HIST 124 Syllabus

Course Syllabus: Syllabus_HIST 124_SP18_46431.pdf

Meet Your Instructor: 

Megan Lange           714.564.6543          

lange_megan@sac.edu OR saclangemegan@gmail.com     

Office Hours:            D-407

Mondays or early a.m. by appointment

Tuesdays:     10:30-11:30am

Wednesdays: 4:00-6:000pm

Thursdays:    10:30am-12:30pm

www.langemegan.com

Course Description:  This course is a survey of Mexican American history in the U.S. from the Pre-Columbian period to the present. Emphasis on Mexican American contributions to the political, social, economic, and cultural development of the U.S. Will also examine the relationship of Mexican Americans to other cultural groups. You will be required to work in assigned groups on a regular basis, participate in presentations and discussions, and be an active learner in this class.  Some assignments, mostly writing, will be ungraded, but are still required. Being able to convey your thoughts verbally and in essay format is a skill that takes time and practice thus you will have ample opportunity to practice. Come prepared to participate: there is much to discuss, much to read, much to do, and much to learn from one another!

Textbook Information: 

The required course text is:

MEXICANOS: A HISTORY OF MEXICANS IN THE UNITED STATES, 2^nd Ed., by Manuel Gonzales

ISBN: 978-0-253-22125-4

I highly recommend and encourage you to purchase the text, as it makes classroom discussion assignments that much easier. You may find that you want to review passages of either text for later exams and assignments as well. There are three copies of Mexicanos on reserve at the Nealley Library.

PLAN ACCORDINGLY.  

Additional Course Information: 

Missed Exams/Make-Up Exams:  All exams are pre-scheduled and you must be present in order to take the exam. All absences on exam dates should be brought to my attention a minimum of one week prior to the date; make-up exams will be scheduled during my office hours as close to the scheduled date as possible.  There is no make-up option for unexpected (e.g. illness) absences on an exam date.  

Missed Assignments/Make-Up Assignments: All assignments are due on the date scheduled. Late work will be accepted for partial credit upon agreement between you and me, your instructor.  A total of 10% of possible points will be deducted at minimum for any late work submitted.  It is your responsibility to finish your work and turn it in on time.  In-class assignments/ participation points cannot be made up, however additional/extra credit opportunities will be given to all students throughout the semester.

Weekly Assignments: Each week you will be assigned to read a chapter or chapters of a text. Any readings that do not come from the required texts will be posted in Canvas, which you will need to download, print, read, and bring to class (see above for required text). The files are posted as links in each week’s corresponding module, as they are listed on the calendar. Take notes! If there is no official assignment, you will need to be ready to discuss the reading - notes, as well as a hard copy of the text, will be invaluable to you in class. For all other assignments, explicit instructions, including rubrics, will be made available in class. You will be assigned to a group and your group will work together in class regularly. Get to know your group-mates and classmates; I try to post all materials in Canvas, but if you missed an instruction in class you’ll want a human back-up to confirm for you what’s due and when.

Student Learning Objectives: Upon completion of this course you will be able to:

• Critically analyzeand interpret primary documents and secondary sources, and will be able to interpret qualitative and quantitative data in order to evaluate historical events;
• Develop communicationskills through oral and written exercises, and develop analytical skills by critically interpreting historical events;
• Analyze how local, national, and international policies and practices developed in the past continue to impact their contemporary lives.