Online Course Syllabus:
U.S. History to 1870
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VICTOR VALLEY COLLEGE
Spring Session 2009
US HISTORY 117 section# 23764
Professor: Dr. Eric Mayer,
Office No. ScL26 Telephone: 760-245-4271 (ext. 2299) Office Hours 8:40am-9:30am, MW...available by phone at these hours.
EMAIL: history117@gmail.com
Website: www.emayzine.com |
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All lecture notes can
be downloaded for free from the site. Prerequisite:
None—But there is an intensive amount of analytical writing
in this course as well as critical thinking. However, it is assumed
that most of you do not have college level or academic writing
skills and there will be online help available.
Course Objectives: The student will be able to: Understand historical causality Analyze historical events Explain historical events and processes Think critically about historical events Write analytically to explain the course of history
*Note: Syllabus subject to possible revision
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Requirements: Stay up with all assignments. I do accept late assignments up until the last day of class, but the highest grade possible on late assignments is a C. The key for doing well
in this course and understanding the history that we cover is
that you be informed as to what is happening about you. History
is not "dead", it is constantly affecting your reality,
and if it is dead, then we all are affected by the ghosts of
the past. History is the analysis and understanding of processes
that have created our present reality…. |
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Course Description: A survey course of US history from
1500 to 1870. The course will focus on the “encounter”
of Europeans to the New World. Native American society and culture
will be examined in the face of European colonialism and what
can only be decribed as the greatest land theft in human history:
The taking of North America for European settlement and profit.
The course will then proceed to analyze settlement patterns and
colonial economies. The struggle for independence will be covered
as will the beginnings of nation building. As settlers move west
and illegally seize Native American lands, Native American resistance
will be examined. By the 1800’s the US was transformed into
a free-market economy which facilitated even more growth, settlement
and development. The status of African Americans and women will
also be analyzed as will the persecution of other ethnic and
religious minorities such as Germans and Mormons. The growing
sectional split between North and South will be examined as will
the outbreak and course of the Civil War. Note: this is not a
“lollipop” history course of nationalist propaganda
where everything turns out for the best. US history is an epic
drama full of victories as well as atrocities. For this reason
you will not be fed disconnected facts so common in courses that
focus on what can only be described as American mythstory. This
is course emphasizes critical thinking and understanding processes
of causality that forged the saga of US historical development
between 1500 and 1870. |
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Required Texts:
(1) "America: A Narrative History, Volume I" by Tindall and Shi
(2) "A People's History of the United States" by Zinn
(3) "Uncle Tom's Cabin"by Stowe
The VVC bookstore will also have the books and online at www.vvcrams.com
Or, you can order both books online at College Books and Resources
www.cbar.bkstr.com
If you buy from the VVC Bookstore proceeds from the books will go to fund the UN Club's trip to Washington DC.
Finally…there are lecture notes and links on the site that
proceed in order. And you will click to them when you get to
the course readings. |
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Attendance: Students must visit the web site regularly, if not daily. Weekly
It is the students’ responsibility to make
sure that they have been dropped, reinstated, or are currently
enrolled in the course. I will not do any grade changes that
are related to attendance policy. IT IS
YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE BEEN DROPPED. DO NOT
ASSUME THAT I WILL DROP YOU AS A MATTER OF COURSE DUE TO YOUR
LACK OF ATTENDANCE...I DO NOT DROP STUDENTS, I DO NOT GIVE INCOMPLETES OR ACCEPT LATE WORK AFTER THE LAST DAY OF CLASS....I DO ACCEPT LATE WORK UP UNTIL THE LAST DAY OF CLASS, BUT THE HIGHEST GRADE POSSIBLE ON LATE WORK IS A "C". |
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Grading: The grade break down
is as follows: Exam 1 = 20% of final grade; Exam 2 = 20% of final grade; Final Exam = 20%
of final grade; Book Review = 20% of final grade; and Book Analysis = 20% of final grade. In order to pass the course all
outstanding assignments or exams must be turned in by the day
of the final examination. Grade Splits are as follows: 90%-100% A 80% -89% B 70% -79%
C 60% -69% D 0% -59% F. I do not round up grade percentages. I do not give incompletes. |
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Course Mechanics: The course is lnternet driven. Therefore
it is essential to surf the net regularly. I encourage on
line class participation in the forms of comments, questions,
and drafts of your exams. I will help you on one draft per assignment. so be sure to send me your best effort. A ultimate goal in the course
besides teaching history is to create students who will
be able to argue logically, and back up their assertions with
evidence. An objective of this course is to teach students the
skills that they need to educate themselves. While the course
is "text" driven I will suggest films and movies, that
students can analyze as on line individuals.
This course will not be a passive learning experience, it will
be highly interactive in terms of how you explain historical
causality and outcome. The hours/week arranged listed for online classes must be fulfilled through an arrangement established between the instructor and the student. They do not represent an increase in the total number of hours for an online course. Hours/week arranged do not have to be fulfilled by in-person class attendance.… |
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