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Morgan State University The Department of History and Geography Fall Semester, 2012 History of the United States HIST 106, Section 002 (3 Credit Hours) M-W-F, 9:00-9:50am Communications Center, Room 115 Melvin Barrolle, Ph. D. Office: Holmes Hall, Room 325 Office hours: Mon., Wed.
, Fri: 10am-12pm Office Phone: 443. 885. 1792 E-mail: melvin. barrollemorgan. edu “[History] does not refer merely, or even principally, to the past.On the contrary, the great force of history comes from the fact that we carry it within us, are unconsciously controlled by it in many ways, and history is literally present in all that we do.
It could scarcely be otherwise, since it is to history that we owe our frames of reference, our identities, and our aspirations. ” – James Baldwin, “Unnamable Objects, Unspeakable Crimes” I. COURSE DESCRIPTION: The course examines the major personalities and events that have shaped and molded the United States from Reconstruction to the present.The primary objectives of the course are to develop your skills as critical readers and interpreters of primary and secondary historical documents, to improve your ability to communicate in an organized and analytical fashion, and to provide you with fundamental knowledge about the events, people, and institutions that have shaped American society. Considerable attention is given to the origins and experiences of the American people from diverse ethnic groups and cultural backgrounds.
. REQUIRED TEXTS * Roark, James L, et al. (2011) Understanding the American Promise, Volume From 1865.
Boston: BedfordSt. Martin’s. Howard-Pitney, David. Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and the Civil Rights Struggle of the 1950s and 1960s: A Brief History with Documents.
Boston: BedfordSt. Martin’s Press. * Additional readings will be distributed via Blackboard. I. ASSESSMENTS AND GRADES: This course requires considerable amounts of reading, writing and active participation. All students are expected to read prior to attending class and be prepared to engage in discussions. Being familiar with the readings beforehand ensures greater participation during class discussions and allows the class to penetrate more deeply into topics of the week.
Of course, this also improves overall performance in the course. Too, students are strongly encouraged to network with peers outside of the classroom in order to gain better apprehension of the subject matter. To this end, participation in the discussion group via Blackboard is highly recommended.
All written assignments must be typed, stapled, include student name, class title, be double-spaced and written in size 12 font, Times New Roman. Lastly, all assignments are to be handed in on time. Late assignments will NOT be accepted.
Midterm Exam 20 Final Exam 20 Quizzes 20 Map Exam 15Book Review 15 Class Participation 10 Total100 Book Review (15) Each student is required to write a 3 page paper on the Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and the Civil Rights Struggle of the 1950s and 1960s. The paper should select one of the two individuals—Malcolm X or Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
—and chronicle the evolution of his civil rights philosophy. Students are expected to conclude by offering an opinion on the reason for the change in philosophy each individual experienced. Follow the aforementioned guidelines on submitting a written assignment.
Exams (40) There will be two examinations given during this course, a midterm
exam and a final comprehensive exam. Both exams will be given in class and will feature essay questions. The exams are designed to gauge general comprehension and students’ ability to navigate divergent viewpoints on the covered material. Students are expected to offer informed critical opinions. Attendance on days of distribution is mandatory. In the unavoidable case of absence, the student should inform the instructor at least a week before the exam so that alternative arrangements can be made.If notice is not given, one letter grade will be dropped from the make-up exam.
Quizzes (20) Quizzes are designed to gauge student comprehension of concepts, events, persons and debates featured in the course textbook. There will be eleven quizzes given throughout the entire semester. Topics will be drawn exclusively from assigned readings andor audiovisual materials presented in class.
Quizzes will be conducted without prior notification and distributed to students during the beginning of class. Class Participation (10) Participation is an integral part of class performance.It affords the instructor the opportunity to gauge how well the material is being absorbed and provides the ideal space for the class to wrestle with concepts and events that prove elusive. As such, all students are expected to ask questions related to the material, provide thoughtful feedback to peers, and share relevant information gleaned from locations outside of assigned material to the class.
Just showing up to class will not fulfill participation expectations; active participation requires demonstrated effort. To be counted present you must arrive by the time that I call the roll (5-10 minutes into the class).Note: this means that late is the same as absent for your attendance grade. Two or more unexcused absences will affect your participation grade.
The responsibility for obtaining lecture notes, assignment sheets, etc., rests with you. Key Dates October 1Map Exam October 12Midterm Examination November 16Book Reviews Due December 3-10Final Examination – CLASSROOM CODE OF CONDUCT College classes work best when there is mutual respect among the students and between professors and students.
All of the rules below are directed toward establishing an atmosphere of mutual respect.They are based on the ones established by the Department of History and Geography. * Be on time. If circumstances cause you to be late, please enter the classroom quietly. * Use of cellular phones in class is prohibited. Please, turn off your cell phone before class begins. This includes texting.
Do not text in class. * Give your full attention to whoever is speaking. Do not engage in conversations while class is in session. * Students who leave class before the end of class period disrupts class by distracting the professor and the students. When you arrive at class, plan to stay for the entire time.If you have an appointment that unavoidably conflicts with class, tell me before class that you will have to leave.
PLAGARISM Your work is to be entirely your own. On written assignments do not borrow from your classmates, published authors, Internet web pages, or anyone else. Copying more than two consecutive words from an original source without citation is plagiarism. The University Academic Policies treat plagiarism as a
serious violation of ethics. Any student who plagiarizes any part of an assignment or test will receive an 0 for that assignment or test.
Please see the University catalog for additional explanations and examples.Course Outline Introduction Doing American History Week 1: August 20th, August 22nd August 24th Readings: None Reconstruction, 1865-1877 Week 2: August 27th, August 29th August 31st Readings: Roark (chap. 16) Contesting the West Week 3: No Class Mon. September 3September 5th September 7th Readings: Roark (chap. 17) Defining the Gilded Age of Business and Politics Week 4: September 10th, September 12th September 14th Readings: Roark (chaps.
18 19) The Imperial Age Week 5: September 17th, September 19th September 21st Readings: Roark (chap. 0 21) Becoming a World Power Week 6: September 24th, September 26th and September 28th Readings: Roark (chap. 22) Prosperity and Change in the Twenties Week 7: October 1st, October 3rd and October 5th Readings: Roark (chap. 23) The Great Depression and the New Deal Week 8: October 8th, October 10th, and October 12th Readings: Roark (chap. 24) Midterm Examination on October 12h World War Week 9: October 15th, October 17th and October 19th Readings: Roark (chap. 25) Cold War America Week 10: October 22nd, October 24th and October 26th Readings: Roark (chap.
26)The Politics and Culture of Abundance, 1952-1960 Week 11: October 29th, October 31st and November 2nd Readings: Schultz (chap. 27) Audio: Why I Oppose the War in Vietnam (1967) by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The Sixties Week 12: November 5th, November 7th and November 9th Readings: Schultz (chap. 28) Vietnam and the Limits of Power Week 13: November 12th, November 14th and November 16th Readings: Schultz (chap.
29) Book Review Due November 16th America In the Information Age Week 14: November 19th; (November 23rd November 25th Thanksgiving Break No Class) Readings: Schultz (chap. 0) Globalization and Its Discontents Week 15: November 28th, November 30th and December 2nd Readings: Schultz (chap. 30) Final Exam: I will announce the date and time when the administration releases the exam schedule.
It will fall between the dates of December 3 10. Do not make plans to travel during this window. There are no make-ups for the final exam.
It will be held in our regular classroom. – [ 1 ]. The following is a tentative schedule, subject to change due to class pace, unexpected class cancellations and other factors.
