Great Basin College s14

GREAT BASIN COLLEGE HISTORY 101 - U.S. History I Fall, 2010 Section E01, E02 (7:30-9:45 AM Tuesday and Thursday)

Instructor: Dr. Peter Klem

Office: 122 Electrical and Industrial Tech (the new building!) Phone 775-753-2128 [email protected]

Office Hours: M through W= 11-12PM; T, Th, and Fri 1-2:30 or by appointment. Also usually in office all day Friday [8-9 &1-5]. FEEL FREE TO STOP BY MY OFFICE ANYTIME, EXCEPT DURING CLASS HOURS. I’m in everyday 8-5.

Texts: America: A Concise History Fourth Edition by James Henretta and David Brody ISBN 978-0-312-48541-2 Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass written by himself (David Blight, ed) ISBN 0-312-07531-6 Company Aytch by Sam Watkins ISBN 0-452-28124-5

Catalog Description: Survey of U.S. political, social, economic, diplomatic, and cultural development from Colonial Times to Reconstruction. When taken with HIST 102 or 217, class satisfies the Nevada Constitution requirement. Prerequisite: ENG 101 reading level. (3 + 0)

Course Content: This course will examine the development of the United States from, roughly, the time of European settlement to the American Civil War. As mentioned in the Course Description booklet it is a “survey” course – your basic, straight-forward, “generic” history class [or as some have dubbed it : “The one darned thing after another” course]. Designed to be accessible to non- history majors seeking an introduction to, and having an interest in, the field of American History, I fear it may conjure up, in the minds of some, images of a bland retelling of names, dates, facts, and figures. Thus, it may be useful to clarify some things right from the beginning, starting with my objectives. On the most basic level, I hope to provide you, the student, with useful knowledge which will better your understanding of both the past and the present, thereby enabling you to place people and events in their proper historical context – that is where the minutiae of facts and figures comes in.

But I also want to present history as a vital discipline with direct relevance to our lives, rather than merely a chronology of facts and figures. The knowledge taken from this course should be 1 actively used to evaluate historical trends and provide you with sufficient information to engage in meaningful discussion on some of the most basic of all questions: Who are we? Where did we come from? How did we become so wonderful [or messed up]?

Furthermore, there are many rooms in the mansion of our history; there is of course our politics [believe it or not, in light of our present widespread cynicism, considered by some our special genius and most significant contribution to human history], but we will also look at the social and cultural – even economic- elements as well. Also, besides the printed word, we have many types of sources useful in bettering our understanding of the past: poetry, art, cartoons, etc.

Finally, let me point out the inherent drama here – for drama grows out of tension and tension is a fact of life in America from its earliest days to today’s newspaper headlines. No one can doubt the greatness of our nation if it is measured in terms of the size and natural bounty of our geographic domain, the remarkable economic productivity of its people, or the stability of our governmental institutions. Less certain has been its greatness in the areas of culture, its use of power, or in its distribution of social/economic justice. Thus, I feel, the best way to explain the present condition of our national life is to confront the good and the bad historically, stage by stage to gain a better understanding of ourselves.

Content-Specific Student Outcomes: Upon completion of this course, the student will:

 demonstrate a knowledge of the important dates, events and movements of American history from Colonial Times to the Civil War era, and understand some of the differing interpretations of those facts, as measured in exams and papers; o Measurement: exams and papers  make connections and see relationships between historic and current events and movements, as measured through essay questions on exams and assignments; o Measurement: essay questions on exams and assignments

 demonstrate an understanding of the work of historians and the writing of history; o Measurement: exams, in assignments, and in class discussions  write a term paper based on the historical content of two books of primary source material, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass written by himself and Company Aytch by Sam Watkins o Measurement: through a term paper.  participate knowledgeably in discussions of American history. o Measurement: classroom participation.

Method of Instruction: Lecture, discussion, visuals, and reading assignments.

2 COURSE STRUCTURE:

Although primarily a lecture course handouts, videos, and class discussions/assignments will be used to reinforce and compliment the lectures. To receive full credit for the class the following must be completed.

