Recent U. S.:  1929 to the Present

Spring 2005

MW 2-3:15 p.m., Room 217 Main hall

 

Dr. Leslie Heaphy

Office:  310D

Office Hours:  M 12:30-1:30, MW 4:00-5:00, TR 12:30-1:30 or by appointment

Contact information:  330-244-3304; Lheaphy@stark.kent.edu

 

Course Description

This class will explore a variety of themes and topics in American history from 1929 through the 1990s.  We will use discussions, lectures, videos and other formats to examine such themes as civil rights, gender issues, politics, foreign diplomacy and education.  

 

Course Objectives

1.      To give students a greater understanding of the modern history of the United States

2.      To help students improve their knowledge of the role of the U. S. in the world

3.      To encourage students to look for connections between the past and present

4.      To introduce students to the methodology of history through a research project

5.      To develop students ability to communicate in written and spoken formats through discussions and various writing assignments

6.      To help students gain a greater appreciation for different views

7.      To help students develop their critical thinking skills

8.      To encourage students to pay more attention to the news of the day

 

Required Readings

The Great Depression by Robert S. McElvaine

The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien

The Unfinished Journey by William Chafe

The Sixties by Terry H. Anderson

And class handouts

 

Assignments

Two exams …………………………… 200 points total

Research Project………………………. 200 points total

Attendance/class participation………… 40 points

Lesson Creation…………………………50 points

5 Short Reports………..………………...60 points

Discussion/reading questions……………50 points

 

            Total…………………………………600 points

 

A         540-600 points

B          480-539 points

C         420-479 points

D         360-419 points

F          Below 360 points

 

Policies/Services

Students with Disabilities

University Policy #3342-3-18 requires that students with disabilities be provided reasonable accommodations to ensure their equal access to course content.  If you have a documented disability and are seeking academic accommodations please contact Kelly Kulick in the Office of Student Disability Services at 330-244-3287.  Students need to understand that if they will be requesting academic accommodations they are required to present medical documentation that addresses their disability before they are eligible for assistance through the Office of Student Disabilities which is located in the new Campus Center.  The new office number for the Office of Student Disability Services will be #47.  The new phone number will be 330-244-5047.

 

Academic Honesty

All work that students hand in is expected to be their own.  Failure to do so is plagiarism and students could be subject to disciplinary action as outlined in the "Cheating and Plagiarism" section of the University's Digest of Rules and Regulations.  Your instructor may use software to identify portions of papers which have been copied from websites.

 

Writing Center

            Located in Main Hall, room 202, the Writing Center offers students help and instruction on any writing assignments in this class or any other.  They offer tutorials, handouts and brochures, and information on their website:  www.stark.kent.edu/writing.  There is no cost to use this service.

           

Testing Center

            The Testing Center is located in the lower level of the new Campus Center.  Call for hours and other information.  If you need to use their services for make-up tests be sure to bring your student id with you.  This is where all tutoring services are also located.

 

Campus Theme

This year the Campus Theme is Globalization.  The campus theme is designed to help students see connections between the classes they are taking as different disciplines may introduce the same topic but deal with it in different ways.  The book Globalization:  A Short History is available in the library for those interested.

 

Course Outline

This outline is tentative and subject to change as the semester goes along.  Students will be kept informed of changes as necessary.  Students are expected to keep up with the readings—failure to do so will result in pop quizzes at the discretion of the instructor.

 

Week 1                        Introduction and Great Depression

Read Chapters 1 and 2 for back ground, read 3-7 in McElvaine for class discussion

Week 2                        New Deal Politics

                                                Read McElvaine Chapters 8-15

Week 3                        World War II

                                                Read Chafe Chapter 1

Week 4                        Consequences of a World at War

                                                Read Chafe Chapter 2

Week 5                        Origins of the Cold War

                                                Read Chafe Chapter 3

Week 6                        Early Hot Spots in the Cold War

                                                Read Chafe Chapter 4 and 5

Week 7                        Civil Rights Begins

                                                Read chafe Chapter 6

Week 8                        Life in the 1950s

                                                Read Anderson Introduction

                        ***1st Exam Due March 9th************

 

Week 9                        Crises of the 1960s

                                                Read Anderson Chapters 1-3, Read Chafe chapter 7

Week 10          **************Spring break***************

                                                Read Anderson Chapters 4-5, Start O’Brien book

Week 11                      Vietnam and the reactions

                                                Read Anderson Chapter 6, Finish O’Brien book, Chafe                                                                                    chapter 8 and 9

Week 12                      Vietnam Era Continues

                                                Read Chafe chapters 10-12

Week 13                      Watergate

                                                Read Anderson Chapters 7-8, Chafe Chapter 13

Week 14                      Life in the 1970s

                                                Read Chafe chapter 14

Week 15                      Life in the 1980s

                                                Read Chafe chapter 15

Week 16                      Life in the 1990s

                                                Read Chafe chapter 16

                        ***********Final Research Project due May 4th************

Week 17                                  Final Exam Week—Poster Presentations

                                                            Final Exams due May 9th at 3:30 p.m.

