COURSE OBJECTIVE:This
course will acquaint the student with the basic facts of United States
History from 1877 to present using a textbook, classroom exposition, outside
readings, computer-assisted instruction, and audio-visual techniques. Although
the coverage of the material is comprehensive, there will be an emphasis
on political, constitutional, military, and economic history.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course is a study of the history of the United States since 1877.
COURSE METHODLOGY: This
is primarily a lecture course with opportunity for student discussion.
COMMON COURSE OBJECTIVES:http//:www.austincc.edu/history
TEXTBOOK (Recommended, not required):Robert Divine et al. America Past & Present,Volume II (Ninth or Tenth Edition).
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
1. The material in America Past & Present
is to be read and studied according to the attached schedule.
2. Punctual and regular attendance is required.
Any student accumulating three (3) or more UNEXCUSED
absences
MAY be dropped from
this course. This is at the discretion of the instructor.
3. The quality and quantity of the work done by the student
determines his/her final grade:
For the grade of "A", the student must
complete all four unit exams with an overall average of 90 or above AND
write two analytical book reviews (at least one of which must be graded
"EXCELLENT"
and the other at least
"ACCEPTABLE")
AND pass the course map test.
For the grade of "B", the student must complete
all four unit exams with an overall average of 80 or above AND write one
analytical book review (which must be graded at least "ACCEPTABLE")
AND pass the course map test.
For the grade of "C", the student must complete
all four unit exams with an overall average of 70 or above AND pass the
course map test.
For the grade of "F", the student who fails
to take all four unit exams or who fails to maintain an overall average
of 70 on these four unit exams or who fails the course map test or who
commits any act of scholastic dishonesty will earn the grade of "F".
For the grade of "I", the student must have
a medical excuse certified by a physician. There are NO exceptions to this
policy. Any "Incompletes" must be completed in the first four weeks
of the following semester.
UNIT EXAMS: ONE of the four unit exams may be taken twice. The first time will be in class on the day mentioned in the attached semester schedule. If the student wishes to retest, they may take the exam one more time in the Testing Center. However, there are two restrictions on the retest: first, the HIGHEST GRADE POSSIBLE ON THE RETEST IS 70 and second, THIS RETEST MUST BE TAKEN THE FRIDAY OF THE WEEK THE UNIT EXAM IS GIVEN IN CLASS. The higher of the two grades will be the one recorded for the student for that unit exam. (If a student misses the unit exam in class for good cause- as determined by the instructor- they may then take the unit exam in the Testing Center for the first time with no restrictions on the grade.) CAUTION: STUDENTS TAKING OR RETAKING UNIT EXAMS IN THE TESTING CENTER SHOULD RETAIN THE TESTING CENTER "FEEDBACK" SHEET AND PRESENT IT TO THE INSTRUCTOR AT THE NEXT CLASS MEETING.
The unit exams consist of multiple-choice questions covering the textbook material and classroom exposition as highlighted by the learning objectives issued for each chapter.
AL'S SPECIAL DISPENSATION: If I have scheduled one of my unit exams on the same day you are scheduled to take an exam in another course, you may take my exam the Friday of that week in the Testing Center, PROVIDED THAT YOU TELL ME BEFORE THE TEST DAY.
MAP TEST: Because United States history is shaped and influenced by the geography of the continent, it is imperative that the student knows the basic facts of United States geography. Therefore the student will be required to pass a geography map test. This test will require the student to locate on an outline map of the United States twenty of the features named on the attached list. A passing score is 80%. The test will be taken in class with Unit Exam #1 on an outline map provided in class. This map test must be passed by the mid-semester point.
COMPUTER-ASSISTED INSTRUCTION: This is entirely voluntary. All of the learning objectives for this course are on the course website:
http://www.austincc.edu/purcell
Further instructions on the use of this material as one means of learning course material will be provided during an in-class demonstration period at the beginning of each semester. I wish to make two important points concerning computer-assisted instruction: first, this is completely voluntary- the student is NOT required to use computer-assisted instruction, and second, computer-assisted instruction supplements but DOES NOT REPLACE CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION. Even if students use computer-assisted instruction, they must still attend class.