1. Attend lectures on a regular basis. This course requires attendance. Those who do not attend generally do poorly, especially on the essay portions of exams which require the synthesis of lecture material with material from the readings. Make an effort to attend every class and take good notes. If an absence is unavoidable, remember that it is your responsibility to find out what you have missed and master that material. GBC’s attendance policy allows up to three absences in a 3-credit class; those are intended to cover emergencies. Instructors may drop students for excessive absence. (See page 51 of GBC’s General Catalog 2010-2011 for the complete attendance policy.) However, keep in mind that whether absence is excused or not any absence will result in a loss of participation points. Thus, if you miss a discussion class, or activity, you are hurting your final grade when you miss class!

2. KEEP UP WITH THE READINGS! This class will use the following books: America: A Concise History by Henrtetta and Brody 4TH EDITION. [NOTE: we use the full, two volume, single edition text which covers two semesters and will be used in the spring of 2011. If you only plan to take one semester, try going online and get the single volume one.] Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass written by himself (David Blight, ed) ISBN 0-312-07531-6 Company Aytch by Sam Watkins ISBN 0-452-28124-5

3. STUDENT ASSESSMENT: Students will be assessed points, in keeping with the General Education Objectives (see adjoining text “General Education Objectives” at the end of syllabus), according to their proficiency on the following tasks. EXAMS: (100 points each) There will be two mid-terms and one final examination each covering approximately 5 chapters worth of material from the Henretta text and the lectures and class assignments. These will each consist of one essay, and a mixture of multiple choice [30 per exam] and short answer questions [4 per exam]. IF YOU MISS EXAMS YOU WILL BE DOCKED 20 POINTS ON THE MAKE-UP TEST!!

4. Writing assignments. During the course of the semester you will be assigned brief writing assignments revolving around the readings for a specific class. We will discuss them and they will be collected and graded. Depending on our progress, the precise number and point total for these tasks will vary. More on this later, but they will mostly be centered on the Henretta textbook. POINTS WILL BE LOST FOR LATE WORK OR ANY MISSED DISCUSSION CLASSES.

5. PAPER: (100 points) DUE IN CLASS ON Tuesday, NOV. 23rd. One formal paper is required. Like all writing assignments it will be typed, double-spaced, have one inch margins and use a 12 point font. The length will be 3 to 5 pages and will be based on Frederick Douglass’

3 Narrative… and Sam Watkins’ Company Aytch. You will be graded upon creative/critical thinking, your construction of a logical argument, your ability to compare and contrast the books and of course your writing abilities. You will loose points for poor grammar and spelling. PROOFREAD! NOTE: Late papers will be docked one letter grade immediately and one more each day thereafter. PLAGIARISM is the attempt to pass someone else’s work off as your own and is strictly prohibited. Feel free to get together outside of class and kick around ideas, but no cheating – do your own work! Failure to do so not only gets you an F, but could get you reported to the school for further disciplinary action. For more on this issue see the article at the end of this syllabus: “Plagiarism- AVOID IT!”

6. CLASSROOM CONDUCT: You will please conduct yourself with consideration of your fellow classmates. Comments, criticisms, questions are more than welcome, but please note all thoughtful opinions are valid and mean-spirited bullying and abuse of others are NOT in keeping with collegiate discourse. Some folks are shyer than others and if my attempts at getting some students to open up and speak their minds are foiled by others, I’ll lose my temper! Hey, we’ve all got anxieties about public speaking, but if you do the reading, attend class, and make an effort to participate in the discussions this class may well turn out to be one of your favorites [one can hope!] NOTE: Questions not related to topics under discussion should be directed prior to or after class [or simply stop by my office: room 122 in the new EIT building].

7. REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION POLICY: Any student in this course who has a disability that may prevent him or her from fully demonstrating his or her abilities should contact me personally as soon as possible so we can discuss accommodations necessary to ensure full participation and facilitate your educational opportunities. ADA Statement- Qualified students with physical or documented learning disabilities have the right to free accommodations to ensure equal access to educational opportunities at Great Basin College. For assistance contact the Disabled Student Services Office at 753-2271.

