Curious Child’s Library Wanderings

Instructor:  Mrs. Dani Vaughn-Tucker, MA – History, MLIS

Phone:  674-6420

Email:  dtucker@misericordia.edu

Office:  3^rd Floor, Archives, Mary Kintz Bevevino Library

Office Hours     :           MWF 8-9

:           Thursday 9-10

:           By Appointment

Course Description and Objectives

This course is a survey of United States history with particular emphasis on social, political, cultural and economic developments from colonization to 1865.  This course has three major objectives.  (Core objectives for Misericordia University are in bold).

The first objective is that students will be able to identify religious, political, social, economic and cultural trends and historical processes that have shaped the American tradition. 

The second objective is that students learn to think historically.  This skill involves two specific objectives:

v     Students will read for comprehension at an acceptable level and learn to read critically with attention to secondary or multiple meanings; and

v     Students will use evidence in the construction and evaluation of arguments.

The third objective is that students will:

v     Develop an understanding of the social, economic, cultural and political development of the United States to 1865;

v     Have a deepened awareness of the historical roots of American ethnic and cultural diversity and the struggles within the nation to extend fundamental civil liberties to all American citizens; and

v     Gain an understanding of how the United States became a super power.

The third objective is that students will recognize historical variety in American society in terms of race, ethnicity, gender, religion, class and region.  We will be looking at Americans’ struggles to define themselves and their country from European colonization through the Civil War.  Students should also recognize that our past determines our present and our future.  It is only through the study, remembrance and appreciation of our rich and, at times, troubled past that we can become contributing members of society.

Grading

The student’s grade for the course will be determined by:

            3 Exams (20% each; 60% total)

            2 Book Exams (15% each; 30% total)

            Class participation and attendance (10% total)

1.  Exams will be essay in nature and will be written in a bluebook in class and will cover material from the lectures as well as the readings.  The student will be asked to answer four short identification questions (about a paragraph in length – 50% of exam grade) and answer one longer essay question (50% of the exam grade).  Dates and topic breakdown for exams are listed in the calendar at the end of this syllabus. Exams 1 and 2 are not cumulative and will only cover material presented during each exam period.  The Final Exam is cumulative. 

Please answer essay questions in accordance with the rules of proper grammar:

I.        Write your thesis statement (also known as the introduction)

II.     Write the body

a.        Main points

b.      Subpoints

c.       Elaborate on the subpoints

III.    Write the conclusion (should include a rephrasing of the thesis and a summary of the main points of your essay)

Essays must be written in paragraph form.  A good rule of thumb to remember is that paragraphs generally consist of five fully developed sentences.

2.  Book Exams will be given in class according to the dates on the class calendar.  The first Book Exam will cover William Wells Brown’s Clotel:  or, The President’s Daughter.  The second Book Exam will cover Walt Whitman’s Memoranda During the War (the link is provided at the end of the class calendar).

3.  Class participation is expected.  You are expected to come to class prepared to discuss the assigned topics.  If it is determined that the class is coming to class unprepared and unable to actively participate in the discussions, written responses will be assigned.

Grading Scale

92-100 - A

90-92   - A-

88-90   - B+

82-88   - B

80-82   - B-

78-80   - C+

72-78   - C

70-72   - C-

60-70   - D

00-59   - F

Course Policies and Courtesies

Students are required to attend all classes and participate actively in discussions.  The final grade will be penalized when a student exceeds three absences, dropping one-half letter grade for each additional absence thereafter.  Assignments will be penalized one letter grade for each day they are late.  Make-up or late work will not be accepted except in extreme circumstances.  Should such circumstances arise, it is your responsibility to acquire lecture notes from fellow students for missed lectures.  If you have a situation that needs special consideration, such as a physical challenge or a learning disability, you must bring documentation of it to me and discuss alternative arrangements to accommodate your needs ahead of time.  Dates for dropping the course and registration rules are announced in the college catalog and should be followed closely.

Students in this course will abide by Misericordia University’s policy on Academic Integrity.  The policy can be found in the university’s catalog or on-line at http://www.misericordia.edu/catalo/ugacpol.cfm.  The policy reads:

Academic Integrity

Any form of cheating or dishonesty, including plagiarism, is a fundamental violation of the nature and purpose of Misericordia University.  Such behavior will not be tolerated and will result in at least lowered grades, possibly failure in a class, program dismissal, and, in the most serious cases, dismissal from the university.

Plagiarism is using someone else’s ideas or words and claiming them as one’s own.  Students who use another person’s words must copy them accurately, enclose them in quotation marks, and identify the source clearly.  If another person’s ideas are used in a student paper, the source must still be identified and the author of the idea given credit.  Students are responsible to make sure they are using sources properly and documenting them properly.

The responsibility for maintaining personal integrity and honor in academic activities rests with the student.  Each faculty member will outline at the beginning of the semester, including any necessary explanation of violations, possible infractions of academic integrity and the scope of sanctions, e.g., warning, lowering of the grade on the assignment or course, course failure, or dismissal from the program or university.

Should a violation of academic integrity occur, the faculty member must inform the student of the violation before imposing any sanction.  Should the violation be considered serious enough to merit any grade of “D” or lower on any major assignment, or a more serious penalty, such as course failure or dismissal from the program, the faculty member must notify the Vice President of Academic Affairs (VPAA) and supply any supporting evidence.  In the case of multiple violations, the VPAA will discuss this issue with the student and may impose additional sanctions up to and including dismissal from the university.  In a case where dismissal from the university is contemplated, the VPAA will consult with the faculty member, student’s advisor, department chair/program director, and college dean.

Any assignment completed without total academic integrity will receive a zero.  If a second violation occurs, the student will be assigned an “F” for the course.

Furthermore, students are expected to abide by the following common courtesies:

v     Be on time for class and do not leave early

v     Turn off all cell phones, I-pods, etc and keep them out of sight

v     Computers may be used for note taking if it is cleared with me first, however, I reserve the right to check to ensure that notes are being taken

Required Books

Carol Berkin, et. al., Making America:  A History of the United States

William Wheeler and Susan Becker, Discovering the American Past:  A Look at the Evidence (concise edition)

Atlas of American History

William Wells Brown, Clotele: or, The President’s Daughter

Tentative Calendar for Lectures

Students are expected to have the assigned reading done in advance of the lecture that it is assigned for.  This reading is necessary, as at times the lecture will skip over material the students have been assigned in the textbook.

I will email lecture outlines to each of you via your misericordia.edu address.  You should print the outlines and bring them to class with you each day.  If you have any trouble opening the attachment that I send, please let me know and we will work out an alternative for you to get the outline.

Please check your email regularly, as announcements concerning the course will be made from time to time.

This syllabus is subject to modification.

Tentative Schedule, History 103, Fall 2008

GUIDE TO ONLINE SOURCES FOR READING ASSIGNMENTS

***DUE DECEMBER 1

Memoranda During the War, for years 1862 and 1863 is available at:

http://etext.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/WhiMemo.html