Syllabus

HS 117 United States History to 1865 (online)

Arcadia University History Summer 2012 Vance Kincade Office: Easton 144 E-mail: kincadev@arcadia.edu Work Phone: 610-999-2895 Home Phone: 610-326-4998

Welcome! Welcome to your Arcadia University course, HS 117 US History to 1865. This online course traces the history of America from 1607 to the Civil War. Upon completion this course will provide the student with answers to many questions. How and why were the colonies founded? Did these reasons affect their relationship with Great Britain? How did the colonies gain their independence from the most powerful country on the planet in 1781? How did the newly created United States survive and become a stable country following the War for Independence? Finally, what caused the Civil War in 1861? Were its origins prior to independence? These are just a few of the questions that studying the social, economic, and political history of America will answer.

Required Materials

David Kennedy, The Brief American Pageant Vol. I Any additional readings or videos will be posted

Since this course is being delivered online, your computer system will need to meet specific hardware and software requirements. For this course, you will need to have access to Microsoft Office, or software that can author MS Office formats like Google Docs or Open Office. Prerequisites NA Minimum Technical Skills Expected 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. The ability to use a modern web browser, like Internet Explorer or Firefox, to navigate websites. The ability to use your Arcadia e-mail address to send and receive e-mails. The ability to learn My Arcadia features found in the Tutorials section of the course, as needed. The ability to use word processing software to read, author, edit and save documents. The ability to use a search engine, like Google, to find information on the web.

Resources available In compliance with the Arcadia University policy and equal access laws, appropriate academic accommodations can be made for students eligible for such support. Students are encouraged to register with the Disability Services Office. Please contact either Kathryn Duffy (215-572-2122) or Linda Pizzi (215-572-4068) to verify your eligibility for appropriate accommodations. You can also reach the Disability Support Services website at http://www.arcadia.edu/academic/default.aspx?id=15850. Please speak to me about any requests for academic accommodations or other concerns as early in the semester as possible.

Writing Center The Arcadia University Writing Center operates on a collaborative, peer-to-peer tutoring model aimed at making better writers, not just better writing. Through open-ended talk, inquiry and writing, we help others better understand their own idiosyncratic writing processes. We believe when students understand themselves as writers, they can adapt responsibly to a wide variety of rhetorical situations across the disciplines. Students from ALL disciplines, and at ALL stages of the writing process (prewriting, drafting, revising) come to the Writing Center to meet with trained consultants. There are also consultants on staff who have received additional training in how to support ESOL writers. You can schedule an appointment by calling (215-572-4051), dropping by the Writing Center (Landman Library, Lower Level), emailing us at writingcenter@arcadia.edu or by filling out our scheduling form. Here is the link to the form http://www.arcadia.edu/writing-center-appt-form/. A consultant will email you to confirm your appointment.

Evaluation

A B C D F

90% to 100% 80% to 89% 70% to 79% 60% to 69% Failure to complete required work

Unit 1 (Postings) Unit 2 (Postings) Unit 3 (Postings & Essay #1) Unit 4 (Postings) Unit 5 (Postings) Unit 6 (Postings & Essay #2) Unit 7 (Postings)

5% 10% 30% 10% 10% 30% 5%

Introduction

This course is being presented in an online fashion. It is important that you login on a regular basis (daily if possible) and work on a consistent basis to complete your requirements. You need to read the selected text each week and videos and respond to the questions posted on blackboard. You will need to be self-motivated and try to stay as organized as possible; developing a schedule would be a good idea. I also suggest that you login in the beginning of the week and copy all assignments to a Word document. This will allow you to construct a quality answer, spell check, grammar check, and copy and paste it into the forum. Requirements for Discussion Board Sessions 1. When quoting the work of another scholar, it is important that you cite the work correctly. You will be using the simple MLA method. The two assignment essays for the course will not need any outside research. The sources will be posted on blackboard. All you will need to do is to cite the author of the source and the appropriate page. Example: Kincade 1

2.

You are required to respond to a minimum of three other student postings for forums that require interaction with your peers. I will be looking at the way you analyze the postings and extend the conversation. Please use this opportunity to share your own experiences, but remember to support your assertions with current research findings. At this level we can all learn a great deal by sharing our experiences. "Studies report that peer learning promotes greater conceptual and procedural gains for students, accommodates a broad range of learning styles, results in greater enjoyment of the learning task, and encourages a stronger persistence in learning" (Johnson & Johnson, 1999).

3.

