SYLLABUS:
History 365
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Jacqueline M. Moore
Spring 2006
Office Hours: M&F 12-1;
Tues. 1-3 pm, & by appt.
My office is in: 121
Telephone Numbers: Office:
813-2262
(voice mail)
E-mail:
jmoore@austincollege.edu
Required
Texts
Major
Problems In American History; 1920-1945, Colin Gordon, ed.1999
Still
Missing: Amelia Earhart,
Susan Ware, 1994
A
New Deal For Blacks,
Harvard Sitkoff, 1978
The
Course Contents
This
course will examine historical views and interpretations of events in
American
history from 1919 to 1945. We will look
at social, political, economic, cultural, and diplomatic trends to
formulate a
narrative, providing insight into the New Era of the 1920s, the
Depression of
the 1930s, FDR's New Deal, and American participation in World War II. We will examine the reaction to reform, the
paradoxical rise of conservative and hedonistic values, the impact of
economic
prosperity and depression, the creation of the welfare state, the death
of the
radical movement, and the debate between isolationism and intervention
in world
affairs. We will also examine the
effects of the two decades on women and ethnic minorities
Students will take the midterm and
final exams and participate actively in class discussions. Each student
will
choose one approved topic for a 10-12 page research paper based on
primary and
secondary sources. In addition, students
will complete two 3-5 page analyses, from among Still Missing, New
Deal for Blacks, and The Roosevelt Presence. The final will
concentrate on the second half of the course but will include one
comprehensive
essay. Failure to complete any Major
assignment may result in my dropping you from the course.
If you miss more than one third of the course
you will automatically fail.
At times we will view videos in
class to further our comprehension of issues.
Students should treat these videos as alternate texts, and fair
game for
tests. In other words, take notes.
Participation
15%
Midterm
15%
Book
Analysis 1 10%
Book
Analysis 2 10%
Bibliography
5%
Research
Paper
25%
Final
Exam
20%
If
you do not attend you cannot participate and therefore will not receive
credit
toward your grade. Participation means more than just attendance,
however. If
you attend every class and pay attention the whole time (without
falling
asleep) but never say a word, take a quiz, or do a homework assignment,
you
will receive a grade of C- for your participation. If you are absent
more than
three times this grade will drop to a D+ or lower. In general, more
than three
absences may affect your grade.
It is important, therefore, that you
make an attempt to say something in class discussion, preferably
something to
do with the class. For that reason you might want to keep up with the
reading
assignments which will help you think of something to contribute. There
are no
dumb questions or answers, I'm not going to laugh at you if you get
your facts
wrong, and I will listen to every point of view with an open mind. I
expect the
same from all the members of the class.
I assign all grades on an A-F letter
basis, A being excellent, B being above average, C being average, D
below
average, and F being failure to complete assignment. I then weight each
letter
grade according to the grade distribution chart and compute the average
grade
for the semester. To get an A you will need to perform consistently
with
excellence on Major assignments and tests as well as participate
actively in
class discussions. To get a B you will have to perform consistently
above
average etc. etc.
Late Assignments and
Make-up Exams
I will not accept late homework
assignments without prior arrangement. The same applies to book
analyses. In
addition, I will lower the analysis one
grade for each day it is late unless you have a legitimate excuse. I
will
gladly accept early homework or book analyses and would be happy to
discuss
them with you.
I only give makeup exams by prior
arrangement except for extreme emergencies. If you miss an exam due to
an emergency,
it is YOUR responsibility to get in touch with me IMMEDIATELY, to
discuss the
possibility of making up the exam. I am more likely to agree to a
makeup exam
if you have been in touch with me since the day of the original exam. I
have
voice mail, email, and an answering machine so there's no excuse for
saying
that you couldn't reach me.
Academic Integrity
This
course will operate under Austin College Academic Integrity Policies.
