Diablo Valley College Summer 2014 HIST 126-5586 [online] (3 units)

June 16 to June 24, 2014

History of the American West

Last time this document was updated: 7/3/2014 10:01 AM

A pdf version of this docu-ment is available on the Desire2Learn course home-page. A digital version of this doc-ument is available online at http://issuu.com/maryannirwin/docs/126-5586-su14issuu

Mary Ann Irwin, "Russian River," June 2012

ONLINE SYLLABUS/ SCHEDULE

DVC HIST 126-5586-SU14

This Syllabus/Schedule will answer many of your questions about the course. A pdf version is available now on D2L'S Course homepage. You may download the pdf, but please note that your saved version might become out of date, especially if I modify assignments over the next six weeks. If I change a due date, I will notify you by campus email. Please check your D2L email ac-count (or the alternative account you identified for your D2L notifications) eve-ry day, to ensure that I have not changed a deadline. If I change a due date, I will revise the online and pdf versions of this document on D2L. The change will appear in the "Schedule" at the affected assignment or date. The Schedule be-gins at page 16.

Instructor:

Mary Ann Irwin

To contact me, please use the D2L

mailbox for your class. Please read

this link for tips on addressing your col-

lege professors via email.

Virtual Office Hours on WEBEX:*

Mondays,

9 AM to 10 AM

*More about WEBEX at p. 13.

The REQUIRED TEXT for this class is Robert V. Hine and John Mack Faragher, FRON-TIERS: A Short History of the American West (Yale University Press, 2007).1

NOTE: PLEASE PURCHASE YOUR BOOK AT THE DVC BOOKSTORE. THAT WAY YOU

WILL BE SURE OF BUYING THE CORRECT BOOK AND HAVING IT IN YOUR POSSES-SION BEFORE ASSIGNMENTS ARE DUE.

1 Having the book in your possession when the term begins is crucial to your success. Please consider buying the book through the Campus bookstore, and buying it in person rather than online. If you buy through the school, then you know you are getting the correct book. If you buy it in person at the bookstore, you will have the book in plenty of time to complete your first exams.

I also give you a generous "book purchase lead time" to buy the book before the first exam deadlines. I cannot extend the exam deadlines any further because we have a lot to do and a finite amount of time in which to do it.

REQUIRED TEXT:

Online Syllabus/Schedule, page 3

Focusing on the Westward Movement during the nine-teenth century, it examines

this historical experience from a social, political, eco-

nomic, and cultural perspec-tive up to the present.

History of the American West

COURSE

OVER-

VIEW

This course is a survey of the movement of the American people from the Atlantic seaboard across North America and into the Pacific.

It emphasizes, too, the role of the diverse ethnic and racial communities of the West and their interac-tion with one another, as well as their contributions to the construction of the American national charac-ter.

CSU, UC transferable (credit

limits may apply to UC--see

counselor)

DVC HIST 126-5586-SU14

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES: After this class, students should be able to...

.

SLO4. Analyze the role of the westward movement from the Atlantic seaboard in shap-ing American values.

SLO5. Assess the interaction between and the contribu-tions of Native American, Eu-ropean American, African American, Asian American, and Mexican Ameri-can/Latino men and women in the American West.

SLO2. Evaluate the role of major ethnic and social groups on the frontier in significant historical events demonstrating the con-tinuity of the American experi-ence and its derivation from other cultures.

SLO3. Compare and contrast the various national frontiers (e.g., English, Spanish, French, etc.) of the American West.

SLO1. Identify and evaluate significant social, economic, and political events in the his-tory of the United States from 1800 to the present with a focus on the Westward Movement before 1890.

Online Syllabus/Schedule, page 5

Source: http://www.silverlock.com.au/ask-a-question-0

There are several facets of participation in this course, all of which are necessary for successful completion. One of the most important: keeping yourself up to date on changes to this Syl-labus/Schedule. I might modify assign-ments over the next six weeks. Any changes will appear on the "Schedule" part of this Syllabus/Schedule at the af-fected assignment/date. If I change a due date, I will notify you by your D2L email account (or whatever alternative account you identified for D2L notifications). Please check that email account every day, every day, every day. Every day. That will ensure that you know, should I change some key deadline, knowledge of which might materially affect your happiness in life!

