US History II
Summer 2009, HI 112 VA
Instructor: Dr. Kerry Wynn
Office: 311P
Henderson
Office Phone: 785-670-2062
Email: kerry.wynn@washburn.edu
Course
Description:
This course serves as an introduction to American history from the
era of Reconstruction to the end of the twentieth century. We will begin
the semester with discussions of the changes wrought by the Civil War and the
urbanization and industrialization of the American nation. We will end
the semester with discussions of deindustrialization and the concern with
globalization. As we move through time and across space, we will follow
the development of government policy, grassroots organizations, local communities,
national identities, foreign relations, and domestic conflicts and resolutions.
Throughout the semester, we will study the numerous individuals,
communities, and institutions that have contributed to creating the history of
the United States. With readings, lectures, and discussions, we will
explore several questions about the American past. What did Americans
imagine the United States to be? How did that affect their treatment of
each other? What kind of national and local organizations did Americans
establish to direct the United States? Who defined American
citizenship? How did men and women fight for their rights as citizens of
the United States? What effects did ideological categories such as
gender, race, class, and ethnicity have on the character and unity of the
American polity? We will consider all of these questions as we examine
primary texts from different eras, integrate materials from the textbook and
tutorials, and discuss the complexity and importance of the American past. As
we do, the assignments you complete and the exams you will take will fulfill
the goals of general education: to develop students’ abilities in reading
intelligently, writing effectively, and processing information.
Course
Objectives:
By the end of the semester, you should be able to
Required Reading:
Course Structure:
This course is organized into three chronological units.
Each unit contains lessons and assignments structured around 5 tutorials, as
well as an exam. The assignments in these units must be completed by the
following deadlines:
Unit One -- September 28
Unit Two -- November 2
Unit Three -- December 11
Tutorials:
Each lesson is based on a tutorial, which is similar to a
lecture I might give if we were meeting face-to-face. Tutorials
contain thematic comments, additional information, and lots of links to primary source
materials that will enhance your understanding of each period. There
are 15 tutorials for the entire semester. You may read these at your own
pace, but be aware of the due dates listed below and the schedule on which you
must have your Blog History posts (linked to particular tutorials)
completed.
Course
Requirements:
Success in this course requires completing all of its components:
reading tutorials and text assignments in a timely fashion, and completing
tests, writing assignments, discussions of the course material through the
course website. Students in this course will take 3 short answer/essay
exams, post 10 substantive blog entries, and write one essay (5-7 pages).
The format of the exams and information on the material to be covered by each
is described in the study guide located in the folder for each exam in its
respective unit (under "Lessons"). The assignment for the essay
and the supporting documents can be found under “Primary Source Essay” in the
“Lessons” section. Students must also participate in blogging and
discussions on-line in "Blog History" and "Discussion"
sections linked to tutorials. More information on the requirements for
posting on-line can be found in the next two sections.
"Blog
History":
In the folder for each tutorial, you will find a link to a class
blog, which we will be constructing over the course of the semester. At
the beginning of each "Blog History" section, I will post a question
related to the tutorial. You will add to the blog sections over the
course of the semester by posting your original, thoughtful answers to these
questions. You will post to "Blog History" a total of 10
times during the semester--4 times in Unit One, 3 times in Unit Two, and 3
times in Unit Three. Each blog post must will be worth 15 points, and
must be made to a separate "Blog History" section related to a
different tutorial. To make this absolutely clear (and maybe a
little redundant), this means that you choose 4 of the 5 tutorials in Unit
One on which to post, and 3 of the 5 in each other section.
Your blog posts should be at least 250 words (the equivalent of 1
double-spaced, typed page). I will award scores for these "Blog
History" posts based upon the clarity and persuasiveness of the argument
expressed, the validity and strength of the evidence given to support the
argument, and the historical relevance and accuracy of the blog post. You
are welcome to read and respond to the posts of others in your own posts or in
the discussion section of that tutorial. Your "Blog History"
posts must be completed by the dates listed below, which correspond to the
dates for completion of each unit.
On-line
Discussion Requirements:
In the course of the semester, you must post in the discussion
forums of this course at least 10 times. These forums are available
in the folder for each tutorial. Your posts must include 5 questions
you pose to the class. The questions you post should be thought-provoking—not
clarification questions but larger questions about why events were important or
what other students think the consequences of a particular action were.
You must also answer one of my questions or another student’s question at
least 5 times throughout the course of the semester. These answers
must be thoughtful and well-reasoned. Feel free to use the discussion
section for other purposes as well--clarification questions, the relation of
historical events to present-day events--but these will not count toward the
discussion grade. In order to be eligible to be graded, your discussion
posts must be made by the dates for the closing of each unit listed above and
below.
Distribution of Points:
Exam 1 (September 28).............100
Exam 2 (November 2)................100
Exam 3 (December 11)..............100
"Blog History" posts.....................15 points each
(150 points total)
Primary Source Essay (Dec 7)....100
Participation in Discussion..........50
Grading Scale:
A = 540-600 points
B = 480- 539 points
C = 420 - 479 points
D = 360 - 419 points
F = 359 points and below
Major Due Dates:
Remember, the dates listed are the last days on which you can hand
in the assignment. You can complete all of these assignments in advance
of the date listed for each.
September 28 -- "Blog History" posts 1-4 and Exam 1 must
be completed (deadline for discussion posts in Unit One to be eligible to
be graded)
November 2 -- "Blog History" posts 5-7 and Exam 2 must
be completed (deadline for discussion posts in Unit Two to be eligible to
be graded)
December 7 -- Primary Source Essay must be submitted
December 11 -- "Blog History" posts 8-10 and Exam 3 must
be completed (deadline for discussion posts for Unit Three to be eligible to be
graded)