NOTE: The instructor reserves the right to change the syllabus as necessitated by circumstances. Please turn off your cell phones/pagers [unless emergency worker]. Laptops may be used by serious, note-taking students only! No fooling around on those stupid time- wasters! Please leave them home on exam days. No sleeping in class. THERE IS NO EXTRA CREDIT. If you disrupt our learning community you will be dropped from class!

GRADES: The final grades for this class will be decided on a 450 point scale. First mid-term 100 points Second Mid-term 100 points Final 100 points Paper 100 points In class assignments 50 points

At the end of the semester: 450-426 points will be an A. 425-406 points will be an A- 405-391 points will be a B+

4 390-375 points will be a B 374-360 points will be a B- 359-346 points will be a C+ 345-328 points will be a C 327-315 points will be a C- 314-301 points will be a D+ 300-297 points will be a D 296-270 points will be a D- Below 270 is an F

Withdrawals: Students who wish to withdraw from the course must do so officially by the end of the thirteenth week of the semester. Withdrawal information is available through Student Services. Simply not attending will not guarantee a W; students who do not officially withdraw will receive an F.

Incompletes: The Incomplete (I) is assigned in special circumstances (serious illness, death in the family) when a student who is in good standing cannot complete the course. It must be arranged in advance with the instructor.

Grade Appeals: GBC has a standard procedure for grade appeals which is given in detail on page 53 of the GBC General Catalog 2010-2011. Note that the first step is to meet with the instructor.

CLASS SCHEDULE: (Note: below are readings for Henretta Text book only; I’ll give you notice on the secondary texts in class.)

Week 1 August 31 INTRODUCTION: HI! How are ‘ya? Syllabus, etc.

September 2 Emergence of an Atlantic World: Henretta, Chp.1.

Week 2

September 7 & 9 Invasion & Settlement of North America: Henretta, Chp.2.

Week 3

September 14 & 16 Creating a British Empire in America: Henretta, Chp.3.

Week 4

September 21 &23 Growth & Crises in Colonial Society: Henretta, Chp. 4.

5 Week 5

September 28 Toward Independence: Henretta, Chp.5.

September 30 FIRST MIDTERM EXAM

Week 6

October 5 & 7 Making War & Republican Govs.: Henretta, Chp. 6.

Week 7

October 12 & 14 Politics and Society: Henretta, Chp. 7.

Week 8

October 19 & 21 Creating a Republican Culture: Henretta, Chp.8.

Week 9

October 26 Economic Transformation: Henretta, Chp.9.

28 A Democratic Revolution: Henretta, chp.10.

Week 10

November 2nd A Democratic Revolution (con.) : Henretta, chp.10.

November 4th 2ND MIDTERM EXAM

Week 11

November 9 Religion and Reform: Henretta, Chp.11.

November 11th THURSDAY – VETERAN’S DAY: NO CLASS

Week 12

November 16 & 18 The South Expands: Henretta, Chp.12. Week 13

November 23rd The Crises of the Union (Part 1): Henretta, Chp.13. NOTE: PAPERS DUE ON TUESDAY NOV.23rd in CLASS!

6 November 25 THANKSGIVING RECESS: NO CLASS (Have a good one!)

Week 14

November 30 The Crises of the Union (Part 2): Henretta, Chp. 13 December 2 Two Societies at War: Henretta, Chp.14.

Week 15

December 7 & 9 Reconstruction: Henretta, Chp.15.

