The History of the United States Since 1877 A Dual Credit Course Offered in Conjunction with Texas Woman s University Instructor: Thomas L. Vanderburg Phone: (817) 547-6000 X6269 Email: thomas.vanderburg@birdvilleschools.net Website: http://www.birdvilleschools.net/domain/1013 Tutorial/Office Hours: Mondays and Wednesdays from 7:00-7:25 and 2:45-3:15 in A244 Course Description: History 1023 (or dual credit U.S. History part 2) is a survey course designed to familiarize students with major developments in United States history since Reconstruction while creating informed consumers of information who can apply critical thinking skills. This course will, among other things, cover Westward Expansion, Industrialization, Urbanization, The Gilded Age, The Progressive Era, Imperialism, World War I, the Roaring 20s, the Great Depression, World War II, the Cold War, the Civil Rights Movement, the Vietnam War, Watergate, the Gulf War, 9/11 and the recent presidential administrations. Course Objectives: Analyze the effects of historical, social, political, economic, cultural, and global forces on the United States. Comprehend the evolution of U.S. political systems, with a focus on the development of political institutions, amendments to the U.S. Constitution, civil liberties, as well as civil and human rights. Identify and understand differences and commonalities within diverse cultures. Analyze the development of the American national identity. Evaluate the evolution of rights and freedoms throughout various periods in U.S. History. Interpret and analyze primary and secondary source materials. Prepare students for success on the state-mandated STAAR end-of-course assessment. Required Texts: Tindall, G. B., & Shi, D. E. (2013). America: A Narrative History, 9e. New York: W.W. Norton. Supplementary Sources: Sheets, K. Sources for America s History, Vol. 2. (8/e). New York: Bedford/St. Martin s Inc., 2014. Gorn, E., Roberts, R., & Bilhartz, T. Constructing the American Past: A Source Book of a People s History, Vol. 2 (4/e). New York: Longman, 2002. Selected journal articles as assigned Selected visual and audible media as assigned
Reading Assignments: This will be a reading-intensive course. Expect several hours of reading per week (usually due on Fridays unless otherwise indicated by the instructor). Please note: It will be extremely difficult to succeed in this course without completing the reading assignments by the due dates. Grades: Assignment Points Point Range Letter Grade Test 1* 100 990-1100 A Test 2* 100 880-989 B Test 3* 100 770-879 C Final Exam 200 700-769 D STAAR Review #1 100 <699 F STAAR Review #2 100 Dilemmas (5 @ 40 pts. each) 200 Class Discussion 100 Daily Participation 100 *Highest 3 test grades count. Tests: There will be four tests along with a final exam. I will count your highest three test grades. The final exam is required and will not be dropped. Dilemmas: Students will complete five dilemmas over the course of the semester. A dilemma is an essay assignment in which the student will assume the role of a period character and take a position on an issue based on their character s point-of-view. Class Discussion: Discussions will usually take place on Fridays, but dates can change at the instructor s discretion. Discussions will be judged based on your preparedness, your ability to reference the reading materials, your ability to address the question(s) posed, and your ability to be respectful of your classmates as they speak. You will also be required to lead one discussion. Daily Participation: This portion of the grade includes assignments that would normally be considered projects or daily work in a classroom environment, such as quick reflection writing, timelines, simulation activities, video quizzes, etc. STAAR Reviews: Students will complete two intensive and comprehensive STAAR Review projects to help prepare students to pass the state-mandated end-of-course exams. Attendance Policy: In order to succeed in this course, you must be present, be prepared, and be engaged. As such, attendance will be taken and reported in accordance with BISD and TWU mandates. Excessive
absences will not only reduce your ability to learn, but it could result in a No-Credit situation in which your credit for the course is withheld until make-up hours are completed. Retests & Extra Credit: This is a college course, and extra credit will be very limited. There will be no retests. Attendance Policy: In order to succeed in this course, you must be present, be prepared, and be engaged. As such, attendance will be taken and reported in accordance with BISD and TWU mandates. Excessive absences will not only reduce your ability to learn, but it could result in a No-Credit situation in which your credit for the course is withheld until make-up hours are completed. Semester Ends: May 9. All assignments are due by this time. Tentative Course Calendar: Week Topic Discussion Question(s) Reading 1/4 The Gilded Age: Westward Migration & Indian Policy What were the major push/pull factors for westward movement? Did the Frontier really cease to exist? How did westward movement create conflict and/or alter life on the Great Plains? How did the U.S. government attempt to address the Indian Problem during the late 1800s? Assignments Chapter 19 Assignments Due (due date) 1/11 The Gilded Age: Industrialization & Urbanization 1/18 The Gilded Age: The Rise of Big Business What caused the rapid industrialization and urbanization in the late 1800s? What problems arose because of urbanization and industrialization? How did reformers attempt to address the problems of urbanization and industrialization? How did new technology influence U.S. economic growth? What new opportunities and risks did industrialization bring, and