EVALUATION

6 exams* 17 points each = 102 points 76 - 85 = A * I will drop your lowest score. Each exam includes one extra-credit question worth one point. The point structure, however, is based on 17 points per exam. Please see p. 7 for more details.

-17 68 - 75 = B

59 - 67 = C

Total highest points possible after dropping one exam:

85 points 51 - 58 = D

Grades and a running total will be posted on D2L throughout the term. It is your responsibility to be aware of your progress in the class. To determine your grade at any given moment: add all remaining exams to your D2L Running Total, and compare to the grade structure above. At term end, I MAY elect to round up fractions, but only by one-half of one point. My willingness to do so will depend mightily on my perception of student effort in the class.

DVC HIST 126-5586-SU14

A Word About Online Instruction: Online instruction is only for the incredi-bly well organized and self-disciplined stu-dent. If you have never taken an online class, you may not know how hard it is to stay cur-rent in your reading and writing assignments.

Many students enroll in online courses thinking online instruction will take less time than face-to-face instruction. It is not true.

Online classes take just as much time as F2F classes. In a F2F class, you will spend a total of 54 hours in the classroom over 6 weeks, for 9 hours per week of class-time. You must do the same in an online class. Your online instructors must keep you engaged at least 9 hours per week, as though they had you in a virtual classroom.

If you also want an A in the class, then you must be prepared to spend an additional two to three hours studying and reviewing the readings, resulting in a time commitment of 27 to 36 hours per week, just for this class.

Are you prepared to commit 27 to 36 hours/week to this class?

That is the time factor. Now consider your time management skills.

As an online student, you must exert a lot more conscious effort than your F2F peers. They have a set time every week to hear lectures, ask questions, and otherwise engage the course ma-terial. In an online class, you are entirely on your own. You must create that set time for yourself, all alone, in the dark. Then you must stick to that schedule no matter what. Trust me: it is harder than it looks.

If you are not prepared to make this kind of time commitment, or if you do not have the per-sonal stick-to-it-tiveness required for online ed-ucation, then this class is not a good fit for you.

Online Syllabus/Schedule, page 7

Exams Each week, you will read about 38 pages in the textbook. The six exams in the course are based entirely on these assigned pages. Please read them to prepare for your weekly exam.

Each exam consists of twelve multiple-choice questions. Each of the multiple-choice questions is worth one point. Each exam has one extra credit multiple-choice question, also worth one point. Each exam includes one essay question. Each essay question is worth five points. Eight-een points are possible for each exam, but the point structure for the class values each exam at 17 points (because one point is extra credit).

The extra-credit multiple-choice questions do not change the point structure of the class. If you get the extra credit question right, then you get an extra point. If you miss the question, you are no worse off than before.

Taking Exams on Desire2Learn (D2L) All of your exams are located on D2L's course homepage under "Assessments."

Click on the "Quizzes" link and all of the avail-able exams will appear in the center of your screen. Click on the exam link to open the exam.

Once you open an exam, you must complete it. The clock begins when you click "Begin Exam" on D2L. D2L will show you one question at a time. You must save your answer to each ques-tion before you move to the next question.

I give you three minutes for each question. I have set the exam so that you may return to earlier questions (but try not to change answers--usually your first answer was correct!).

The last question on each exam is an essay question. The grading rubric that I will use to score your essay appears just above the essay prompt. Below the rubric you will see the question to be answered and a box below the question. Just type (or copy and paste) your answer into the box. The size of the box will expand to fit the length of your answer.

Write at least 100 to 150 words for your essay. Use ONLY the assigned textbook to support your answer. At the end of your essay, you must cite the pages from which you drew support for your answer. Please see "Citing Sources" on p. 11 for more details.

You must save your essay answer before sub-mitting the exam for grading.

D2L will ask you twice if you are certain you want to submit your exam for grading. If you skipped a question, D2L will alert you to the missed question and ask you if you would like to answer it. Go back and answer any missed ques-tions.

When you are satisfied with your answers, se-lect "Finish" and submit your exam for grading.

DVC HIST 126-5586-SU14

I give you a total of 80 minutes to complete each exam. For best results, read the assigned pages before you open the exam.

