[8/10/17 version]

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American Studies 303 A Block 20175-20186 Trimester 1 space between paragraphs of the same style

Mrs. Michelle Brenner (Watts 2012A) Mr. Dave Thaden (Watts 18) Formatted: Highlight
brenner@ncssm.edu thaden@ncssm.edu
Phone: (919) 416-2724 Phone: (919) 416-2722
Office Hours: Tuesday 8:55-9:45 Office Hours: TuesMonday 12:15-1:00
Wednesday 9:50-10:40 ThursWednesday 8:00-8:50
ThursdayThursday 8:00-8:50 by appointment. by
appointment

On Campus: Monday 7:30-1:00 On Campus: Monday 7:30-11:30 Formatted: Tab stops: 1.5", Left
Tuesday 7:30-1:00 Tuesday 7:30-1:00
Wednesday 7:30-1:00 Wednesday 7:30-1:00
Thursday 7:30-1:00 Thursday 7:30-12:30
Friday 7:30-1:00 Friday 7:30-11:30Thursday
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To receive AmStud updates on your phone text 3.5", Left + Not at 2.38"
81010@56a0 or go to rmd.at/56a0 in your mobile Formatted: Font color: Red
browser by appointment
To schedule with Ms. Brenner
Formatted: Font: 9 pt
bit.ly/ncssmwww.meetme.so/michellelbrennerwww.meetme.so/michellelbrenner
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Roman, 12 pt
HEATH = Heath Anthology of American CAP = Constructing America’s Past Gorn et. al. (6th Formatted: Font: 6 pt
Literature Lauter et. al. (concise Edition © 2008)
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ed. © 2004) MPAH = Major Problems in America’s History I
HENN = American History Henretta et. al. HoffmanCobbs et. al. (1st 2nd Edition [the Formatted: Font: 10 pt
(4th ed. © 2000) RED one Formatted: Font: 10 pt
TWWL = The Way We Lived I Binder and © 2002) Formatted: Font: 10 pt
Reimers (6th edition © 2008) TWSIS = They Say I Say (© 2006)
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Course Description Formatted: Font: 10 pt
Formatted: Font: 10 pt
Writing and American Studies is a team-taught, interdisciplinary course that teaches students to read, write, and think
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about history, literature, and the visual arts as strands within the cultural fabric of the American past. The course begins
with the first European encounters with “new” lands and peoples in the late Fifteenth Century. It concludes with the Formatted: Font: 10 pt
global economies and virtual communities of the present. In examining the American experience from multiple Formatted: Indent: Left: 0", Hanging: 0.74"
perspectives, students develop a more nuanced sense of what America is and what it means to be an American. This
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course in American Studies focuses on developing basic skills in reading, writing, and interpretation. Working
collaboratively in small groups and their their teachers, students hone their skills in reading, in analyzing what they read, Formatted: Font: Not Italic
and in planning, developing, and writing the academic essay with precision, insight, and eloquence. Though the program Formatted: Font: 10 pt
emphasizes the development of reading and writing skills, it is grounded in the same curricular content as AS305 Formatted: Font: 6 pt
American Studies and prepares students for NCSSM core English courses. During the second and third trimesters,
students continue their exploration of the literary, historical, and artistic heritage of America, while at the same time
focusing on continuing to build their strengths as readers and writers.
AS303 Writing and American Studies
American Studies is the core humanities experience for all NCSSM juniors. In this interdisciplinary cultural studies course, we
explore American history and literature from the fifteenth-century Atlantic World to twenty-first-century digital communities.
The year-long course sequence examines the continuing development of both collective and individual American identities
through the study of history and historiography, literature and literary theory, politics, economics, the visual arts, film, music,
and other aspects of American culture. A key feature of the curriculum is instruction and practice in critical reading, thinking, and
writing – skills foundational to NCSSM’s senior humanities courses and to future higher-level work across disciplines.
Discussions, projects, and written assessments invite students to recover, construct, and interpret the past as narratives woven
from many threads. Through collaborative inquiry and investigation, students encounter the past as a means of interrogating
issues in our current world and as a path to becoming active citizens in their local and global communities. AS303 is grounded in
the same curricular content as AS305 but is designed especially for students who need more intensive practice to develop their
skills in critical reading, interpretation, and academic writing. Working collaboratively in small groups and with their teachers,
students hone their skills in reading, in analyzing what they read, and in planning, developing, and writing the academic essay.
 COURSE EXPECTATIONS and GRADING POLICY

I. Numerical Averages into Letter Grades Formatted: Font: Bold

A+ = 97-100 B+ = 87-89 C+ = 77-79 D = Below 70 Formatted: Line spacing: 1.5 lines

A = 93-96 B = 83-86 C = 73-76
A- = 90-92 B- = 80-82 C- = 70-72

97 - 100 = A+
93 - 96 =A
90 - 92 = A-
87 - 89 = B+
83 - 86 =B
80 - 82 = B-
77 - 79 = C+
73 - 76 =C
70 - 72 = C-
Below 70 =D

II. Weighting of Different Assignments

A. Tests & Projects -40%
B. Papers and Written Responses -40%
C. Quizzes/Homework Assignments, Participation -20%

 No single assignment in the trimester will count more than 20% of a student’s trimester grade;
 A student’s final course grade will be the average of the three trimester grades;
 In determining your trimester grade, instructors round to the hundredth of a point (e.g., an 89.4124 will be recorded as an 89.41
and an 89.5134 will be recorded as an 89.51. Instructors then round up at the midpoint. (e.g., 89.41 rounds to 89, a B+; 89.51
rounds to 90, an A-.)

