As of December 31, 2014, I retired from full-time teaching in Humboldt State University's Department of History. While this website will remain online, it is no longer maintained.
History 111 - Fall 2014 - M/W, 3-4:20
Dr. Gayle Olson-Raymer
Founder's Hall 165; Phone: 826-4788
e-mail: go1@humboldt.edu
Office Hours: Monday and Wednesdays from 1-2:30 in Founders Hall 165, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:20-3 in Gist Hall 218, and
by appointment
The course syllabus - available
online at http://users.humboldt.edu/ogayle/hist111/Hist111Syllabus2014.html - is divided into three parts: Course Description, Course Requirements, and Course Outline.
Please note:
- Previous syllabi are still online. PLEASE BE SURE YOU WORK FROM THE FALL 2014 SYLLABUS.
- I do not use Moodle so you must consult this course syllabus online for all questions regarding course requirements and assignment due dates - as well as for any changes in the syllabus and/or assignments.
- For those of you who wish to have an extended discussion about this syllabus and the course requirements, you may attend an extra credit evening meeting on Thursday, August 28th at 6pm in Founders Hall 206.
- Even though the discussion guides are included for
each
class meeting, the real story of early American History is what we discuss in
class. This makes attendance necessary; and as you will see in the requirements below, attendance is also mandatory.
Course Description
This course, which meets the institutions requirements in U.S. history established by the California Legislature (CSU Executive
Order
405 and Title 5: 40404), focuses on the "significant
events covering a minimum time span of approximately 100 years
occurring
in the entire area now included in the United States of America,
including
the relationships of regions within that area and with external regions
and powers as appropriate to the understanding of those events within
the
United States during the period under study and the role of major
ethnic
and social groups in such events and the contexts in which the events
have
occurred." It also includes a discussion of "events within a
framework which illustrates the continuity of the American experience
and
its derivation from other cultures including consideration of three or
more of the following: politics, economics, social movements, and
geography." Additionally, this course meets the five major skills that the History Department believes historians need and that history majors should develop as they progress through the major: writing, critical thinking, historiography and methodology, and oral presentation. Upon completing this class, each of you will:
- Be able to apply the academic language, historical principles and methodologies, and value systems and ethics employed in social science inquiry to specific events in American history
- Be able to explain and critically analyze human social, economic, and political issues from the a historical perspectives by examining them in contemporary as well as historical settings and in a variety of cultural contexts.
- Be able to illustrate how human social, political and economic institutions and behavior are inextricably interwoven.
Teaching Assistants. This semester we are
fortunate
to have two excellent teaching assistants, both of whom are history majors. They will be available to help you better understand the course content and requirements throughout the semester: Wyatt Reno (wkr25@humboldt.edu) and Morgan Harvey (mrh426@humboldt.edu). Please feel free to communicate with them by email in order to set up any appointments.
Course Requirements Required Reading, Viewing, and Listening.
One of the major goals for this class is to create a collegial academic community in which we can discuss the many exciting stories woven throughout U.S. history. To that end, it is not only essential that we respect the classroom conversations of our colleagues, but that we create an environment in which we all can learn. To do this, we must be aware of learning distractions such as texting on our cell phones and taking note on laptops. To that end, please respect two classroom rules:
- Put your cell phones in their turned off mode on top of your desks and
- Sit in the very back row of the classroom if you will be using your laptop to take notes.
For each class meeting, you will have various reading, viewing, and listening assignments. Please complete all assignments
prior to coming to class. Your preparation will enable us to have more
fulfilling and intellectual conversations in the time that we have
together.
The following is required:
- Required Book: You will be required to read Chapters 11-17 in one book - Voices of a People's History of the United States by
Howard Zinn
and Anthony Arnove (NY:Seven Stories Press, 2004). A copy is available in the Library at the Reserve Desk.
- Internet Readings, Viewing, and Listening: You will be required to complete several internet readings, radio podcasts, and videos, all of which appear
in
the course outline below.
Assignments/Assessments. There are three assigment/assessments for this course: 3 unit exams, 1 research project/teach-in, and attendance. Please note that anything you write for this class
and
turn in to the professor must be duplicated and kept in your own files!
