PRESENTATION COLLEGE

 

HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES II (HS223)

Three Semester Hours

Spring 2012

NU28/LC2/FM205/KL127   MWF 10:00-10:50 AM (CST)

 

 

 

Welcoming people of all faiths, Presentation College challenges learners toward academic excellence and, in the Catholic tradition, the development of the whole person.

 

 

Instructor:                  Dr. Brad Tennant, Associate Professor, Department of Arts and Sciences

Office Hours:            C333  Office Hours:  M-F 7:00-9:45; 1:00-1:45 CT

                                    TR 7:00-11:00 am; 1:00-1:45 pm CT (or by appointment).

(605) 229-8577 or 1-800-437-6060 ext. 577

E-Mail:  brad.tennant@presentation.edu

 

 

Text:   The American Nation - A History of the United States, Tenth Edition by John A. Garraty. 

Addison Wesley Longman, 2000. (Copies are on RESERVE at each campus)

 

Supplementary Readings (links are also found on the HS223 Blackboard page):

            "The Significance of the Frontier in American History"

             http://xroads.virginia.edu/~hyper/turner/  (chapter one)

 

            “The Great Plains: From Dust to Dust”  [The Buffalo Commons]
http://www.lacusveris.com/The%20HiLine%20and%20the%20Yellowstone%20Trail/The%20Buffalo%20Commons/From%20Dust%20to%20Dust.shtml

            "How the Industrial Revolution inspired Progressivism"

            http://www.digisys.net/users/benwood/progressivism/index.html

 

Course Description:

            HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES II (HS223) is designed to be a general survey course of the history of the United States from 1877 to the present.  The purpose of this course is to provide a broad understanding of the events that have contributed to the position of the United States in the world today.  HS223 fulfills the requirements for a social science/human culture core elective.

 

Instructional Techniques:

             Although the course is largely lecture-based, students are encouraged to be active learners.  Supplemental materials will be posted via Blackboard.  Please feel free to ask questions and make comments.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Applicable Presentation College General Education Course Goal and Outcomes for HS223:

3.  Culture and Social Heritage -

Graduates will develop a critical understanding of human cultures and their creative achievements.

 

3a. Analyze historical events, ideas, and societies from a multi-cultural perspective.

3b. Understand interrelationships of individuals and societies in their historical/cultural contexts.

3c. Demonstrate understanding of the concepts and conversation common to a particular humanities discipline.

3d. Critically analyze creative ideas and works in the humanities from a contextual perspective.


3e. Demonstrate reading and critical analysis skills in the context of the humanities and social sciences.

 

 

 

 Instructor Goals:

1)      To gain a broad understanding of the events, domestic and international, that have contributed to the growth of the United States since its reconstruction following the Civil War.

2)      To better appreciate the importance of specific individuals who have shaped the present-day United States.

3)      To learn more about the social, political, and economic conditions that have affected American society over the years.

 

ADA Statement:

            Presentation College is committed to ensuring equal learning opportunities for all students and provides reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities in accordance with the College’s procedures.  If you are a student requiring accommodations or services, please contact the Office of Disability Services at 1-800-437-6060, Ext. 581.

 

Assessment and Grading:

            Students should be familiar with Presentation College's policies regarding academic integrity.  These are found in the college catalog under "Academic Policies."

 

            Academic achievement will be based on four exams and two reading/writing assignments.

TESTS (50 points each) - There will be four tests.  Each test will consist of fifteen identifications from which each student will select TEN.  The emphasis is on putting the event, person, place etc. in its proper historical perspective.  Each identification is worth five points.

READING/WRITING ASSIGNMENTS (30 points each) - There will be two papers based on the additional readings.  Each paper should not be less than five typed, double-spaced pages.

 

 

 

Letter grades for the course will be assigned according to the following scale based on the highest total number of points earned by a student.

 

                                    96% and above           =          A

                                    90 - 95%                      =          A-

                                    87 - 89%                      =          B+

                                    83 - 86%                      =          B

                                    80 - 82%                      =          B-

                                    70 - 79%                      =          C

                                    60 - 69%                      =          D

                                    59% and below           =          Failing

 

Rubric for assessing history examinations and papers:

  • Advanced: Student includes accurate and specific information in the appropriate historical context with virtually no significant mistakes. 
  • Average: Student provides a general understanding of the topic but is limited in specifics or contains a significant mistake.
  • Unsatisfactory: Student does not demonstrate any accurate or specific information in the appropriate historical context.

 

 

Attendance:

            As stated in the Presentation College catalog, "Each student is expected to attend every class session and be on time.  If for any reason a student must be absent from class, the responsibility of making up work rests entirely upon the student."

--- Topics covered will include a great deal of information NOT necessarily found in the text.

--- Students are expected to contact the instructor AS SOON AS POSSIBLE if an absence will result in missing any graded work.  I do not give "incompletes."

--- Students should take exams ahead of time if they know they will be absent.  Make-up tests are not guaranteed.

--- All weather-related closings are the decision of the administration.  Local radio and television stations will announce these.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES II (HS223)

Three Semester Hours

Spring 2012

NU28/LC2/FM205/KL127   MWF 10:00-10:50 AM (CST)

 

 

TOPICS AND IMPORTANT DATES

 

Jan. 11/13        Course Introduction; Reconstruction (Ch. 16)

 

Jan. 16/18/20   Jan. 16 – ML King, Jr. Day – No Class; The Gilded Age (Ch. 18)

 

Jan. 23/25/27   The Close of the Frontier (Ch. 17);  Paper #1 Due

 

Feb. 30/1/3      Politics of the Gilded Age (Ch. 21); Test #1

 

Feb. 6/8/10      American Imperialism (Ch. 23)

 

Feb. 13/15/17  The Progressive Era (Ch. 22); Paper #2 Due

 

Feb. 20/22/24  Feb 20 – Presidents’ Day – No Class; World War I (Ch. 24)

 

Feb. 27/29/1    Test #2; The 1920s (Ch. 25/26)

 

Mar. 5/7/9        SPRING BREAK-NO CLASSES

 

Mar. 12/14/16 The Great Depression (Ch. 27)

 

Mar. 19/21/23  World War II (Ch. 28)

 

Mar. 26/28/30  Test #3; March 28 – Assessment Day – No Class

 

Ap. 2/4/6         The Cold War (Ch. 29); American Society in the 1950s;
                        April 6 – Good Friday – No Class

 

Ap. 9/11/13     April 9 – Easter Monday – No Class; American Society in the 1950s;
                        April 13 - SDSHS Conference – No Class

           

Ap. 16/18/20   The 1960s – Society and Politics (Ch. 30-31); 1970s

 

April 23/25/27 1980s/1990s; April 27 – Dakota Conference – No Class

 

Ap. 30-May 3  Finals Week - Test #4 TBA