We value highly your ability to not only repeat the information learned in class, but to process it and make it your own. As such,
the value of assignments that require only understanding and knowledge of the material (homework and quizzes) is much lower
than the value of assignments that require that you analyze and synthesize the information (papers and tests). The writing in this
class will be divided into a variety of smaller assignments (Written Responses) and larger assignments (Portfolio Papers). These
will all be graded using the NCSSM Writing Rubric (unless otherwise explained by usyour instructors). ; however, the written
responses will be a much smaller percentage of your grade. Asking you to write your way to understanding is one of the ways
we challenge you to think carefully, critically, and creatively—and to make the material your own. Since you will also need to
demonstrate a firm grasp of basic historical information and details such as the names of the writers we read, our in-class quizzes
and tests will include “objective” items such as fill-in-the-blanks, multiple-choice questions, and passage identifications. We will
also ask you to write short responses to questions. Other assessments during the year may involve group projects and oral
presentations as well as other, more free-form writing assignments. Class participation will also count for a percentage of your
grade.

III. You may use any HARD COPY notes you take on the readings on our in class quizzes.
IV. You may replace ONE quiz grade per trimester with a write-up of a movie from the Humanities Film Series. You must
be in attendance at the Humanities Film Series Screening and sign in at the screening to receive credit. Your write-up
will consist of an analysis of how that film deals with historical realities or themes we’ve discussed in class.
V. We reserve the right to do book checks for credit. In order to get the points for a book check you must have the correct
books from the reading assigned for that class period with you at the beginning of class.
VI. Your grades are always available on Canvas for viewing. If you have any questions, please let us know! Your grades-
in-progress are always available on Canvas for viewing. It is your responsibility to check grades in Canvas for one
indication of your progress in class, and they’re available 24/7. As we all know, grades are only one measure of
your progress. Please keep this in mind as you try to make meaning of the American experience; be attentive to
your grades—don’t let them control you! If you have any concerns, questions, or corrections, PLEASE let us
know!
VI.

ACADEMIC HONESTY

The assignments you turn in for your humanities courses should be your own work. Unless your instructors specify that an
assignment is a group project or that collaboration is permitted, you should work individually on the assignment, with no help
from others. Some assignments will require you to make an argument based on your analysis, critique, and evaluation of
particular texts and documents. For such assignments, you must document these and other sources you use in completing the
assignment—that is, you must give credit to those sources (books, articles, electronic sources, lectures, films, recordings,
interviews, conversations, etc.) for facts, ideas, quotations, and paraphrased material you have incorporated into your own work.
Documentation means acknowledging that you drew ideas from an outside source to help support your own ideas in your writing
or in any presentation of material you organize. Failing to give credit or presenting another person’s words or ideas as your own
is plagiarism—a serious Level 2 or Level 3 offense (depending upon the particular circumstances) under the NCSSM Code of
Student Conduct. If you are charged with plagiarism or another form of academic dishonesty and that charge is upheld, you will
receive a zero for the assignment. If the assignment is a major one, that zero may result in your failing the course. Other
penalties—in accordance with the NCSSM Code of Student Conduct—may apply. Your instructors will give you further
directions on how to document sources, and they will make explicit what sources you will be permitted to use for particular
assignments. Consult your instructors if you are unsure about any of the procedures for correct documentation or about their
expectations for any assignment [see Appendix I for additional Rules and Policies].

[Put the Academic Honesty Policy and put the sheet they have to sign at the end of the packet]
 Guiding Questions [Questions to Think About] for Trimester One
 What are the Values that Define America and Americans?
What are their sources? Is it fair to judge a country by a
set of “Values?”
 What role does the Protestant Reformation play in
establishing the characteristics of the various colonial
“regions”? What impact does the Scientific Revolution
and the Enlightenment have in creating colonial identity?
 What role does the presentation and subsequent
celebration of Ben Franklin’s “self-made man” play in
defining the American character? How do Ralph Waldo
Emerson and the Transcendentalists modify Franklin’s
vision?
 How does colonial and early American art and literature
offer a variety of racial and ethnic groups a recognized
chance to impact culture in the New World?
 How do attitudes toward and treatment of people of color
influence America’s National Identity?
Formatted: Font: 10 pt
 How do Artistic Representations of America and the new Formatted: Normal, No bullets or numbering
World, through poetry, prose, painting, etc., evolve from
the beginning of the Colonial era through the Mexican Formatted: Font: 10 pt
War?es America’s passage through a variety of waves of Formatted: Normal, No bullets or numbering
cultural influence from Classicism through the
Enlightenment and into Romanticism and
Transcendentalism challenge artists to create “American
Art?”
 Was the Revolution inevitable? Was its outcome pre- Formatted: Font: 10 pt
ordained? How did these new “Americans” balance their
fealty to their colony/state with new feelings of loyalty to
the American republic?
 How does the acquisition of land west of the original 13
colonies fuel feelings of both nationalism and
sectionalism within the new nation as the calendar moves
toward 1860?

