NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COLLEGE COURSE SYLLABUS

 

Course Title:	US History I-US History to 1865
Course Prefix & Number:		1301	Section Number:	845	Semester	Fall 2019
Semester Credit Hours:		3	Lecture Hours:	3	Lab Hours:	0
Course Description (NCTC Catalog): A survey of the social, political, economic, cultural, and intellectual history of the United States from the pre-Columbian era to the Civil War/Reconstruction period. United States History I includes the study of pre-Columbian, colonial, revolutionary, early national, slavery and sectionalism, and the Civil War/Reconstruction eras. Themes that may be addressed in United States History I include: American settlement and diversity, American culture, religion, civil and human rights, technological change, economic change, immigration and migration, and creation of the federal government.
Course Prerequisite(s): none
Required Course Materials: Brinkley, Alan. The Unfinished Nation: A Concise History of the American People.  9th edition.  2019. McGraw-Hill. ISBN 978-1264031924 The web-based material is unique to NCTC.  You must purchase it from the NCTC bookstore or directly through your Canvas course.

 

INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION

Name of Instructor:	Robert Vigus, MA, MS
Campus/Office Location:	Aubrey High School
Days/Times	Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 10:41 am to 11:29 am
E-mail Address:	rvigus@nctc.edu

 

OFFICE HOURS

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
10:00am-10:41am		10:00am-10:41am		10:00am-10:41am
3:00 – 4:30pm via email		3:00 – 4:30pm via email
By appointment as well.

 

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES (From Academic Course Guide Manual/Workforce Education Course Manual/NCTC Catalog

At the successful completion of this course the student will be able to:
	Create an argument through the use of historical evidence.
	Analyze and interpret primary and secondary sources.
	Analyze the effects of historical, social, political, economic, cultural, and global forces on this period of United States history.

 

 

GRADING CRITERIA

# of Graded Course Elements	Graded Course Elements	Percentage or Point Values
2	Exams	60% or 300 points
10	Reading Quizzes	14% or 70 points
1	Movie Review Paper	25% or 125 points
1	Syllabus/Plagiarism Quiz	1% or 5 pts

 

Grading Scale: A= 500-450 points; B=449-400; C=399-350; D=349-300; F>299 points

 

COURSE SUBJECT OUTLINE (Major Assignments, Due Dates, and Grading Criteria)

 

Exams: The two exams will be will consist of Multiple Choice, Fill in the Blank, Matching, Short Answer, and Essay questions. No makeup exams are allowed unless the absence is due to a school approved excuse with documentation. There will be no re-taking of exams. Both exams are worth 150 points

 

Syllabus/Plagiarism Quiz: At the end of the first week, there will be a quiz about plagiarism and the syllabus to check for reading and understanding. This will be worth 5 points.

 

Quiz: There will be 10 quizzes based upon the required readings worth 7 points each.

 

Movie Review Paper: You will write a 3-5 page paper critiquing a historical movie for historical accuracy covering the time period covered in class (10,000 BCE to 1865 CE). The paper should include at least one primary source and one reputable secondary source. Parameters will be: 12-point Times New Roman Font, 1 inch margin, Double spaced (Yes, this is important!). References should follow the Chicago Manual of Style 16^th (or 17^th) edition. For more information regarding the Chicago Manual of Style, see the Chicago Manual of Style at the Library or, more easily, consult Purdue Owl (https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/chicago_manual_17th_edition/cmos_formatting_and_style_guide/chicago_manual_of_style_17th_edition.html).

 

Papers will be turned in online using Vericite.

 

This paper will be due in multiple parts. The first part will be selecting the movie. The second part will be an annotated bibliography. This means that you will have to have reviewed and analyzed sources before this time period and write something on them. Again, you need one primary source and one secondary source (e.g. peer reviewed journal article, reputable website (e.g. History.com or New York Times), biography). The annotated bibliography will include the proper citation for the item and a brief description regarding the source as well as how you will use the source in the paper. The third part will be the paper itself with analysis of the film. Do not spend the bulk of the paper summarizing the film. Assume I have seen the film (because I have) and analyze it historically.

 

You should consider the following questions when reviewing the movie:

1. What inaccuracies did the film have when compared to the material in our course?
2. Did you learn anything new from the movie?
3. Were there any obvious values or opinions being presented by the director in the way they depicted the main theme of the film or the way they portrayed the heroes and villains of the story?
4. How did the film help broaden your understanding of this event or person in relation to reading about the same topic in the textbook?
5. Did the film have an impact on society’s perspective of the event and people involved when it was released? Did the film change your perspective about the people or event?

 

List of films from which to choose (other films will be considered on a case-by-case basis). Only two people can do the same movie on an in class sign-up sheet:

1492: Conquest of Paradise, Paramount, 1992 release	Revolution, Viking Films, 1985 release	Lincoln, Walt Disney Studios, 2012 release
The Other Conquest (La Otra Conquista), 20th Century Fox, 1999 release	The Alamo, Touchstone Pictures, 2004; United Artists, 1960	Little Big Man, Cinema Center, 1970 release
Benedict Arnold: A Question of Honor, A & E, 2003	Amistad, DreamWorks, 1997 release	Daniel Boone, RKO Pictures, 1936
The Crucible, 20th Century Fox, 1996 release	12 Years a Slave, Fox Searchlight, 2013 release	Squanto: A Warrior’s Tale, Walt Disney Pictures, 1994
Last of the Mohicans, 20th Century Fox, 1992 release	Gangs of New York, Miramax, 2002 release	April Morning, Hallmark, 1988
The Plymouth Adventure, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1952 release	Gettysburg, New Line Cinema, 1993 release	Drums Along the Mohawk, 20th Century Fox, 1939
The Patriot, Columbia Pictures, 2000	Glory, Tristar Pictures, 1989 release	The Buccaneer, Paramount Pictures, 1958
The Crossing, Columbia/TriStar, 2000

