Lone Star College-Kingwood

History 1302

United States History II

COURSE INFORMATION

 

Credits:  3 semester hours                                                              Prerequisites: none

Instructor: Professor Peggy Lambert                                                      

Phone: 281-312-1480; Fax: 281-312-1577; Email: Peggy.Lambert@lonestar.edu      

Office: Kingwood LIB 206E

Office hours for Summer II: M-Th:  By appointment

Chair Social Science: Steve Davis  - steve.davis@lonestar.edu - phone 281-312-1645

 

Dean BTSS Division: Elizabeth Chapman - echapman@lonestar.edu  - phone 281-312-1670

 

Professor Response Time: When communicating with the instructor, students can expect 24 - 48 hours response time. (The normal response time is usually much shorter; however this is the guideline.)

“When I want to understand what is happening today or try to decide what will happen tomorrow, I look back. A page of history is worth a volume of logic.”

                                                                                  Oliver Wendell Holmes

History 1302 is based on an analysis of the concepts and themes, which follow the development of the American nation from Reconstruction to the present.  History is a subject, which enables man to grasp a relationship with the past and then proceed forward with some sense of security.  As well as serving this end, history may also be read for amusement, for its richness, or for its drama. History is not static nor is it drab.  It is alive in many ways, constantly being reborn as mankind changes its perspective.  Thus, while the best history endures over the years, each generation has to rewrite its own view of the past for its own purposes.

In order to be successful in this course, students need to be self-motivated and conscientious.  While the instructor is available for help, students are essentially undertaking a voyage into the American past with only a map to follow. Good luck on your journey!

Learning Outcomes for HIST 1302

·         Trace the rise of American power in the world of the late nineteenth century. Note especially, the factors that make this growth possible, and assess its social, economic, and political consequences on American life.

·         Ascertain the roots and manifestation of Wilsonian moralism, identify the causes of American entry into World War I and discuss the role played by the US in ending the war.

·         Analyze the development of American culture in the two decades between World War I & II, noting in particular the causes and consequences of the Great Depression and the reaction to it by Franklin Roosevelt's administration.

·         Explain the reasons for the outbreak of World War II in Europe in 1939 and America's entry in 1941. Trace the major events of the war, and explain America's contribution to the war effort at home and abroad.

·         Trace the development of America's Cold War with the Soviet Union (including our involvement in Vietnam), and assess its impact on the social, economic, and political character of the nation.

·         Analyze the major trends and developments in America's Domestic legislation in the post-WW II era, and assess their impact on American culture.

Orientation & Helpdesk

There is no face-to-face orientation for this class.  The district's distance orientation is linked off of the course homepage.  Please make sure you read it carefully and pay special attention to the instructions for using Vista.  Make sure that you read and understand it.

The Lone Star Distance Helpdesk email is distance.learning@lonestar.edu or they can be reached by phone at 936-272-7600 or 281-765-7765. 

PLEASE USE THE CLASS MAIL SYSTEM TO SEND ME YOUR PHONE NUMBER (S) AND EMAIL ADDRESSES FOR EMERGENCIES!!!  THIS WILL BE YOUR FIRST CLASS PARTICIPATION GRADE.   PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL REGULAR COURSE CONTACT IS DONE USING THE COURSE MAIL FEATURE IN VISTA. 

Assigned Readings

Order books online by going to <http://www.efollett.com>, select Texas, then click the Distance Learning link under Lone Star College District.  Books may be shipped to your home or to the Lone Star College bookstore of your choice for pickup.  For immediate processing of your order, Follett Bookstores accept MasterCard, Visa, American Express and Discover Card.  Follett will also process your order upon receipt of a money order or cashier's check

·         Textbook:  Roark, The American Promise: A History of the United States, Vol. 1I, Third Compact Edition, ISBN: 0-312-44842-40   The publisher has provided a good web site at http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/roarkcompact.   Please bookmark the study guide and use it often.  The online practice quizzes will help prepare you for the unit exams.  I do take some exam questions directly from this site.  Make sure you purchase the correct textbook before the start of the semester.

·         Students also will also take multiple quizzes based on the following book:

Kinzer, Overthrow: America’s Century of Regime Change from Hawaii to Iraq, Times Books ISBN-10: 0805082409 

 

 

  • Students will take one quiz over the following book:

 

Van Devanter, Home Before Morning, ISBN: 1-55849-298-4

 

Additional supplemental readings will be hot-linked within the course units.

