Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Welcome to History 104, U.S. History Since 1877, where we will begin our journey at
the close of the American Civil War. The history of the United States embodies a
complex series of fluid events, ideas, responses, and scholarly materials. It is our
goal, as a class, to sort through the historical implications through a chronological
study of pertinent readings, primary sources, films, photographs, and audio
recordings ranging from the humorous to the more poignant, defining social,
cultural, political, and economic moments within the historical context of the
American experience. I encourage every student to sharpen their senses to the
roles of agency, empathy, and historical memory when analyzing and responding to
the materials presented in this course. As a result, students will likewise gain a
better understanding of the HUMAN experience regardless of race, color, class, or
creed and better connect with the people and time period under review.
Few students and scholars can accurately describe the study of history as neat,
easy, or readily understandable. Therefore, I invite everyone to pay careful
attention to notions like freedom, democracy, liberty, and citizenship to see
how such ideas and institutional practices transform across our landscapes of
American accounts of the past. We will be exploring the watershed moments and a
larger narrative that spans numerous decades including Reconstruction and
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NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY: : Spring 2017
interstate migration, the Gilded Age and Progressive Eras, World Wars, depression,
rebellion, and changing notions of human and civil rights at home and abroad. We
will consider a number of historical facets of investigation, including portrayals of
American life in film and the primary documents that stem from specific people and
events, and current academic scholarship to better inform our ideas and
understanding of the debate that surround our field of inquiry for the course.
It is my desire for all students to feel welcome to speak their minds as honestly, yet
thoughtfully as possible. Most importantly, my goal is not to tell you what to think
about the course materials or historical elements as a whole, but to help you come
to your own informed conclusions. At the end of the course students should be able
to recognize a historical argument when they see one, be familiar with the most
important people, ideas, and events of the American experience, and understand
their significance for today. Students in this course will participate actively in their
education. They will engage the instructor and each other in classroom discussion
and write regularly about what they are studying and thinking.
Please note: This syllabus is your contract with me, the instructor, for the
semester. By enrolling in this class you agree to the policies and requirements set
out below. These terms are non-negotiable and will remain in effect for the duration
of the semester. If you have any questions about anything in this syllabus, please
ask.
Required Textbooks
o Roark, James L., Johnson, Michael P., Cohen, Patricia Cline, Stage, Sarah,
Hartmann, Susan M. The American Promise Value Edition, Volume II: From 1865: A
History of the United States Sixth Edition. Boston and New York: Bedford/St.
Martins. 2015.
o Foner, Eric. Voices of Freedom: A Documentary History Fourth Edition, Volume II.
New York and London: W.W. Norton & Company. 2013.
Learning Objectives
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NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY: : Spring 2017
Classroom Policies
All students are expected to observe basic tenets of common decency and
acceptable behavior conducive to a positive leaning environment. During class time,
I expect your undivided attention. This means turning off cell phone and other
devices, and putting away newspapers and other forms of distraction, for the
duration of the class period. Laptops and tablets may be used only for taking notes
or in-class assignments; if electronic devices are seen being used for
anything else, you may be asked to leave the class and points will be
deducted from your attendance and participation grade.
Please come to class on time and plan to stay for the entire period. Coming late
and disrupting the learning environment shows disrespect for your instructors, your
colleagues, and the educational endeavor in which you are engaged. If you must
leave early, please let me know at the beginning of class. I can be very
understanding of problems that might arise over the course of the
semester, but only if I know what is going on with you. I encourage you to
stop by during office hours, to get to know me, and to keep me informed of any
issues you might have that would affect your performance in this class.
In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, North Dakota State
University, your Teaching Assistants, and I are committed to making reasonable
accommodations to assist individuals with documented disabilities to reach their
academic potential. Such disabilities include, but are not limited to, learning or
psychological disabilities, or impairments to health, hearing, sight, or mobility. If you
believe you require accommodations for a disability that may impact your
performance in this course, you must schedule an appointment with Disability
Services to determine eligibility. Students are then responsible for giving
instructors a letter from Disability Services indicating the type of
accommodation to be provided; please note that accommodations will not
be retroactive.
The Disability Services office is in Wallman Wellness Center, 170, phone 701-231-
8463 and additional information is available at:
https://www.ndsu.edu/disabilityservices/
Students with disabilities or other special needs who require accommodation in this
course are encouraged to speak with me as soon as possible to make appropriate
arrangements for these accommodations.