- Two take home unit exams (230 total points - 100 points for the first exam and 120 points for the second exam). Each exam is a take home exam and will be posted online three days before the exam is due. Dates for the exams are Unit I on October 1, November 10. Each exam will consist of two parts
- Part One will include 14 true/false questions, each worth 5 points. If the answer is true, you must include a 2-3 sentences to explain why it is true; if the answer is false, you must explain in 2-3 sentences why it is false. The true/false questions will be based upon the required book, internet, viewing, and listening assignments.
- Part Two will include three short essay questions, each worth 10 points. These must be answered in 10-15 sentences. The essay exams will be based upon class discussions.
- The exams are due at the beginning of class. You may not turn in the exam and leave - if you do, you will be marked absent.
- Research Project and Teach-In (145 points). Each
of you
will conduct
a research project on any topic of United States history that we did not thoroughly discuss in class
and
that occurred between 1960 and the present. For those of you who wish to have a clearer understanding of the research assignment, I will be conducting an extra credit seminar on Tuesday, September 9th at 6pm in Founders Hall, Room 232. There
are
three steps to this assignment:
- Step #1: Completing the Preliminary
Research
Assignment (25 points). It is important that
you
begin thinking about a possible research topic early in the
semester, and that you access the resources you will use.
To assist you with this process, you are required to complete a preliminary research
assignment that you will find by clicking
here. This
assignment must be completed and turned in at the beginning of class on October 6th. If you change your topic after this date,
you
must talk with your professor and get approval for the change no later
than October 23rd.
- Step #2: Writing the Paper (100 points). After conducting
your research, you are then required to write a paper that is a maximum
of FIVE double-spaced, typewritten, grammatically correct pages. The
paper
is due on Wednesday, December 17th at 5pm during the time scheduled for the final. Your paper MUST include the following
SIX components:
- A brief explanation of your topic and why you chose it.
- A summary of what you expected to find about your topic when you began your research compared with what you actually discovered after you completed your research.
- A discussion about your resources - which were most and least helpful with your research and why.
- Your interpretation of the impact of your topic, person, or event on American history.
- A statement describing which of the overall 10 course themes
were
illustrated
in your research.
- A one page outline of your oral presentation that summarizes
what you
will
say - how you will introduce, support, and conclude your story, and
what
props you will use to tell it (props are optional).
- A bibliography of all sources. This is and additional 6th page. You may use any bibliographic format with which you are most comfortable, but it must be consistent. Included in the bibliography should be the person whom you interviewed AND each of the questions you asked the interviewee.
Step #3: Participating in the Teach-In (20 points). On Wednesday, December 17th from 5-6:50pm, you will have 10
minutes
to teach and share the results of your research in a small group of students. Do not read your paper, but rather use your one-page outline to
help
you tell your fellow students what you learned about the topic and what
you think might interest them about your findings. This is a good time
to use any audio, visual, poetic, literary, photographic, or artistic
primary
documents that you used in your research project. After each
group
is done with individual presentations, you will select one
student
to present his/her research to the entire class. You must be
present
on to receive credit for the research paper.
- Attendance. You MUST attend classes. While you will not get points for attending class, we will take roll every day. If you miss up to 4 classes, you will be marked down half a grade, up to 8 classes a whole grade, and 9 or more missed classes will be marked down 1-1/2 grades.
- Attendance for the last two weeks of class (5 points for each day for a total of 20 points). You MUST attend these four classes. For each day you attend, you will receive 5 points.)
Grades: My job is to provide you with an educational opportunity to learn about American history and why it is an essential ingredient in your college education. As such, I do not GIVE you grades; you EARN them by completing your work, thinking intelligently and analytically about the discussions and required reading/viewing/listening materials, and attending class regularly. Because earning grades is YOUR responsibility, I expect that if you believe you are doing poorly in the course or if you need assistance with any aspect of the course, you will contact me as soon as possible - not in the last few weeks of the course. You will be responsible for picking up your exams and keeping track of the points you earn as the course progresses.
- This semester, you have an opportunity to earn 395 total points. There is no guiding rubric for your grades, but a solid rule of thumb is:
- if you come to class regularly and complete the required work in a way that demonstrates an average understanding of the course discussions and reading, your work is average - or a "C" grade;
- if you come to class regularly and complete your required work in a way that demonstrates a good, solid understanding of the course discussions and reading, your work is good - or a "B" grade; and
- if you come to class regularly and complete your required work in a way that demonstrates a sophisticated, complex, and intellectual analysis of the course discussions and reading, your work is excellent - or an "A" grade.
