Dr. Jim Williams
Peck Hall 261
Office hours: Tuesday 11:45-12:45, Thursday 11:00-12:45, and other times by arrangement
Office phone with voicemail: 898-2633
E-mail: jhwillia AT mtsu DOT edu
Web page: www.mtsu.edu/~jhwillia

COURSE DESCRIPTION

HOW THIS COURSE FURTHERS THE GOALS OF THE GENERAL EDUCATION PROGRAM

As a general eduction requirement, this course furthers the purpose of the MTSU general education curriculum. According to the general education statement of purpose, "General Education professors teach critical and logical thinking; communications skills of writing, speaking, and listening, including skills in locating and gathering information; teach a basis for understanding the mathematical and scientific world perspective; teach an appreciation of aesthetic and cultural productions; teach a broad understanding of the history of human experience; teach an understanding and appreciation of various cultures and their interrelationships; teach a basis for making sound ethical and moral judgments, and judgments on maintaining physical and mental health; and finally they teach the skills to participate responsibly in one's natural, social and political environments." Since the study of history contributes to the acquisition of nearly all of these skills, students should judge the course according to how well the professor does, in fact, teach the relevant skills listed above.

More specifically, the Tennessee Board of Regents includes this course in the history requirement of the general education core curriculum within the TBR system of colleges and universities. According to the TBR, "The goal of the history requirement is to develop in students an understanding of the present that is informed by an awareness of past heritages, including the complex and interdependent relationships between cultures and societies." Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to demonstrate their ability to perform the following learning outcomes:

• analyze historical facts and interpretations, which will result from students reading, analyzing, and discussing primary documents from the period covered by the course;
• analyze and compare political, geographic, economic, social, cultural, religious, and intellectual institutions, structures, and processes across a range of historical periods and cultures, which will result from students participating in class discussions of the course text, primary documents, web sites, and films, and from students preparing critical essays of varying lengths throughout the course;
• recognize and articulate the diversity of human experience throughout history and the complexities of a global culture and society, which will result from students critically viewing and discussing films and historical images and participating in class discussions and writing critical essays throughout the course;
• draw on historical perspectives to evaluate contemporary problems and issues, which will result from students integrating primary documents, secondary sources, and research into their own family history in class discussions and a final course essay;
• analyze the contributions of past cultures and societies to the contemporary world, which will result from students viewing and discussing films and web sites, discussing course readings in class, and completing a variety of writing assignments throughout the course, including the final course essay.

COURSE ASSUMPTIONS

CLASS MEETING EXPECTATIONS AND MEMBERS' RESPONSIBILITIES

COURSE TEXTS

• Laura A. Belmonte, ed., Speaking of America: Readings in U.S. History, Volume II: Since 1865 (ISBN 0-15-506363-4)
• Howard Zinn, A People's History of the United States (ISBN 0060528370).

These texts are available for purchase in the MTSU bookstore and should be readily available at Blue Raider Bookstore as well as the wide variety of online booksellers such as half.com, amazon.com, and bn.com. One copy of each book is also on reserve at the MTSU Library.

WRITING CENTER

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

KEYS TO SUCCESS IN THIS COURSE:

• Attend class regularly. Studies galore demonstrate that students with good attendance perform better than students with irregular attendance. In this class, as a practical matter, there is some material that is only available during class activities. Without this information, your graded work will suffer.
• Keep up with the work.
• Ask questions if you do not understand something.
• If you stop attending class, or wish to drop the class, make sure you take the necessary steps to withdraw by the deadline. Otherwise, you will receive an F.

EVALUATION OF HOW WELL YOU REACH THE COURSE GOAL

I. Attendance and class participation (20% of course grade): There are approximately 26 class days in this course. The instructor will take attendance each day and will record a participation score for each student each day. That score reflects the amount and the quality of participation, and it will be used to calculate the actual grade in this category, in combination with the grade for which your attendance qualifies you. A great deal of this class revolves around discussion and group work in class. Your attendance each day is essential. To be eligible for an A in this category, you may not have more than three absences. To be eligible for a B in this category, you may not have more than six absences. To be eligible for a C in this category, you may not have more than eight absences. To be eligible for a D in this category, you may not have more than ten absences. Those students with more than ten absences may earn some credit in this category, but their maximum score will be 50. (If you have more than ten absences, your prospects for passing the course are dim anyway; there is a direct correlation between attendance and overall performance in this course.)

