Santa Ana College

History 121: The United States Since 1865

Ticket #53438

T/Th 10:15-11:40am

Dunlap Hall Bldg. D-201

 

Instructor: Moises Medina    

Contact: (714) 564-6512 medina_moises@sac.edu

Office: Dunlap Hall D-404 Hours: TBD

 

Course Description/Overview:

History 121 will analyze major social, political, and cultural developments in the United States from the end of Reconstruction to the present. Through a chronological and topical telling this course aims to acquaint students with the broad historical trends and continuing controversies in US history. It will help students realize that there are many ways to look at and respond to events. In so doing the hope is that students will be better able to understand the present and thus be better capable of shaping the future. To accomplish these goals, the class will cover a variety of topics as listed below on the syllabus. In order for students to fully understand and appreciate the course information, students should stay current with the news, regularly attend class, complete all assigned work, and keep current with the reading assignments.

 

Course Objectives:

In addition to the aforementioned goals, it is expected that at the end of this course students will be able to discuss the following:

-Why the United States failed to reconstruct the Union as a truly democratic republic following the Civil War?

-Why and how the US expanded into the Caribbean and other parts of the world in the latter half of the nineteenth century?

-Why and how the United States became an industrial giant at the turn of the last century and the impact that had on the American people and government?

-How the US dealt with rapid economic take-off and economic depression during the 1920’s and 30’s?

-How a hatred for communism dominated American foreign policy for over four decades during the second half of the twentieth century?

-How important social changes concerning race, gender and class, over the last half on the 20^th century, have, and are, creating both centripetal and centrifugal forces pulling at the American fabric?

-How the growing urban crisis in a post-industrial America developed in the last decades of the 20^th Century?

 

Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs):

1. Students will critically analyze and interpret primary documents and secondary sources, and will be able to interpret qualitative and quantitative data in order to evaluate historical events.
2. Students will develop communication skills through oral and written exercises, and develop analytical skills by critically interpreting historical topics.
3. Students will analyze how local, national, and international policies and practices developed in the past continue to impact their contemporary lives.

 

Course Policy and Guidelines:

The following are steps that will help students successfully complete the course.

Students are required to attend class.

-2 unexcused absences will result in docking of points and/or lowering of letter grade.

 Students are expected to arrive in class on time.

-Excessive tardiness will result in the docking of points and/or lowering of letter grade.

Students are required to come prepared to class

-Showing up everyday is not enough. Each student is expected to come to class prepared, having done the required reading for the week and the assigned course work.

 Students are required to participate in class discussions.

-This course will involve in class discussion of the material that is covered (lectures, readings, films, etc). Students will therefore be expected to ask questions and actively participate in class discussions. Your grade depends on it.

Students are required to turn assignments in on time. (That means in class- not in mail- box or outside of class)

-Assignments will be docked a whole letter grade for each day late (max 2days). Absence is not an excuse for late work; it is the student’s responsibility to turn in assignment in on time. (Note: unless otherwise agreed upon, emailing assignments is not allowed.)

 

If students adhere to all the aforementioned guidelines, successful completion of course is not difficult. However, even if all steps are completed, an unsatisfactory grade may still be issued based on quality of work.

 

Mobile devices/ cellular phones:

Mobile devices (i.e. Laptop) are allowed for classroom use. However Internet browsing is strictly prohibited and will lead to banning of mobile devices and/or dismissal of the student.

Cell phone use is strictly prohibited. Classroom use of a cell phone will result in dismissal of student from class and lowering of letter grade.

 

Academic dishonesty/Plagiarism

Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Any student(s) found cheating will automatically fail any related assignment and be subject to administrative review by the Dean of Students. It is the student’s responsibility to completely understand what qualifies as plagiarism.

Generally speaking plagiarism is, "the wrongful appropriation, close imitation, or purloining and publication, of another author's language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions, and the representation of them as one's own original work."

“Plagiarism is a direct violation of intellectual and academic dishonesty. Although it exist in many forms, all plagiarism refers to the same act: representing somebody else’s words or ideas as one’s own. The most extreme forms of plagiarism are the use of material authored by another person or obtained from a commercial source, or the use of a passage copied word for word without acknowledgement. Paraphrasing an author’s idea or quoting even limited portions of his or her text without proper citation is also an act of plagiarism. Even putting someone else’s ideas into one’s own words without acknowledgement may be plagiarism. In none of it’s forms can plagiarism be tolerated in an academic community. It may constitute grounds for a failing grade, probation, suspension, or expulsion.”

 

Students with disabilities

Your success in the course is important to me. Santa Ana College and I are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for all individuals with disabilities. If you have a disability that may have some impact on your ability to do well in this course, I encourage you to speak with me as soon as possible.  Also please contact Disabled Student Programs & Services so that we can all collaborate on your classroom accommodations in a timely manner. DSP&S is located in U-103 and their phone number is 714-564-6264. The DSP&S office requires documentation of your disability in order to receive reasonable accommodations. If you do not have documentation they will work with you to acquire it. I look forward to supporting you to meet your learning goals.

 

Required Text:

Foner, Eric ed. Give Me Liberty!: An American History, Seagull 3^rd Edition Vol 2.  ISBN: 9780393911916

Give Me Liberty! is the primary text for this course. It will fill gaps left in the lectures and will add substance to what students learn in class. It will additionally provide students with maps, photos, graphs, historiography, and other information to complement the lectures.

 

Course Website:

Unless otherwise noted, all course material (syllabus, primary source readings, assignment prompts, media, e-links, etc) will be posted on the course Canvas Page.

https://rsccd.instructure.com/

It is the student’s responsibility to access and check the website throughout the course, as material relevant to assignments, prompts and information that will be on exams will be posted there. 

 

Grading:

Essays 20%

Quizzes 20%

ID Assignment 3%

Participation 2%

Midterm 25%

Final 30%

 

Course Work/Assignments: 

Written Assignments:

(*All written assignments must be double spaced with 12pt font and 1inch margins. Note: Late work will be penalized a full letter grade for each calendar day late- max 3 days)

 

Reading Responses (20%) 

Students will write a 2-3 page response that actively engages with one of the primary source handouts assigned for reading (located in the course website).

Reading Response #1 (10%): Due Thursday Oct 4^th

Reading Response #2 (10%): Due Thursday Nov 29^th

*Please see the Using the Guide to Reading and Interpreting Documents as a guide to understanding what primary sources are.

 

Exams:

Quizzes (20%):

There will be four short quizzes (5% each) based on readings, lecture, and discussions

Quiz 1: Thursday September 13

Quiz 2: Thursday Oct 4^th

Quiz 3: Thursday Nov 8^th

Quiz 4: Thursday Nov 29^th

 

Midterm (25%):

The midterm will cover all readings, lectures, and discussions from the first half of the course. The exam may consists of ID terms, short answer questions, and essay responses

Midterm: Thursday Oct 18^th   

Final (30%):

The final will be cumulative. Like the midterm there may be ID, short answer, and an essay questions, Students may also be asked to write an essay that will ask them to discuss and/or make some connection between a prevalent theme in the course.

Final: Thursday Dec 13th 

 

Other:

2% Participation

3% 2 ID Assignments

Due at Midterm Oct 18^th and Final Dec 13^th

 

Note:

This syllabus is subject to change at the discretion of the professor. It is the student’s responsibility to stay informed about these changes as they may adversely affect the student’s grade.