History 202: U.S. History II (Survey, 1877-Present)

The Lower East Side of New York City c. 1900.

Colorado State University -Pueblo, Fall 2010, Section 2, MWF 1-1:50PM.

Professor Jonathan Rees
Office: Psychology 118
Office Phone: 549-2541
Office Hours: MWF 2-3PM, T 4:30-5:30PM, Th 1-2PM.
E-Mail: Jonathan [dot] Rees [at] colostate-pueblo [dot] edu

Don't look for this or anything connected to this course on Blackboard as I don't use that program.  All the information you will need for this class is on the World Wide Web linked from this syllabus.  This syllabus will evolve over the course of the semester, so you may wish to bookmark this page in order to come back for new links and updates.

Objectives

This course will introduce students to American history from 1877 to the present.  It will explore aspects of political, social, economic and cultural history.  By the end of the semester you should:

• Acquire a basic knowledge of American history during this period so as to gain a deeper understanding of this country's past and present.

• Develop the ability to think critically and construct your own historical arguments.

• Be prepared for the possibility of taking further history courses.

Logistics

Turn off and put away your cell phones before class begins.  If I see you typing into a cell phone on your lap or even if it is sitting on the table in front of you, I will stop the lecture and ask you to put it away.  After that, I will ask you to leave.  Those absences will count against you with respect to the attendance policy outlined below. 

Also in the interests of courtesy, keep your headphones out of your ear during class time.  I will follow the same procedures as outlined above with respect to cell phones. The taping of class lectures/discussions or the taking of notes on a laptop computer is not permitted unless you have my explicit permission. 

Along the same lines, here are some sentiments from Professor Heather Cox Richardson of the University of Massachusetts which I endorse:

"Please remember that your professors are human and it’s hard work to stand in front of a hundred pairs of eyes and talk for an hour. In the last decade, students seem more and more to regard us as if we’re behind a screen, and seem to think they can talk, read, sleep, or just stare at us glassy-eyed without it having any effect on our performance. This is a shared enterprise. It’s hard to lecture to an apparently disinterested sea of eyes. If you don’t think a lecture hall is intimidating, take a minute after class some day to stand behind the podium and look at all those seats. Then imagine holding the attention of everyone in those seats for an hour, two days a week. Wouldn’t it be easier if the people there seemed interested? You don’t have to act like you’re watching U2, but do try to make it clear your heart hasn’t actually stopped beating."

In order to facilitate communication between you and I, having an e-mail is a requirement of this course.  I will be collecting e-mails from you on the second session of the course.  You will want to give me an address that you check fairly frequently because I will use it if I need to get a hold of you for course-related business.  All correspondence with me should go through the university e-mail listed above.  All assignments (including draft papers, but excluding final papers) should be sent to reesassignments@gmail.com.  Your final paper should be handed to me in paper format in class on the day it is due.

This University abides by the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which stipulates that no student shall be denied the benefits of an education "solely by reason of a handicap."  If you have a documented disability that may impact your work in this class and for which you may require accommodations, please see the Disability Resource Coordinator as soon as possible to arrange accommodations.  In order to receive accommodations, you must be registered with and provide documentation of your disability to:  the Disability Resource Office, which is located in the Psychology Building, Suite 232.

Required Reading

Lewis, Michael.  Liar's Poker.

Rosenzweig, Roy, et. al., Who Built America?, Volume Two, Third Edition.

Rauchway, Eric.  The Great Depression & the New Deal: A Very Short Introduction.

Watson, Bruce.  Bread & Roses: Mills, Migrants and the Struggle for the American Dream.

Assignments and Grades

Your grade will be based on four out of five quizzes (25%), a midterm (20%), a paper (20%), two out of three reading tests on the books your paper is based upon (5% each) and a final exam (25%).  Completing all of the assignments for the class is a requirement for passing the class.  Failure to complete any of the above assignments will result in your failing the entire course.

To see the possible questions on your midterm exam, click here.

Grading will be done on an A-F scale with pluses and minuses with the exception of the final course grade of C- which has been banned across the University.  I will do my best to explain the criteria by which each assignment is graded before you undertake them.