II. Film responses (10% of course grade): We will watch at least ten films (30 minutes or longer) in this course. (There may be a few shorter films that are not eligible for responses.) This is a credit/no credit category; in other words, as long as you follow instructions and as long as your work would receive at least a 7 out of 10 (if a numerical grade were being assigned), you will receive credit.

Every response should have two paragraphs, totalling NO MORE THAN one handwritten or typed (12-point font, double spaced) page. One page means the front of the page only. No exceptions! The first paragraph must answer this question: "What is the film maker's argument in this film?" Every film has an argument; it is what the person(s) making the film wishes you to conclude about the subject of the film. Arguments in historical films usually revolve around the questions of good and bad, right and wrong. The second paragraph must explain how convinced you are that the film maker's argument is correct and how you reached your conclusion. Without exception, film responses are due at the beginning of the class day following the class in which the film was shown. PLEASE NOTE: Nowhere in this assignment should you simply summarize a film! If you do not follow the instructions, you will not receive credit or a chance to redo the assignment. No exceptions!

To achieve an A--95 in this category, you should successfully complete eight film responses. To achieve a B--85, seven film responses. To achieve a C--75, six film responses. To achieve a D--65, five responses. To achieve a score of 50 in this category, do four responses. Please note: Completion of fewer than four film responses will result in a zero score in this category.

III. Web site reviews (10% of course grade): Students should complete ONE of two web site reviews that will be assigned, one early in the course and one near the end. DO NOT COMPLETE BOTH REVIEWS; DOING SO WILL NOT EARN EXTRA CREDIT, NOR WILL A HIGHER SCORE REPLACE A LOWER SCORE. Instructions will be distributed at the appropriate time.

IV. Primary document analyses (20% of course grade): Each chapter of Speaking of America contains a set of primary documents, usually around ten per chapter. ALL students should read ALL the chapters and be prepared to discuss the documents in class. In addition, students will choose five chapters to write critical analyses of the set of documents contained therein. It does not matter which five chapters, but completing analyses of more than five sets of documents will not earn extra credit, nor will higher scores replace lower scores. Instructions will be distributed. NOTE: Failure to complete any analyses in this category will result in failure in the course, regardless of one's scores in the other categories. Document analyses are due at the beginning of class on the day the document set is assigned as reading in the course schedule below. Late papers cannot be accepted, without exception.

V. Article analyses (20% of course grade): Each chapter of Speaking of America contains a secondary source on the CD-ROM included with the book, but only some of those essays are assigned as required reading on the course schedule below. ALL students should read ALL the secondary sources that are assigned and should be prepared to discuss the articles in class. In addition, students will write critical analyses of five secondary sources. It does not matter which five secondary sources, but completing analyses of more than five secondary sources will not earn extra credit, nor will higher scores replace lower scores. Instructions will be distributed. NOTE: Failure to complete any analyses in this category will result in failure in the course, regardless of one's scores in the other categories. Article analyses are due at the beginning of class on the day the secondary source is assigned as reading in the course schedule below. Late papers cannot be accepted, without exception.

VI. Course essay (20% of course grade): The longest and most complex of the assignments is the course essay. Instructions will be distributed. The title of your essay should be "My Family, An American Family." NOTE: Failure to complete the course essay will result in failure in the course, regardless of one's scores in the other categories.

The plus/minus grading system will be used, as follows: A (91-100), B+ (88-90), B (83-87), B- (80-82), C+ (78-79), C (73-77), C- (70-72), D+ (68-69), D (63-67), D- (60-62), F (below 60).

COURSE SCHEDULE