COURSE SYLLABUS
UNITED STATES HISTORY
HIST
1302.19
(CRN
22160)
SPRING
2012
Thomas Hart Benton, “City Activities,”
1930
ONLINE
(3
credit hours)
As a required
course, there is no prerequisite for HIST 1302 beyond the university’s approval
Professor: Ty Cashion (Ph.D., TCU, 1993)
Office,
AB4 463
Office Hours: 11:00am-12:30pm Tuesday & Thursday (anytime by
appointment)
Because this is an online
class, we will likely conduct all of our business in cyberspace. Nevertheless, I am always happy to
meet with online students in person and will try to be available as my schedule
allows. Please know, however, that other
duties and appointments may occasionally take me away from the office during
the posted times. Therefore, you would be
wise to make arrangements; otherwise, feel free to drop by anytime.
Know, too, that I check my email account regularly and answer all
student correspondence with a valid university-issued address.
Contact
Information
his_rtc@shsu.edu Office phone,
936-294-3835 History Department
phone, 936-294-1475
◊◊◊ If
you call and fail to reach me by phone, please send me an email—do not leave a
voice message ◊◊◊
Re,
email correspondence
Some days I receive more email
messages than I am able to read, but those that I can tell are student-related
will always get first priority. Use your
university-issued email address exclusively for all electronic correspondence
between us. Instructions for contacting me by email: 1) open SHSUonline; 2) go
to “My Classes”: 3) click on the link for this course; 4) open the menu bar and
select “email”; 5) do not type anything in the subject line [the SHSUonline
default will alert me that I have a message from a student in this class; if it
asks you whether you want to send the message without entering anything in the
subject line, select “yes”] 6) select “send.”
Note: Be aware that there will be times when I need to send information
to the entire class via SHSUonline.
Unless you are in the habit of communicating through your
university-issued address, you will find yourself out of the loop. It is incumbent upon you to check your email
and make sure that you remain well informed.
Feel free to call my office as well, but do not expect me to respond to
voice messages—I don’t play phone tag.
If you get no response, please email me.
If you have an emergency, please call our department office; the number
is 936-294-1475.
One last note…never use
the “digital drop box!
A Note of fair
Warning!!!
Everyone needs to view
this link and this link
Text/Reader
Textbook: Goldfield,
et al., The American Journey: A
History of the United States, 6th ed., Volume 2
Please
understand that without this book, you will be unable to pass the course. It is incumbent upon each student to obtain
course materials at the beginning of the semester. Please notify me immediately if you are
unable to obtain them.
SHSU Barnes & Noble
campus bookstore: http://shsu.bkstore.com/
Reader: we will not use a formal course reader;
instead, web readings and video will be assigned
Course Objectives
Ø Objective 1: Students will gain a factual
knowledge of American history from Reconstruction through the modern age
Ø Objective
2: Students will develop a clearer understanding of, and commitment to,
personal values
Course Description &
and Instructional Method
This
course will cover the period of United States history beginning with
Reconstruction and ending with the modern age.
The instructional method for this class will involve 1) textbook
readings, and 2) virtual assignments and 3) lectures. The sweep of American history is very
broad. Even when divided into two
semesters, it will go by with breathtaking swiftness. You do not want to fall behind!
1) Textbook Readings. Rather than providing you with a list of
identification terms, let me make available something more direct and
helpful. For each chapter in the
textbook, you will find a corresponding bank of multiple-choice and true-false
questions located in on SHSUonline. These represent your “reading check.” I will draw from this test bank when I
construct your exams. Important
note: I will not expect you to prepare answers for
any essay questions that might be
included in the test bank.
2) Virtual Assignments. It may surprise some of you to learn that
there is a wealth of history-related clips and readings floating around on the
internet that are either thought-provoking, or just plain fun to
see/read/listen to. It would be a bummer
to spoil the moment by making you memorize everything you’re experiencing. So, in that regard…Important
note: Any exam questions related to the virtual assignments will be
designed simply to make sure you saw/read/listened to them. Ergo—if you pay attention, you should get most
of them right. (An example… In one clip, Charlie Chaplin unknowingly
sprinkles cocaine on his cereal, thinking it’s sugar. If I ask you how he reacts, and you have
watched the film clip, I’m pretty sure you’ll get that one correct! The main purpose of these virtual assignments
is to help you cultivate an appreciation and fondness for history.)
3) Lectures. Unless otherwise noted, the lectures
presented to you will be podcasts from previous classes. Important note: disregard any references to information
that might obligate you to do something.
Obviously, if the lectures are podcasts from previous semesters, any
such information was directed to students taking the class at that time. The lectures will either be supplemental, or
will place emphasis on particular themes, rather than trying to cover the
chapter material comprehensively. These
lectures will address topics that have transformed the values, institutions,
and material fortunes in American life.
This also means that you will be responsible for the burden of reading
the material not covered in lectures. Important
note: Key terms from these lectures will be available on an outline,
accessible through your “Weekly Reading & Assignments” page (see link
below). You will be responsible for knowing
these key terms for the exams.
Examinations & Grading
My philosophy regarding exams has
changed in recent years, because of the way most of you youngsters have adapted
to technology, and the tendency of so many in this generation to wait until the
last minute to prepare. For these
reasons I will post exams almost weekly, rather than hold you responsible for
three or four large blocks of information.
Preparing for exams in this manner will compel you to develop timely
study habits, and the information will be fresh. Moreover, if you grow accustomed to this
routine, it will help you “develop a clearer understanding of, and commitment to,
personal values”—one of your two course objectives!
Weekly examinations covering the
textbook, lectures, and virtual assignments will be administered via SHSUonline. The course grade will be
calculated on an averaged 100-point scale.
For a detailed explanation, see the “Weekly Reading & Assignments”
page (link below).
IMPORTANT LINKS (Caution: you need to open each link
below and read every word! Failure to do
so will likely result in failure!)
Ø Weekly Reading and Assignments Schedule HERE 
Ø University
Policies HERE
Important
Admonition
I bet every one of your
mommas made sure you got yourself a “swimming buddy” before they allowed you to
head for the creek. A good one could save
your life in case you started to go under.
Taking college courses is much the same.
You’d be wise to team up with one or two folks whom you would trust to
take notes for you when you miss class, help you prepare for exams, and to give
you assurance when you are not quite certain about what’s going on. Otherwise, you’re on your own…