Fall 2002
History H106, Civil War to the Present
Tuesday,
5:45-8:25, Cavanaugh Hall, Room 217; three credits
|
Professor: Philip Scarpino Office: 503R Cavanaugh Phone: 274-5983 Email: pscarpin@iupui.edu |
Office Hours: Mon. and Wed. 1:15-2:15; Mon.,
4:00-5:00; Tues., 4:15-5;15 (once a month when I chair department meetings I
will not be available in this time slot; check Oncourse); & by appt.
History 106 is a survey of American history that
covers the period from the end of the Civil War (1865) to the present. This course critically examines the
transformation of a traditional American society into a modern American
nation. In analyzing this broad theme,
we will consider a variety of political, social, and economic topics that
address the development of the U.S. as an urban, industrial nation and as a
world power. We will focus our
attention on ordinary people, as well as on prominent leaders. At the end of this class, you should be much
better equipped to answer two basic questions for yourself: What is the meaning of America? What does it mean to be an American?
The “Principles of Undergraduate Learning” reflect
the University’s commitment to key elements of a quality education. You can find these Principles posted on the
Department of History’s Home Page: http://www.iupui.edu/~history/ . You will note that there are a number ways
in which this class embodies the educational goals and expected outcomes
articulated in the “IUPUI Principles of Undergraduate Learning”: I will emphasize the development of
analytical ability and of reading and writing skills, rather than just the
memorization of facts. Nonetheless,
there is a body of factual material that I will expect students to master. Exams will have a significant essay component. Analysis of the range of choices that
confronted people in the past and assessment of the consequences of acting on
those choices invites consideration of ethics.
The class will look at the interplay between various racial, ethnic, and
cultural groups in the context of the historical development of a modern urban/industrial nation. Over the course of the twentieth century,
Americans shaped and reshaped their surrounding environment. They did so using
available energy and technology and acting upon attitudes and values embedded
in their culture. (See also: Goals,
Expectations, and Outcomes, at the end of this syllabus.)
The following books are required for
this class:
1.
Mary Beth Norton, et al, A People and a Nation, Vol. Two,
6th edition (2001).
2.
Edward Bellamy, Looking Backward (Originally published 1888).
3.
John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath (1939).
4.
Rachel Carson, Silent Spring (1962).
Tentative Exam Schedule:
First Exam October
1 30 percent
Second Exam November
5 30 percent
Final December 10 30 percent
(5:45, CA-217)
Readings Quizzes* See reading assignments 10 percent
*I will count the two highest of
three quiz scores.
Testing procedures: About one week before each scheduled exam, I
will place four or five essay questions on the history department’s home page http://www.iupui.edu/~history/ and on Oncourse, http://www.iupui.edu/ (click on Oncourse in the upper right
corner and follow prompts). On the day
of the exam, you will be given two of these questions, and you will be required
to answer one. I will schedule extra
office hours before each test, and I invite you to take advantage of them.
Class Policies:
1. Attendance.
The university and the School of Liberal Arts now require that instructors take
attendance and that they report the names of students who stop attending class
but who have not officially withdrawn. My policy on attendance has two parts: (1)
I will take attendance; (2) I will subtract 2 points from your final grade
average for every unexcused absence over four. Excused absences require documentation.
2. Grading. I will be very reluctant to give a grade of
Incomplete (I). I will assign Incompletes
only to students who have successfully completed most of the course work
and who have been prevented by significant and unanticipated circumstances from
finishing all of their assignments. I
USE A GRADING SCALE THAT COUNTS HEAVILY FOR IMPROVEMENT.
3. Cheating
and Plagiarism. My policy on cheating and plagiarism is to assign a zero to
the work in question. For further
information, consult the IUPUI Campus Bulletin, 2002-2004: School of Liberal Arts, Indianapolis
Campus, pages 37-38; also, pages 18-22.
4. Use
of Voice Mail and Email. I have
twenty-four hour voice mail and email.
You are most welcome to use
either. Please note: If you leave a
phone message, speak slowly, provide a number where you can be reached, state
when you will be at that number, and I will try twice to return your call. Also
note: If you miss an exam or a quiz or an appointment, it
is your responsibility to contact me and reschedule. Simply leaving a message for me to get back to you does not
absolve you of that responsibility.
Goals, Expectations, and Outcomes:
Skills routinely stressed and tested
in H106 will include analytical thinking and interpretation, as opposed to
memorization and regurgitation of information.
I expect students to be able to process information from lectures,
readings, and discussions, to reason clearly, and to think logically and
critically.
Writing is the most common way that
historians and students of history communicate the results of their work. Good writing is clear and focused; it uses
examples to illustrate concepts; and it pays attention to content, as well as
grammar, spelling, syntax, and other skills stressed in the basic English
composition classes. Effective oral
communication is also an important outcome of a liberal arts education. Discussion will provide students with an
opportunity to sharpen their ability to speak clearly in front of others.
History is a study of changing human
experiences over time, and historical writing is often concerned with
process. Ask yourself: What did we start with? What happened? What did we end up with?
Historical writing should convey an understanding of process and a sense
of chronology. I will not insist on the
memorization of large numbers of dates, but I will expect that you know key
dates and the order in which things happened.
You will need to be clear about who the actors were. For example, don't write "they" or
"the people" when you mean factory workers in the late 19th
century or civil rights activists in the 1960s.
One of the really exciting things
about a class like H106 is that it can simultaneously help you to understand
the past and the present. At the same
time, because H106 covers modern
American history, it is easy to fall into the trap of judging the past against
your own values and experiences. While
we are certainly not obliged to like or admire everything that our ancestors
did, we should try to understand their actions in the context of their own
time.