NOTE: Once you open an exam, you must complete it. You get only one chance to take each exam, so please be ready to take the exam once you open it.

You must save each answer and sub-mit the exam for grading before your time runs out, and before the deadline to complete the exam passes. D2L will not save answers entered af-ter your time has run out. D2L will not save answers entered af-ter the exam deadline has passed.

Exam Availability

All exams are available on the first day of the summer term. You may work ahead if you wish. Note, however, that each exam has a specific due date (see the Schedule, beginning at p. 16).

All exams are due by 11:45 pm on Friday night. Please check D2L and this Sylla-bus/Schedule for deadlines on specific ex-ams. Schedule begins at p.16.

If you miss an exam deadline, you might be able to take it as a makeup exam during the last week of Summer 2014. Please see my policy on late work at p. 14.

Total Points Possible for the Class:

The value of each Exam in the point structure for the class is 17 points. This does not include the extra-credit question (be-cause it is extra credit!).

Because everyone has an off day, I will drop the exam with lowest score. I will do this at the end of the term, after you have submitted all of your exams. That means the highest possible score in the class is 85 points. To get an A in the class, you must earn at least 76 points. The minimum score to pass the class with a D is 51 points. See the complete breakdown of points and grades on p. 5.

Taking Exams on D2L

[continued}:

Online Syllabus/Schedule, page 9

Your Best Exam Strategies

Multiple-Choice Questions are word problems. Your best strategy is to read the question carefully--because each word matters--and then to eliminate wrong choices. Each wrong choice has a problem: it describes something that did not happen. Usually the correct choice is correct only because there is nothing wrong with it, not because it is such a profound truth!

Some students may be tempted to search the Internet for answers to exam multiple-choice questions. Maybe that stra-tegy will work for them, maybe it will not. Maybe the Internet information is accurate; maybe it is not. The safest source of information for ex-am questions is the textbook--specifically the pages assigned for that week.

DVC HIST 126-5586-SU14

Essay Questions ask you to think critically about the big issues you confront in your readings each week. The answer(s) to the essay question are contained in the assigned pages for that week.

Your essays should be about 100 to 150 words in length. Each essay is worth 5 points. You might find it easier to write your answer in a Word document and then cut and paste it into the answer box (the box will expand to fit your text). NOTE: D2L will not permit you to paste using the "right-click" method. "Control-V" paste works.

The bulk of your answer should be in your own words. You should include brief quotes (four or five words at a time) from the book to support your answer. You must properly cite both direct and indirect quotes (see "Cit-ing Sources" at p. 11). A direct quote is ver-batim material copied carefully from the text, word for word, and enclosed in quota-tion marks. An indirect quote is information from a source that you paraphrase or put in-to your own words.

The proper mix of direct quotes to indi-rect quotes is 20% direct to 80% indirect.

The Internet and You

Some students will be sorely tempted to copy and paste random information from the Internet into their essays. Maybe that strategy will work for them, maybe it will not.

Your best source of information for the essay questions is the book--specifically the pages assigned for that week.

Here is my rule on Internet sources:

You may copy all the random information you want from the Internet into your an-swer, AS LONG AS THE BOOK SAYS EXACTLY THE SAME THING. You will have to prove this by citing the supporting pages in our as-signed book (see "Citing Sources," p. 11).

If I find suspicious text in an essay, I will run it through the plagiarism databank at Turnitin.com (an online repository of Inter-net sources and past student papers). If I find material copied from an Internet source, I will give that essay a score of 0 points.

Best Exam Strategies [continued]

Online Syllabus/Schedule, page 11

Citing Sources

Very little of the information you will use in your essays is "common knowledge." Common knowledge is something that everybody knows, like "the sky is blue," "taxes are bad," and "okra is disgusting." For everything else, I expect you to identify your source of in-formation, which must be the assigned textbook for this class. Please place the cited pages at the end of your essay, like so:

Blah blah blah. Blah blah. "Blah blah." Blah blah blah. Blah blah blah. Blah blah. Blah blah blah. Blah blah blah. Blah blah. "Blah blah." Blah blah blah. (32-33, 44)

This citation tells me that on pages 32-33 and 44 of Hine & Faragher, Frontiers, you found general information that you para-phrased from the source and two direct quotes that you copied carefully, word for word, and placed in quotation marks.