***** FINAL EXAM TUESDAY, DECEMBER 14TH ; 7:30 TO 8:45 AM !!

History 101 - General Education Objectives with Measurement of Learner Outcomes

Objective 1: Communication Skills-Strong Communication skills are of critical importance in History 101 and the class strongly meets this objective through a variety of methods. First, students develop acute listening and oral communication skills. Not only do students have to assimilate a great deal of information from the historical narrative presented by the instructor (lecture is the basic format of the class) but also listen effectively to each other as questions are raised and discussions stimulated by their peers. In these discussions students hone their oral communication skills as they grapple with new ideas. Second, students sharpen their reading skills through the required texts and short supplemental readings left to the instructor's discretion. Historical textbooks are not easy reading and require a college level reading ability to digest the vast amounts of information and distill it into a usable form. Third, students will learn writing skills. While my assignments vary, this element is always present in various forms: short free writes, short answer questions that require the ability to know not only the facts but also the significance of an event or person, large essay questions on the examinations that require the ability to synthesize vast amounts of material and present it in a concise essay format, book reviews, and formal papers.

Learner Outcomes Measurements (1) Students will demonstrate oral Monitored by instructor. communication skills, listening and speaking during lectures and class discussions. (2) Students will comprehend historical Performance on exams and in written texts. assignments. Learner Outcomes Measurements (3) Students will synthesize information Measured by exams and writing from lectures, texts, and media. assignments. 7 (4) Students will use appropriate academic Measured in writing assignments. formats and standard English.

Objective 2: Critical Thinking-Moderate Critical thinking is a vital process that students must develop in this class. Reasoning and independent thought are significant parts of this class because students are required to examine this era of American history and interpret it. In class discussions, examinations, and papers students are asked to analyze and critically examine historical actors and their actions. Many of these events are ambiguous and have different interpretations, so students must come to some sort of awareness that for some issues there are no simple answers and that all interpretations are not of equal merit. This is what historians do. Quantitative ability and scientific understanding are dealt with to some degree, though scientific understanding is the stronger of the two. Scientific discovery and development play a vital role in the historical process and the history of science and the theoretical underpinnings of the scientific method are dealt within the narrative of the course. Quantitative ability is addressed to some degree through the broad use of statistics as historical evidence. Students are made aware of the strengths and weaknesses of statistics through the examination of historical examples such as voting, immigration, settlement, and economic growth patterns.

Learner Outcomes Measurements (1) Students will examine various Measured by exam essay questions. interpretations of events in U.S. history to learn that, for some events and historical actors, opinions of historians differ. (2) Students will apply inductive Measured by students’ ability to write reasoning, also known as the scientific essay answers in which conclusions are method, to historical interpretation. based on and drawn from factual information and statistics.

Objective 3: Personal and Cultural Awareness-Strong History 101 deals with all four elements in this objective to a significant degree. This forces students to develop a strong sense of the individual in society. Students are urged to see history from different perspectives (such as race, class, and gender) and to understand that different groups of people can interpret historical events very differently because of their different experiences and values. This course obviously engenders a sense of the past, but it also produces a sense of accountability. We explore the ramifications of past actions, such as the so called “Columbian Exchange”, immigration, and slavery, and evaluate the outcomes. Finally, this course develops an appreciation of fine arts by stressing human creativity in high as well as popular culture. Art, architecture, music, and literature from the monumental to the personal all are emblematic of cultural development and play a significant role in history.

Learner Outcomes Measurements (1) Students will recognize the need for Measured through relevant essay exam multiple perspectives in the study of questions and monitored class discussion. 8 U. S. History and the various cultures and groups that have contributed to our history. (2) Students will identify the special role Measured through relevant essay exam of diversity in the national experience of questions and monitored class discussion. the past. (3) Students will recognize the role of the Measured in exams and student discussion. fine arts in developing a distinctly American culture.

Objective 4: Personal Wellness-some degree History 101 meets the personal wellness objective to some degree by exploring reform movements that have significantly altered our modern attitudes toward personal well being, cleanliness, and health—for example, the Temperance Movement, the Abolitionist Movement, and the Asylum and Prison Reform Movement all altered the ways in which Americans think about physical and mental health. It is useful to see that modern standards of cleanliness and health are very different than past American concepts of these same issues.

Learner Outcomes Measurements (1) Students will gain a perspective on Essay, exams, and written discussions. present issues and events through knowledge of the past.