ASSIGNMENTS SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR THE START OF CLASS THAT DAY!

Readings Highlighted in YELLOW need Individual Reading Journal Sheets completed prior to class

Dates in GREEN are Test Eligible Dates in this BLUEYELLOW are NOT Test Eligible

Colonization and the “Creation” of the New World

Week One: Composing an Argument—Making Evidence Your FriendInventing
America—The Transatlantic World
8/158 (T) 1st Day of School and Convocation
10:45-12:15Topic: Welcome, Introductions, Policies, and Evidence-Based Decisions— What IS an American?ASSIGN
COLONIAL JIGSAW!!
lab day
Assignment: Assign Written Response #1; Gather your books from the bookroom during your assigned times.
Please cross check these with the descriptions on page 1 including edition #snone

8/169 (W) Topic: Sleep, Study, and Socialize—Using Evidence in WritingCulture and Context—European Pressures on
the West
8:55-9:455
Assignment: Written Response #1 duenone

8/1720 (Th) Topics: The British in Virginia, and the Virginian AristocracyThinking and Writing
9:50-10:40
Assignment: Written Response #2 Due; TCIS Introduction & ch. 1 (pp. 1-27)
CAP pp. 21-25 and # 3 Thomas Harriot “From a Brief and True Report…” & 5 George Percy
(1607) “Discourse”William Bradford Of Plymouth Plantation (handout)

8/1821 (F) Topic: Native AmericansCrevecoeur and Perceptions of America; Jigsaw Project assigned
8:00-8:5055-9:45
Assignment: National Humanities Center packet and Notes Sheet St. Jean de Crevecoeur Manners of the
Americans” (handout/Moodle)
 Week Two: Colonial Space and the Power of Geographical Isolation
8/214 (M) Shortened Class Period—Summer Reading Discussions in the Afternoon
Topic: Culture and Context—Why Does the 16th Century Matter to America?Summer Reading
Seminar/Shortened Schedule
8:00-8:350 Topic: The British in Virginia, and the Virginian Aristocracy

Assignment: Written Response #3 assigned;

MPAH pp. 1-3CAP pp. 21-25 # 3, 5, & 6

8/225 (T) Henretta First Set (pp. 56-61; 72-76) DUE at the Beginning of Class
10:45-12:15
lab day Topic: How Do Pre-Conceptions Shape What We Read?The Environment ?
10:45-12:15
lab day Assignment:
Assignment: Lincoln Letter & Paul Veyne Essay (both on Canvas)
Dirty World/Clean Place?

8/236 (W) Topic: John Winthrop, New England, Puritan Exceptionalism, and “A City On A Hill”
8:55-9:45
Assignment: Written Response #3 Due & Written Response #4 assigned
CAP pp. 43-50 #1 John Winthrop (1630) “A Model of Christion Charity” and 49 #2 (1637)
“Excerpts from the Trial of Anne Hutchinson”

8/247 (Th) Topic: Anne Bradstreet and William Bradford

9:50-10-40
Assignment: Heath pp. 197-198 “Upon the Burning of Our House,” “The Author and Her Book” (1666); Heath
pp. 166-169 Of Plymouth Plantation (1619)

8/258 (F) Topic: Thinking of the Colonies as at Least FOUR Separate Regions
8:00-8:5055-9:45 Topic: Two More Regions Try To Establish an Identity—the Middle Colonies and the Carolinas
Assignment: MPAH pp. 38-42 Richard Frethorne (1623) “An Indentured Servant Laments His Condition in
Virginia;” George Alsop (1666) “Servants in Maryland Profit from Life in the Colonies;” Nathaniel
Bacon (1676) “The Misdeeds of the Virginia Governor

Assignment: Henretta pp. 72-75 & 112-120

Week Three: Old World Traditions and New World Realities

8/2831 (M) Topic: Servitude, Slavery, and Rebellion Identity and Public Perception—Is there A Pressure to COVER?
8:00-8:50
Assignment: MPAH (pp. 46-49) #4 (1660-1705) “#6 Olaudah Equiano (1757) “The Horrors of Enslavement;”
Phillis Wheatley (1773) “On Being Brought from Africa to America” (Heath p.575) and “Three
Documents on Slave Revolts” in Canvas Kenji _________ article on Canvas

8/299/1 (T) Henretta Second Set (pp. 98-103; 108-125) DUE at the Beginning of Class
10:45-12:15
lab day Formatted: Tab stops: 0.88", Left + Not at 1"
Topic: Base Groups Researching in the Library in Expert Groups—Everyone Meet in the Library
10:45-12:15
lab day
 Assignment: Heath pp. 232-242 “The Preface,” “Meditations,” “Huswifery,” “I Am The Living Bread”Jigsaw
Packet and notes with you ready to work

8/309/2 (W) Topic: Middle Colonies—Creating the Second Wave of British North AmericaThe Middle Passage and
Slavery—Equiano and Phillis Wheatley
8:55-9:45
Assignment: MPAH (pp. 74-75 & 80-81) William Penn (1681) “Promotes his Colonies;” Dr. Alexander
Hamilton (1744) “Depicts the Material Acquisitions of Northern Colonists”
MPAH (pp. 42-45) The Life of Olaudah Equiano (1789);
Heath (p. 575) “On Being Brought From Africa to America”

8/319/3 (Th) Topic: Women in Colonial America—Different PerspectivesTwo More Regions Diversify the Coast—The
Middle Colonies and the Carolinas
9:50-10:40
Assignment: Handouts in Canvas
Henretta pp. 72-75 & 112-120

9/14 (F) Extended: Dorms close at 5:00 P.M.

8:00/8:5055-9:45 Topic: Were There Really Witches in Salem?The Salem Witch Trials
Assignment: Written Response #4 due
Heath pp. 253-260 Cotton Mather from “The Wonders of the Invisible World,” (1692) Heath (p.
255-260) “The Devil Attacks” (1693) Cotton Mather
 Week Four: Coastal Perceptions of The New World—It Matters Where One Stands

9/47 (M) HOLIDAY: No School

9/58 (T) Topic: Back In Base Groups Teaching and Learning About Colonial America—Meet in the Library
10:45-12:15
lab day Assignment: Make sure your handout is in Canvas and that you have printed a hard copy to give to Mr. Thaden
and Ms. Brenner Topic: Back In Base Groups Teaching and Learning About Colonial America—
Meet in the Library
10:45-12:15
lab day Assignment: Make sure you handout is in Canvas and that you have printed a hard copy to give to Mr./ Thaden
and Ms. Brenner

9/69 (W) Henretta Third Set (pp. 125-136 [skip 126, 127]) DUE at the Beginning of Class
8:55-9:45 Topic: Ben Franklin and the Enlightenment (Part I)

Topic: Ben Franklin and The Enlightenment (Part I)

8:55-9:45
Assignment: Written Response #5 assigned
Heath (p. 381-424) Benjamin Franklin (1791) The Autobiography of Benjamin FranklinHeath (p.
289-297) The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin (17??) (

9/710 (Th) Topics: The First Great Awakening—Are YOU Ignoring the Fact That You Are A Sinner?The First Great
Awakening—Are YOU Ignoring the Fact That You Are A Sinner?
9:50-10:40
Assignment: Jonathan Edwards’s sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” Heath pp. 328-339
Jonathan Edwards’s sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” Heath pp. 328-339

9/811 (F) Topic: TESTBen Franklin, American! (Part II)

8:00/8:5055-9:45
Assignment: STUDY!Jonathan Edwards’s sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” Heath pp. 328-
339(see readings for 9/9)

Week Five: Was The Revolution Inevitable? The Causes Obvious to One and All?

9/114 (M) Topic: Ben Franklin, American! (Part II) TEST

8:00-8:50
Assignment: (see Franklin readings from 9/8 and add pp. 424-434)

9/125 (T) Henretta Fourth Set (pp. 148-152; 158-164) DUE at the Beginning of Class
10:45-12:15 Topic: Writing Meetings
Lab day 10:45-12:15
Lab day Assignment: Follow Your Assigned Schedule with Drafts, etc.

9/136 (W) Topic: How Dueling Scholars Explain the Revolution in the Colonies [First Day in Library]Language, The Sons
of Liberty¸ and Parliament’s Response to Those Unruly Colonists
8:55-9:45
Assignment: Bailyn’s essay concerning “British Corruption” (MP pp. 116-123) or Wood’s essay describing a Formatted: Not Highlight
“Radical Departure” (MP pp. 124-131) as assigned
Henretta pp. 145-164

9/147 (Th) Topic: Explaining Your Scholar’s Position [Second Day in the Library]How Dueling Scholars Explain the
Revolution in the Colonies [First Day in Library]
9:50-10:40
Assignment: (see Wednesday) Bailyn’s essay concerning “British Corruption” (MP pp. 116-123) or Wood’s Formatted: Indent: Left: 0", Hanging: 1.63"
essay describing a “Radical Departure” (MP pp. 124-131) as assigned

9/158 (F) Topic: Language, The Sons of Liberty¸ and Parliament’s Response to Those Unruly ColonistsTopic: Explaining
Your Scholar’s Position [Second Day in the Library]
8:00-8:5055-9:45
Assignment: MPAH (pp. 103-104) #1 “Congress Condemns the Stamp Act” (1765) & (pp. 104-105) “The Town
of Boston Denounces the ‘Boston Massacre’” (1770)(see Thursday)

Family Day on Saturday, September 19th

 Week Six: An “Enlightened” Call for Self-Government
9/1821 (M) Topic: Thomas Paine and Common Sense
8:00-8:50
Assignment: Assignment, test, and Material to Prepare on line iin Canvas

9/1922 (T) Henretta Fifth Set (pp. 180-182; 192-199 [skip196, 197]) DUE at the Beginning of Class
10:45-12:15
lab day Topic: Thomas Jefferson, The Rights of Man, and the Language that Declared Independence
10:45-12:15 Formatted: Indent: Left: 0", Hanging: 1.63"
lab day Assignment: MPAH pp. 1062-108, #1, #2, #3 Thomas Jefferson (1774) “The Rights of British Americans,” , #4
Patrick Henry (1775) “The British [should] Maintain American Liberties;” Henretta pp. D-1-D-2