Do not include the name of our book (Frontiers) or its authors (Hine & Faragher) or the publisher (Yale). I know that already. I just want your page num-bers.

English, Please

I am super-skilled at reading student minds, but it only works when I can place my hands on either side of your cranium.

Seriously, I ask for your help on the essays. I don't need perfect spelling, grammar, or capi-talization. But I do need you to write clearly enough that I can understand you. If I cannot comprehend your prose, then you will not re-ceive the highest score possible on your essay.

I realize that this is challenging in a test-taking situation. Many students get flustered while taking exams. Therefore, I give you a full twenty (20) minutes to write your essay. You get three minutes per MC question (that's 60 minutes) plus another 20 minutes to write 100-150 words (total = 80 minutes for each exam).

You may decide for yourself how to allot those 80 minutes. Just be sure you give your-self enough time to compose an essay that is intelligible to the telepathically impaired.

Oh--PS: No text abbreviations please. I don't speak iPhone.

More on Essays

DVC HIST 126-5586-SU14

NEVER MISS A DEADLINE WITH REMIND 101! Signing up is easy and free.1 You will get an email or text alert (or both) at 8:00 am

on all due dates.

1 Your carrier may apply text charges.

If you are new to D2L, here are some handy "HOW TO" VIDEOS FOR DESIRE-2-LEARN on YouTube (copy the urls and play in Internet Explorer, Safari, Firefox, or another platform):

1. HOW TO CHANGE YOUR D2L PROFILE / NOTIFICATIONS: http://youtu.be/Rb43wATGyx8

2. HOW TO TAKE A QUIZ IN D2L: http://youtu.be/CPrmkIuG1v0

Online Syllabus/Schedule, page 13

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Professor Irwin's Summer 2014 Office Hours:

I will be holding virtual office hours once each week, from 9 am to 10 am on Mondays. Here are instructions for joining me dur-ing my WEBEX office hours: 1. Send me an email via an "outside" email provider (you will not be able to use your D2L mailbox--WEBEX cannot get through the D2L log-in script). You can use your school Insite mailbox, or another provider. Whichever provider you use, that is the email address I will use to schedule our virtual meet-ing. Just be sure that you check that email box on the day of our meeting (more below). You do not need to set up a WEBEX account first. Just send me an email from a non-D2L email provider and ask to join me. 2. When I receive your email, I will create a link for you to join me during my next office hour. WEBEX will send the link to the email address you used to request the meeting. The WEBEX email will arrive just before our scheduled meeting time. All you will have to do is click on the link--WEBEX will do the rest. Be sure to log in to that email provider just prior to our meet-ing. That will be the only way you can access the WEBEX link that gets you "in" at our digital meeting. 3. When you click on the WEBEX invitation, WEBEX will ask you to enter your name and email address. Be sure to use whatev-er email address you used to ask me for the meeting (because that will be the address I gave WEBEX). WEBEX will not permit you to join me from a different email address. 4. While you are signing in, tell WEBEX that you will use your computer (not your telephone) for audio and visual access. That way you will be able to see and hear me and I will be able to see and hear you. Once you have completed these steps, you and I will be able to communicate with each other via the web cameras on our computers. I will be able to go over your exams with you and we can dis-cuss your performance in the class. This will also be a good time for you to ask any questions you may have.

Why Can't I See Which

Questions I Got Wrong and

What the Correct Answer

Was?

In the interests of exam security, I do not publish test questions with test

answers on the Internet. You will only be able to

see your exam scores on D2L. However, I am hap-py to go over your exam

with you privately via WEBEX.

DVC HIST 126-5586-SU14

My Policy on Late Work:

I will permit you to make up any missed exam without penalty IF you provide me with documentation from a medical facili-ty confirming a medical reason for your inability to meet the deadline. Except in cases of emergency (e.g., in-volvement in an automobile accident), the medical excuse should cover at least three full days prior to the exam dead-line, not just the last possible second for submitting the exam. I will permit you to make up one missed exam without medical excuse be-ginning Week 6 (see the schedule, below). You must contact me during Week 6 and ask me to make the exam available to you. Please note the deadline for completing any requested makeup exam in the Schedule, below. The penalty for making up a missed exam without a personal medical excuse is 35%.