The quizzes will be based on terms listed on the first slide of the PowerPoint presentation each lecture.  These words will be the entire universe of possible ID terms.  For the quizzes, you will identify five out of eight terms listed.  Four out of five quizzes will count towards the quiz section of your final grade.  I will do my best to confirm the timing of each quiz a week before it occurs, but the quiz dates are list on the schedule below and I hope to stick to them.  These are not intended to be and will not be surprise quizzes.

We will have three 15-minute reading tests on the readings other than the textbooks over the course of the semester that are given immediately before we discuss them.  These tests are not arbitrary assignments, but rather a tool to get students to do a close reading of the books.  I do not expect you to remember everything you read, but I do expect you to read for content and to think critically about what you're reading.  Developing these skills may be the most important thing you learn in college. 

Each reading test will consist of three short answer questions about the non-textbook reading that we'll be discussing that day.  Demonstrate a clear knowledge that you have read the book by answering two of the short answer questions correctly and you will receive an "A" grade for that test.  Fail to do this and you will get an "F."  Recognizing that things happen, only two of the three grades on your reading tests will count towards your final grade (so you're free to fail one, even though you'll still need to read the book eventually in order to have any hope to get a good grade on your paper).  Fail to show up for two reading tests and I will treat it as you not completing the assignment and fail you from the course.

Your paper assignment is related to the three biographies books I have assigned the class.  The question is, "What do the Watson, Rauchway and Lewis books tell us about the American Dream, i.e. the quest to improve one's social and economic position over the course of a person's working life?  In answering this question please try to draw connections between books that reveal timeless qualities about the American experience."  The final paper should be 4-6 pages long and is due in class on December 3rd.  I expect you to quote from the books in support of your argument.

It is highly recommended that you send me a draft of your paper that is at least one page long via e-mail to reesassignments@gmail.com at the recommended date below.  No research or footnotes are needed for the final paper assignment, but I do expect parenthetical references to page numbers each time you quote a book directly.

For the midterm, you will answer one of two essay questions.  You will receive three possible essay questions from which the two on the midterm will be drawn one week before the scheduled test date.

The final exam will require you to answer one of two essays on the last half of the course (50%) and ten out of eighteen IDs drawn from any point in the course (50%).

To see the possible questions for your final exam, click here. 

Any form of academic dishonesty will result in a failing grade for the entire course.  This includes plagiarism, the taking of words and/or ideas of another and passing them off as your own.  If another person's work is quoted directly in a formal paper, this must be indicated with quotation marks and a citation.  If you do not understand this definition of plagiarism, it is your responsibility to discuss this topic with me further.

Attendance, Absence and Make-Up Policy

It is assumed that students will make every effort to attend each class period, arrive on time and stay for the entire class.  Because the lectures will include additional analysis and ID material not in the textbook, reading will not serve as a sufficient substitute for attending class.  You are responsible for all material included in class, including changes in the schedule and ID terms.  ID terms will always be available on this web site, but you may have to find the definitions yourself.

An attendance sheet will be passed around near the beginning of each class (if I forget to do it, remind me).  If you arrive late to class, make sure your name is on the attendance sheet before you leave.  Otherwise, you will be counted as absent.  You will be permitted FOUR unexcused absences over the course of the semester (to account for random mishaps, mistakes and burdens of every day life).  After that, 20 points will be subtracted from a midterm grade for each period missed without an excuse.  If you miss six or more classes, I reserve the right to drop you from the course.

Your midterm may not be scheduled early.  You must arrange work schedules and travel plans in order to take tests on the scheduled dates.  Make-up exams will only be given to students who have compelling reasons, such as severe illness or university-sponsored activities.  No excuses will be accepted more than 24 hours after the scheduled test time.  There will be no make make up quizzes or reading tests for ANY reason.  [That's part of the rationale for you being able to drop one grade on either.]

Weekly Topics, Readings and Assignment Due Dates

ID terms and arguments are linked from the titles of the lectures.

Return to Rees courses page

Jonathan Rees
Professor of History
Colorado State University - Pueblo
2200 Bonforte Boulevard
Pueblo, CO 81001
(719) 549-2541

E-Mail: Jonathan [dot] Rees [at] colostate-pueblo [dot] edu

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