how did it reshape American society? What immigration patterns existed during the late 1800s? How did American society change during the Gilded Age? How and why did American sports and leisure evolve, and how did it soften or sharpen social divisions? What gave rise to big business in the late 1800s? How did economic development contribute to the evolution of the free enterprise system in the United States? What issues faced farmers in the late 1800s? What gave rise to the Populist movement? Chapter 18 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Dilemma #1 (1/21) Test #1 (1/22) 1/25 The Progressive Era What prompted the rise of the progressive movement? How successful were the progressives? How did Progressive-Era reforms influence the social, economic and political climate in the U.S.? What changes in American society precipitated the rise of national parks and the conservation movement? How did the role of women change? 2/1 Imperialism How did the U.S. rise to world power status? Why was there a push at the turn of the century to expand? How did imperialism alter the social, economic and political climate in the U.S.? 2/8 World War I What events led up to the outbreak of WWI? How did new technology influence WWI? What were the results of WWI? 2/15 The Roaring 20s: Social Changes & The Jazz Age What role did the U.S. play before, during, and after the war? What was social life like during the 1920s? How did African-Americans contribute to the music, literature, art and culture of the U.S.? Chapter 23 Chapter 22 Dilemma #2 (2/5) Chapter 24 Test #2 (2/12) Chapter 25
How did immigration patterns change in the 1920s? How did American religious life change leading up to and during the 1920s? Was Prohibition a success or failure? 2/22 The Roaring 20s: The Economy Why did the U.S. economy soar during the 1920s? Was laissez-faire economics an effective policy? 2/29 The Great Depression & The New What caused the economic collapse in 1929? Deal How did the Great Depression change the roles of government and business in the U.S.? How were the approaches of Herbert Hoover and FDR similar and different when dealing with the Depression? Was the New Deal an effective policy against the Depression? 3/7 World War II What caused the outbreak of WWII? What caused the U.S. to abandon neutrality and enter the war? How did technology influence the war effort? How did WWII affect rights and liberties? How did the war affect the home front? How did WWII change the geopolitical role of the U.S.? How did WWII change the role of women in society, the home, and the workplace? 3/14-3/18 SPRING BREAK 3/21 Postwar & the 1950s How did demographic patterns change during the 1950s? How did new technology alter social life in the 1950s? What were the significant domestic achievements of the Eisenhower Administration? What does McCarthyism indicate about American society during the 1950s? 3/28 Cold War & the Space Race Was the Cold War really cold? What issues created tensions during the post-war era? What were the milestone events in the space and arms race? How did technology change life in the U.S.? How did the Korean War reflect Cold War realities? 4/4 Vietnam & the 1960s Why did the U.S. find itself drawn into a conflict in Vietnam? How did Vietnam affect social, political and economic life in the U.S.? What methods did anti-war protesters use to express their opinions/beliefs about the war, and were those methods effective? What was the Great Society and did it live up to its potential? 4/11 The Civil Rights Movement What were the milestone achievements during the Civil Rights movement? How did Civil Rights advocates use the courts to address their concerns? How did civil rights and liberties change as a result of the Civil Rights movement? What strategies did Civil Rights leaders use to achieve their objectives? How was the Civil Rights Movement linked with the anti-war movement? 4/18 The 1970s-1990s How did Watergate alter political perceptions in the U.S.? What was the effect of the energy crisis on businesses and individuals in the U.S.? What were some of the significant domestic and foreign policy achievements of Ford and Carter? What was the Iran-Hostage Crisis? What led to the conservative revolution led by Ronald Reagan? How did Reagan-Bush policies affect the social, economic, and political life in the U.S.? What was the Iran-Contra Affair? What was the significance of the first Gulf War? What caused Bush I s electoral defeat in 1992? 4/25 1990s-Present How did Clinton s policies continue or diverge from Reagan-Bush policies? What was Clinton s legacy? How did the Clinton years demonstrate a growing partisan divide? How did technology drive the rapid economic expansion of the 1990s? What brought about the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War? Chapter 26 STAAR Review #1 (2/26) Chapter 27 Dilemma #3 (3/4) Chapter 28 Test #3 (3/11) Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Dilemma #4 (4/8) Chapter 32 Test #4 (4/15) Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Dilemma #5 (4/29) STAAR Review #2 (4/29)
What were the major consequences for the United States of the economic rise of China and the European Union? What was the significance of NAFTA? What is the legacy of 9/11? What happened to civil rights and liberties as a result of the Global War on terror? How did the Great Recession alter the government s role in business, banking, and the economy? What were the significant accomplishments of Bush II and Obama? What are the major domestic and foreign policy issues that continue to face the U.S.? Is America exceptional, and, if so, how can it continue to remain exceptional? 5/2 STAAR Exam Week Semester Review STAAR EOC 5/9 Final Exam Course Wrap-Up Final Exam (5/13)