Objective 5: Technological Understanding-strong History 101 fulfills the technological understanding objective because of the emphasis in the class on using technology as a writing and research tool. Students are encouraged to complete writing assignments using computer word processing. In addition, there may be some use of supplemental primary source readings that are available on the Internet. By encouraging students to become more computer and Internet literate, this class encourages technological understanding. Also, some classes may be delivered through IAV or online, requiring extensive use of e-mail, fax, and other electronic media.

Learner Outcomes Measurements (1) Students will demonstrate the ability to Assignments sent through email. communicate through the internet. (2) Students will produce papers using Submitting appropriately formatted papers computer word processing programs. online.

9 Plagiarism – AVOID IT!

(With thanks to Dr. Robert Griswold, University of Oklahoma)

Each student at Great Basin College is supposed to know what plagiarism is and to be aware that to plagiarize the work of another person is a serious academic offense. This handout will give you some formal definitions of plagiarism but more important, it provides you with some concrete examples of writing which meet the definition of plagiarism so you can avoid plagiarism.

What is Plagiarism?1

Plagiarism: the representation of the words or ideas of another as one's own, including:

1. Directly quoting from another work without letting the reader know that the words are not your own. In this case, the writer generally fails both to use quotation marks around the quoted passages and to mention the name of the original author of the words.

2. Paraphrasing without attribution is another common form of plagiarism. In this case, the student paraphrases the original passage, but the student does not give credit to the original author from whose work the paraphrase derived.

3. Plagiarism can also be committed when a student paraphrases with or without attribution and in so doing uses much of the original wording, thereby passing off the original prose as the student's own.

4. A more tricky case of plagiarism involves students who use entirely their own words but borrow the ideas, arguments, facts, or reasoning of another without giving attribution. Such cases do not involve general knowledge--The Civil War started in 1861--but rather material that is not part of general knowledge but rather comes from the special efforts of the original author.

5. Another form of plagiarism, which is simply fraud, is the submission of work under your name which is not yours. Such work could be by another student, friend, or family member or by a company that writes papers for hire. A number of companies on the Internet sell papers to students, and buying such a paper and submitting it as your own is a serious breach of academic honesty and a vile form of plagiarism.

1 Title 2 of the University and Community College System of Nevada CODE, Chapter 6, section 6.2, (q) states, “Acts of academic dishonesty, including but limited to cheating, plagiarism, falsifying research data or results, or assisting others to do the same” is prohibited activity. For these definitions and the system’s disciplinary procedures and your rights, see the GBC General Catalog 2005 - 2006, pages 27 – 31.

10 In short, plagiarism consists of failure to give proper credit for ideas and writings that come from others, but some concrete examples will help clarify its meaning.

In order to avoid even unintentional plagiarism, here are two good rules to follow:

1. Place anything you copy verbatim from another writer--whole sentences, phrases, a single distinctive word--within quotation marks and identify the source of the quotation, normally in a footnote or an endnote.

2. Always give credit for ideas that are not your own. If you are summarizing the basic idea of an article you have read, give credit to the author for those ideas in a footnote or endnote. You should do this even if you do not use any of the author's original words in writing your summary. If you are uncertain whether or not to cite an author, the safest course to follow is to offer a citation. As a rule, avoid an extensive use of quotations. Papers should never be long quotations strung together with a few words of your own. Use quotations only for the telling phrase, the unbeatable metaphor, the perfect description, or the controversial point of view that deserves expression in the original. Most of what you take from other sources should be paraphrased, and it is at this point that many students get into trouble. When paraphrasing, you must be certain that you express the ideas from your source in your own words. You cannot change a few conjunctions or articles, throw in or cut out a few words here and there, alter the syntax a bit and pretend that it is your writing. It is not. The structure and most of the phraseology remains that of the author, and your paraphrase is a kind of plagiarism. One basic rule might help: never take five consecutive words from a source without placing them within quotation marks. Even fewer words, of course, should be placed in quotation marks if these words are distinctively the authors.

The following example will help you better understand plagiarism and thus avoid it: below you will find a quotation, followed by an improper and a proper example of paraphrasing. The format utilized for citation below is MLA.

The quotation: "Most of the time a child who knew no English would be placed in a ‘sink-or- swim,’ total-immersion class when first entering school. After six months a student who did not ‘sink’ would graduate to a class appropriate to his or her ability to cope with English. Bilingualism was not an option, and as a result many of the children schooled under this policy recall that their initial experiences were intensely traumatic" (Berrol 111).

Source in MLA Works Cited format: Berrol, Selma. "Immigrant Children at School." The Social Fabric: American Life from the Civil War to the Present. Ed. John Cary, et al. 8th ed. Vol.2. New York: Longman, 1999.

Paraphrasing that would be considered plagiarism: Much of the time, children who knew no English would find themselves in a "sink-or-swim" immersion class when entering school. After a half-year, students who did not sink would join a class suitable to their ability to deal with English. Bilingualism was not permitted, and therefore many children under this policy

11 remember that they found school initially intensely traumatic (Berrol 111).

Proper paraphrasing: Immigrant children who could not speak English often found schools a hostile environment. "Bilingualism," as Selma Berrol has observed, "was not an option," and thus immigrants often remembered their school days as anxious, frustrating times (Berrol 111).

The author of the improper example of paraphrasing does cite the Berrol argument, but the writing too closely tracks the original to escape the charge of plagiarism. While many words are changed, many are not, and the structure, phrasing, and vocabulary too closely resemble the original. Such a student would be guilty of committing plagiarism. The second example is a true paraphrase. Berrol's ideas are summarized accurately but in the writer's own words, and Berrol is properly quoted where appropriate via the use of quotation marks. Note that the entire statement is covered by the parenthetical citation.

Plagiarizing ideas:

Another form of plagiarism involves using your own language but appropriating someone else's ideas as your own. Suppose, for example, you had been asked to write a paper on the experience of immigrant children in American schools at the turn-of-the-century. If you properly paraphrased Berrol (as above in the "proper" example) but gave her no credit in a footnote or endnote, you would be pretending that this analysis was based on your research, that these were your conclusions, and that these were your own ideas about immigrants and schooling. But such is not the case. Your words are really a proper paraphrase of Selma Berrol's ideas, conclusions she reached after extensive research on the history of immigrant children in U.S. schools.

Taking notes and avoiding plagiarism:

One of the easiest ways to fall into the trap of plagiarism--deliberate cheating aside--is to write your paper while you have library books and journals or the photocopies of such lying next to your computer. If you write directly from the original authors' works, you may indulge, quite innocently, of improper paraphrasing, but such behavior is plagiarism nonetheless. One of the best ways to avoid plagiarism is to take careful notes, preferably on note cards or note slips. On your note card, place quotation marks around all material you copy verbatim. Check to make sure you have copied this material accurately, and write down the page number and the source on the note card. Read carefully the material you wish to paraphrase, then close the book or journal and write your paraphrase. By not looking at the original source while you paraphrase it, you should avoid the temptation of relying too heavily on its sentence structure and vocabulary. If an author uses a particularly memorable or apt phrase, put that in your summary with quotation marks around it and the page number beside it.

A final word:

Plagiarism is a serious violation of academic integrity and is to be avoided at all costs. Outright cheating--i.e. using another student's paper, buying a paper on the Internet, copying long passages of an article verbatim and passing this work off as your own work--is the most

12 egregious violation of the rule against plagiarism and also the easiest to catch. But even students with no ill intent can sometimes commit plagiarism, most often by incorrectly paraphrasing another author's ideas, sentence structure, and/or vocabulary. In general, remember that your paper should be comprised of your ideas, your interpretations, and your arguments. It should never consist of a string of long, undigested block quotations linked together with a few well- placed conjunctions. Likewise, it should not consist of a string of improperly paraphrased paragraphs or a series of unattributed ideas that originated with another author. You can refer to other sources and quote them where appropriate, but remember that plagiarism is most likely to happen when your paper emphasizes the ideas of others rather than your own. Give credit where credit is due, when in doubt provide the reader a citation, and remember that plagiarism in any of its forms is a serious breach of academic honesty.