rights. Read Chap. 29 & pp. 492-495, 753-759, 767-773.

13 August:  Late Twentieth Century. Read Chapters 31 & 32.

14 August:  Immigration; Current Events. Textbook Assignment due.

15 August:  Test 4

Populism

The student will be able to:

-explain the origins of the Populist movement

-describe how Farmers' Alliances operated

-identify core components of the Cleburne Demands

-describe the importance of railroads to farmers

-discuss the planks of the People's Party platform of 1892

Labor in the Late-Nineteenth Century

The student will be able to:

-discuss the benefits and detriments of rapid industrialization

-describe the efforts of the Knights of Labor

-describe the efforts of settlement house workers

-discuss the significance of the Pullman Strike

-explain how the federal government reacted to major conflicts between capital and labor

Labor in the Early Twentieth Century

The student will be able to:

-describe the career of Eugene V. Debs

-describe the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire

-describe actions workers took in response to working conditions

-draw connections between workplace conditions and new laws

-evaluate the relationship between workers and employers in the early twentieth century

Progressive Era

The student will be able to:

-describe ideas such as social Darwinism that hindered progressive reform

-describe the efforts of the muckrakers

-discuss Amendments XVI-XIX to the Constitution

-explain the symbolism of various works of art from the Progressive Era

-describe the significance of the Coxey's Army episode

-explain the reasons for the end of the Progressive Era

The United States and the World, 1878-1914

The student will be able to:

-identify the causes and outcome of the Spanish-American War

-discuss the influence of the Dawes Act on Native Americans

-explain the main features of the Roosevelt Corollary

-describe the purpose of the Teller and Platt Amendments

-identify the work and influence of Alfred T. Mahan and Frederick J. Turner

World War I

The student will be able to:

-discuss the relationship between the sinking of the Lusitania and the Great War

-describe how the Zimmermann Telegram contributed to the U.S. entering the war

-explain Woodrow Wilson's role in World War I

-discuss the major provisions of the Treaty of Versailles

-discuss the challenge faced by the League of Nations, including the Kellogg-Briand Pact

The 1920s

The student will be able to:

-explain the factors that gave rise to the Red Scare

-discuss the significance of the Palmer Raids

-discuss indicators of economic prosperity during the decade

-explain the causes of the Teapot Dome Scandal

-explain the significance of the Scopes Trial

The Great Depression

The student will be able to:

-describe the causes of the Depression

-explain the consequences of America's crisis for the international economy

-explain the Hoover administration's approach to the Depression

-describe the effects of the Hawley-Smoot Tariff

-discuss the significance of the Bonus Army episode

The New Deal

The student will be able to:

-discuss Franklin Roosevelt's approach to the Depression

-distinguish between the first and second New Deals

-explain the challenges of the Agricultural Adjustment Act & National Recovery Admin.

-describe the purpose of the Home Owners' Loan Corporation

-explain the purpose of the Works Progress Administration

-assess the efficacy of New Deal measures

Workers, Dust Bowl, and Protest

The student will be able to:

-discuss the challenges faced by urban working-class communities during the Depression

-explain the causes of the Dust Bowl

-describe how rural communities were affected by the Dust Bowl

-explain the purpose of the Wagner Act

-describe the views of Huey Long

-explain the popularity of Charles Coughlin

World War II

The student will be able to:

-describe the significance of the Good Neighbor Policy

-explain the reasons for U.S. entry into World War II

-describe the lend-lease program

-discuss the consequences of World War II for the United States

-explain the origin and purpose of the United Nations

Cold War

The student will be able to:

-discuss the central characteristics of the Cold War

-describe the significance of the Taft-Hartley Act

-describe the Berlin Airlift as a Cold War event

-explain the significance of the Truman Doctrine

-discuss the origins and outcome of the Korean conflict

-explain the motivations behind the Marshall Plan

-explain the relationship between NSC-68 and American foreign policy of the era

Vietnam

The student will be able to:

-order major events in the chronology of United States involvement in Vietnam

-explain the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution and the incident that precipitated it

-describe the significance of the Tet Offensive

-enumerate reasons why many Americans turned against the war effort

-discuss the degree to which the Vietnam conflict was a Cold War event

-assess the role of the Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon administrations regarding Vietnam

Civil Rights

The student will be able to:

-describe the Black Codes and Jim Crow customs

-describe reasons for the development of civil rights activism in the 20th century

-explain the importance of Amendment XXIV to the Constitution

-describe the significance of the murder of Emmett Till

-discuss the Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education

-explain what individuals and groups took the initiative in promoting civil rights

The Late Twentieth Century and Beyond

The student will be able to:

-discuss the Watts riots in the context of the 1960s

-explain the characteristics of the New Frontier and the Great Society

-explain the Watergate affair

-describe the circumstances surrounding the Iran-Contra Scandal

-explain the purpose behind Desert Storm

-describe the significance of the presidential election of 2008

Immigration

The student will be able to:

-define what is meant by a diachronic view of history

-explain the increase in immigration from 1871-1920 over 1820-1870

-identify the countries from which the "new" immigrant came

-account for occasional significant decreases in immigration during 1921-1970

-identify main regions of origin of immigrants from 1950-1990