American History, Prehistory to 1877
AMH 2010 Section 3 (TR 8:30-9:45 AM)
Mrs. Amy Darty
Spring 2002

Contact Information:

Office: Trailer 607, Office 108 (first trailer to right of Communications Bldg--left of sidewalk)
Email: adarty@mail.ucf.edu
Phone and voicemail: (407) 823-0514 (please identify yourself and your class section)
Class Website: http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~adarty.  Go to the link for AMH2010 Section 3.
Office Hours: Tuesday and Thursday 10:00-11:15 AM, 2:30-4:30 PM, Wednesday 10:00-11:30 AM, and by appointment (if necessary)

Required Texts:

Roark, James L., Michael P. Johnson, Patricia Cline Cohen, Sarah Stage, Alan Lawson, and Susan
         M. Hartman. The American Promise: A History of the United States, Volume I: To 1877.
         Second Edition. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin’s Press, 2002.
         ISBN 0-312-39419-5
Johnson, Michael P., ed. Reading the American Past: Selected Historical Documents, Volume I:
        To 1877. Second Edition. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin’s Press, 2002.
        ISBN 0-312-39132-3
Rampolla, Mary Lynn. A Pocket Guide to Writing in History. Third Edition. Boston, MA:   
         Bedford/St. Martin’s Press, 2001.
         ISBN 0-312-24766-4

Course Content:

The course will contain intensive reading, writing assignments, quizzes, and exams.  Class discussion is required, and your attendance is strongly recommended.  Frequent absences and tardiness are not appreciated, and your performance will be judged accordingly. Analytical and critical thought is important to everything you do, but so is your creativity. Thus, while you’ll acquire knowledge, my hope is that you will learn to appreciate the intricate stories of history and gain insight about the past.

Expectations:

Mutual respect, commitment to the class and learning objectives, and honest effort from each student—what you put into this class will be what you reap from it. Education is more than your degree; it is a lifelong habit of using your intelligence and talents to better understand yourself and the body of knowledge that exists in our world. Each of you has different goals for your life but, with the context of intellectual curiosity (regardless of the subject), your perspective and enrichment will be that much greater. So I challenge you to learn now and in the future, not because you have to but to become the person you truly want to be.

Total points:

600 points  (See Assignments Schedule on Class Website)

Exams (2 tests, 1 final)……………………………………………………………………… 300 pts

Group Activities (5)…………………………………………………………………………..100 pts

Quizzes (5)……………………………………………………………………………………100 pts

Counterfactual Term Paper………………………   ………………………………………... 100 pts

    Source Worksheets….25 pts        Outline….25 pts        Final Draft….50 pts

Reading:

All reading is to be completed by the day on which it is listed. Thus, when it says Read Ch.1, it means that you should have all of chapter one read by that date.

Exams:

Two exams plus one final, none of which will be cumulative except as information pertains to the overall themes of the course.  No make-up exams will be given, with the exception of an excused absence. A study guide including terms and essay topics will be provided for each exam. All exams are 100 points each. 

All exams are to be written in blue books (8 ½ x 11 ONLY), which are available in local bookstores, and you will need a new one for each exam. Thus, you need to submit three blue books, all at once, no later than Tuesday, January 29.  Write your name, my name (Darty), the course number and section (AMH 2010 Sec 3), exam number, and exam date on each blue book. 

Group Activities

You will be organized into groups to discuss topics from the readings and to participate in various interactive assignments.  Class participation and creativity are important as well as the assignment.  Five group activities will be given, 20 points each.

Quizzes:

All quizzes throughout the semester are prescheduled and will consist of information from the assigned readings.  The quizzes will help you prepare for the exam content and format.  See Assignments Schedule for specific readings for each quiz.  Make-ups are not an option, with the exception of an excused absence.  Five quizzes will be given, 20 points each.

Term Paper:

You will be writing counterfactual term papers this semester, which you will choose from prearranged topics. These topics will be posted outside my office for you to sign-up, on a first-come first served basis. The Counterfactual Term Paper consists of three parts: Source Worksheets (25 pts), Outline (25 pts), and Final Draft (50 pts).  Deadlines must be met—no exceptions—See Assignments Schedule.

·         Each assignment must be turned in before the end of class on the day it is due.  If you are unable to attend, you are still responsible for turning in the work, even if it means sending a courier.  The time due remains the same.  Absolutely NO late papers will be accepted without documentation of extremely extenuating circumstances!

·         See class website for paper requirements, under Counterfactual Term Paper Requirements. You must use the required reference manual, Mary Lynn Rampolla’s A Pocket Guide to Writing in History, for appropriate format and content for the footnotes/endnotes and bibliography.

·         Help with writing is available from the UCF Writing Center, located in MOD 608, as well as from me.  Please allow reasonable time for us to help you with brainstorming and revision.  For info, call (407) 823-2197.

·         Help with research is also available from me and through the UCF Library.  Undergraduate students may make PERC appointments at the Library reference desk for help finding research topics, sources, and information.

Extra Credit:

If you choose, as this is voluntary, you may earn a maximum of 15 extra points.  A 1-page typed and double-spaced summary is required, and each instance of extra credit equals 5 points, therefore you may do 3 summaries maximum.  You must choose a different topic for each of these summaries, and bibliographic information is required.  Grammar, quality, and appearance will affect points.

All topics must focus on United States issues, and meet the time restrictions of this course, prehistory-1877.  Make sure to use the American perspective.  I recommend choosing extra credit topics that will enhance your knowledge and help on exams. Your summary should include a brief explanation of the selection, your opinion of the content, and how it relates to this course.  Due by Thursday, April 18.

This is a list of possible extra credit options (you may only do one of each type, up to the maximum three allowed):
1. Magazine Article

2. Journal Article (as in a scholarly publication)
3. Museum Exhibit (Art, History, Science—US only)
4. Historical Reenactment
5. Website Evaluation
6. Interview a History Professor or History Teacher on a particular subject
7. Non-Fiction Book Review
8. Film Review (compare/contrast Hollywood vs. History)

Email Accounts:

Every enrolled student at UCF has a preset email account, or feel free to use other email accounts.  If using independent email, please ensure that your email reaches me and is not being rejected by UCF server protocols.

Academic Dishonesty:

Plagiarism and cheating are not tolerated and have no excuse.  Inaccurate or lack of required documentation (footnotes or endnotes and a bibliography), handing in the same or similar assignments (paraphrasing another), or cheating on exams are grounds for academic probation or expulsion.  Have respect for your abilities, the subject matter, and your instructor by doing your own work. Official UCF Policy is posted on the class website, under Plagiarism Rules.

Changes:

Syllabus and Assignments Schedule are subject to adjustment if necessary.

NOTES: