Syllabus_Classroom

Utah State University USU 1300 American Institutions Syllabus Spring Semester 2016 INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Susan Rhoades Neel OFFICE: WIB 243 PHONE: (435) 613-5279 E-MAIL: susan.neel@usu.edu OFFICE HOURS: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12:00 - 1:30pm And by appointment REQUIRED PURCHASES: 1. Give Me Liberty!: An American Story (Fourth Seagull Edition) by Eric Foner ((ISBN-13 978-0393920291) 2. REEF Polling app

Course Objectives Course Requirements	Grading	Course Policies Schedule

USU 1300 is a 3 credit-hour general education, introductory-level survey course that fills the American Institutions (AMI) requirement. The course provides an overview of United States history from the seventeenth through twentieth centuries with an emphasis on the development of key ideas and institutions and the impact of these processes on the diverse peoples of America. Class meets twice weekly for 75-minute lectures and discussions. In addition to attending class lectures students should plan to spend approximately 6 hours per week outside the classroom reading required course materials, preparing assignments, and studying for exams. This course requires the use of a computer with an internet connection to conduct research, deliver course assignments, take exams, and use REEF Polling. Microsoft Word is required unless otherwise specified by the instructor. There are no prerequisites for this course.
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I. COURSE OBJECTIVES The objective of this course is to examine the complex and changing ideals of liberty, freedom, and democracy as experienced by various groups in America from the era of the Revolution through the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. The goal is to understand the ideas and institutions of democracy as they have changed over time and to appreciate the continuing challenge Americans face in translating these ideals into lived experience. We will explore these issues as they played out on the public stage of politics and business and in the private lives of ordinary people. Our topics will range from presidential leadership to changing habits of eating, from wars to music, from the rich and famous to the anonymous millions who helped make America such a distinctive civilization. In addition to learning about the historyof American institutions, students in this class will develop basic college-level learning skills, such as listening, note taking, using digital technologies, and study strategies. A. Learning Objectives--Knowledge 1. Know the basic chronology of American history with detailed knowledge of key events during the American Revolution, the Civil War, the industrial revolution, and the Civil Rights movement. 2. Understand the concepts of freedom and democracy as they have changed over time and as experienced among different groups of Americans. 3. Understand the relationship between historical events in the arena of government and the economy and those events in the arenas of social experience, daily life, and culture. 4. Understand the relationship between broad historical processes and the actions of individuals, both ordinary and extraordinary. B. Learning Objectives--Skills 1. Describe/define key events, people, and institutions and place them in historical context by discussing their significance to larger historical trends and processes. 2. Exercise historical imagination in order to understand ideas and practices of past peoples in their own context and to systematically compare and contrast the past to the present. 3. Conduct research and convey the knowledge gained through various mediums including written essays. 4. Utilize digital technologies to conduct, organize, and communicate work appropriate to a college-level or professional environment. 5. Exercise disciplined habits of work, including managing time for study, attending class, meeting deadlines, submitting assignments according to instructions, and maintaining active engagement over the entire semester.
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II. COURSE REQUIREMENTS In order to accomplish the course objectives, students will be required to acquire information from a variety of course materials including films, web sites, and a textbook. Students will be required to demonstrate what they are learning through assignments and exams. All materials submitted must use standard English grammar and punctuation. Any assignment or exam that does not capitalize the first letter of a sentence, put a period at the end of a sentence or capitalize the personal pronoun "I" will receive no credit. A. Computing Requirements 1. Students must have access to a functioning computer with an active internet connection. Students are welcome to use the computers in the campus library or computer lab. 2. The course syllabus, instructions for assignments, and study guides are available to students through the course web site which can be accessed on Canvas. Students will use Canvas to take exams and turn in assignments. 3. All assignments must be completed in Microsoft Word unless otherwise specified by the instructor. Microsoft Word is installed on the computers in all USU computer labs. B. Attendance 1. Attendance is required. Roll will be taken at the start of each class session using REEF Polling app. Students must arrive on time and stay for the entire period n order to be counted as in attendance. The instructor may take roll at any time during the class to verify attendance. Only a REEF Polling record will count as verification of attendance. Students who miss more than three class sessions will have their final course grade reduced by one letter grade. C. Required Course Materials 1. The required textbook for this course is Give Me Liberty! Fourth Seagull Edition, by Eric Foner (ISBN-13 978-0393920291). Print copies can be purchased at the college bookstore. The bookstore also offers rental of the required textbook. If you choose to purchase the required text from a source other than the USU Bookstore, you are responsible for getting the correct edition, which can be identified by the ISBN number. 