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Summer 2011
Course Description and Goals:
This course is a survey of the political, economic, social, cultural, and diplomatic phases of American life in its regional, national, and international aspects from its earliest settlement to 1877. It will provide students with an understanding of the basic facts and concepts of American history through class lecture and discussion. It will measure understanding of the aforementioned facts and concepts with exams, and develop communication and critical-thinking skills through writing assignments.
Texts:
Robert A. Divine, et al., The American Story, vol. 1 (4th ed.)
Melton A. McLaurin, Celia, A Slave
Grading Scale:
A 94-100
A- 90-93
B+ 87-89
B 83-86
B- 80-82
C+ 77-79
C 73-76
C- 70-72
D+ 67-69
D 63-66
D- 60-62
F 0-59
Communication Policy:
Be sure to familiarize yourself with all Blackboard functions and let me know if you have trouble with any of them. The major writing assignment should be emailed to my university email account. Email and the Announcements section of Blackboard will be the primary means of communication in the course. Students should regularly check their university email accounts and the Announcements section of Blackboard for information about the course. It is the students’ responsibility to consult these sources and be aware of any announcements or revisions to the course schedule. If you have trouble with your email account or believe that you are not receiving information from me, please contact me as soon as possible to rectify the problem.
Journals:
In a paragraph of 100-150 words, you should address ten (10) of the journal topics posted to the Journals section of Blackboard. They are worth ten points each, and I will only grade ten entries. Click the link, read the material or watch the video, and answer the question posed to you. In your short essay, you should place the documents and videos into the context of the chapter being covered in The American Story. Many of these questions ask for your informed opinion, so make sure you support your assertions with evidence from the material provided to you. You will be graded on how well you answer the question, how well you support your answer, and the clarity of your prose. Each topic is only available for two days and you may not go back later in the term to add entries, so please keep up with the reading for this class.
Writing Assignment:
There will be one major writing assignment in this class on the book Celia, A Slave by Melton McLaurin. The rules of plagiarism apply, so be sure to use footnotes if you quote from the book or consult additional sources. You are not required to consult additional sources, but if you do you must cite them according to The Chicago Manual of Style (http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html). Specific instructions for this assignment have been posted to the Writing Assignment section of Blackboard. It should be emailed to me at scott.billingsley@uncp.edu by 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday June 22, 2011. Students may lose ten percentage points for each calendar day the assignment is late.
Exam and Make-up Policies:
There will be two exams given during the semester--a midterm and a final. Test questions may include information from the textbooks, additional readings, and multimedia presentations. Exams will be available from 12:01 a.m. until 11:59 p.m. Students should provide me with an approved written excuse if they must miss an exam. Make-up exams will be in identification and/or essay formats. Please see the Important Dates below and the Exams section of Blackboard for more information.
Religious Holiday Policy:
The University of North Carolina at Pembroke has a legal and moral obligation to accommodate all students who must be absent from classes or miss scheduled exams in order to observe religious holidays; we must be careful not to inhibit or penalize these students for exercising their rights to religious observance. To accommodate students’ religious holidays, each student will be allowed two excused absences each semester with the following conditions:
- Students, who submit written notification to their instructors within two weeks of the beginning of the semester, shall be excused from class or other scheduled academic activity to observe a religious holy day of their faith. Excused absences are limited to two class sessions (days) per semester.
- Students shall be permitted a reasonable amount of time to make up tests or other work missed due to an excused absence for a religious observance.
- Students should not be penalized due to absence from class or other scheduled academic activity because of religious observances.
A student who is to be excused from class for a religious observance is not required to provide a second-party certification of the reason for the absence. Furthermore, a student who believes that he or she has been unreasonably denied an education benefit due to religious beliefs or practices may seek redress through the student grievance procedure.
Code of Conduct:
Students are expected to be familiar with and adhere to the University’s Code of Conduct outlined in the student handbook (http://www.uncp.edu/sa/handbook/html/rights.htm).
Students with Documented Disabilities:
Any student with a documented disability needing academic adjustments should speak directly to Disability Support Services and the instructor during the first two weeks of class. All discussions will remain confidential. This syllabus is available in alternative formats upon request. For assistance, please contact Mary Helen Walker, Office of Disability Support Services, D. F. Lowry Building, (910.521.6695) or visit the Office of Disability Support Services website (http://www.uncp.edu/dss/).
Academic Honesty:
Academic misconduct in any form will not be tolerated. It is your responsibility to recognize and understand the various types of academic misconduct, including plagiarism. Please consult the Academic Honor Code in the Student Handbook or at UNCP’s Division of Student Affairs website (http://www.uncp.edu/sa/pol_pub/honor_code.htm) for official guidelines regarding the definition and handling of academic misconduct. You may also consult the American Historical Association’s website (http://www.historians.org/governance/pd/Curriculum/plagiarism_intro.htm) for more information regarding plagiarism.
Important Dates:
Midterm Exam: Friday June 10 (25%) - Must be completed by 11:59 p.m.
Celia Essay: Wednesday June 22 (25%) - Must be submitted by 11:59 p.m.
Journal Entries: See Journal section in Blackboard (25%)
Final Exam: Tuesday June 28 (25%) - Must be completed by 11:59 p.m.
Course Schedule:
May 25-26: Chapter 1
May 27-28: Chapter 2
May 29-30: Chapter 3
May 31-June 1: Chapter 4
June 2-3: Chapter 5
June 4-5: Chapter 6
June 6-7: Chapter 7
June 8-9: Chapter 8
June 10: Midterm Exam
June 11-12: Chapter 9
June 13-14: Chapter 10
June 15-16: Chapter 11
June 17-18: Chapter 12
June 19-20: Chapter 13
June 21-22: Chapter 14
June 22: Celia paper due
June 23-24: Chapter 15
June 25-26: Chapter 16
June 28: Final Exam |
