King's College Department of History

CORE 130

AMERICAN CIVILIZATION to 1914

FALL 2005

HOWARD B. FEDRICK

    

THE CORE CURRICULUM

The CORE Curriculum is central to all undergraduate degrees at King's College. It lays the foundation for a liberal education that will be reinforced in the major program and continued throughout life. CORE courses are broadly based so that fundamental human issues and problems are approached from diverse viewpoints represented by a variety of disciplines.

THE CORE CURRICULUM: CIVILIZATION SEQUENCE

Civilization courses are designed to explore in some depth the complex dimensions of the human experience. These courses study the cumulative experiences of the past to assist in understanding our complex world and assist in the responsible shaping of the future of that world.

CIVILIZATION: HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES

OBJECTIVES

  1. To be familiar with the main stages of civilization as an expanding force which has produced important forms of political, social, economic, and cultural organization which are our common heritage;
  2. To identify major events, persons, and ideas which contributed to the development of western, including American, and non-western attitudes and institutions;
  3. To develop concepts which give meaning and order to the raw material of man's recorded past;
  4. To identify and to analyze significant problems and situations as they relate to the continuing issues of contemporary life.

CIVILIZATION: HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES

GOALS

  1. To improve your understanding of the major events which have influenced the modern world;
  2. To assist you in understanding the influence of the past on contemporary events and problems;
  3. To assist you in developing skills as an intelligent consumer and evaluator of information about events taking place in the world;
  4. To encourage you to develop a global perspective which recognizes the political, economic, social, cultural, and technological character of all nations.

 

CORE 130: AMERICAN CIVILIZATION

American Civilization is the first course in the Civilization sequence of the CORE Curriculum. The study of American Civilization is celebration as well as it is critique. It examines achievements and failures; triumphs and tragedies; hopes and frustrations. It cannot lay claim to prognostication yet it should offer guidance and direction in shaping the future. The study utilizes static data to evaluate and to analyze the dynamic forces and ideas by which men and women have shaped the American story of their times. In the words of Lord Chesterfield (1694-1773) in a letter to his son, we "learn ... the why and the wherefore". This discipline asks that we focus on the past that we might see the present more clearly as well as better respond to the forces and ideas of our times. Historical literacy is essential to the education of the professional man or woman of the 21st century and his or her ability to judge and decide both private and public issues in a context which respects appropriate traditions. America Civilization focuses on the development of the United States from its earliest times to its emergence as a significant world power at the beginning of the 20th century. The major political, economic, social, cultural, and technological events and forces of this period will be examined in this course.

 

Specific Benefits of CORE 130: AMERICAN CIVILIZATION

  1. You should hone your skills at evaluating data for authenticity or spuriousness, reliability or unreliability; to train your mind to weigh and to ponder before acceptance or rejection.
  2. To expand your knowledge and understanding of the uniqueness of the American democratic experience.
  3. You should develop independent thinking, as well as the application of deductive and inductive reasoning, in the formation and validation of hypotheses and conclusions.
  4. You will be encouraged to acknowledge the complexity and variety of the American experience and recognize the painful price paid by so many in the past for the achievement enjoyed in the present.
  5. You will confront the moral problem of making judgments about those who occupied center stage in our American past.
  6. You should develop skills of problem-solving, skeptical judgment and decision-making analysis.

ASSESSMENT OF STUDENT GROWTH and DEVELOPMENT

CORE 130 will guarantee that assignments and examinations within the semester are designed to assist you in developing specific research skills, judgmental analysis, and reporting accuracy. Measurement of this development in specific skills will be made during the course of or no later than the end of the semester.

 

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

REQUIRED TEXTBOOK

America : A Concise History  (2005)
Third Edition   James A. Henretta ( U. of Maryland ), David Brody ( U. of California , Davis ), Lynn Dumenil ( Occidental College )

The General Course Outline identifies specific readings from the TEXT which are to be completed prior to discussion of the material in class lectures. Any and all of these should be read prior to classroom discussion

A series of TEXT STUDY GUIDE Questions is available in the Study Guide component of WEB CT. They are designed to assist in the reading of the text chapters.

Web Site:  http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/henrettaconcise

 

 

REQUIRED SUPPLEMENTAL READING and REPORTING

 

READERS: Documents to Accompany America 's History, Fifth Edition
Melvin Yazawa, University of New Mexico , and Kevin Fernlund, University of Missouri , St. Louis .
Volume 1 (To 1877), ISBN 0–312–40591–X; Volume 2 (Since 1865), ISBN 0–312–40592–8.

