History 112 A/B

United States History After 1865

                                                                                                     

Instructor:  Anne Hawkins                                         Office:  Henderson 311P

Course Times & Locations:                                        Office Hours: MWF, 10:00-10:50 am; and by

      MWF, 9:00-9:50 am, Henderson 307                                      appointment

      MWF, 11:00-11:50 am, Henderson 103               Phone (during above office hours): 670-2061

E-mail: anne.hawkins@washburn.edu                       Phone (message):  670-2060

 

 

 

Accessing Your History

This survey course will provide you with an overview of the history of the United States after 1865.  Because this is an introductory course, it will be both broad and selective.

 

You will access your history in a variety of ways--through books, recordings, art, music, drama, law, advertisements, diaries, letters, and field study, among other sources.  In the process, you will find yourself developing useful life skills:

          reading critically and intelligently

          thinking analytically

          writing effectively—developing your own theories and making connections between the past and the present

          contemplating historical relevance and precedence, as your basic knowledge of the historical period expands

          synthesizing information

 

Course Design

The course is active and participatory.  Class time will be spent:

           discussing historical questions together

           recreating sensory experiences—sights, sounds, scents, tastes, textures—from times past

• handling and viewing primary sources from the historical time period under study
• developing expertise on specific historical topics, with periodic opportunities to teach peers as well as to learn from them

 

Required Reading

Your required general history texts (and their abbreviations used in the attached course calendar) are:

           A Student's Guide to History, 10/ed., by Jules R. Benjamin (SGTH)

• Turning Points: Making Decisions in American History, Volume II Since 1865, ed. By David Burner and Anthony Marcus (Turning Points)
• United States History Atlas, 2/ed., published by Maps.com (Atlas)

 

Additional readings from credible Internet websites will also be assigned periodically for specific course themes and topics.  Mabee Library holds other readings in closed-class reserve for you to check out for use inside the library.  Keep up with your assigned reading, and come prepared to class to actively learn.  Your success in this course will hinge on these two important disciplines.

 

Course Requirements

You are expected to:

ü  Do your very best in this course—be yourself

ü  Risk active learning, rather than passive information absorption

ü  Write for clarity of expression, rather than to impress

 

Course Requirements(continued)

 

Do your own work.  Cheating of any kind will result in an automatic "F" and zero points on the defrauded exam or assignment.  One kind of cheating is called Plagiarism—defined by the Random House Dictionary of the English Language as "the appropriation or imitation of the language, ideas, and thoughts of another author, and representation of them as one's original work.”  This includes turning in a paper copied off the Internet, turning in an assignment with portions copied off the Internet without crediting the Internet sources, having a friend or family member do your homework, or using any materials in assignments without citing your sources.  Incorrectly paraphrasing a source is also considered plagiarism, and plagiarism carries stiff penalties.

 

Fortunately, it is fairly easy for you to avoid plagiarism.  First of all, give yourself plenty of time to get ready for an assignment and complete it using your best efforts; don’t put yourself in a time crunch or be tempted by “quick copying” off the Web.  Second, learn for yourself how to prevent plagiarism: step-by-step instructions on what plagiarism is, how to prevent it, how to paraphrase a source (write information correctly in your own words), and when and how to write citations (footnotes or endnotes)—with specific examples to look at and use as guides—are supplied in your required course text, A Student’s Guide to History, by Jules R. Benjamin.  Key pages on these topics are assigned reading throughout the semester, to further help you do assignments correctly.

 

If you ever have any questions about when or how to credit sources, please ask me.  I want you to do your best, to learn new skills, and to avoid trouble.  In addition to the penalties for cheating (above), plagiarism on any assignment must be reported to Washburn authorities, and university disciplinary action taken (see “Academic Misconduct Policy” on page 4 of this syllabus).  Years of experience reading student and scholarly papers, coupled with the power of “Google” and the Internet, make it easier all the time to identify plagiarized work.  So trust your own mind and rely upon its merits.

 

Assessment

Your course grade is based upon the points you earn on theme tests, class participation, an individual project, and your final exam.

 

¶  Theme tests feature multiple-choice questions, map identification, ordering major events on a short timeline, and/or short answer.  (7 tests, worth 25 points each =175 points)

 

¶  Class participations points are earned for regular class attendance [1 point per day], active participation in small discussion and expert groups [5 points each], and Investigation assignments [5 points each]. 
( = 125 points)

 

¶  Individual projects allow you to explore and develop an historical topic of your interest, and to create and share your work at the end of the semester with your choice of an illustrated paper, museum-type panel display, interactive computer exhibit, short documentary film, short historical drama, or teaching module.
(100 points)

 

¶  Final exam questions will be selected from the 7 theme tests, and include short essay choices (100 points)

 

     

►No late work will be accepted in this course.  Assignments may be submitted early.  No make-ups will be permitted after the due date, unless you can show that your absence from class was due to a documented  emergency or an employment requirement.

Policy on Personal Electronics

In short: turn off and put away any electronic devices you have with you before you enter the classroom.  Leave them off and stowed away until your instructor has ended classtime.