Academic Honesty
All work in this course must be completed in a manner consistent with the 2016-
2017 North Dakota State University Standards for Academic Honesty and Integrity
available online at: https://www.ndsu.edu/academichonesty/
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In all courses, I expect that all work that you do and turn in is your own. No form of
plagiarism, cheating, collusion or any other form of academic dishonesty will be
tolerated. Plagiarism is defined as deliberately taking the words or ideas of
someone else and passing them off as your own. Cheating is obtaining
unauthorized assistance on any assignment. Collusion is the selling of academic
products with the intention that they be submitted to satisfy an academic
requirement. Students are expected to uphold and support the highest academic
standards at all times. Any student found guilty of academic dishonesty will
fail the assignment in question, may fail the entire course, and may be
subject to disciplinary action by NDSU. If you are ever unclear about what
constitutes plagiarism or academic dishonesty, please ask; I want to ensure that
students are clear and comfortable when navigating the requirements and
standards set in the course and the institution as a whole.
Your participation (primarily for your discussion sectionssee for more information
below), an additional component to your attendance grade, will be guided by the
following rubric:
The instructor and Teaching Assistants reserve the right to adjust attendance points
according to participation during class and discussion days. Students should note
that their grade in a course may be negatively affected by excessive
absences, lack of contribution to classroom dialog, or habitual distraction.
You are responsible for all material covered in our class meetings, regardless of your
physical presence in the room. Students are expected to come prepared to engage
with and discuss the assigned material. This means preparing the assignment
before class and bringing the reading material with you to class. Only the course
instructor can excuse a student from course responsibilities.
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NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY: : Spring 2017
o Students will complete two 500-600 word essay papers. The essays will be
submitted via Safe Assign on Blackboard. Additional information about the
papers will be forthcoming, but please note that you will be provided a question
prompt and pool of sources upon which you will base your first paper (no
outside sources will be allowed) in addition to your weekly readings. Your second
paper will require you to visit a local historical archive and select a topic and
document(s) upon which to write your paper. Details will be available on
Blackboard and in your discussion sections before each due date (please see
the course calendar for the specific due dates).
Unit Exams (30%, 3 @ 100 points each for 300 points total)
o There are three examinations in this course. The each unit exam is worth 10%
(100 points) of the final grade. Exams are not cumulative. The first will
evaluate students understanding of course materials from the beginning of the
class up to the date of the exam (the Spanish-American War). The second will
test students knowledge of the material covered after the first midterm exam
through World War II. The third and final exam will consist of material stemming
from 1945 to the end of the course. The exams may consist of matching,
sequencing, fill-in the blank, map and reading identification, and multiple
choice questions. Although these exams are closed-book, students will be
allowed to bring one small note card (no bigger than 3x5) with any
information you may find helpful. Make-ups must be arranged with the
instructor or Teaching Assistant as soon as possible. All make-ups need to be
completed within a week of the exam and will be a different version than one
from the original test date. Students will be required to bring an OpScan answer
sheet (available at various locations across campus) on exam days.
Grade Breakdown: Your grade for the class will be composed of the above
elements, broken down as follows:
Your final grades for all work and participation will be determined based on the
following rubric:
o A = (900-1000 points) Mastery of reading and class material; factual accuracy;
thoughtful, historical argumentation demonstrating ability to synthesize and/or
some originality of thought; utmost attendance, participation, and day-to-day
engagement and communication
o B = (800-899 points) Good to excellent command of most reading and class
material; accuracy; good level of historical argumentation; reasonable
attendance, participation, and engagement
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Extra Credit
Extra credit may be available at various points throughout the semester, but is not
guaranteed. Any opportunities may be announced either in class or on Blackboard.
Please note: To pass this class, all assignments must be turned in. Failure to turn
in any assignment listed above by the end of the semester will result in a failing
grade on that assignment. All assignments are due on the date listed in the Course
Schedule below. Late assignments may be accepted only with the advance
approval of the instructors and will be assessed a penalty of 5 points for the first
late day and 10 points per additional business day for up to one (1) week; after that,
no work will be accepted without prior approval from the instructor. If you have a
problem with a due date because of a specific emergency, please notify me in
advance or plan to turn it in early. I can be very understanding and flexible with
you, but only if you come to talk to me in advance.
As a teaching service, the Center for Writers provide free, one-on-one writing
consultations for members of the NDSU community who seek to improve their
writing skills. For assistance with long personal documents (such as novels), we can
provide a list of editors-for-hire. For more information or to schedule an
appointment, please visit: https://www.ndsu.edu/cfwriters/
ACE Tutoring and Quiet Study is a free academic support program available to all
enrolled undergraduate students. Whether you would like help understanding a
course concept, want to find a study group, or simply just need a quiet place to
study, ACE would like to help you meet your academic goals. For more information,
please visit: https://www.ndsu.edu/studentsuccess/about_ace/
Course Schedule
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NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY: : Spring 2017
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NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY: : Spring 2017
Spring Break
March 13-17
No Class!
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NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY: : Spring 2017
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NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY: : Spring 2017
Notes:
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