United States History II Syllabus

Dallas College

Instructor Information
Name: Michael Tate
DCCCD Email: michaeltate@dcccd.edu
Office Phone: No phone access; please contact by email
Office Location: No physical office location; please contact by email
Office Hours: To be announced
Division Office and Phone: Crockett Hall, C-243, 972-238-6230

Course Information
Course Title: United States History II
Course Number: HIST 1302
Section Number: 81090
Semester/Year: Fall 2020
Credit Hours: 3
Class Meeting Time/Location: Online
Certification Date: Saturday, Sept. 5
Last Day to Withdraw: Thursday, November 12

Course Prerequisites
College level ready in Reading.

Course Description
A survey of the social, political, economic, cultural, and intellectual history of the United
States from the Civil War/Reconstruction era to the present. United States History II
examines industrialization, immigration, world wars, the Great Depression, Cold War
and post-Cold War eras. Themes that may be addressed in United States History II
include: American culture, religion, civil and human rights, technological change,
economic change, immigration and migration, urbanization and suburbanization, the
expansion of the federal government, and the study of U.S. foreign policy.

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Student Learning Outcomes
1. Create an argument through the use of historical evidence.
2. Analyze and interpret primary and secondary sources.
3. Analyze the effects of historical, social, political, economic, cultural, and global forces
on this period of United States history.

Texas Core Objectives

The College defines essential knowledge and skills that students need to develop
during their college experience. These general education competencies parallel the
Texas Core Objectives for Student Learning. In this course, the activities you engage in
will give you the opportunity to practice two or more of the following core competencies:
1. Critical Thinking Skills - to include creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, and
analysis, evaluation and synthesis of information
2. Communication Skills - to include effective development, interpretation, and
expression of ideas through written, oral, and visual communication
3. Empirical and Quantitative Skills - to include the manipulation and analysis of
numerical data or observable facts resulting in informed conclusions
4. Teamwork - to include the ability to consider different points of view and to work
effectively with others to support a shared purpose or goal
5. Personal Responsibility - to include the ability to connect choices, actions, and
consequences to ethical decision-making
6. Social Responsibility - to include intercultural competence, knowledge of civic
responsibility, and the ability to engage effectively in regional, national, and
global communities

Required Course Materials

Unfinished Nation: A Concise History of the American People
Volume 2: From 1865, 9th ed.
Alan Brinkley, Andrew Huebner, and John Giggie
McGraw Hill Publishers, 2019

Note: A student of this institution is not under any obligation to purchase a textbook from
a university-affiliated bookstore. The same textbook may also be available from an
independent retailer, including an online retailer.

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Important: Students who are part of the IncludED program do not need to purchase any
learning materials unless directed by the instructor.

Graded Work
The tables below provide a summary of the graded work in this course and an
explanation of how your final course grade will be calculated.

Summary of Graded Work

Assignments Totals
Historical Thinking 70 percent of final grade
Midterm Exam 15 percent of final grace
Final Exam 15 percent of final grade
TOTAL: 100 points

Final Grade

Percentages Letter Grade

90-100% A
80-89% B
70-79% C
60-69% D
0-59% F

Description of Graded Work

This course will consist of videos, reading, journaling, and a primary source assginment.
Two exams will be administered test your knowledge of the subject.

Reading: There will be readings from the textbook or other sources each week followed
by review or assessment. These assignments will factor into your Historical Thinking
grade.

Journaling and Other Written Assignment: There will also be a series of journal
entries and writings based on prompts that draw together historical and current events
for you to reflect on. These will also factor into your Historical Thinking grade.

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Department Assessment: This is a semester-long assessment using an assortment of
historical sources. It will be included as part of your Historical Thinking assignments.

Midterm and Final Exams: This course will have two exams. They will be a
combination of essay and may include short answer and/or multiple choice questions.
The exam questions will come from the reading and video material.

Attendance
Attendance is crucial to success in this course. Students should set aside several
blocks of time every week to view lecture videos, read assigned materials and prepare
for class assignments. The student must contact the instructor immediately if they will
miss an assignment deadline or exam. Make-ups will be given for excused absences on
a case-by-case basis. 

Late Work Policy

The instructor should be contacted as soon as possible concerning a missed
assignment. A letter grade penalty will apply for each week the assignment is late.
Exceptions will be made on a case-by-case basis and for excused absences. 

Other Course Policies and Academic Integrity

Please familiarize yourself with Dallas College’s Code of Student Conduct, which
applies to this course. It goes without saying that I do not anticipate any problems with
academic integrity. However, cheating, plagiarism, and other violations will result in
substantial penalties. All written work is subject to plagiarism detection software review.
Violations may be forwarded to Richland’s Designated Administrator (DA) directly
responsible for student affairs or discipline for an impartial adjudication.

Institutional Policies
Institutional Policies relating to this course can be accessed using the link below. These
policies include information about tutoring, Disabilities Services, class drop and repeat
options, Title IX, and more.

Dallas College Institutional Policies

(https://www.dcccd.edu/about/legal/policies-for-syllabi/pages/default.aspx)

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Course Schedule*
Section Topics Readings & Assignments
TBD
Part One: The Aggressive Years
1870s - 1919

TBD
Part Two:
The Years of Retreat and Return
1920 - 1950

TBD
Part Three:
The Years of Paranoia and Progress
1950 - 1973

TBD
Part Four:
The Years or Reaction
1973 - 2008

* Course Schedule subject to change at instructor’s discretion

** Instructors reserve the right to amend a syllabus as necessary**