 

Exams

Each student will complete two take-home exams during the semester.  Exams will be due during the 8th week and the final week of the semester.  No late exams will be accepted.  Further directions will be handed out with the exam questions during the semester.

            Exam 1

            Exam 2

 

Lesson Creation

Each student will find one artifact that relates to a topic covered in the time frame of this class and create a short lesson related to the artifact.  The lesson needs to have stated goals as well as outcomes.  Students will turn in the lesson and the artifact—they will get the artifact returned to them.   These lessons should be short—lasting about 20 minutes so you are not planning a whole class period.  For example, you may decide to bring in a copy of Martin Luther King Jr.’s I Have a Dream speech.  You would develop a set of goals—what do you want students to learn and then how are you going to accomplish that incorporating the speech into the lesson.  These lesson plans will be due on March 30th. 

 

Short Reports

Students will write 5 short reports throughout the semester 2-3 pages, typed and double-spaced.  Each report is to be written as a first person-account of a particular historical event and your role in it.  These will require a bit of research but you want to be specific in what you choose so that they are easier to write.  Ideally you should follow the time frame of the class and write about things we are discussing.  For example, one of your papers may be written as someone forced to stand in a soup kitchen line during the depression—why are you there?  Who do you see? What is the experience like?  While these papers do allow for creativity on your part they also must be historically accurate but the more specific you are in your choice the easier that will be and you will be able to keep the paper short.  Please include citations and bibliography as needed.

These papers are due Feb. 2nd, Feb. 16th, March 16th, April 6th and April 20th.  Late papers will lose three points each day they are late.

 

Discussion/Reading Questions

During the semester questions will be handed out that students must complete related to the required reading for the course.  These will be due the next class and will be graded.

            Reading Questions—due 1/24

 

            Discussion 1—due 1/26

 

Research Project

Each student will complete a 20 page research paper for the course.  The final paper is due the last day of class before finals week.  In addition to the paper each student will also complete a poster presentation about their project to be presented during finals week. 

The topic of the research paper will be chosen by the student but must be approved by the instructor by February 2nd.  The only restriction on topics is that it must be related to American History between 1929 and 1995. 

After approval of the topic students will turn in a thesis statement and outline on March 2nd.  A rough draft must be turned in by April 11th.  Failure to complete all parts of this project will result in a failing grade, meaning a student cannot just hand-in the final paper and expect to pass.  All students must also complete the poster presentation for final exam week.  The final project is due May 4th.

Each paper must use a minimum of eight sources.  None of those sources can be encyclopedias and at least three must be primary sources.  I would highly encourage the use of interviews for primary sources. Students cannot rely solely on internet sources for their papers, in fact at least five must not be web sites.  Students must cite sources for their paper using the Chicago Manual of Style, as used by historians.  Students can use either footnotes or endnotes, just be consistent.  A bibliography page should be included along with the notes.  Failure to properly cite sources could result in a failing grade.  Remember that it is not enough just to cite quotations but also paraphrases and ideas.

Students will complete a poster highlighting the main points of their research.  These will be presented to the class during the final exam period.  The key here will not be the artwork itself but the quality of the message—how easy is it to figure out the main points?  How well supported are the ideas?  Is it easy to follow?  Can it be seen and read easily?

The research project grade will be determined by the following:

  • Use of appropriate sources
  • Citation of sources
  • Strong Thesis and conclusion
  • Solid support used throughout the paper
  • Good writing style
  • Ease and flow of paper
  • Meets the basic requirements
  • Completed all parts of the project

 

 

 

Suggested topics:

Muhammad Ali             Women’s Movement                Timothy Leary

Kent State                                Jackson State                           Woodstock

Black Panthers             Vietnam Protests                      Civil Rights

Anti-War Movements               SCLC                                      SNCC

Weathermen                             SDS                                         Hostage Crisis

AIM                                         Beatniks                                   Betty Friedan

NOW                                      Environmental Issues                 2nd/3rd wave Feminisms

SALT Treaties                          AAGPBL                                 Integration of sports

Korea                                      Vietnam                                    Great Depression

FDR                                         New Deal                                 Harry S. Truman

Pearl Harbor                            A-Bombs                                 TV

US and Latin America  JFK                                         Robert Kennedy

Bay of Pigs                               Cuban Missile Crisis                 Malcolm X

MLK Jr.                                   McCarthyism                            Rosenberg’s

Hollywood                               Watergate                                Title IX

Roe vs. Wade                          Bikini Atoll                               Nuclear Test Bans

Berlin Airlift                              NSC-68