9/203(W) Topic: Revolutionary WomenHopes and Fears of Early Americans

8:55-9:45
Assignment: Written Response #5 Due
John and Abigail Adams letters; Heath pp. 441-444 & 452-453: J. Hector St. John de Crevecoeur, Formatted: Not Highlight
Letters from an American Farmer, (1782) and Fanny Wright text—both in Canvas; Heath pp. 555- Formatted: Highlight
562 Judith Sargent Murray, On the Equality of the Sexes (1790)
Formatted: Indent: Left: 0", Hanging: 1.63", Tab stops:
1.63", Left + Not at 0.88"

9/214 (Th) Topic: Romanticism and the Insufficiency of Reason in the Visual and Literary Arts
9:50-10:40
Assignment: Heath pp. 1014-1027 “The Purloined Letter” Edgar Allen Poe (1844??), “Sonnet to Science” by Formatted: Highlight
Edgar Allen Poe in Canvas; Heath pp. 941-953 Introduction and “Rip Van Winkle” Washington
Irving (1819)

9/225 (F) Shortened Schedule for College Day Activities

8:00-8:40
Topics: American Tradition—What We Say and What We DoThe Insufficiency of Reason and Painting the
Ideal
8:55-9:45
Assignment: Heath pp. 441-444 & 452-453: J. Hector St. John de Crevecoeur, Letters from an American Formatted: Indent: Left: 0", Hanging: 1.69"
Farmer, (1782); Heath pp. 481-484: Thomas Jefferson, Declaration of Independence (1776) and Formatted: Highlight
Heath pp. 1014- “The Purloined Letter” Edgar Allen Poe (18??)

Family Day on Saturday, September 23rd

Week Seven: Versions of “We The People” and Ways To See This “New Land”
Innovation Week: Unique Schedule

9/28 (M) Topic: The Confessions of Nat Turner and Fears of Slave Rebellion
8:00-8:50
Assignment: Confessions of Nat Turner (in Canvas as assigned)

9/29 (T) Topic: Slave Narratives: Making A Man Into A Slave

10:45-12:15
lab day Assignment: Heath pp. 866-886 Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas An America
Slave Frederick Douglass (1845)

9/30 (W) Topic: A New Constitution—Pros and Cons

8:55-9:45
 Topic: A New Constitution—Pros and Cons

Assignment: MP pp. 142-147 documents #7, #8, #9

10/1 (Th) Topic: Franklin’s Letter to Joseph Priestly

9:50-10:40
Assignment: Moodle (handout)

10/2 (F) Extended: Dorms close at 5:00 P.M.

8:55-9:45
Topic: Test

Assignment: In class and a Take-Home due October 16

9/25 (M) Henretta Sixth Set (pp. 216-228 [skip 218, 219]) DUE at the Beginning of Class
8:00-8:50 Topic: “Prime” Research—The Curse of Jeff Bezos
Assignment: Preparing for Written Response #6

9/26 (T) Topic: Work On Research

8:30-10:00 Assignment: Blog Post—Written Response #6 due
9/27 (W) NO CLASS TODAY FOR I-WEEK ACTIVITIES
9/28 (Th) NO CLASS TODAY FOR I-WEEK ACTIVITIES
9/29 (F) NO CLASS TODAY FOR I-WEEK ACTIVITIES Extended: Dorms close at 5:00 P.M.
 Week Eight: A Nation Defines Itself—Legal, Enlightened, and Romantic Transitions
10/25 (M) NO SCHOOL: Teacher Work Day

10/36 (T) Henretta Seventh Set (pp. 253-262 [skip 260, 261]) DUE at the Beginning of Class
lab day
10:45-12:15 Topic: Women of Color and the Dual Oppression of Female SlavesLucy Terry, Jupiter Harmon, 8:55-9:45
lab day
10:45-12:15
Assignment: Assign Written Response #7
Terry and Harmon handout & Moodle; Heath pp. 843-853 (ch. I & X) Incidents in the Life of a
Slave Girl CAP pp. 135-146 Formatted: Font: Italic

10/47 (W) Topic: TEST!

Federalists, Republicans, and the Election of 1800—the REAL American Revolution?
8:55-9:45
Assignment: Jefferson’s Inaugural address (Moodle); Hen pp. 253-265

10/58 (Th) Topic: The Confederation Congress and the Troubles with the Articles of ConfederationPhillis Wheatley
9:50-10:40
Assignment: Wheatley Heath pp. 574-577 “On the Death….” “On Being Brought…..” “To the University….”
“To His Excellency….”MPAH pp. 139-142 #5 1787 “The Northwest Ordinance,” #6 Generals Shepard and
Lincoln (1787) “Regret the Disorder that Characterized Shay’s Rebellion”

10/69 (F) Topic: Slavery & Masculinity—Oppression & ReformThe Second Great Awakening
8:00-8:5055-9:45
Assignment: Heath pp. 866-886 (ch. 1-4) Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas An America Slave
Frederick Douglass (1845) CAP pp. 135-146

Week Nine: Innovation Week: Unique Schedule

Texts Do More Than Define Things

— Is Democracy Merely Mob Rule?

