DRAFT! HIST 600: 20Th Century US History DRAFT!

DRAFT! HIST 600: 20th Century US History DRAFT! This is the last syllabus I taught (spring 2016) for this course. The Spring 2017 will follow this pretty closely, except for the dates. Instructor: Joe Austin, Associate Professor, History OFFICE HOURS: email and by appointment (I am available most weekdays)) Office: Holton Hall, 351 Office Phone: due to budget cutbacks, I don’t have an office phone email: [email protected] Course Description This is a senior-level “capstone” course in 20th Century U.S. History designed for majors and minors nearing the end of their undergraduate studies in the History department. The course assumes that students have taken a historical methods course that satisfies the degree requirements, have experience locating and interpreting primary source materials, and have written extended analyses based on their research. This version of HIST 600 provides the opportunity for an in-depth investigation of U.S. history, but the main emphasis in the course is on designing and writing a research presentation based on primary sources. Students negotiate their research topics with Joe, but have considerable latitude. This is the highest-level class offered in the History BA, and students are expected to devote a substantial amount of time each week during the semester to its successful completion. Based on national criteria, students should expect to work approximately 10 hours per week on this class as a minimum average throughout the semester, although the variations between individual students may be considerable, based on their skills and preparation.

Readings and Software Requirements All required readings will be posted on the course D2L site in the Content section or available from the UWM Library databases. There are no textbooks to purchase.

Course Goals 1. Refine and demonstrate advanced primary and secondary research techniques in archives and databases. 2. Refine and demonstrate advanced analytical and organizational skills, and independent, critical thinking skills within the disciplinary standards by creating extended historical interpretations of U.S. based on primary sources. 3. Refine and demonstrate advanced writing and presentation skills in digital environments through blogs and an extended research project on the history of the U.S. during the 20th century.

Graded Work 50% of the final grade is based on an original research presentation, 5000 words minimum, with the major arguments based on primary sources. Bibliographies and notes are not considered in meeting the minimum length. There is a separate sheet describing requirements and offering suggestions in the Content section of the D2L site for this course. The research paper is graded on a 100-point scale. 40% of the final grade is based on 13 original Blogposts + 1 email (see week #4), each usually 250-400 words minimum length. Blog topic, due date, specific requirements, evaluation criteria, and some suggestions are available in the description to each blog forum [in the Discussion section of D2L]. Blogposts can be saved as a draft or edited and revised until the grade date. If you reasonably meet the requirements, you’ll most likely get at least 80/100 of full credit for the blog. The final 20% of my evaluation is based on an assessment of your ability to integrate all the various requirements into a coherent, written whole. Each Blogpost is graded on a 100-point scale. Note: Blog #5 is a “process blog,” with short entries required every week. 10% of the final grade is based on Responses to blogposts written by other students, each usually 100 words minimum. Requirements and evaluation criteria for Responses are available (“pinned”) in the first few posts to each blog forum [in the Discussion section of D2L]. Each Response is graded on a 10-point scale.

Schedule of Due Dates The schedule below provides the Reading, Writing, and Research Work expected each week, as well as the Monday at 11:59pm Due Date for any work you are required to submit.

Week 1. Jan 25 -- Readings: “Intro US History Research Online”; “Finding a Viable Topic”; “Tosh- Historical Awareness”; “Historical Subfields”; “Academic Ethics Statement” (“sign,” and return to Joe) Writing: Blog #1 Introduce yourself as a student of history Research Work: Begin exploring topics for your research project; search for archives related to your topics DUE Monday, Feb 1, 11:59pm: Blog #1 (Introduce Yourself as a Historian) Blog #5: This week’s short entry about your research process

Week 2. Feb 1 -- Readings: Select 3 Textbook chapters from the list in the Content Section under “Blog #2” Writing: Blog #2 + 2 Responses to Blog #1 Research Work: Explore topics for your research project; search for archives DUE Monday, Feb. 8, 11:59pm: Blog #2 (Various Topics – Textbook chapters) 2 Responses to other student’s Blog #1 Blog #5: This week’s short entry about your research process

