IUPUI
HISTORY 106
3 Credit Hours, Spring 2006
Saturdays, 9:00 a.m. to 11:40 a.m.
Cavanaugh Hall 217
Office Hours: before and after class and by appointment
E-mail: jgiesen@iupui.edu
Course Description: History 106 is a brief introduction to US history from the Civil War to the present. Through lectures, historical accounts, fiction, film, and music, we will develop an understanding of how “big” political, economic and social events changed ordinary Americans’ lives. The course will be structured around the theme of American freedom. We will examine how Americans’ concept of freedom changed over this period and how the everyday lives of Americans changed as well. By the end of the semester students will have gained not only a better understanding of the events of the American past, but more importantly they will have an understanding of how history is made and how it changes over time. This class will also work with students to develop their analytical writing and speaking skills, core components of the school’s Principles of Undergraduate Learning.
Course Requirements:
1. First and foremost you must do the assigned readings and come to class prepared not only to sit and take notes, but to engage new ideas, ask questions, argue, and agree. See attendance policy below.
2. There will be two mid-term exams and one final exam. These will constitute multiple choice questions, short answers, and essays. The final exam will have a cumulative component.
3. You will write a 3-4 page critical essay on two of the “outside” books that we will read for class. You must write about either When Did Southern Segregation Begin? or A Lynching in the Heartland, and about either The Autobiography of Malcolm X or There Are No Children Here. These papers are due on the day that we discuss the books (see schedule below). You will read all four books and be ready to discuss them in class whether you wrote a paper or not. These discussions will be a major part of your participation grade.
4. There
will be several short, unannounced quizzes throughout the semester. These may not be made-up under any
circumstances.
The grade breakdown will be as follows:
Critical Essays 15% (each)
Mid-Term I 15%
Mid-Term II 15%
Final 20%
Assorted Class Policies:
·
Students are required to attend all
classes. You will only be able to
turn-in assignments in class. In
addition to losing participation and quiz points for a day you miss, students
will be docked 5% of your overall course grade for each absence beginning with
your third. Please do not bring any
excuses, medical, family, work, or otherwise to me. If you miss more than two classes you might
consider dropping the class or taking an incomplete.
·
I will take attendance promptly at the beginning
of each class. Please make every effort
to be in the room when class starts. If
you come late, it is your responsibility to make sure I record that you are
present. Please see me at the break
period or after class to ensure that your presence is recorded.
·
Please
read your student handbook regarding academic honesty
(http://life.iupui.edu/help/docs/Part_3all.html). Plagiarism and/or cheating will not be
tolerated. If you have questions about
what constitutes plagiarism please ask the instructor.
· Please bring all reading assignments with you to class on the days they have been assigned.
·
I
reserve the right to make changes to these requirements, the grade
breakdown, and the course schedule if needed.
Required Books:
John David Smith, ed., When Did Southern Segregation Begin?
(New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2001)
James H. Madison, A Lynching in the Heartland: Race and Memory in America (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2001)
Malcolm X, The
Autobiography of Malcolm X (any
edition)
Alex Kotlowitz, There Are No Children Here: The Story of Two
Boys Growing Up in The Other America (any edition)
Course
Calendar:
Please
note that all reading and written assignments should be completed prior to
class on the date listed below.
January 14: Introduction & Reconstruction: The Unfinished Revolution.
January 21:
The New South? Discovering the
West? Race and Regions, 1880-1910
Reading: Tindall & Shi, Chapters 18 & 19
January 28: The Dawn of the Industrial Age. 1880-1914
Reading: John David Smith, ed., When Did Southern Segregation Begin? DUE: Smith Papers
February 4: Populism & Progressivism
Reading: Tindall & Shi, Chapters 20-22
February 11: Imperialism & War
Reading: Tindall & Shi, Chapters 23-25
February 18: EXAM & The Roaring Twenties
February 25: The Depression and a New Deal for America
Reading: Madison, A Lynching in the Heartland; Tindall
& Shi, Chapters 26-28. DUE:
Madison Papers
March 4: World War II & the Emergence of Cold War
Reading: Tindall & Shi, Chapters 29-31.
March 11: Prosperity at Home: A Middle-Class Life in the Suburbs
Reading: Tindall & Shi, Chapters 32-33
March 25: EXAM & Civil Rights, part I
April 1: NO CLASS
April 8: The Civil Rights Movement, part II
Reading: Malcolm X, The
Autobiography of Malcolm X; Tindall & Shi, Chapter 34. DUE:
Malcolm X Papers
April 15: The Longest War and Reaction at Home
Reading: Tindall & Shi, Chapter 35.
April 22: The End of Prosperity and the Rise of the Right, 1970-1988
Reading: There Are No Children Here; Tindall & Shi, Chapter 36
DUE: Kotlowitz Papers
April 29: The US in a Global Perspective: 9-11 and Beyond.
Reading: Tindall & Shi, Chapter 37
May 6: FINAL EXAM (regular classroom, regular time). NOTE: Due to the Indy mini-marathon there is a traffic alert for this morning. Please allow yourself extra travel time. Students late to the exam will not be allowed any extra time to take the test.