- Grade distribution is as follows:
- 395-345 = A
- 344-295 = B
- 294-245 = C
- 244-195 = D
- 194 and below = F
Extra Credit: You can receive extra credit check marks if you complete any of the following listed below. If you receive 5 or more extra credit check marks, it can raise your grade by one-half. For instance, if you have a "B+" in the course as well as 5 extra credit points and you have missed no more than 4 classes, it could raise your grade to an "A-". However, extra credit will not
replace
any required assignments that you do not complete. Once you complete any extra credit assignment, you must make arrangements to talk with one of the teaching assistants about what you learned - please do not write anything as all extra credit is designed to be oral reporting. Following are some possible extra credit opportunities.
- Syllabus Seminar - Questions about the course syllabus and requirements. On Thursday, August 28th at 6pm, I will be available in Founders Hall 206 to discuss any questions you have about the course and the course syllabus. Please read through the course syllabus prior to coming to the seminar.
- Research Seminar - Questions about the research project/teach-in and how to pick a topic. On Tuesday, September 16th at 5pm, I will be available in Founders Hall FH 206 to discuss any questions about the research project/teach in and possible topics.
- Unit I Exam Discussion Seminar - Discussion about how you did on the exam and what you could do differently for the next exam. On Tuesday, October 7 at 6pm, I will be available in Founders Hall 206 to discuss questions you have about your Unit I exam and how you can approach the Unit II exam. Please bring your exam to the seminar.
- Outside activities. We live in a university community and we all have access to many learning activities outside of the classroom. Therefore, you may get extra credit for any of the following:
- Attending cultural events in the community and on campus as approved by the professor.
- Viewing historical movies and documentaries that either meets with the professor's approval, or that you find on the recommended list of videos at http://users.humboldt.edu/ogayle/hist110/video.html
- Completing other activities approved by the professor
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HISTORY 111 COURSE SYLLABUS - Fall 2014
This class is divided into three units of academic study. Under each of the three units, you will find the topic and link to the discussion guide for each day's discussion, as well as the required reading/viewing/listening for each day.
Unit I: Closing and Opening New Frontiers, 1877
- 1916
8/25 Why History Matters? Understanding how the Empire Makers of World War I Shaped the Contemporary Problems in the Middle East Discussion Guides may be accessed at at http://users.humboldt.edu/ogayle/hist111/Intro2014_WWI_Iraq.html
8/27 and 9/3 Discussion: Manifest
Destiny, the Closure of the Frontier, and the Price of "Progress". Discussion Guides are at http://users.humboldt.edu/ogayle/hist111/ManifestDestiny.html. The power point on "Manifest Destiny" may be accessed by going to this cite - http://users.humboldt.edu/ogayle/hist111/unit1index.html - and clicking on "Manifest Destiny, the Closure of the Frontier, and the Price of "Progress powerpoint."
9/8 Looking Back at 9/11: A Delicate Balancing Act between Liberty and Security. Discussion Guides may be accessed at http://users.humboldt.edu/ogayle/hist110/BalancingAct.html
- No required reading for today
9/10-9/15 Industrialization and Urbanization in the Gilded Age. Discussion Guides may be accessed at http://users.humboldt.edu/ogayle/hist111/industrial.html
9/17-9/22 The
American Quest for Empire. Discussion Guides may be accessed at http://users.humboldt.edu/ogayle/hist111/empire.html
9/24-9/29 Politics and the
Impulse to Reform. Discussion Guides may be accessed at http://users.humboldt.edu/ogayle/hist111/reform.html
- Required viewing and reading for 9/24: PBS video, Triangle Shirtwaist Fire at http://video.pbs.org/video/1817898383 (50 minutes) AND Zinn and Arnove, Chapter 13
- No required viewing and reading for 9/29
- Recommended viewing for extra credit: Reds, Ragtime
9/29 - Unit I Exam due - This Take home exam is due at the beginning of class. The True/False section discussed above covers required reading and viewing while the Short Answer section covers all class discussion from Unit I. You must be present and remain the entire class to get credit for this exam. Unit I exam will be posted online by 9/26 and may be accessed at _______ (TBA)
Unit II: Responding to Hot and Cold Wars, 1917 - 1960
10/1-10/6 Causes and Consequences of World War I, Discussion Guides may be accessed at http://users.humboldt.edu/ogayle/hist111/WWI.html
10/8-10/13 The
Not-So-Roaring Twenties, The Depression, and "A New Deal" for Americans.Discussion Guides may be accessed at http://users.humboldt.edu/ogayle/hist111/1920sandNewDeal.html
- Required viewing for 10/8: Crash Course videos, The Roaring Twenties at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfOR1XCMf7A (13 minutes) AND The Great Depression at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCQfMWAikyU (14 minutes)
- Required reading for 10/13: Zinn and Arnove, Chapter 15
- Recommended viewing for extra credit: The Great Gatsby, Grapes of Wrath, Cinderella Man, The Color Purple, Bonnie and Clyde, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Matewan, Inherit the Wind, The Untouchables, Lady Sings the Blues, Rosewood, Ken Burn's Jazz (a multi-part PBS series).