2. Students are required to view a set of short videos called “Questioning Liberty,” in which the author of the textbook, Professor Eric Foner, discusses key themes from the book. Students can access these videos, free of charge, through the course web site. 3. Additional required materials, including essays, films, and web sites, may be provided to students at no cost through the course web site. D. Required Assignments 1. Unit Projects. Students are required to complete three Unit Projects. Each Unit Project introduces students to different aspects of the course learning objectives and requires students to use different learning skills, such as exercising historical imagination. Unit Projects are worth 75 pts each for a total of 225 pts or 22.5% of the final grade. E. Assessments 1. Students will take an Introductory Quiz using Canvas. The Quiz tests students’ knowledge of the course requirements and policies and provides an opportunity for students to demonstrate mastery of the Canvas logon procedures. The Quiz is worth 55 pts. or 5.5% of the final grade. 2. Weekly Exercises and Quizzes. Students are required to complete 10 Weekly Exercises and Quizzes worth 12 points each. Some exercises and quizzes will take place during regularly scheduled class time; others will be completed outside of class. Detailed instructions for the Weekly Exercises and Quizzes are available on the course web site. Weekly Quizzes are worth 120 pts. or 12% of the final grade. 3. Students will take four Unit Exams each worth 120pts. The Unit Exams will cover required course materials, including the textbook and class lectures. Exams will be taken through Canvas. The Unit Exams are open book but they must be completed during a specified time frame. The Unit Exams are worth a total of 480 pts or 48% of the final grade. 4. Final Essay. Students are required to complete one Final Essay summarizing what they have learned throughout the semester. Essays involve writing a 1,500 word (4-6 page double spced) paper on how the idea of freedom has changed in America since the time of the American Revolution. Final Essays are worth 120 pts or 12% of the final grade.
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III. GRADING Grades will be based on the instructor’s evaluation of student participation and performance on the required projects and exams. There will be a total of 1000 points possible, distributed as follows: 120 pts = Weekly Exercises and Quizzes 225 pts = Unit Projects 55 pts = Introductory Quiz 480 pts = Unit Exams 120 pts = Final Essay The grading scale is as follows: A = 930 - 1000 points A- = 900 - 929 points B+ = 870 - 899 points B = 830 - 869 points B- = 800 - 829 points C+ = 770 - 799 points C = 730 - 769 points C- = 700 - 729 points D+ = 670 - 699 points D = 600 - 669 points F = 0 - 599 points
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IV. COURSE POLICIES A. Attendance. Students are required to attend all scheduled class sessions. Students with more than 3 unexcused absences will have their final course grade reduced by one letter grade. No absences will be excused except in the case of documented illness or family emergency or for USU-sponsored activities. Students involved in USU-sponsored activities such as college atheletics or student government that are covered by the USU Excused Absence policy must inform the instructor one week in advance of their absences. Students who miss class for college-sponsored activities are required to make up the work they have missed. B. Communication. Students are encouraged to visit the instructor during her regularly scheduled office hours. Students who are not able to visit during these hours are welcome to schedule an appointment for another time. If you schedule an appointment but are not able to make it, please call or e-mail in advance to cancel. Students are also welcome to contact the instructor via e-mail. The instructor makes every effort to respond to e-mail from students within 24 hours during the week and within 48 hours during the weekends. Students are expected to make timely responses to e-mail inquiries from the instructor. Please include the course number in the subject line of your e-mails. C. Late Materials. All assignments and exams must be turned in on the scheduled due date. No late materials will be accepted. D. Missing/Rescheduling Exams. Exams must be taken at the scheduled time. In cases of personal or family emergency, students who provide a written excuse and/or documentation may reschedule the exam at the instructor’s convenience. *E. Academic honesty policy.* All assignments and exams required for this course must be the work of the student who submits them. Students who submit plagiarized, falsified, or copied work will receive no credit for the assignment or exam. Students who have submitted plagiarized, falsified, or copied work will not be given an opportunity to redo the assignment, project, or exam. The instructor will report all violations of academic honesty in accordance with the USU Student Conduct Code. F. Courtesy in class and online. It is expected that students will treat their fellow classmates and the instructor with courtesy during class, at meetings, and in all online communications. Courtesy includes using polite and civil language, being quiet and attentive when others are talking, and maintaining an environment conducive to learning. Students should remain in their seats during class. Use of rude or offensive language and disruptive or hostile behavior will not be tolerated. Students who engage in such behavior will be asked to leave the class and may be subject to disciplinary action under the student conduct code. This is a distance course, so please keep in mind that your actions are displayed on a large screen for everyone to see. Even though you may be in another city your actions can be disruptive to students at other sites. As a courtesy to your fellow students at the distance sites, please identify yourself by name when you ask a question or make a comment in class. Students should turn off or mute their cell phones before class begins. Text messaging during class is not permitted. Students are welcome to use their personal computers to take notes in class, but surfing the internet during class is not permitted. G. Accommodation. Students with disabilities that qualify under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) who require accommodations should contact the Disability Resource Center for information on appropriate policies and procedures.