 

Schedule (Subject to Change):

 

Week	Date	Reading To do	Assignment Due
1	26-Aug	Syllabus & Chapter 1
	28-Aug
	30-Aug		Syllabus Quiz
2	2-Sep	Chapter 2
	4-Sep
	6-Sep		Quiz #1
3	9-Sep	Chapter 3
	11-Sep
	13-Sep		Movie Review Selection Due
4	16-Sep	Chapter 4
	18-Sep
	20-Sep		Quiz #2
5	23-Sep	Chapter 5
	25-Sep		Quiz #3
	27-Sep		Annotated Bibliography Due
6	30-Sep	Chapter 6
	2-Oct
	4-Oct		Quiz #4
7	7-Oct	Chapter 7
	9-Oct
	11-Oct
8	14-Oct	Chapter 8
	16-Oct		Quiz #5
	18-Oct		Exam #1 Due
9	21-Oct	Chapter 9
	23-Oct
	25-Oct		Quiz #6
10	28-Oct	Chapter 10
	30-Oct
	1-Nov		Movie Review Paper Due
11	4-Nov	Chapter 11
	6-Nov
	8-Nov		Quiz #7
12	11-Nov	Chapter 12
	13-Nov
	15-Nov		Quiz #8
13	18-Nov	Chapter 13
	20-Nov
	22-Nov		Quiz #9
14	25-Nov	Chapter 14	No Class
	27-Nov		No Class
	29-Nov		No Class
15	2-Dec	Skim it all again!
	4-Dec
	6-Dec		Quiz #10
16	9-Dec	Skim it all again!
	11-Dec
	13-Dec		Final Exam Due

Regular and punctual attendance is expected of all students in all classes for which they have registered.  All absences are considered to be unauthorized unless the student is absent due to illness or emergencies as determined by the instructor.  It is the student responsibility to provide documentation as to the emergency for approval and judgement by the faculty member.  Approved college sponsored activities are the only absences for which a student should not be held liable and only when provided by a college official ahead of the absence.  Valid reasons for absence, however, do not relieve the student of the responsibility for making up required work.  Students will not be allowed to make up an examination missed due to absence unless they have reasons acceptable to the instructor.  A student who is compelled to be absent when a test is given should petition the instructor, in advance if possible, for permission to postpone the exam.  Student will be dropped from a class by the Registrar upon recommendation of the instructor who feels the student has been justifiably absent or tardy a sufficient number of times to preclude meeting the course’s objectives.    Persistent, unjustified absences from classes or laboratories will be considered sufficient cause for College officials to drop a student from the rolls of the College.

Additional Instructor-specific Absence Policy:

Last day to withdraw from a course with a “W” is _______1 November, 2019________.

The Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) provides support services for students with disabilities, students enrolled in technical areas of study, and students who are classified as special populations (i.e. single parents).

Support services for students with disabilities might include appropriate and reasonable accommodations, or they may be in the form of personal counseling, academic counseling, career counseling, etc.  Furthermore, OSD Counselors work with students to encourage self-advocacy and promote empowerment. The Counselors also provides resource information, disability-related information, and adaptive technology for students who qualify.

For support, please contact the counselors at (940) 498-6207 or (940) 668-4321.  Alternatively, students may stop by Room 170 in Corinth or Room 110 in Gainesville.

Class Behavior

NCTC reserves the right to take disciplinary measures appropriate to any violation and in keeping with its own best interest and the interest of other students.

Disruptive behavior which interferes with the learning environment is prohibited and may result in the student being dropped from the class. Disruptive behavior includes habitual tardiness, conducting non-subject related personal conversations in class, inappropriate use of electronic devices, frequently leaving the room during class or leaving before class is dismissed.

• Silence MOBILE PHONES in class completely, including vibrate. Do not talk, text, or use any mobile phone services and applications during class without instructor clearance.
• Use of electronic devices to access social media and other non-course content during class is distracting to other students and the instructor. It is forbidden. Use computers for class-related purposes only. Absolutely NO headphones/earbuds in class. Violators may be instructed to turn off their computer or to leave the classroom.
• Take notes during lectures, discussions, and media presentations. Ask questions! Do not carry on unrelated conversations with the person next to or near you during lectures or other class presentations.
• Be on time. If you must come late or leave early, be discreet.
• Assignments will be clear and available in a timely manner.
• Exams will be graded as promptly and accurately as possible.
• If you have concerns about the course, or your work in it, do not wait until it is too late. Please contact me by email or during class to discuss them. Privacy laws limit the distribution of grade information via email.

 

CORE CURRICULUM FOUNDATIONAL COMPONENT AREA (For classes in the Core)___________    

o        Communication

o        Mathematics             

o        Life and Physical Science

o        Language, Philosophy & Culture

o        Creative Arts

 

o        Government/Political Science

o        Social and Behavioral Sciences

o        Component Area Option

X         History

 

X         Critical Thinking

X         Communication

o         Empirical and Quantitative

 

o        Teamwork

X         Personal Responsibility

X         Social Responsibility

COURSE TYPE

 

 

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