Participation

Students will be expected to respond to the instructor's questions and each other on the bulletin board.  Please remember to check the course pages for mail messages and always check the discussion board for posts and announcements.  The class discussion board will mimic a regular class discussion so please interact with one another and with my discussion prompts.  Please note that I try to avoid participating in the class discussion since past experience has convinced me that doing so impedes a free exchange of ideas; however, I may enter the discussion if it gets off track.  Evaluation of written work will focus not only on content but also on clarity, organization, coherence, and use of standard edited written English.  The premise is simple: for content to impress it must be effectively communicated.  Also, please read all appropriate material before responding to the prompts.

Students are also encouraged to explore historical sites on the Internet and share their finds with their fellow students.

All course correspondence should be done using the class mail system and discussion board.  Use my college email address for dire emergencies only. 

 Your participation grade will represent 20% of your semester grade.  In order to make an “A” in class participation, students must answer all prompts and have meaningful interaction with other students on the board.

Exams & Quizzes

There will be an examination for each of the four units of the course.  Exams will be completed online and will consist of 50 objective questions, based on assigned textbook material and hot-linked readings for each unit.  Unit assignments can be found under the Course Content link on the course homepage.  The exams are timed, and no two students will have the same exam.  There will be a ten point penalty for exceeding exam and quiz time limits.  You will need to take the exams and quizzes using the Respondus Lockdown Browser.  You can find the instructions for downloading the browser by clicking on the Getting Started icon on the course homepage.  When taking the exams, please allow the exam to load completely before starting. Once the exam is started, the loading process ends.  There also will be a quiz over each of the three parts of the Kinzer book and one quiz over the Van Devanter book.  By the third day of class, you must earn a grade of 70 or better on the Syllabus Quiz..  You will have two opportunities to do so, but, if you are not successful, you will then be locked out of the class.  Check the course calendar for exam and quiz dates.

Avoid waiting until the last minute.  Procrastination can be deadly!  It will also cost you ten points on any late exam and/or quiz, and no exam will be accepted more than three days late. If you need to take a late exam, you must send me a request for a special late exam using VISTA.  I will not accept any of the last exams/quizzes late.

Drop Policy

It is your responsibility to drop a course or withdraw from the college. Do not count upon the instructor to drop you if you choose not to complete the course.

Grades

Semester grades will be based on the following:

·                Exam average  =  60%

·                Average of Kinzer quizzes  =  10%

·                Van Devanter quiz = 10%

·                Syllabus quiz=5%

·                Class participation  =  20%

The standard college policy is followed for all grades:

A

90-100

B

80-89

C

70-79

D

60-69

F

Below 60

Finally, just because this is a distance course does not mean you do not have access to your instructor.  Please feel free to contact me.  If you are having difficulty with the course, I may be able to help.  I truly enjoy visiting with students.

Academic Integrity

 

The district has taken a “zero tolerance” policy on plagiarism, misrepresentation of credentials, collusion, cheating, etc. In the Lone Star College catalog, p.49, it states that a faculty member may discipline student by requiring him/her to re-take exam or assignment, assign a zero to paper, or assign an “F” in course. Student may be expelled from institution for violating standards of academic integrity.  Any cheating in this course will result in a grade of zero on that exam/paper.

ADA Statement

The Lone Star College District is dedicated to providing the least restrictive learning environment for all students. The college district promotes equity in academic access through the implementation of reasonable accommodations as required by the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title V, Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) which will enable students with disabilities to participate in and benefit from all post-secondary educational activities. If you require reasonable accommodations because of a physical, mental, or learning disability, please notify the instructor of this course as soon as possible and preferably before the end of the first two weeks of class to arrange for reasonable accommodations.

 Software Policy

Law strictly prohibits unauthorized copying of software purchased by Lone Star College for use in laboratories. The college administration will take appropriate disciplinary action against anyone violating copyright laws.

Computer Virus Protection

 

Computer viruses are, unfortunately, a fact of life. Using the diskettes on more than one computer creates the possibility of infecting computers and diskettes with a computer virus. This exposes the computers of the college, your personal computer, and any others you may be using to potentially damaging viruses. The college has aggressive anti-virus procedures in place to protect its computers, but cannot guarantee that a virus might not temporarily infect one of its machines. It is your responsibility to protect all computers under your control and use and ensure that each diskette you use, whenever or wherever you use it, has been scanned with anti-virus software. Since new viruses arise continually, your anti-virus software must be kept current. And, since no anti-virus software will find every virus, keeping copies of data (backups) is extremely important.

Equal Opportunity Statement

 

It is the policy of the Lone Star College District to provide equal employment, admission and educational opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, or disability. Lone Star College strives to provide an excellent learning environment free from harassment or intimidation directed at any person's race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, or disability. Any form of harassment will not be tolerated.