ANALYTICAL BOOK REVIEWS:
Rationale: This analytical
book review will critically examine an important scholarly book covering
some aspect of United States History since 1877.
The purpose of this review is twofold: first, to acquaint
the student with a classic volume of historical scholarship and second,
to allow the student to think critically about an important facet of American
history and then to organize your thoughts in clear, cogent prose.
You should not view this simply as a hurdle which you must overcome in
order to earn a grade of "A" or "B" in this course, but rather approach
it as an opportunity to expand your creativity in thinking and writing,
two very important aspects of any individual's necessary life skills.
Therefore, be advised that I consider this a VERY important aspect of this
course and your reviews will be read and graded VERY carefully.
Form: Each book review
will be approximately 1000 words long, although this is a general guideline
and not an absolute requirement. The main objective of this analytical
book review should be to comprehensively cover the three sections of the
following book review outline:
Part I: This
is a brief outline of the contents of the book. In the space of one
or two paragraphs you should be able to convey the parameters of the book's
contents. DO NOT simply reproduce the book's table of contents.
Part II: Here
is the place for a careful summary of the author's thesis.
The thesis is the primary idea the author is trying to prove and convince
the reader to accept. You must first identify the thesis and then
show how the author either substantiates or fails to substantiate this
thesis. This will undoubtedly take you a page or two to do a good
job.
Part III: This
is the most important part of your book review. Here is where you
describe your reaction to the book. Some of the questions you must
answer include: Do you agree or disagree with the book's conclusions?
Why? Did the book support or contradict what you read in your textbook
on the same subject? (You MUST quote some of the relevant passages from
both books.) Did you detect any biases on the part of the author?
What was the author's background and why did he or she write the book?
How in your opinion could the book have been improved? You must be
specific and keep in mind there are NO perfect books. Did you enjoy
reading the book? Why or why not? Would you recommend it to others?
Grading: The book reviews will be graded "EXCELLENT", "ACCEPTED", or "NOT ACCEPTED". The second book review, required only of those seeking the grade of "A", must be graded "EXCELLENT". The first book review, required of those seeking the grades of "A" and "B", must be "ACCEPTED". Any "NOT ACCEPTED" book reviews will be returned to be rewritten.
Due Dates: The
first analytical book review is due at mid-semester. This is required
for those seeking a "A" or "B" in the course. The second analytical book
review is due one week before the end of the semester. This is required
only of those seeking a "A" in the course.
Books: The following books may be read for the analytical book review. If you wish to substitute another book for one of these, YOU MUST RECEIVE THE INSTRUCTOR'S PRIOR APPROVAL. All of the following books are found on the shelves of the RGC Library. They are listed in the order they are cataloged on the shelves.