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V. SCHEDULE
Welcome and Introductions January 12 - 14
WEEK 1 (January 12 - 14) ASSIGNED MATERIALS: • Give Me Liberty, “Preface” • “Questioning Freedom,” film clips #1, #2, #3, #4, #5
Introductory Quiz: Friday, January 15 - Monday, January 18
UNIT ONE: Freedom’s Foundations January 19 - February 4
WEEK 2 (January 19 - 21) ASSIGNED MATERIALS: • Give Me Liberty, Chps. 4 & 5 • “Questioning Freedom,” film clips #6 and #7 WEEK 3 (January 26 - 28) ASSIGNED MATERIALS: • Give Me Liberty, Chps. 6-8 • “Questioning Freedom,” film clips #8 and #9 WEEK 4 (February 2 - 4) ASSIGNED MATERIALS: • “Questioning Freedom,” films clip #10, #11, and #12
Unit 1 Project DUE: Friday, February 5 Unit 1 Exam: Friday, Friday, February 5- Monday, February 8
UNIT TWO: A New Birth of Freedom February 9 - March 3
WEEK 5 (February 9 - 11) ASSIGNED MATERIALS: • Give Me Liberty, Chps. 11 and 12 • “Questioning Freedom,” film clips #13, #14, and #15 • “Fanny Kemble,” film clips #1, #2, and #3 WEEK 6 (February 16 - 18) ASSIGNED MATERIALS: • Give Me Liberty, Chp. 13 • “Questioning Freedom,” film clips #16, #17, #18, and #19 WEEK 7 (February 23 - 25) ASSIGNED MATERIALS: • Give Me Liberty, Chps. 14 & 15 • “Questioning Freedom,” film clips #20 and #21 WEEK 8 (March 1 - 3) ASSIGNED MATERIALS: • “Questioning Freedom,” film clips #22 and #23 WEEK 9 (March 8 - 10) SPRING BREAK
Unit 2 Project DUE: Friday, March 4 Unit 2 Exam: Friday, March 4- Monday, March 7
UNIT THREE: Facing Freedom’s Boundaries March 8 - April 7
WEEK 10 (March 15 - 17) ASSIGNED MATERIALS: • Give Me Liberty, Chps. 16 and 17 • “Questioning Freedom,” film clips #24 and #25 • "Coney Island," film WEEK 11 (March 22 - 24) ASSIGNED MATERIALS: • Give Me Liberty, Chp. 18 • “Questioning Freedom,” film clips #26, #27, #28 • “The Triangle Fire,” film WEEK 12 (March 29 - 31) ASSIGNED MATERIALS: • Give Me Liberty, Chp. 19 WEEK 13 (April 5 - 7) ASSIGNED MATERIALS: • Give Me Liberty, Chp. 20
Unit 3 Project DUE: Friday, April 8 Unit 3 Exam: Friday, April 8 - Monday, April 11
UNIT FOUR: Fighting for Freedom April 12 - 29
WEEK 14 (April 12 - 14) ASSIGNED MATERIALS: • Give Me Liberty, Chp. 22 • “Questioning Freedom,” film clips #29 and #30 WEEK 15 (April 19 - 21) ASSIGNED MATERIALS: • Give Me Liberty, Chp. 23 • “Questioning Freedom,” film clips #31 and #32 WEEK 16 (April 26 - 29) ASSIGNED MATERIALS: • Give Me Liberty, Chps. 24 & 25 • “Eyes on the Prize,” film clips #4, #5, and #6 • “Crisis,” film clips #1, #2, and #3
Unit 4 Exam: Friday, April 29 - Monday, May 2 FINAL ESSAY DUE: Tuesday, May 3 by 11:59pm
THIS SCHEDULE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT THE INSTRUCTOR’S DISCRETION. CHANGES WILL BE ANNOUNCED TO STUDENTS IN CLASS AND/OR CANVAS.