Department of History
State University of New York
College at Plattsburgh
HISTORY 101: UNITED STATES CIVILIZATION BEFORE 1877
SPRING 2005
COURSE SYLLABUS
Instructor: Kevin F. Decker
Office: Champlain Valley Hall 113
Telephone: 564-5211
Electronic Mail: Kevin.Decker@Plattsburgh.edu
Office Hours: Monday & Wednesday 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. & by appointment.
Section 101:B
Monday, Wednesday, & Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 9:50 a.m.
Yokum Lecture Center 209
Section 101:D
Monday, Wednesday, & Friday, 10:00 a.m. - 10:50 a.m.
Yokum Lecture Center 209
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
A survey of American History from the beginnings of European settlement to the aftermath of the Civil War.
Major emphasis will be given to the political, economic, social, and cultural forces that contributed to the emergence and development of American civilization during this time.
COURSE OUTCOMES:
Students will develop a broad knowledge of the events and individuals that have shaped the development of American civilization during this period; this will provide background for those students who wish to obtain a deeper knowledge; encourage an appreciation of the diversity of American civilization; and develop the traits of analytical thinking and clear expression of thought.
AN IMPORTANT REMINDER:
Students enrolled in this class must do their own work. Cheating, plagiarism, and other forms of academic dishonesty will result at minimum in a failing grade for the
assignment.
Plagiarism is defined as the act of passing off another person's work or ideas from any source as one's own without attributing credit.
ATTENDANCE POLICY:
Contributions you may make during a class session are an important aspect of the collective learning experience; therefore, I expect you to be in class, and will notice if you are not.
Please remember that you are responsible for any materials presented during class, even if you are absent.
More than three unexcused absences may have an adverse, and possibly considerable, impact on your grade in this course.
Examinations are not to be missed without a verifiable medical excuse or advanced permission.
Quizzes will not be rescheduled under any circumstances; however, each student
may omit one without penalty.
LEARNING ASSESSMENT: [with percentage of course grade]
1. Quizzes [33%]
Six quizzes based upon course content and assignments.
2. Reading Comprehension [33%]
Three examinations based upon assigned texts.
3. Final Examination [33%]
A cumulative examination based upon course content.
EXAMINATIONS:
The format and content of each of the four examinations will be discussed in class.
GRADING POLICY:
All academic work will be graded A, B, C, D, E on a standard percentage scale.
Assignments not completed receive grades of zero. Since and E can be as high as 59%, a zero is a lot worse than an E.
Assignments are due at the beginning of class on the due date. The Office of the Registrar does not accept D- as a valid grade for
undergraduate course work; therefore, a final grade of D- will be converted to
an E. No late assignments will be accepted after the final examination, unless formal arrangements for an incomplete have been made.
DIRECTED READINGS :
An assortment of materials (primary source documents, etc.) will be distributed in class.
This material will frequently form the basis of class discussions. Students enrolled in this class are expected to familiarize themselves with the reading material
provided. In addition, students will be directed to explore a range
of materials posted on several course related websites. Questions related to these items may be included on quizzes and examinations.
REQUIRED TEXTS:
Atlas of American History. Skokie, IL: Rand McNally & Co., 1999.
Demos, John. The Unredeemed Captive. New York, NY: Random House, Inc., 1994.
Stowe, Harriet Beecher. Uncle Tom's Cabin. New York,
NY: W. W. Norton & Co., 1994.
Tindall, George B., and David E. Shi. America: A Narrative History.
Vol. 1. 6th. ed. New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Co.,
2004.
TENTATIVE COURSE CALENDAR:
January 24: Introduction.
January 26: America: A Narrative History, Chapter 1.
January 28: Information Session: Understanding How Historians Work.
January 31: America: A Narrative History, Chapters 2 & 3.
February 2: Lecture.
February 4: Quiz I.
February 7: Information Session: Primary Sources.
February 9: Examination I.
February 11: Lecture.
February 14: America: A Narrative History, Chapters 4 & 5.
February 16: Lecture.
February 18: Quiz II.
February 21: America: A Narrative History, Chapter
6.
February 23: Lecture.
February 25: Lecture.
February 28: America: A Narrative History, Chapters 7 & 8.
March 2: Lecture.
March 4: Quiz III.
March 7: The Unredeemed Captive.
March 9: Examination II.
March 11: Lecture.
March 21: America: A Narrative History, Chapters 9 &10.
March 23: Lecture.
March 25: Class will not meet.
March 28: America: A Narrative History, Chapters 11 & 12.
March 30: Lecture.
April 1: Quiz IV.
April 4: America: A Narrative History, Chapter 13.
April 6: Lecture.
April 8: Lecture.
April 11: Uncle Tom's Cabin.
April 13: Examination III.
April 15: Quiz V.
April 18: America: A Narrative History, Chapters 14 & 15.
April 20: Lecture.
April 22: Lecture.
April 25: America: A Narrative History, Chapter
16 & 17.
April 27: Lecture.
April 29: Quiz VI.
May 2: America: A Narrative History, Chapter 18.
May 4: Lecture.
May 6: Examination Review Session.
The date and time of the Final Examination will appear on the special schedule issued by the Office of the Registrar.
This page last modified on 01/15/05
.
Please contact kevin.decker@plattsburgh.edu
for information concerning this website.