 

If you carry a cell phone, turn it off before entering the classroom.  This is a matter of courtesy to the professor and to your fellow students, since phones are intrusive and disruptive of class time.  No electronic handheld devices will be permitted in this class because of the distractions they cause, and because the course participation requirement demands that students be mentally present in classroom work as well as physically present.  If you have a special circumstance that you wish to discuss with the professor, please do so.  Without prior instructor approval, your use of electronic devices in the classroom (for texting, checking messages, answering or making calls, etc.) will result in your losing one percentage point, per incident, from your course grade. 

 

Turn off personal music players and remove earbuds before you enter the classroom, for courtesy and safety to others in the room.

 

The use of laptop/notebook computers in the classroom is discouraged.  No personal Internet usage (including web surfing, e-mailing or messaging, etc.) is permitted during classtime, resulting in a one percentage point, per incident, loss from users’ course grade.  Students taking notes on a computer must sit in the back row of the classroom to minimize distractions to others.  Students wishing to research a particular historical question during group Investigation study may ask the professor for permission to use the classroom computer for this purpose.

 

 

Assistance

Free tutorial help is provided by the Washburn History Department, located in Henderson 311.  Tutors are upper-level Washburn history majors who are eager to help others succeed in introductory history courses such as this one.  For hours and availability of history tutors, please call 670-2060, or consult the department's website: www.washburn.edu/cas/history/ (click on "Support Services").

 

Any student with a disability which may prevent him or her from fully demonstrating his/her abilities should contact me at the beginning of the semester so that we can discuss accommodations available, to ensure full participation and educational opportunity.  Students should also contact the Student Services Office, located in Morgan 150, for free advice and assistance.  Accommodations may include in-class notetakers, test readers and/or scribes, adaptive computer technology, and brailled materials.  For more information, please call 785-670-1629 (you may leave voice mail 24 hrs/day) or TDD: 785-670-1025; or send e-mail to student-services@washburn.edu.

 

Free writing assistance is available at the Writing Center, Morgan 257.  For information on drop-in hours or appointment scheduling, call 670-1441, or visit the Writing Center web site at www.washburn.edu/services/zzcwwctr/wc_menu.html.  This web site also contains resources for essay, research paper, and business writing as well as information on grammar and language usage.

 

 

*Note to HI 112 Students: I welcome meeting with you and discussing your work, your ideas, and your questions.  Please talk with me before or after class, ask to make an appointment for a mutually convenient time, or send me an e-mail.  If, as the course progresses, you find that Life (job, family, other school work) interrupts your earnest plans to attend class, and/or complete assignments in a timely fashion, contact me without delay.  If given ample notice I will do what I can to aid you in meeting your course requirements and to recommend other avenues for help, if necessary.  Should you miss a work-due deadline without notifying me well in advance, your options for recourse are rather more limited and may be nonexistent, depending upon the circumstances and/or your class performance pattern.  If you have a true emergency, contact me as soon as possible and we will discuss alternative deadlines.

 

 

UNIVERSITY ADDITIONS

 

Center for Undergraduate Studies and Programs (CUSP)

As a Washburn student, you may experience difficulty with issues such as studying, personal problems, time management, or choice of major, classes, or employment.  The Center for Undergraduate Studies and Programs (Office of Academic Advising , Educational Opportunity Program, and Office of Career Counseling, Testing and Assessment) is available to help students either directly through academic advising, mentoring, career counseling, testing and developing learning strategies or by identifying the appropriate University resource.  If you feel you need someone with whom to discuss an issue confidentially and free of charge, contact CUSP in Morgan 122, 785-670-1299, advising@washburn.edu.

 

Academic Misconduct Policy

All students are expected to conduct themselves appropriately and ethically in their academic work.  Inappropriate and unethical behavior includes (but is not limited to) giving or receiving unauthorized aid on examinations or in the preparation of papers or other assignments, or knowingly misrepresenting the source of academic work.  Washburn University’s Academic Impropriety Policy describes academically unethical behavior in greater detail and explains the actions that may be taken when such behavior occurs.  For a complete copy of the Academic Impropriety Policy, contact the office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs, Morgan 262, or go on-line to:  www.washburn.edu/admin/fac-handbook/FHSEC7.htm#VIII.

 

Withdrawal Policy

During fall and spring semesters, students may withdraw from full semester courses through the second week of class with no recorded grade.  From the third through the eleventh week a “W” is recorded for any dropped course.  Beginning with the start of the twelfth week, there are NO withdrawals, and a grade will be assigned for the course.  For short-term or summer course deadlines, please check the appropriate Semester/Session Course Bulletin Web Site (www.washburn.edu/schedule).

 

Official E-Mail Address

Your Washburn University e-mail address will be the official address used by the University for relaying important messages regarding academic and financial information.  It may also be used by your instructors to provide specific course information.  E-mail messages sent to your Washburn University e-mail address will be considered your official notification for important information.  If you prefer to use an alternate e-mail address at which to receive these official University notices, you can access your MyWashburn e-mail account, choose the "Options" tab, and select "Auto Forward" to complete the process to forward your e-mail.  You may send e-mail messages to me from addresses other than your washburn.edu account.  