NOTE: Make-up Exams are not "Do Overs." You may not retake an exam on which you did poorly.

Put another way:

Exámenes de maquillaje no son "Do-Overs".

化妆考试不是“收购”

Макияж экзамены не являются "делаете-кадром."

Online Syllabus/Schedule, page 15

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY:

I take a very dim view of it. By enrolling in this class, students agree to uphold DVC's standards of academic integrity described here. By accepting you in this class, I agree to do all DVC

permits to students who attempt to en-gage in academic dishonesty.

If you are confused, hard-pressed for

time, or completely disenchanted, please contact me first, before you do some-

thing regrettable and illegal.

DVC HIST 126-5586-SU14

WEEKLY SCHEDULE

DATES THIS WEEK'S REQUIRED READINGS AND EXAM DUE DATES

WEEK 1

Week Beginning Monday Jun 16

REQUIRED READING: (All readings are in Hine and Faragher, Frontiers.) Hine, pp. 1-6 "Dreams and Homelands" Hine, pp. 7-16 "A New World Begins" Hine, pp. 17-27 "Contest of Cultures" Hine, pp. 28-38 "The Struggle of Empires"

Weds June 18 LAST DAY TO DROP WITH REFUND

Thurs June 19 LAST DAY TO ADD WITH ADD CODE

Fri Jun 20 EXAM 1 (17 POINTS) IS DUE BY 11:45 PM NEXT FRIDAY NIGHT. YOU MAY TAKE IT EARLY.

Sat Jun 21

Sun Jun 22 LAST DAY TO DROP WITH NO "W"

WEEK 2 Week beginning Mon Jun 23 CENSUS DATE

REQUIRED READING: Hine, pp. "The Western Land and its Markers," p. 39 to p. 51 Hine, pp. "The Fur Trade," pp. 52-61 Hine, pp. "From Texas to Oregon," p. 62 to 79

Fri Jun 27 LAST DAY TO REQUEST P/NP EXAM 1 (17 POINTS) AND EXAM 2 (17 POINTS) ARE DUE BY 11:45 PM TONIGHT.

WEEK 3 Week Beginning Mon June 30

REQUIRED READING: Hine, pp. "War and Destiny," pp. 80-93 Hine, pp. "Mining Frontiers," pp. 94-108 Hine, pp. "The Power of the Road," pp. 109-120

Friday July 4 NATIONAL HOLIDAY

(plan ahead)

EXAM 3 (17 POINTS) IS DUE BY 11:45 PM TONIGHT.

Online Syllabus/Schedule, page 17

WEEK 4 Week Beginning Monday Jul 7

REQUIRED READING: Hine, pp. "Open Range," pp. 121-132 Hine, pp. "The Safety Valve," pp. 133-146 Hine, pp. "A Search for Community," pp. 147-162

Fri Jul 11 EXAM 4 (17 POINTS) IS DUE BY 11:45 PM TONIGHT.

WEEK 5 Week Beginning Mon Jul 14

REQUIRED READING: Hine, pp. "The Urban Frontier," pp. 163-175 Hine, pp. "Plunder and Preservation," pp. 176-190

Mon Jul 14 LAST DAY TO DROP WITH "W"

Fri Jul 18 EXAM 5 (17 POINTS) IS DUE BY 11:45 PM TONIGHT.

WEEK 6 -- YOU MAY REQUEST A MAKEUP EXAM, IF NEEDED, THIS WEEK. WITHOUT A PERSONAL MEDICAL EX-CUSE, YOU WILL PAY A 35% POINT PENALTY FOR TAKING THE EXAM LATE.

Week Beginning Mon Jul 21

REQUIRED READING: Hine, pp. "The Myth of the Frontier," pp. 191-203 Hine, pp. "The Frontier and the West in Our Time," pp. 204-225

Thursday July 24 Note this week ends early!

EXAM 6 (17 POINTS) IS DUE BY 11:45 PM TONIGHT.

ANY MAKEUP EXAM YOU MAY HAVE REQUESTED IS DUE BY 11:45 PM TONIGHT.