 

Reading and Reporting Assignments will be made using the Readers  OR  Biography of America  www.learner.org/biographyofamerica . These reading assignments will be announced in class AND on the DISCUSSIONS component of WEB CT CORE 130. They are required  assignments. These will have a twenty (20) point value in the computation of your final grade.

 

  

MAP STUDY

 

MAP WORKBOOKS: Maps in Context: A Workbook for American History
Gerald A. Danzer, University of Illinois at Chicago . Volume I: ISBN 0–312–40931–1; Volume II: ISBN 0–312–40932–X

 

Using the Map Workbook, you will be expected to complete at least four (4) assigned Map Study assignments.  These will have a twenty (20) point value in the computation of your final grade.

WRITTEN RESEARCH ASSIGNMENTS - Required

Two (2) brief research papers will be assigned. Guidelines for each assignment will be distributed as appropriate. Exploration of various research resources including the library and on-line sources will be encouraged in the completion of these assignments. Upper class students will be expected to demonstrate proficiency in applying the writing and critical thinking developed in CORE 110 and CORE 100. All students will be expected to submit papers in typed or word processed form. Handwritten work will NOT be accepted. ***Papers not submitted on time will be severely penalized; the highest possible grade will be a "C". These will have a thirty (30) point value in the computation of your final grade.

 

TESTS - Required

There will be two (2) written tests given during the semester including the final examination. The first  test will be announced in class at least one week in advance. The second (final) examination will be given according to the Registrar's examination schedule. The tests will be based on the lectures and text reading materials, as assigned. The general structure of the tests will be essay. Each test will be non-comprehensive and will review the most recent materials covered.

Tests will always provide student choice within the sections of the examination. There will always be provision for “research time” (open book/notes) during each examination. Tests should always be written in PEN!! These will have a sixty (60) point value in the computation of your final grade.

 

CLASSROOM PARTICIPATION – Expected and Graded

Regular participation - asking or responding to questions, volunteering one's own ideas or arguments, sharing evidence - is expected from each student. This participation will be noted and weighed in the overall semester grade evaluation as a growth/development factor. This will have a ten (10) point value in the computation of your final grade.

 

ATTENDANCE - Required

This is an adult environment. You and I have adult responsibilities. You and I are expected to attend classroom lectures/discussions on a regular basis. Rules of the College regarding class attendance will be followed strictly. You are responsible for all materials discussed in lectures and classroom discussions. There will be a MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE ABSENCE of THREE (3) - excused OR unexcused. Three consecutive absences or a pattern of absence over a three week period will initiate an Excessive Absence Report to the Dean of Student Services Office.

Absence on the day of a scheduled test will NOT be excused unless a serious reason has been explained to the instructor (in advance, if possible) and arrangements for a make-up test are made within five (5) class days of the scheduled test. It is the RESPONSIBILITY OF THE STUDENT to arrange the make-up with the professor. It will be within the discretion of the professor to permit any and all exceptions to these rules based on the evidence presented.

It is to be correctly assumed that it will be impossible for you to receive a grade which is higher than the percentage of days attended without significant reasons.

SEMESTER GRADE EVALUATION

The determination of the final semester grade will be based on the successful completion of all requirements for the course using total numerical value of 140 points as follows:

The general grading scale to be used is as follows:
A+ = 98    A = 95    A- = 92                  B+ = 88    B = 85    B- = 82
C+ = 78    C = 75    C- = 72                  D+ = 68    D = 65                    F = 59

OFFICE CONTACT / OFFICE HOURS

Learning is not achieved only within the confines of a classroom. To that end be advised of the following:

IMPORTANT !!  -  WEB CT MAIL COMPONENT

Please be advised that in the event of unexpected class cancellations, emergencies, or other special circumstances that I will contact you via WEB CT MAIL. This will also apply to any necessary procedural changes within the semester which cannot be appropriately announced in class in timely manner.

SYLLABUS COPY

This syllabus is available on line at www.kings.edu/hbfedric/  under list of Course Syllabi or in the SYLLABUS component of WEB CT.

   

 

 

Howard B. Fedrick

History Department

King's College

Last Updated August 15, 2005