Department of History
State University of New York
College at Plattsburgh
HISTORY 102: UNITED STATES CIVILIZATION SINCE 1877
SUMMER 2005
COURSE SYLLABUS
Instructor: Kevin F. Decker
Office: Champlain Valley Hall 113
Telephone: 564-5211
Electronic Mail: Kevin.Decker@Plattsburgh.edu
Office Hours: Tuesday & Thursday 4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. & by appointment.
Section 102:BA (June 6 - July 8)
Tuesday & Thursday, 5:45 p.m. - 9:50 p.m.
Hawkins Hall 137
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
A survey of American History from the post-Civil War era to the present.
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.
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 and quizzes are not to be missed
without a verifiable medical excuse or advanced permission.
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 course. 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.
LEARNING ASSESSMENT: [with percentage of course grade]
1. Quizzes [33%].
2. Reading Comprehension Examinations [33%].
3. Final Examination [33%].
EXAMINATIONS:
The format and content of each of the three 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. Late assignments are graded down.
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.
Moody, Anne. Coming of Age in Mississippi. New York, NY:
Dell Publishing, Laurel Books, 1968.
Tindall, George B., and David E. Shi. America: A Narrative History.
Vol. 2. 6th. ed. New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Co., 2004.
Von Drehle, David. Triangle: The Fire that Changed America.
New York, NY: Atlantic Monthly Press, 2003.
TENTATIVE COURSE CALENDAR
SECTION 102:BA
June 07: Introduction.
June 09: America: A Narrative
History. Part IV (Chapter 18).
June 14: Triangle: The Fire
that Changed America.
June 16: America: A Narrative
History. Part V.
Quiz I.
June 21: Comprehension Exam I.
June 23: America: A Narrative
History. Part VI.
Quiz II.
June 28: Coming of Age in
Mississippi.
June 30: America: A Narrative
History. Part VII.
Quiz III.
July 05: Comprehension Exam
II.
July 07: Final
Examination.
This page last modified on 05/31/05
.
Please contact kevin.decker@plattsburgh.edu
for information concerning this website.