10/12 (M) Topic: William Cullen Bryant and Romanticism
8:00-8:50
Assignment: Heath pp. 1200-1204 “Thanatopsis,” “To A Waterfowl,” “Abraham Lincoln”

10/13 (T) Topic: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave
10:20-11:50
Assignment: Heath pp. 867-889

10/14(W) NO CLASS TODAY FOR I-WEEK ACTIVITIES

10/15 (Th) NO CLASS TODAY FOR I-WEEK ACTIVITIES

10/16 (F) NO CLASS TODAY FOR I-WEEK ACTIVITIES

10/9 (M) [Follow A Wednesday Schedule]

8:55-9:45
Topic: Creating a Federal Republic That Very Few Knew That They Wanted
Assignment: tba

10/10 (T) Henretta Eighth Set (pp. 291-303 [skip 300, 301]) DUE at the Beginning of Class
10:45-12:15
lab day Topic: Two Revolutions and the Rise of the “Peoples” Republic

Assignment: Jefferson’s First Inaugural in Canvas; MPAH p. 165 Thomas Jefferson (1785) #1 “The Virtues of
the Yeoman Farmer”

10/11 (W) No Classes Today: All Juniors take the PSAT in the morning
8:55-9:45

10/12 (Th) Topic: Frederick Douglass (cont.)

9:50-10:40
Assignment: Heath pp. 886-911

10/13 (F) Topic: The Second Great Awakening

8:00-8:50
Assignment: CAP pp. 135-146 #1 Fanny Lewis (1803)“Glory! Glory! This Is The Happiest Day I Ever Saw;” #2
William Thacher (1804) “The Melting Power of God;” #4 Martin J. Spaulding “A Fanaticism as
Absurd as it was Blasphemous;” #6”An Apology for Camp Meetings”
Week Ten: Reform vs. Majority Rule—Is There One Set Of Values Governing
America’s Behavior? What Happens to the Marginalized Minorities?
10/169 (M) Topic: Emerson, the Transcendentalists, and “Self-Reliance”
8:55-9:4500-8:50

Assignment: “Self-Reliance” (in Canvas as assigned) Topic: Frederick Douglass (continued)

8:00-8:50
Assignment: Heath pp. 889-911 Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave

10/1720 (T) Henretta Ninth Set (pp. 317-332 [skip 318, 325, 326]) DUE at the Beginning of Class
10:45-12:15
lab day Topic: Writing MeetingsFrederick Douglass (continued)
Topic: Washington Irving (cont.)
10:45-12:15
lab day Assignment: Copies of Written Response #7Assignment: “Rip Van Winkle” (cont.)

10/1821 (W) Topic: Emerson and “Nature” & Thoreau at Walden Pond Topic: Missouri Compromise and Jefferson’s
Bells
8:55-9:45
Assignment:

Assignment: Heath pp. 689-694 “Nature” (1836); Heath pp. 765-775 Walden (1854)

10/1922 (Th) Topic: Ralph Waldo EmersonDark Romanticism and Science

9:50-10:40
Assignment: Heath pp. 707-723 “Self-Reliance” Heath pp. 977-988 Nathaniel Hawthorne (1843) “The
Birthmark”

10/20 3(F) Topic: Andrew Jackson, Manifest Destiny, and SlaveryImmigration and the Stirrings of Industrialization
8:00-8:5055-9:45
Assignment: MP pp. 342-350”White Slaves, Wage Slaves, and Free White Labor in the North Written
Response #7 Due
CAP pp. 171-175 #5 an editorial “from The Democratic Republican;” #8 Andrew Jackson (1837)
“The Cause of Freedom Will Continue to Triumph Over All Its Enemies” Formatted: Highlight
Week Eleven: The Quest for Identity—Who Are These Americans?
10/236 (M) Topic: Frederick Douglass (concluded) [Follow Friday Schedule]
8:55-9:45 Topic: Emerson
Assignment: Heath pp. 918-931 (including the Appendix)Heath pp. 707-723 “Self-Reliance” (cont.)

S
10/247 (T) Henretta Tenth Set (pp. 354-360; 366-372 [skip 368, 369]) DUE at the Beginning of Class
10:45-12:15
lab day Topic: The Mexican War, the Problems with Expansion, and the Compromise of 1850
Frederick Douglass (concluded)
10:45-12:15
lab day
Assignment: Heath pp. 912-934 Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave tba

10/258 (W) Topic: Henry David Thoreau’s Stand against the Mexican War Emerson
8:55-9:45
Assignment: Heath pp. 751-759 “Resistance to Civil Government” (1849)Heath pp. 707-723 “Self-Reliance”
(conc.)