Week 3. Feb 8 -- Reading: Select 2 Secondary Source Articles from the List in the Content Section under “Blog #3” Writing: Blog #3 + 2 Responses to Blog #2 Research Work: Explore topics for your research project; search for archives DUE Monday, Feb. 15, 11:59pm: Blog #3 ( Summary, Analysis, and Comparison/Contrast with 2 Secondary Sources ) 2 Responses to other student’s Blog #2 Blog #5: This week’s short entry about your research process

Week 4. Feb 15 -- Reading: Select 2 Primary Sources from the list in the Content Section under “Blog #4” Writing: Blog #4 + 2 Responses to Blog #3 + Email to Joe Research Work: Narrow topics for your research project to 3; search for archives DUE Monday, Feb. 22, 11:59pm: Blog #4 ( Analysis, Contextualization, Synthesis of 2 Primary Sources ) 2 Responses to other student’s Blog #3  Email to Joe (counts same as a Blog): Three (3) possible research topics, and a brief assessment of the archives/primary documents that you have located for each of these topics Blog #5: This week’s short entry about your research process

Week 5. Feb 22 -- Reading: Your own research materials Writing: Blog #6, & 2 Responses to Blog #4 Research Work: Extend your search for archives related to the 3 topics you emailed to Joe last week; decide which 2 of these you might select (see Blog #6 for details) DUE Monday, Feb 29, 11:59pm: Blog #6: Two (2) Topics you might research and a description of the archives/primary sources related to each 2 Responses to other student’s Blog #4 Blog #5: This week’s short entry about your research process

Week 6. Feb 29 – Reading: Primary and Secondary Sources on the Integration of Little Rock Schools, 1957 + your own primary and secondary research Writing: Blog #7 + 2 Responses to Blog #6 Research Work: Search UWM Library for secondary articles on your 2 topics; decide which of two topics you will research DUE Monday, Mar. 7, 11:59pm: Blog #7: Ike and Little Rock: Primary and Secondary Sources 2 Responses to other student’s Blog #6 Blog #5: This week’s short entry about your research process

Week 7. Mar. 7 – Reading and Research Work: Your own primary and secondary research Writing: Blog #8 + 2 Responses to Blog #7 DUE Monday, Mar. 21, 11:59pm: Blog #8: Draft of Prospectus 2 Responses to other student’s Blog #7 Blog #5: This week’s short entry about your research process

Mar 14 -- SPRING BREAK

Week 8. Mar 21– Reading and Research Work: Your own primary and secondary research Writing: Blog #9 and 2 Responses to Blog #8 DUE Monday, Mar. 28, 11:59pm: Blog #9: Short literature review of 3 secondary articles 2 responses to other students’ Blog #8 Blog #5: This week’s short entry about your research process

Week 9. Mar. 28 – Reading and Research Work: Your own primary and secondary research Writing: Blog #10 + 2 Responses DUE Monday, Apr 4, 11:59pm: Blog #10: Description of Major Archive and a book review 2 responses to other students’ Blog #9 Blog #5: This week’s short entry about your research process

Week 10. Apr 4– Reading and Research Work: Your own primary and secondary research Writing: Blog #11 + 2 Responses to Blog #10 DUE Monday, April 11, 11:59pm: Blog #11: Final Prospectus 2 responses to other students’ Blog #10 Blog #5: This week’s short entry about your research process

Week 11. Apr 11 – Reading and Research Work: Your own primary and secondary research Writing: 3 Responses to Blog #11 + Draft of Final paper (Blog #12) DUE Monday, Apr. 18, 11:59pm: 3 responses to other students’ Blog #11 Blog #5: This week’s short entry about your research process

Week 12. Apr 18– Reading and Research Work: Your own primary and secondary research Writing: Draft of Final Paper (Blog #12) Due Monday, April 25, 11:59pm: Blog #5: Final entry about your research process

Week 13. Apr 25– Reading and Research Work: Your own primary and secondary research Writing: Draft of Final Paper (Blog #12) DUE Monday, May 2, 11:59pm.: Blog #12: Rough Draft of Research Project

Week 14. May 2– Reading and Research Work: Your own primary and secondary research Writing: Blog #13 + Revising Your Draft DUE FRIDAY, May 6, 11:59pm.: Blog #13: 3 Responses to other students’ rough drafts, using my evaluation sheet

Final Draft of Research Project Due to Joe via email on Monday May 16 at 11:59pm

Evaluation Survey of the Course (extra credit) Due Wednesday, May 18 at 11:59pm