Syllabus for HIS-113
AMERICAN HISTORY I
American History I provides a broad-based history of the origin and growth of the United States from the arrival of the first European settlers up to and including the period of the Civil War. The story of the United States is about diversified cultures and great public events, many peoples living together in a single land, and a war that is still being fought in many sections of the land.
After completing this course, students should be able to:
CO1 Summarize the roots of European migration to the New World and its impact on Native American culture.
CO2 Outline the political, economic, cultural, and intellectual shape of the British thirteen colonies.
CO3 Discuss the origins of the Atlantic slave trade and the role of slavery in shaping American society.
CO4 Describe the impact that the French and Indian War had on the relationship between the American colonists and the British.
CO5 Describe the background of the American Revolution and the significance of the Declaration of Independence in shaping the purpose of the war.
CO6 Define federalism and the philosophy behind the separation of powers that shaped the U.S. Constitution.
CO7 Discuss the politics of the Jackson administration and the different political visions of the Whig and Democratic Parties.
CO8 Explain the effects of the widening differences between the labor systems of the North and South.
CO9 Discuss the causes and consequences of the Civil War.
CO10 Distinguish between primary and secondary sources.
You will need the following materials to do the work of the course. The required textbook is a free, open-source textbook which you may access online and/or save as a PDF.
American History I is a three-credit, online course consisting of six modules and midterm and final examinations. Modules include an overview, topics, learning objectives, study materials, and activities. Module titles are listed below.
For your formal work in the course, you are required to participate in online discussion forums, complete written assignments and one presentation, and take a proctored midterm and final examination. See below for details.
Consult the Course Calendar for due dates.
Promoting Originality
One or more of your course activities may utilize a tool designed to promote original work and evaluate your submissions for plagiarism. More information about this tool is available in this document.
You are required to participate in six graded discussion forums. There is also one ungraded but required Introductions Forum in Module 1. A grading rubric for the six graded discussion forums can be found in the Evaluation Rubrics folder in Moodle.
You are required to complete nine written assignments. The written assignments are on a variety of topics associated with the course modules. A grading rubric for each of the written assignments can be found in the Evaluation Rubrics folder in Moodle.
You are required to complete a presentation in Module 4. A grading rubric for the presentation can be found in the Evaluation Rubrics folder in Moodle.
This course contains interactive study guides that allow you to take notes and answer sample questions in preparation for your exams. The links to the interactive study guides are in the module sections of the course website.
You are required to take two proctored online examinations: a midterm and a final. Both consist of multiple-choice questions and are 90 minutes long. They require you to use the University's Online Proctor Service (OPS). Please refer to the Examinations and Proctors section of the Online Student Handbook for further information about scheduling and taking online exams and for all exam policies and procedures. You are strongly advised to schedule your exams within the first week of the semester. Consult the Course Calendar for the official dates of exam weeks.
You are on your honor not to cheat during the exam. Cheating means:
If there is evidence that you have cheated or plagiarized in your exam, the exam will be declared invalid, and you will fail the course.
Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:
All activities will receive a numerical grade of 0–100. You will receive a score of 0 for any work not submitted. Your final grade in the course will be a letter grade. Letter grade equivalents for numerical grades are as follows:
A | = | 93–100 | C+ | = | 78–79 | |
A– | = | 90–92 | C | = | 73–77 | |
B+ | = | 88–89 | C– | = | 70–72 | |
B | = | 83–87 | D | = | 60–69 | |
B– | = | 80–82 | F | = | Below 60 |
To receive credit for the course, you must earn a letter grade of C or better (for an area of study course) or D or better (for a course not in your area of study), based on the weighted average of all assigned course work (e.g., exams, assignments, discussion postings).
To succeed in this course, take the following first steps:
Consider the following study tips for success:
Thomas Edison State University is committed to maintaining academic quality, excellence, and honesty. The University expects all members of its community to share the commitment to academic integrity, an essential component of a quality academic experience.
Students at Thomas Edison State University are expected to exhibit the highest level of academic citizenship. In particular, students are expected to read and follow all policies, procedures, and program information guidelines contained in publications; pursue their learning goals with honesty and integrity; demonstrate that they are progressing satisfactorily and in a timely fashion by meeting course deadlines and following outlined procedures; observe a code of mutual respect in dealing with mentors, staff, and other students; behave in a manner consistent with the standards and codes of the profession in which they are practicing; keep official records updated regarding changes in name, address, telephone number, or e-mail address; and meet financial obligations in a timely manner. Students not practicing good academic citizenship may be subject to disciplinary action including suspension, dismissal, or financial holds on records.
All members of the University community are responsible for reviewing the Academic Code of Conduct Policy in the University Catalog and online at www.tesu.edu.
Thomas Edison State University expects all of its students to approach their education with academic integrity—the pursuit of scholarly activity free from fraud and deception. All mentors and administrative staff members at the University insist on strict standards of academic honesty in all courses. Academic dishonesty undermines this objective. Academic dishonesty can take the following forms:
Thomas Edison State University is committed to helping students understand the seriousness of plagiarism, which is defined as using the work and ideas of others without proper citation. The University takes a strong stance against plagiarism, and students found to be plagiarizing are subject to discipline under the academic code of conduct policy.
If you copy phrases, sentences, paragraphs, or whole documents word-for-word—or if you paraphrase by changing a word here and there—without identifying the author, or without identifying it as a direct quote, then you are plagiarizing. Please keep in mind that this type of identification applies to Internet sources as well as to print-based sources. Copying and pasting from the Internet, without using quotation marks and without acknowledging sources, constitutes plagiarism. (For information about how to cite Internet sources, see Online Student Handbook > Academic Standards > Citing Sources.)
Accidentally copying the words and ideas of another writer does not excuse the charge of plagiarism. It is easy to jot down notes and ideas from many sources and then write your own paper without knowing which words are your own and which are someone else’s. It is more difficult to keep track of each and every source. However, the conscientious writer who wishes to avoid plagiarizing never fails to keep careful track of sources.
Always be aware that if you write without acknowledging the sources of your ideas, you run the risk of being charged with plagiarism.
Clearly, plagiarism, no matter the degree of intent to deceive, defeats the purpose of education. If you plagiarize deliberately, you are not educating yourself, and you are wasting your time on courses meant to improve your skills. If you plagiarize through carelessness, you are deceiving yourself.
For examples of unintentional plagiarism, advice on when to quote and when to paraphrase, and information about writing assistance, click the links provided below.
Examples of Unintentional Plagiarism
When to Quote and When to Paraphrase
Writing Assistance at Smarthinking
Acts of both intentional and unintentional plagiarism violate the Academic Code of Conduct.
If an incident of plagiarism is an isolated minor oversight or an obvious result of ignorance of proper citation requirements, the mentor may handle the matter as a learning exercise. Appropriate consequences may include the completion of tutorials, assignment rewrites, or any other reasonable learning tool in addition to a lower grade for the assignment or course. The mentor will notify the student and appropriate dean of the consequence by email.
If the plagiarism appears intentional and/or is more than an isolated incident, the mentor will refer the matter to the appropriate dean, who will gather information about the violation(s) from the mentor and student, as necessary. The dean will review the matter and notify the student in writing of the specifics of the charge and the sanction to be imposed.
Possible sanctions include:
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