10/269 (Th) Topic: Texas, Mexico, James K. Polk, Manifest Destiny, Compromise of 1850Themes and Trends—Where have
we been? What have we noticed? What surprised us?
9:50-10:40
Assignment: noneHEN pp. 414-427

10/2370 (F) Topic: Trimester Exams—No exams until 1:30 American Studies Exam 6:00-8:00
8:00-8:50
Assignment: none

Week Twelve:

10/301/2 (M) Trimester Exams

101/313 (T) Trimester Exams

11/14 (W) Trimester Exams—Last exam scheduled for 1:30-3:30

11/25 (Th) Trimester Exams American Studies Exam 1:30-3:30Work Day: No School

11/36 (F) Work Day: No School

 Appendix I

Relief from Multiple Major Assignments or Tests

We abide by NCSSM’s policy regarding multiple major assignments and tests:
Students at NCSSM are expected to manage their time effectively and complete multiple assignments each academic day.
However, it is particularly important on major assignments and tests that students be allowed to demonstrate fully the
learning they have accomplished. Thus, any student who has more than two such assignments (see Testing and Major
Assignments Calendar for definition) falling due on the same day may request relief.
In any such case, as early as possible—but no later than 48 hours (two days) in advance—the student submits his/her
request to the Academic Programs Office specifying the courses, instructors, and assignments involved. Academic
Programs confirms the multiple assignment conflict by contacting the individual instructors, and determines the best
course of action to take in order to provide relief. The student and instructor then are notified of the approved change—
no later than 24 hours in advance.

Expectations for Academic Honesty in NCSSM’s Humanities Courses

(adapted from NCSSM’s school-wide policy)

Instructors will make clear to all students in their courses what their specific expectations are about academic honesty
and will include this information in their course documents. Students are responsible for understanding what style of
assignment preparation is acceptable to the instructor, and when and if collaboration is allowed. Students are expected to
act in an ethical and honorable manner at all times. All work turned in by a student should be the result of his or her own
efforts unless otherwise instructed. All tests and quizzes are done individually with no help from others. Specific
instructions on how to collaborate are given for any assignments that are completed with a partner or a group. Faculty or
student tutorials are available to students provided the teacher permits getting help on the assignment. It is to a student’s
advantage to make a serious attempt at the assignment before seeking help. For essays and research assignments,
students must cite all sources for ideas that are not their own.
The following are considered breaches of academic honesty:

1. Giving or receiving help during a test or quiz;

2. Discussing the contents of a test or quiz;
3. Programming unauthorized information into electronic devices to be used during a test or quiz;
4. Completing graded assignments for other students—a violation for both the giver and recipient of the work;
5. Collaborating on assignments that have clearly been designated as individual work;
6. Not citing correct sources for ideas and evidence in written and, in some cases, oral work;
7. Taking credit for more work on an assigned group project than was actually contributed;
8. Submitting work previously done for another class at NCSSM or elsewhere.
An instructor who suspects that a student has violated academic honesty expectations should discuss the situation with
the student and, on the basis of that discussion, decide whether the perception is accurate or inaccurate. If the instructor
believes that a violation did occur, the procedures stated in the Code of Student Conduct should be followed. In
accordance with school-wide policies and the list above, the instructor sets the standard for what does or does not
constitute academic dishonesty in a specific class.
Every student is required to sign an Academic Honesty Statement for each course. Your e-signature indicates that
you understand the policy and agree to adhere to it.

USING LAPTOPS AND OTHER ELECTRONIC DEVICES IN CLASS

Electronic devices are an important aid to learning, but during class time they should be used only for class-related
activities. If during class time you are found to be texting, checking e-mail, web-browsing, or otherwise abusing your
privileges, you will lose the right to use electronic devices in class. Other sanctions (levels, in accordance with the NCSSM
Code of Student Conduct) may apply. Please back up all your assignments on a flash drive, Google drive, or in the Cloud.
TARDIES AND ATTENDANCE
It is the responsibility of every student at NCSSM to attend all scheduled classes, meetings or other required activities on
each academic day. Instructors enter into the school database a report of student attendance for all class periods. It is
imperative that students be both present and on time to each of their classes to avoid disrupting other students and to
fully benefit from the learning opportunities afforded. The same is true for all required meetings and mandatory
community activities.
A student who is up to 5 minutes late to a scheduled class (or activity) is dealt with by the instructor in accordance with
his/her published course expectations. A student who misses from 5 up to 15 minutes of a scheduled class period (or
activity) is reported as Tardy (T), and a student who is from 15 up to 25 minutes late is reported as Severely Tardy (ST).
Following the initial report of a tardy by any instructor which is treated as a warning with no response—the student is
assigned thirty minutes of the next Attendance Restricted Study (Saturday morning at 8:00 a.m.) for each Tardy and
assigned one hour of the next Attendance Restricted Study for each Severely Tardy. If a student misses 25 minutes or
more of a single class period (or required activity), the instructor reports the student as absent for that day’s class.
Class absences that are not caused by illness or an emergency situation, or are not specified and approved by appropriate
NCSSM personnel on a Prior Approval of School Absence form, are coded as unexcused.
Instructors are not required to provide an opportunity to make up work missed during an unexcused absence. Notice of
any absence coded unexcused is provided students electronically by the Attendance Coordinator. Students have two
academic days from the date of notification to present to the Academic Programs Office written documentation showing
the coding as unexcused to be incorrect.
A report of all class absences (regardless of code) is readily available to students and their parents online in the school’s
student database. As NCSSM places a high priority on learning opportunities in the classroom, a student who for any
reason misses ten classes in the same course during a single trimester will not be granted academic credit without the
specific permission of the Vice Chancellor for Academic Programs.

