Butte College Fall 2015
COURSE SYLLABUS
HIST 10
Course Information
Course #/Control #: HIST 10−6809
Course title: United States History-1877 to Present
Course description: A survey of the history of the United States, from the end of Reconstruction to the Present, that addresses important political, economic, social, and cultural developments. Themes may include but are not limited to aspects of class, race, and gender; systems of labor; intellectual, technological, social, and cultural history; the role of geography; and foreign relations. The course also introduces students to the historical reasoning skills necessary to form their own understanding of the past, and of contemporary society.
Student Learning Outcomes: Upon the satisfactory completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. Identify important political, economic, technological, social, and cultural developments in the American past.
  2. Explain historical events and developments in chronological and contextual relation to one another.
  3. Recognize the diversity of historical experiences, and the contributions of major social and ethnic groups.
  4. Find, study, evaluate, and interpret primary and secondary sources, synthesize information, and compose arguments grounded in knowledge of the past.
  5. Employ his/her knowledge of the past and ability to analyze information to develop a critical consciousness of self, society, and the world.
Class meeting time/place: MW 12:30-1:45pm, LRC 108
Course web page: http://foobt.net/fall2015/hist10_6809/
Instructor Information
Instructor name: Boyd Trolinger
Office: MC 152
Office hours: MW 11:30am-12:00pm, CHC 232,
MW 2:00pm-2:30pm, MC 152,
TTh 2:30-3:00pm, MC 152,
or by appointment
Phone number: 895-2503
Email: jboydt@foobt.net
Course Materials
Required books: Erik Larson, "Devil in the White City"
Paul Dickson, "Sputnik: The Shock of the Century"
Nelson George, "Hip Hop America"
Additional required materials: A minimum of one (1) newspaper (newsprint, NOT online) per week
A minimum of fifty (50) 3"x5" index cards
Course Requirements
Class activities and class participation (in-class): Students are expected to attend every class meeting and actively participate in class activities. On many class meeting days students will submit in-class work for grading. No makeup work will be offered for in-class activities, and no late work will be accepted, for any reason.
Assigned readings and summaries (homework): Readings will be assigned over the course of the semester to reinforce lecture material and classroom discussion. Students will be provided with a summary form that must be filled out after completing each reading assignment. Completed forms must be submitted in class, in hard-copy. No email submissions will be accepted. No late work will be accepted, for any reason.
In the news (homework): Students will be required to purchase, read, and select an article, op/ed piece, or obituary from a newspaper (newsprint, NOT online) each week. The article, op/ed piece, or obituary must contain a reference of historic import or interest. Students will submit a summary attached to the original item from the newspaper in class. All submissions must be made in in class, in hard-copy. No late work will be accepted, for any reason.
Personal artifacts (homework and in-class presentation): Two (2) times during the semester students will select an item of personal signficance and share that item briefly, in an oral presentation, with the class. Students will sign up for these presentations on a schedule provided by the instructor.
Biographical essay (homework): Students will select an individual from a list provided by the instructor and prepare a 750-1000 word essay on that individual. Draft versions of the essay will be evaluated by the instructor and student peers on multiple occasions over the course of the semester. The final version of the essay will be submitted during the last week of the semester.
Final exam (in-class): There will be a final exam in this course.
Honesty and integrity: All of the work you do in this course must be your own, unless otherwise directed by the instructor (for example, group activities). Cheating or plagiarism on any assignment will result in a zero for that assignment.
Grades  
Computing your semester grade: All semester grades are computed as the percentage of points you earned against the total possible points.
Letter grades:
A 90%, 3600 pts and higher
B 80%, 3200 pts and higher
C 70%, 2800 pts and higher
D 60%, 2400 pts and higher
F below 60%, lower than 2400 pts
 
Earning points: Class activities - 800 pts
Reading summaries - 12 @ 100 pts, 1200 pts
In the news - 12 @ 50 pts, 600 pts
Personal artifacts - 2 @ 100 pts, 200 pts
Biographical essay (stages and first draft) - 3 @ 200 pts, 600 pts
Biographical essay (final version) - 400 pts
Final assessment - 200 pts

Total possible - 4000 pts
Miscellaneous Information
Please review the Butte College Attendance Guidelines and Butte College Academic Honesty documents that detail official Butte College policy relevant to these matters.
 
A course outline is on file in the department office. If a student would like to have a copy, please request one from the instructor.
 
The Center for Academic Success (CAS) provides academic support services to Butte College students. It is located inside the Learning Resource Center on main campus and in CHC 230 and 231 at the Chico Center. CAS is open Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00, and Friday 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on main campus. Hours for CAS at the Chico Center are Monday through Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and Wednesday evening, 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Free services include Tutoring, Computer Labs, Workshops, Group Study Rooms on main campus, and TIP Sheets. Students may take a Critical Skills for College Success 1/2−unit course through CAS. For more information, go to www.butte.edu/cas.