10/15-10/20 Causes and Consequences of World War II. Discussion Guides may be accessed at http://users.humboldt.edu/ogayle/hist111/unit2WWII.html
- Required reading for 10/15 : Zinn and Arnove, Chapter 16 - ONLY pp. 355-377
- Required viewing for 10/20: Trailer for The Good War at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loeayUFi3B8 (3 minutes) AND Why We Fight, U.S. propaganda film at https://archive.org/details/PreludeToWar
(50 minutes)
- Recommended viewing for Extra Credit: HBO series, Band of Brothers, Flags of Our Fathers, Letters from Iwo Jima, The Good War (available in HSU Library)
10/22 World War II and the Eastern Front. Discussion guides may be accessed at http://users.humboldt.edu/ogayle/hist111/WWII_EasternFront.html
- No required reading or viewing for 10/22
- Recommended viewing for Extra Credit: Enemy at the Gates, Stalingrad (1993 version with subtitles); Hitler's War: The Eastern Front - Turning point at Stalingrad at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1CRzNP9-3Y (44 minutes)
10/27-10/29 The Cold
War in the International Arena. Discussion Guides may be accessed at http://users.humboldt.edu/ogayle/hist111/coldwar.html
11/3-11/5 The Cold War in the Domestic Arena. Discussion Guides may be accessed at http://users.humboldt.edu/ogayle/hist111/ColdWarDomesticArena.html
11/10 - Unit II Exam due - This Take home exam is due at the beginning of class. The True/False section discussed above covers required reading and viewing while the Short Answer section covers all class discussion from Unit II. You must be present and remain the entire class to get credit for this exam. Unit II exam will be posted online by 11/5 and may be accessed at _______ (TBA)
Unit III - Struggling for Hearts and Minds, 1960-1987
11/10-11/17 The War Within and the Struggle
for Civil Rights. Discussion Guides may be accessed at http://users.humboldt.edu/ogayle/hist111/CivilRights.html
- No required reading or viewing for 11/10
- Required Assignment for 11/10 - Unit II Exam
- Required listening for 11/12: "A New Era of Jim Crow?," a National Public Radio interview at http://onpoint.wbur.org/2012/04/02/a-new-era-of-jim-crow.
- Recommended viewing for Extra Credit: Malcolm X, Four Little Girls, Mississippi Burning, Ghosts of Mississippi, Separate But Equal, Get on the Bus, Eyes on the Prize (any part of the PBS series), WeatherUnderground, Incident at Oglala, Chicano! History of the Mexican American Civil Rights Movement
- No required reading for 11/17
11/19 Discussion: Pacifism and Dissent in Times of War.. Discussion Guides may be accessed at http://users.humboldt.edu/ogayle/hist111/drafthistory.html
12/1-12/3 Discussion: Vietnam. Discussion Guides may be accessed at http://users.humboldt.edu/ogayle/hist111/vietnam.html
12/8-12/10 Discussion: The Decline of Liberalism and the Triumph of Conservatism. Discussion Guides may be accessed at http://users.humboldt.edu/ogayle/hist111/1970sand1980s.html and http://users.humboldt.edu/ogayle/hist111/Watergate.html
- No required reading for 12/8
- No required reading for 12/10
- Extra Credit:
- See the films All the President's Men, Nixon, The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers; The Chicago 10, Salvadore, Romero
12/10 - Unit III Exam due - This Take home exam is due at the beginning of class. The True/False section discussed above covers required reading and viewing while the Short Answer section covers all class discussion from Unit III. You must be present and remain the entire class to get credit for this exam. Unit Iii exam will be posted online by 10/9 and may be accessed at _______ (TBA)
12/17 - Research Project/Teach-in - Wednesday, December 17th from 3-4:50
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Please note the following information about HSU policies: