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guide
History is an attempt to understand the
stories of the past. We
must not ignore dates and facts, but interpretations define
the way we view the world around us.
Course
Information:
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Course: |
Early
American History |
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Section: |
Hist 121.005 |
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Semester: |
Fall 2017 |
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Date/Time: |
Mon./Wed. 11:00-12:15 pm |
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Location: |
LC
315 |
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Name: |
John
(Kinch) Kincheloe |
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What is this
Course? |
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Email: |
jkincheloe@nvcc.edu
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What do I
need to do? |
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Phone |
(703)948-7571 |
How do I
do assignments? |
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Office
Location: |
HEC 316-A |
What
are the course rules? |
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Website: |
-The history of
early America is the history of the search for an American Identity. The greatest strength
of the United States exists in the source of its greatest
conflict: diversity.
Economic growth and territorial expansion brought about
both interaction and struggle throughout North American. Americans developed
from a diverse populace, and those who came to form the United
States in the nineteenth century were a product of the
interaction of these various groups.
-My goal is to
complicate, not simplify, your understanding of how the United
States of America came to exist.
The United States was not always a secure entity. In fact, the majority
of its history is the story of experimentation and failure. We will look closely
at the themes of cultural
interaction, economic motivation, and the expansion ethic.
By the end of
the semester you should:
-Be able to
explain what constitutes an American, and how that conception
developed from both positive and negative consequences.
-Be able to
devise original arguments about historical trends and events
and prove them using both primary and secondary information.
Course
Description
This
course surveys the general history of the United States to
1865 and allows students to reach a basic understanding of the
characteristic features of the United States’ early historical
development. Students will learn about some of the important
political, economic, social, intellectual, cultural and
religious changes that shaped the development of the United
States from earliest times.
Course
Objectives
Upon
completion the course, the student will be able to:
-Establish
a chronology of historical events in American History before
1865.
-Explain
the changing geo-political structures of the United States up
until 1865.
-Define
the importance of key individuals and developments in American
history before 1865.
-Identify
the social, economic and political forces at work in the
evolution of early American history.
-Recognize
and describe the significance of some of the cultural
achievements of early American history.
-Analyze complex
historical sources and materials and reach conclusions based
on interpretations.
There are no
pre-requisites, but this is a writing intensive course so an
introductory English course is highly recommended.
-Textbook=
-Give me Liberty,
(seagull ed.) Eric Foner
-Additional
books =
-A Short
account of the Destruction of the Indies, Las
Casas
-Autobiography of Benjamin
Franklin
-Walden, Thoreau
-Additional online
materials will be made available via the Course Schedule
All assignments are graded on a 100 point scale and
averaged accordingly to the percentages listed below.
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Assessment |
Percentage |
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Group Work (video/dis. lead) |
15 |
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Discussion Chapter
posts |
5 |
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In class Participation |
20 |
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2 – 3 page essays |
30 |
Grading Scale |
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Midterm Exam |
10 |
A |
90-100 |
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Final Exam |
20 |
B |
80-89 |
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C |
70-79 |
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D |
60-69 |
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F |
59 and below |
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o
Group Work
§ You
will
be assigned a group that you will work with throughout the
semester.
·Your group will have its own discussion
board and collaboration on BB beginning in week 2 of the
semester.
*Video Group
Research Presentations --Click Here for
detailed instructions.
· Your group will produce a publicly posted
five minute research presentation to be shown in class.
*Discussion lead --Click Here for detailed instructions.
·Your
group will
present on and lead a class discussion of the primary sources
assigned for your week.
o
Discussion
chapter posts
§ Each post should not exceed 140 characters and is due before the start of the first class of the week in which the corresponding chapter is assigned to be read.
o
Participation
§ Based
on
in class attendance and active engagement in daily
discussions.
o
2- 3pg. argumentative essays
§ Utilizing
readings
from primary sources, and the textbook.
§ (All
papers
should be submitted via attachment on blackboard before
class of the assigned due date.)
o
Midterm
Exam
§ Consists of
four parts: Map,
Chronology/timeline, Significance Identifications, Short
response.
o Final
Cumulative
Exam (2 parts)
§ Exam
on
second half of course. (same model as midterm)
§ 1
Cumulative essay -3 pg typed essay question (on syllabus)
Final Cumulative Exam Question
The formation of an
American identity was a long and complicated process. What is an
American? When
did such an identity form and how did it evolve over time?
(Evidence and
Information must be used from across the breath of the semester
and 3 different primary documents to prove your Argument.)
Extra
Credit
Assignments (due by the end of Week 13) =
-Digital
History
Project- http://www.nvcc.edu/home/jkincheloe/extracredit.html
Take
a look and talk to Kinch if you are interested.
This is a paperless course.
- All additional readings,
assignments, submissions, and course materials are on
Blackboard.
-All primary source readings are
online and accessible through links in the BB “Course
Schedule.”
-You will need to check Blackboard
acct. weekly for readings and assignments.
Formatting:
All Papers should be double
spaced, using 12 point Calibri font and one inch margins.
All papers must be word processed and submitted through
Blackboard as “doc,” “docx,” or “rtf.”
E-mail submissions will not be accepted.
Style and Grammar:
You must present your arguments in clear, concise, and
grammatically correct English. Make sure to proofread and
use spell-check. For information on writing papers for this
class, make sure to read Kinch’s writing guide (under course
documents on BB.) You also might want to consult the
following handy websites:
o NVCC
Loudoun's
Writing Center
o Charlie
Evans’
History Writing Center
Citations:
You
MUST include a formal citation any time you refer to a specific
passage in a text, even if you do not quote the text
directly. The required method for citing sources in this
class is Chicago Style
formatting for footnote citations.
According to this format, you “Insert Footnote” (under
references) and enter the citation information as laid out in
this link.
Late Assignments
-Late essays and Hybrid activities will be accepted
after the due date and time for half credit, as long as they are
submitted before the final class period of the term.
-Discussion, Quizzes, Participation, and Presentation
assignments will only be accepted before the due date and time.
-All assignments should be stored on a cloud server and
submitted online. Excuses
such as “my dog ate my homework” and “my computer crashed” are
no longer valid.
For exam sessions, make-ups will not be given other than
in the case of a genuine emergency with appropriate
documentation (ie, emergency room documents, court summons,
etc.) Missing class due to "not feeling well," not being
able to get a ride, having to work, and the like are not genuine
emergencies.
Attendance Policy:
Absences, Late arrival, and leaving early will affect
a student’s grade due to the student not being able to
participate in class/group discussions. Students missing more
than thirty percent of the scheduled classes without an excused
absence from the professor will receive ZERO points for the
class participation grade. Class absence does not excuse a
student from meeting assignment due dates
Academic Dishonesty will not be tolerated.
Students involved in cheating will receive a grade of
“0” on the activity during which cheating occurred and
particularly flagrant or obviously intentional instances of
cheating or plagiarism will result in a grade of "F" for the
course. In
addition the student will be reported to the Dean of
Students for further disciplinary action.
**Please read the section titled Student Conduct, Rights,
and Responsibilities: F.
Academic Dishonesty in the Student
Handbook.
Academic
dishonesty, as a general rule, involves one of the following
acts:
1.
Cheating on an
examination or quiz; including the giving, receiving, or
soliciting of information and the unauthorized use of notes or
other materials.
2.
Substituting for another
person during an examination or allowing such substitution for
one’s self.
3.
Plagiarism - This
is the act of appropriating passages from the work of another
individual, either word for word or in substance, and
representing them as one’s own work. This includes any
submission of written work other than one’s own.
-Please note that even copying a
sentence or two from another source without citing it is enough
to trigger a plagiarism penalty. Likewise, changing a word
here or there from content which you copy is plagiarism.
Your work should be entirely in your own words except
for the passages which you quote and appropriately cite. All of
your papers for the class will be checked for plagiarism by
SafeAssign software.
4.
Collusion with another
person in the preparation or editing of assignments submitted
for credit, unless such collaboration has been approved in
advance by the instructor.
5.
Knowingly furnishing
false information to the College; forgery and alteration or use
of College documents or instruments of identification with the
intent to defraud.
Be aware of
the following:
-
Internet-enabled devices, dictionaries and/or calculators are
prohibited during testing.
- If you need
to leave the room during testing, for whatever reason, your
test will be collected immediately for grading without any
additional time for more work on the test or quiz.
The primary means
of communication outside the classroom between the Instructor
and the student is via Blackboard Announcements and e-mail.
Students should check Blackboard and their e-mail daily for
any Instructor communications. Failure on the part of the
student to check Blackboard and e-mail on a regular basis is
not an excuse for missed /late assignments or exams. The Instructor
turn-around time to respond to e-mails is 24-to-48 hours
Monday through Friday.
Instructors receive a significant number
of e-mails from students over the course of the semester. To
specifically identify the course in which the student is
enrolled, all e-mail from the student must include
the course and section
number (e.g., ACC211-000) in the Subject of the
e-mail.
I will email you at the email address on
my class list which is your VCCS email address. If you do not
check this address frequently, I would recommend you set it up
for automatic forwarding to an email address you do check more
frequently. When emailing the instructor, always send email
from your VCCS email address.
Please be considerate. Disruptive
behavior, on the ground and online, will not be
tolerated. Private conversations during lecture or class
discussions, ringing mobile phones, texting, sleeping, or
walking into class late or out of class early all distract and
disturb your instructor and your classmates, and will count
against your participation grade. Repeated instances of
rude behavior will result your removal from the
classroom. If you have a question or a comment on
the course material, please raise your hand and share it with
the class.
All students are considered adults and
will conduct themselves in a professional manner at all times.
Please read the section titled Student Conduct,
Rights, and Responsibilities: B. Student
Conduct in the Student Handbook.
"Netiquette" is an
abbreviation for "Internet etiquette" – simply, basic rules of
the road for the "Information Superhighway." Online learning
involves much communication using email, bulletin boards,
chats and other methods.
Anonymity – While anonymity is often, and
justifiably, desired in many Internet communications,
maintaining your identity is essential in an online course. If
at any time you have concerns about your privacy in an online
course, please let your instructor know. Make sure you include
your name on all your emails as some messaging systems will
not include this and many email addresses do not indicate the
name of the sender.
Brevity – Very few people want to read long
messages. Other than for special situations, try to keep most
of your communications brief and to the point. Others will
thank you, and you'll be equally grateful to everyone else.
Communication – Use the Subject Line. Make your
entry in the Subject Line concise and informative. Focus on
one subject per message and always include a pertinent subject
title for the message; that way the user can locate the
message quickly. Include your name at the bottom of email
messages. Be careful when using sarcasm and humor. Without
face to face communications, your joke may be viewed as
criticism.
Inappropriate material – Suggestive or pornographic content
or links do not belong in online courses, nor does anything
promoting hatred or discrimination.
Large files – Avoid sending unnecessarily large
files and attachments. Many of those cute screen savers and
computer games circulated via email place a heavy load on
email systems and create large downloads, particularly for
those who are on slower modems or using older computers. They
often may also carry malicious content such as viruses.
Privacy – It is simple to forward a message
you have received from someone else. However, unless it is
clear you have their permission to do so, check first. This is
particularly important when you post a private message sent to
you from someone else to a public bulletin board or email
list.
Readability – Try to format your messages with
lots of breaks and headings. One long paragraph that fills
some else's full screen with no breaks will very likely not be
read. Watch for errors: a careful read as well as a
spell-check will solve most problems--lots of mistakes are
extremely annoying.
Shouting – What is shouting? THIS IS: TYPING A
MESSAGE IN CAPITAL LETTERS IS TYPICALLY UNDERSTOOD AS THE
EQUIVALENT OF SHOUTING AT SOMEONE. It is perceived as rude and
will usually result in a request by others to "Stop yelling"
or worse, a "flame"--a flurry of angry responses that will
bombard your email inbox.
Adapted from http://www.jibc.bc.ca/onlineLearning/online/online/net.htm.
The IT Help Desk provides
first-level technical support to all faculty, staff and
students of Northern Virginia Community College. Additional
details and resources are located at http://www.nvcc.edu/ithd/.
|
Monday
- Friday: |
8:00
a.m. to 9:00 p.m. |
|
Saturday: |
8:00
a.m. to 5:00 p.m. |
|
Phone:
|
703-426-4141 |
|
Email: |
Anyone observing an
emergency situation should contact the Campus Police Office or
the dean of students.
|
Campus
Police: |
703-450-2540 |
|
Dean of
Students: |
703-450-2512 |
The College is committed
to the goal of providing each qualified student an equal
opportunity to pursue a college education regardless of
disability. Efforts will be made toward meeting reasonable
requests for services to students with disabilities eligible
under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Please read the section
titled Disability Services for
Students in the Student Handbook.
Students requiring
special needs in accordance with the American’s With
Disabilities Act must provide to the professor the NOVA Accommodation
Form. Every effort will be made to meet student’s
special needs when the student makes those needs known
appropriately. It is the student’s responsibility, not a
counselor’s, to present the NOVA Accommodation Form
to the professor. Accommodations will
begin as soon as the form is received and are not
retroactive.
Please visit the Disability
Support
Service (DSS), Disability
Documentation
Guidelines, and Students
with
Disabilities Intake Packet NOVA website pages for
additional details and list of Disability Counselors by
Campus.
Northern Virginia
Community College, Disability Services http://www.nvcc.edu/current-students/disability-services/
-Accommodation forms should be
given to the instructor no fewer than 7 days before the date
the assignment or exam requiring the accommodation is due,
and preferably at the very beginning of the semester.
All classrooms have an
evacuation plan and directions (showing the route to the
nearest building exit) posted next to the light switch by the
doorway of each room. When the fire alarm sounds, immediately
evacuate the classroom or lab with all of your belongings in
accordance with the Evacuation Plan. Do not take the elevator.
Do not activate cell phones or radios and please help assist
the disabled.
You may find out whether
the college is closed by checking the web site, the TV or
radio news, or by signing up for text message announcements.
Please visit https://www.nvcc.edu/emergency/closing/index.html
for detailed information. Individuals may also call the
College Call Center at 703–323–3000, NOVAConnect Phone at
703–323–3770, or in Prince William County 703–330–3770. Do not
call individual offices.
If weather conditions
cause the College to close, all NOVA campuses and off-campus
locations are closed.
In the event
of a College-wide emergency, course requirements, classes,
deadlines, and grading schemes are subject to changes that may
include alternate delivery methods, alternate methods of
interaction with the instructor, class materials, and/or
classmates, a revised attendance policy, and a revised
semester calendar and/or grading scheme.
=Normal Class
cancelation due to weather will not affect the course
schedule – You are responsible for all readings and
assignments regardless of whether we have class on not.
Nova
Emergency Alert Registration: https://alert.nvcc.edu
In event
of an emergency just regarding this class, check
Blackboard for announcements regarding course
progress/assignments.
------Note: The
instructor
has the right to alter or change the course and course
schedule at any time as he deems appropriate.-------
contact: jkincheloe@nvcc.edu