 

COURSE CALENDAR

 

 

      ¶  means check with Instructor for assigned reading for this class date.

 

 

Read BEFORE Class	Date	Class Activity/Topic	Work Due
	Aug 17	Course overview; Timeline; Analyzing historical sources
SGTH pp. 1-20, 25-43; Atlas pp. 14, 17-18, 21, 26-28;	Aug 19	U.S. Territorial Expansion—overview
Turning Points: Chapter 2; Atlas, pp. 27, 29;  Mabee Lib.: “This Land is Ours” and “Against the Current”	Aug 21	Territorial Expansion—focus: U.S. Indian policy
Read BEFORE Class	Date	Class Activity/Topic	Work Due
SGTH pp. 57-67; 75, 83, 95-110, 115-118, 130-142	Aug 24	Territorial Expansion—investigation	Investigation
Atlas, p. 28.  Also read: http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/ 1898/index.html; be sure to click and read the information in the “Spanish-American War” and “overview essay” links, as well	Aug 26	Territorial Expansion—focus: Spanish-American War
	Aug 28	Territorial Expansion—focus: Hawaii
SGTH pp.49-51	Aug 31	Territorial Expansion theme test; Inclusion & Integration	Theme test
Turning Points: Chapter 1; Mabee Lib.: “Freedom’s Main Line”	Sep 2	Inclusion & Integration—focus: Exodusters
	Sep 4	Inclusion & Integration—focus: Jim Crow
	Sep 7	No Class: Labor Day
¶	Sep 9	Inclusion & Integration
Turning Points: Chapter 12	Sep 11	Inclusion & Integration—focus: Civil Rights Movements
Turning Points: Chapter 11; Atlas, p. 39	Sep 14	Inclusion & Integration	Investigation
¶	Sep 16	Inclusion & Integration—field trip to Brown v. Board National Historic Site, at 1515 SE Monroe, Topeka
Mabee Lib.: “A Tale of Two Schools,” “Wheels of Justice,” and “The Battle of Spanish Fork”	Sep 18	Inclusion & Integration—focus: American Indians, Hispanic Americans, GLBT
	Sep 21	Inclusion & Integration theme test; Immigration—overview	Theme test
Turning Points: Chapter 3; Mabee Lib.: “The House on Lemon Street”; Atlas, p. 42	Sep 23	Immigration
Mabee Lib.: “The Strike for Three Loaves”	Sep 25	Immigration	Investigation
Mabee Lib.: “Road Trip for Suffrage” and “Going to Bat for Girls”; Atlas, p. 31; Turning Points: Chapter 7	Sep 28	Reform—overview
Turning Points: Chapter 5	Sep 30	Reform
Turning Points: Chapter 8	Oct 2	Reform
	Oct 5	Immigration and Reform theme test; Inventions & Innovations	Theme test
	Oct 7	Inventions & Innovations—investigation	Investigation
	Oct 9	No class: Fall Break
Turning Points: Chapter 4; SGTH pp. 77-83, 245-249	Oct 12	Inventions & Innovations—focus: environmental effects	Project description and research plan
Read BEFORE Class	Date	Class Activity/Topic	Work Due
	Oct 14	Inventions & Innovations theme test; U.S./Europe Relations	Theme test
Atlas, pp. 32-33;     ¶	Oct 16	U.S./Europe—focus: WWI
Turning Points: Chapter 6	Oct 19	U.S./Europe	Investigation
Atlas, p. 35;     ¶	Oct 21	U.S./Europe—focus: WWII
Turning Points: Chapter 9	Oct 23	U.S./Europe—focus: WWII
Camp Concordia: German POWs in the Midwest, by Lowell A. May	Oct 26	U.S./Europe—focus: Kansas P.O.W. Camp Concordia	Investigation
Atlas, p. 37;   ¶	Oct 28	U.S./Europe
¶	Oct 30	U.S./Europe
	Nov 2	U.S./Europe theme test; U.S./Asia Relations	Theme test
Turning Points: Chapter 10; Atlas, p. 36	Nov 4	U.S./Asia—focus: WWII
Atlas, p. 38;     ¶	Nov 6	U.S./Asia—focus: Korean War
Turning Points: Chapter 13; Atlas, p. 40	Nov 9	U.S./Asia—focus: Vietnam War	Investigation
SGTH pp.83, 119-125, 146-161	Nov 11	U.S./Asia	Project outline and working bibliography
	Nov 13	U.S./Asia theme test; U.S./Latin America Relations	Theme test
Atlas, pp. 30, 41;   ¶	Nov 16	U.S./Latin America
¶	Nov 18	U.S./Middle East Relations
Atlas, pp. 44-45	Nov 20	U.S./Middle East
¶	Nov 23	U.S./Middle East	Investigation
	Nov 25-27	No class: Happy Thanksgiving!
	Nov 30	U.S./Middle East and U.S./Latin America theme test; U.S. Economy	Theme test
Turning Points: Chapter 14	Dec 2	U.S. Economy
	Dec 4	Making connections between themes	Project
SGTH pp.49-53	Dec 9, 1:30-3:30 pm; -or- Dec 11, 9-11 am	FINAL EXAM