Response to Accumulated Unexcused Absences

Unexcused absences are addressed under the disciplinary provisions of the NCSSM Code of Student
Conduct. Please see the NCSSM Student Handbook for details.

LATE AND INCOMPLETE WORK

Hard copies (and electronic copies, if applicable) of assignments are due at the time and place indicated. Make every
effort to meet these deadlines. You should request an extension only in the most extreme circumstances (a serious illness
requiring medical attention, a family emergency, or other similarly compelling reason). If an assignment falls due on a
religious holiday you celebrate, your instructors will gladly make every reasonable accommodation for you if you contact
them in advance. If you need to request an extension, you must do so well in advance (at least 24 hours) of the class for
which the assignment is due, except in the case of an unexpected crisis. You should make every effort to contact your
instructors in person. Use e-mail as a means of contact only if speaking directly with your instructors is not possible. You
must explain why your situation qualifies as a legitimate, extenuating circumstance, and you must negotiate an extension
with your instructors. Be aware that your instructors will not always grant your request. In the event that you fail to
contact your instructors, or fail to demonstrate that your situation is grievous enough to qualify as an extenuating
circumstance, your assignment will be penalized 1/2 letter grade for each day that it is late.
IMPORTANT NOTE: A printing problem does not qualify as an extenuating circumstance. If a printing problem keeps you
from turning in a hard copy on time, send an electronic copy of your assignment to your instructors to prove that you have
completed the assignment by deadline. As soon as your printing problem is resolved, provide your instructors with a hard
copy of your assignment.

School-wide Policy on Late and Incomplete Work

Students are expected to complete and submit all coursework, exams, quizzes and labs by the deadlines established by
the instructor. Late Work (i.e. failure to complete a course assignment by the announced deadline) is reported in the
school’s database and penalized with the same sanction as that for a Severely Tardy—one-hour of Restricted Study at
8:00 a.m. on Saturday morning. Students will be reported for Late Work only once for any assignment that remains
outstanding, however they may continue to accrue a grading penalty based on the number of days any assignment is late.
Repeated incidents of Late Work result in the sanctions that are given for multiple tardies (see Student Handbook for
details). Consequently, it is very important that students either complete each assignment on time or contact their
instructor in advance to arrange for an extension.
Late Work Due to Excused or Approved Absences
When students do not complete and submit assigned work due to an excused or approved absence, they are allowed to
make up the work on a schedule established by meeting with the instructor. If at all possible, this meeting should occur
prior to the day of the absence. The additional time to make up the work will vary depending on the subject and the
nature of the assignment. All sections of the same course, however, have the same policy for make-up work.
Instructors may establish further procedures regarding late work for particular courses in the statement of Class Policies
and Procedures distributed at the beginning of each course. However, no such work (except Trimester exams) may be
accepted after the last class day in each grading period. Trimester Exams must be completed no later than the
examination period scheduled for that course.

Important Reminder Regarding Late Work at the End of the Trimester

NCSSM school policy does not allow teachers to extend due dates into the final exam period, even in cases of
illness. The only provision for turning in an assignment after the last day of classes is to receive an Incomplete for the
course and to complete the work after the trimester ends. If, because of a serious, compelling reason, a student needs to
request an Incomplete, he or she should contact the instructor(s), who will then submit a formal request to the Vice
Chancellor for Student Life, whose approval is required.

Appendix II
WRITING AND AMERICAN STUDIES GOALS AND OUTCOMES
Goal I. Students acquire an understanding of the American cultural fabric as it has developed from the late Fifteenth
Century to the present.

Outcome A. Students demonstrate knowledge of the major events, personalities, trends, and dynamics of
American history.
Outcome B. Students demonstrate knowledge of the major authors and works of American literature.
Outcome C. Students demonstrate an interdisciplinary understanding of the habits of mind of all periods of
American history.

Goal II. Students develop strong critical thinking skills.

Outcome A. Students demonstrate the ability to evaluate and criticize arguments from a variety of sources.
Outcome B. Students demonstrate the ability to formulate arguments based upon evidence and reason.

Goal III. Students become perceptive readers.

Outcome A. Students demonstrate the ability to understand primary and secondary sources from a variety of
sources.
Outcome B. Students demonstrate the ability to question and evaluate authors’ works.

Goal IV. Students become competent writers.

Outcome A. Students develop the ability to write academic essays in which they adequately state a thesis.
Outcome B. Students develop the ability to write academic essays in which they adequately defend a thesis with
appropriate textual evidence and reasoning.
Outcome C. Students demonstrate an adequate command of grammar, punctuation, and the mechanics of
writing.

Goal V. Students strengthen their ability to engage in discussion.

Outcome A. Students learn to be careful listeners and evaluate peers’ arguments respectfully but critically.
Outcome B. Students learn to formulate articulate and germane comments based on evidence and reason.
Outcome C. Students learn to share discussion time and engage in respectful conversation in which no
one is drowned out.