Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Course Description
This course surveys the second half of American history, starting with reconstruction and ending. Over the
semester, we will examine the social, political, cultural and economic developments during the period and
how different groups of people were affected by them. Topics will include: the rise of modern industrial
America, varied responses to industrialization, patterns of immigration, the emergence of the U.S. as a
world power, the impact of the Cold War, and the struggle over resources and power in twentieth-century
America. The course will also pay particular attention to the way in which issues of race and gender have
influenced the course of American history since the Civil War.
Michael Adams. The Best War Ever: American and World War II. Johns Hopkins UP, 1993.
ISBN 13: 9780801846977
The above books are available at the UTD bookstore and at Off Campus Books located at 581 W Campbell
Road.
Additional readings will be available on WebCT (eLearning). They are listed in the calendar below as OCP
(online course packet).
Week 1 Reconstruction
M Jan. 11 Introduction
W Jan. 13
Read: Faragher ch. 17
F Jan. 15
Write: Outline of chapter 17
Week 5 WWI
M Feb. 8
Read: Faragher ch. 22
W Feb. 10
Read: OCP - Images
F Feb. 12
Read: OCP - TBA
Week 17
M May 3 Review for Final
W NO CLASS – reading days
F May 7 Exam #2
Grading Policy
(including percentages for assignments, grade scale, etc.)
Attendance 10%
Quizzes/participation 10%
eLearning discussions 20%
Book Review 1 10%
OCP summary 10%
Exam #1 20%
Exam #2 20%
You must complete all of the readings, tests, and other assignments in order to pass the class. Most weeks,
class will include lectures, group projects and discussion of the assigned readings.
ATTENDANCE
I expect you to attend class, having read the assignments for each class period in advance. If you
consistently show up late or leave early you may be counted absent.
QUIZZES/PARTICIPATION
There will be quizzes on the reading materials and lectures, written and group class projects, and
discussions of material presented. All of these together will form your participation grade. There are no
make-up assignments for missed quizzes and class projects.
You may pick any readings to contribute questions and answers too, but you may not answer your own
suggestions. You will have one week from the day the reading is due to respond to that particular text - you
may not go back to earlier readings and respond to them.
BOOK REVIEW
You will write a three page book review on either How the Other Half Lives or The Best War Ever. In your
review you will provide a brief summary of the text, a comparison with what the textbook (Faragher) has to
say on the topic, and a review of the book.
OCP SUMMARY
You will pick one of the texts from the Online Course Package and write a one page summary of the text.
Remember to pick out the main argument and most important points rather than just list what the text says
paragraph by paragraph.
EXAMS
The exams will be a mixture of identifications and short essay questions; material will be taken from all the
readings as well as lecture materials, discussions, and writing exercises. The exams will not be
comprehensive. You will be expected to bring an empty blue book for each exam. There will be no make-
up exams unless you can provide documentation for an emergency situation.
If you miss class, it is up to you to obtain lecture notes and other information that may have been given out
in class. Regularly check your UTD email and the class eLearning site for information about the class
(changes in the schedule, reading aids posted, study guides etc).
Kindly do the assigned readings before you come to class. To make use of the classroom time you need to
come prepared to answer questions about and discuss the content of the text.
Any work submitted for grading in this course must be original and prepared exclusively for this class.
To avoid unnecessary charges of plagiarism use proper citations when referring to or quoting the work of
others. Keep copies of notes, draft and other materials you used when you wrote the paper, as well as
copies of all materials you hand in during the course, until the end of the semester.
Academic Integrity
The faculty expects from its students a high level of responsibility and academic honesty. Because the value
of an academic degree depends upon the absolute integrity of the work done by the student for that degree, it is
imperative that a student demonstrate a high standard of individual honor in his or her scholastic work.
Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, statements, acts or omissions related to applications for
enrollment or the award of a degree, and/or the submission as one’s own work or material that is not one’s own. As a
general rule, scholastic dishonesty involves one of the following acts: cheating, plagiarism, collusion and/or falsifying
academic records. Students suspected of academic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary proceedings.
Plagiarism, especially from the web, from portions of papers for other classes, and from any other source is
unacceptable and will be dealt with under the university’s policy on plagiarism (see general catalog for details). This
course will use the resources of turnitin.com, which searches the web for possible plagiarism and is over 90%
effective.
Email Use
The University of Texas at Dallas recognizes the value and efficiency of communication between
faculty/staff and students through electronic mail. At the same time, email raises some issues concerning security and
the identity of each individual in an email exchange. The university encourages all official student email
correspondence be sent only to a student’s U.T. Dallas email address and that faculty and staff consider email from
students official only if it originates from a UTD student account. This allows the university to maintain a high degree
of confidence in the identity of all individual corresponding and the security of the transmitted information. UTD
furnishes each student with a free email account that is to be used in all communication with university personnel. The
Department of Information Resources at U.T. Dallas provides a method for students to have their U.T. Dallas mail
forwarded to other accounts.
Disability Services
The goal of Disability Services is to provide students with disabilities educational opportunities equal to
those of their non-disabled peers. Disability Services is located in room 1.610 in the Student Union. Office hours are
Monday and Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Tuesday and Wednesday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; and Friday, 8:30 a.m.
to 5:30 p.m.
Essentially, the law requires that colleges and universities make those reasonable adjustments necessary to
eliminate discrimination on the basis of disability. For example, it may be necessary to remove classroom
prohibitions against tape recorders or animals (in the case of dog guides) for students who are blind. Occasionally an
assignment requirement may be substituted (for example, a research paper versus an oral presentation for a student
who is hearing impaired). Classes enrolled students with mobility impairments may have to be rescheduled in
accessible facilities. The college or university may need to provide special services such as registration, note-taking,
or mobility assistance.
It is the student’s responsibility to notify his or her professors of the need for such an accommodation.
Disability Services provides students with letters to present to faculty members to verify that the student has a
disability and needs accommodations. Individuals requiring special accommodation should contact the professor after
class or during office hours.
These descriptions and timelines are subject to change at the discretion of the Instructor. In addition
to giving you notice in class, any changes to the syllabus will be posted on WebCT.