C. Vann Woodward. Reunion and Reaction
Lawrence Goodwyn. The Populist Movement
Matthew Josephson. The Politicos
Homer Socolofsky and Allen Spetter. The Presidency
of Benjamin Harrison
Ben Maddow. A Sunday Between Wars
Sam Acheson. Joe Bailey
Ben Proctor. Not Without Honor
G.J.A. O'Toole. The Spanish War
Graham Cosmas. An Army For Empire
John Offner. An Unwanted War
Frederick Allen. Since Yesterday
David Shannon. Between the Wars
William Leuchtenberg. In the Shadow of FDR
John G. Adams. Without Precedent
Walter Goodman. The Committee
John Gaddis. Strategies of Containment
Seymour Brown. The Faces of Power
Arnold Offner. The Origins of the Second World War
William Manchester. American Caesar
Forrest Pogue. George C. Marshall
E.B. Potter. Bull Halsey
Barry Goldwater. Goldwater
Thomas Kesssner. Fiorello La Guardia
Edward & Frederick Schapsmeier. Dirksen of Illinois
Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy. Times to Remember
David Oshinsky. A Conspiracy So Immense
Anthony Champagne. Congressman Sam Rayburn
John Martin. Adlai Stevenson of Illinois
Dewey Grantham. Hoke Smith & the Politics of the
New South
Howard Beale. Theodore Roosevelt
Edmund Morris. The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt
Paolo Coletta. The Presidency of William Howard Taft
Elliot Asinoff. 1919
Arthur Link. Woodrow Wilson & the Progressive
Era
Robert Murray. The Harding Era
Harris Warren. Hoover & the Great Depression
David Burner. Herbert Hoover
Robert Divine. The Illusion of Neutrality
Robert Herzstein. Roosevelt and Hitler
Joseph Lash. Dealers and Dreamers
Robert McElvaine. The Great Depression
Geoffrey Perrett. Days of Sadness, Years of Triumph
James Burns. Roosevelt, The Lion and the Fox
Eleanor Roosevelt. The Autobiography of Eleanor Roosevelt
Eric Goldman. The Crucial Decade and After
William O'Neill. American High
Stephen Oates. Let the Trumpet Sound
Robert Divine. The Sputnik Challenge
Dwight Eisenhower. At Ease
Stephen Ambrose. The Supreme Commander
_____________. Eisenhower: the President
David Halberstram. The Best & the Brightest
William OíNeill. Coming Apart
Allen Matusow. The Unraveling of America
H. Norman Schwarzkopf. It Doesnít Take A Hero
Joan & Clay Blair. The Search of JFK
Henry Hurt. Reasonable Doubt
John Barry. The Ambition and the Power
Gary Wills. The Kennedy Imprisonment
Paul Conkin. Big Daddy from the Pedernales
Doris Kearns. Lyndon Johnson & the American Dream
Theodore White. The Making of the President 1964
Lewis Gould. Lady Bird Johnson and the Environment
Fawn Brodie. Richard Nixon
Stephen Ambrose. Nixon
Robert Litwak. Detente and the Nixon Doctrine
Bob Woodward & Carl Bernstein. The Final Days
Jimmy Carter. Keeping Faith
Lou Cannon. Reagan
Ronnie Dugger. On Reagan
CLASS SCHDEULE FOR FALL 2019 SEMESTER
Date | Classroom Activity | TextbookPages |
Aug 26 | Introduction | |
Aug 28 | Redemption | 471-478 |
Sep 2 | LABOR DAY HOLIDAY | |
Sep 4 | New South | |
Sep 9 | Native Americans in the West | 481-507 |
Sep 11 | Mining and Cattle Raising | |
Sep 16 | Railroads | 511-537 |
Sep 18 | Rockefeller & Casrnegie | |
Sep 23 | Gilded Age Politics I | 573-598 |
Sep 25 | Gilded Age Politics II | |
Sep 30 | UNIT EXAM #1 and MAP TEST | |
Oct 2 | American Expansionism | 601-624 |
Oct 7 | Spanish American War | |
Oct 9 | Progressivism | 627-651 |
Oct 14 | Theodore Roosevelt | 655-683 |
Oct 16 | New Freedom | |
Oct 21 | Wrold War I | 689-716 |
Oct 23 | UNIT EXAM #2 | |
Oct 28 | Herbert Hoover | 719-741 |
Oct 30 | Depression | 749-774 |
Nov 4 | US Foreign Policy in the 1930's | 777-804 |
Nov 6 | World War II | |
Nov 11 | Wrold War II | |
Nov 13 | UNIT EXAM #3 | |
Nov 18 | Cold War | 807-833 |
Nov 20 | 1950's | 837-854 |
Nov 25 | 1960's | 893-918 |
Nov 27 | Vietnam | |
Dec 2 | 1980's | 927-955 |
Dec 4 | 1990's | |
Dec 9 | 21st century | |
Dec 11 | UNIT EXAM #4 | |
Class Schedule for History 1302 SPRING
Date | Classroom Activity | Textbook Pages |
Jan 22 | Orientation | |
Jan 24 | Redemption | 409-416 |
Jan 29 | New South | |
Jan 31 | Indians | 419-441 |
Feb 5 | Western Industry | |
Feb 7 | Railroads | 442-465 |
Feb 12 | Rockefeller & Carnegie | |
Feb 14 | Gilded Age Politics I | 496-519 |
Feb 19 | Gilded Age Politics II | |
Feb 21 | UNIT EXAM I & MAP TEST | |
Feb 26 | American Expansion | 520-541 |
Feb 28 | Spanish American War | |
Mar 5 | Progressivism | 542-563 |
Mar 7 | Theodore Roosevelt | 564-584, 599-602 |
Mar 12 | New Freedom | 585-591 |
Mar149 | World War I (MID-SEMESTER) | 603-619 |
Mar 19 & 21 | SPRING BREAK | |
Mar 26 | "Sgt York" | |
Mar 28 | UNIT EXAM #2 | |
Apr 2 | Organized Crime | 623-643, 674-678 |
Apr 4 | Depression | 648-673 |
Apr 9 | US Foreign Policy in 1930's | 678-699 |
Apr 11 | World War II | |
Apr 16 Apr 18 |
World War II World War II |
|
Apr 23 | UNIT EXAM #3 | |
Apr 25 | Cold War | 700-725 |
Apr 30 | 1950's | 726-743 |
May 2 | 1960's | 744-773 |
May 7 | Vietnam | 774-801 |
May 9 May 14 |
1980's 1990's |
806-834
|
May 16 | UNIT EXAM #4 |
OTHER INFORMATION
OFFICE HOURS: M
W 6:30AM- 9:00AM & 10:30AM- 1:30PM in ATT 214
T H 6:30AM-
7:30AM in ATT 214
TELEPHONE: 512-223-3398
E-MAIL: apurcell@austincc.edu
WEBSITE: http://www.austincc.edu/purcell
DUE DATES:1st
Book Review for "B" and "A": October 19, 2017
2nd Book Review for "A": December 7, 2017
LAST DAY TO WITHDRAW: November 25, 2017
WITHDRAWAL POLICY: Punctual and regular attendance is required. Any student accumulating three (3) or more UNEXCUSED absences MAY be dropped from this course. This is at the discretion of the instructor.
COURSE COMPLETION DEADLINE: December 13, 2017 at the end of class
ADA:"Each
ACC Campus offers support services for students with documented physical or
psychological disabilities. Students with disabilities
must request reasonable accomodations through the Office for Students with Disabilities
on the campus where they expect to take the majority of
their classes. Students are encouraged to do this three weeks before the
start of the semester." (ACC Student Handbook)
SCHOLASTIC DISHONESTY:"Acts
prohibited by the college for which discipline may be administered include
scholastic dishonesty, including but not limited to cheating on
an exam or quiz, plagiarizing, and unauthorized collaboration with another
in preparing outside work. Academic work submitted by students shall be
the result of their own thought, research, or self-expression.
Academic work is defined as, but not limited to tests, quizzes, whether taken
electronically or on paper; projects,
either individual or group; classroom presentations,
and homework." (ACC Student Handbook)
Anyone committing any of these
acts in this course will receive the grade of "F" for the course.
TESTING CENTER POLICY:http://www.austincc.edu/testctr
ACADEMIC FREEDOM: The
free exchange of information is vital to the pursuit of learning.
PRIVACY: The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protects confidentiality of educational records. Grades cannot be given over the phone, through a fellow student, or by e-mail in this course.
BUILDING REGULATIONS:RGC regulations prohibit smoking, drinking, or eating in the classrooms. These regulations will be strictly enforced in this course.