Your postings will be evaluated based upon the substantive nature and how it efficiently addresses the question at hand. Simple responses such as "I agree" are of no value and will not be counted as an acceptable posting. Try to use what I call the "no scroll" rule. If you have to scroll a great deal to read the posting, it becomes an arduous task. Please try to be succinct and to the point. Strive to respond at the synthesis or evaluation levels.

Discussion Etiquette In this course, I welcome the creation of a dialogue that is open, thoughtful, and founded on the basis of research in the field. At times, some of you will not agree on the positions that are taken in the forum. This diversity is welcomed. However, each student must exercise respect for the thoughts and comments that are posted by their peers. If any posted comments are inappropriate or of an offensive nature, they will be removed from the forum and I will address the issue with the author of the content. Please follow the following guidelines: Never post, transmit, promote, or distribute content that is known to be illegal. Never post harassing, threatening, or embarrassing comments. If you disagree with someone, respond to the subject, not the person. Never post content that is harmful, abusive, racially, ethnically, or religiously offensive, vulgar or otherwise potentially offensive.

Unit Schedule

Unit 1 Objectives To analyze the origins of the English colonies in North America To comprehend the openness of early settlers to different ideas To be able to synthesize the transformation from indentured to slave labor in the South Use the knowledge from this unit to answer the questions posted on the discussion board

Unit 1 Readings Read, Chapters 2-4 in Kennedy

View, Parts 1 & 2, Africans in America: The Terrible Transformation Unit 1 Assignments 1. Introduce Yourself to the Class 2. Read the assigned readings in the Kennedy text 3. Respond to posted questions

Unit 2 Objectives To acquire the knowledge on the development of the English Colonies in the 18th century To analyze how the American colonies were impacted by the duel between England and France for supremacy in North America . Use your comprehension of the unit to answer the questions posted on the discussion board.

Unit 2 Readings Read, Chapters 5 & 6 in Kennedy Unit 2 Assignments 1. Read the assigned readings in the Kennedy text 2. Respond to posted questions

Unit 3 Objectives To learn about and analyze the causes of the American revolution To learn how the US achieved independence in 1783 To analyze the problems of creating a new country To analyze primary source documents on the Boston Massacre To be able to synthesize conclusions from historical evidence Use your knowledge acquired in this unit to answer posted questions on the discussion board and to submit a carefully crafted essay on the Boston Massacre

Unit 3 Readings Read, Chapters 7 -9 in Kennedy Unit 3 Assignments 1. 2. 3. 4. Read the assigned readings in the Kennedy text Respond to posted questions Read the primary source material provided on the Boston Massacre Turn in Essay #1 on the Boston Massacre

Unit 4 Objectives To comprehend the rise & fall of the first American political system To learn about expansion and analyze its role in the War of 1812 To learn about the Era of Good Feelings and the end of the Revolutionary era To use the knowledge acquired in this unit to answer the posted questions on the discussion board

Unit 4 Readings Read, Chapters 10-12 in Kennedy Unit 4 Assignments 1. Read assigned readings in the Kennedy text 2. Respond to posted questions

Unit 5 Objectives To be able to understand the rise of Andrew Jackson and analyze his age To synthesize the impact of westward expansion and immigration on the United States during the Age of Jackson To learn about the reform movements of the 19th century To comprehend the creation of the Second American party system Use the knowledge acquired in this unit to respond to questions posted on the discussion board

Unit 5 Readings Read, chapters 13-15 in Kennedy Unit 5 Assignments

1. Read assigned readings in the Kennedy text 2. Respond to posted questions

Unit 6 Objectives To learn about the expansion of slavery and comprehend the challenges it faced To analyze the impact of Manifest Destiny on the United States To gain knowledge about the destruction of the Second American party system To analyze primary source documents pertaining to Nat Turners rebellion in 1831 To be able to synthesize conclusions from historical evidence Use your knowledge acquired in this unit to answer posted questions on the discussion board and to submit a carefully crafted essay on Nat Turners rebellion

Unit 6 Readings Read, Chapters 16-18 in Kennedy Unit 6 Assignments 1. 2. 3. 4. Read the assigned reading in the Kennedy text Respond to posted questions Read the primary source material provided on Nat Turners rebellion Essay #2 on Turners rebellion is due

Unit 7 Objectives To understand and comprehend the efforts made to preserve the Union in the 1850s To analyze how the North & South fought the Civil War To understand how the North defeated the South and changed America forever To learn to make connections and draw historical conclusions from different time periods Use the knowledge acquired in this unit to answer the posted questions on the discussion board

Unit 7 Readings Read, Chapters 19-21 in Kennedy Unit 7 Assignments

1. Read assigned readings in the Kennedy text 2. Respond to posted questions 3. Enjoy the rest of your year