Academic
honesty is absolutely essential. This means I will not tolerate
cheating of any
kind. I find it personally insulting, because it implies that you think
I am so
stupid that I will never catch you. WRONG. Be warned: I take immense
pleasure
in tracking down dishonest students. We will follow strictly the
guidelines printed
in the student handbook. Please read these carefully. If you do not
understand
these rules I would be happy to discuss them with you so that you do
not
accidentally break them in your own work.
Oh
yeah, and you should call your mother every Sunday, always wear clean
underwear
and don't talk with your mouth full. Got that?
COURSE GOALS
1.
Students will learn a detailed narrative of historical events in
2.
Students will learn to evaluate and distinguish primary and secondary
sources
3.
Students will practice critical analysis of secondary sources.
4.
Students will practice historical research skills.
5.
Students will refine skills in writing historical analysis.
EXPECTED STUDENT OUTCOMES
1.
Students will demonstrate a detailed knowledge of events on one midterm
and one
final exam.
2.
Students will demonstrate ability to distinguish and evaluate primary
and
secondary sources in selecting sources for a research paper.
3.
Students will demonstrate ability to critically analyze secondary
sources both
in exams and in two critical book analyses.
4.
Students will demonstrate research skills in writing a Major research
paper.
5.Students
will demonstrate analytic writing skills in two book analyses and one
research
paper, as well as on exams.
LECTURES AND
New
Era, New Deal
*Major
means Major Problems; *Still = Still Missing;
*Presence
=
Jan.
30, MON.:
Start
Still
No
Class
Feb.
1, WED.:
Major,
29-31, 36-45
Introductory
Remarks,
Reaction
to Reform
Harding
and Normalcy
6, MON.:
Major, 210-14, 219-29
1920s
Foreign Policy
8,
WED.:
Continue Still
1924
Election and Death of
Progressives
13,
MON.: Major,
117-20, 128-35
Continue
Still
Lost
Generation
15,
WED.: Major,
45-55
Gender Roles
20,
MON.:
FINISH Still
Discussion of Still Missing
22,
WED.: Major,
89-115
Coolidge
and Consumer
Society
27,
MON.: Major,
165-180
Reaction to
Hedonism
PAPER #1 DUE
Mar.
1, WED.:
No readings!
Prohibition,
Gangsters, and the
Election of 1928
6,
MON.: Major,
182-200
Causes of
Depression and
8,
WED.: MIDTERM
13,
MON.: Major,
231-301
Depression
Sets In
START NDFB
15,
WED.: BIBLIOGRAPHY DUE
First
100 Days
Continue NFDB
SPRING
BREAK BEGINS NOON FRIDAY
MARCH
17
Continue
NDFB
21,
MON.: Major,
305-10
First
New Deal
Continue
NDFB
23,
WED.: Major,
200-9, 363-68
Labor
and Radical Threats
372-73
27,
MON.: Finish NDFB,
Discussion of New
Deal for Blacks
29, WED.:
Major, 253-63, 381-89
Dust Bowl and Demagogues
Apr.
3,
MON.: Start
Presence
Second 100 Days
PAPER #2 DUE
5,
WED.: Major,
329-36
Second
New Deal
10,
MON.: Major,
378-81, 389-96
Fighting
for Reform
12,
WED.:
Continue Presence
1930s Foreign Policy
17,
MON.: RESEARCH PAPER DUE
Move to Conservatism
Continue Presence
Fascism
19, WED.:
Continue Presence
Hard Times
24, MON.:
Continue Presence
World War II abroad
26, WED.:
Finish Presence
Discussion of Presence
May
1,
MON.: Major,
417-26
World War II at home
3,
WED.:
Major, 437-50
Conclusions
PAPER
OPTION # 3 DUE
8,
MON.: Review
Day NO CLASS
FINAL EXAM IS THURSDAY FROM 12-2pm FINAL EXAM WILL CONCENTRATE ON THE LAST HALF
OF THE COURSE BUT WILL HAVE ONE COMPREHENSIVE ESSAY BASED ON THE THEMES
FROM
THE FIRST DAY OF CLASS