History 109: Modern American History
Section 5851
Spring Semester 2006

Required Text:

Murrin, John M. et al (2005)  Liberty, Equality, Power: A History of the American People, Vol. II: Since 1863.  Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth.

Additional Readings may be posted on the Blackboard class management system (please check the "assignments" or "announcements" page on the Blackboard server for the due dates for these readings)

Course Description:  A comparative survey of the political, social and cultural development of the United States during the late 19th and 20th centuries.

Our Web management system is Blackboard, its URL is:  http://bb.gcccd.net/

This is the heart of the online class.  This is where you’ll go to participate in our discussions and take your exams. 

Logging in: If you were enrolled in this course before the first week of school, it is not necessary to create an account.  Your information has been loaded into the management system already.  You simply log in on the right hand side of your screen.  Your username is your first name and last name in this format:  firstnamelastname (no spaces, dots, etc. all lower case).   Your password is a 6 digit PIN - birth date in this format: MMDDYY).  If you added after the first day, click on the section “Create an Account” and enter your information.

This management system has all of the tools you will be using for this course.  We will be mainly using the “Discussion Board” area.  This is where our class discussions will take place (“threaded” because they will be organized by topic, and “asynchronous” because we need not post our comments at the same time as others). It is important to keep all of those discussions under the same instructor heading.  This is called a “threaded discussion”.  In order to keep all responses that are related together, do not start a new posting with your answers.   We want all discussions to continue under the same heading until a new discussion begins.  Indeed the most important portion of your participation grade will be your contribution to the discussion board, that is, your comments to my prompts, questions, and responses to those of your classmates. 

To post messages on our Discussion board on Blackboard:  Once you’re logged in, go to the green button on your left called "Discussion Board".  Click it and you’ll see the different topics (threads) we’ll be discussing in this class.  To post your response to my prompt or questions, click "add a new thread", put a heading and type away.   If you’re replying to someone’s posting, click “reply”.  If you want to email that person directly without the message being public, simply click their name.

Assignments and Exams:

Writing assignment:  You will be responsible for writing a 4-5 page book review on a book of your choice (with my prior approval) dealing with any topic covered during this class.  You are free to choose from some of the following topics: Theodore Roosevelt, Progressive Era, Great Depression, World War II, Cold War, Korean War, Vietnam, Civil Rights Movement, Ronald Reagan, etc.  Do not feel confined by these suggestions, however.  You are welcome to write about any topic, provided it is within the parameters of the class and the time period.  Please send me your book review on an e-mail attachment, preferably on Microsoft Word or Appleworks, or leave it in the “digital drop box” in Blackboard. More guidelines about this assignment will be posted on the Blackboard server.

Web Quests: At the end of each chapter, I will provide an Internet activity or “web quest” for you to consider completing.  You are required to complete eight web quests for this class.  You are not obligated to complete all web quests posted this semester.  To complete a web quest, simply answer the questions that are listed, and send me your answers as an e-mail attachment by the required due date.  For the web quests, there will be three due dates that will be announced on Blackboard.  Your web quest grade will be posted on Blackboard at the end of the semester. 

Exams:  You will have four exams during this semester.  Each exam will consist of true/false questions, multiple-choice questions, and term identifications.  Not only will information from the readings be covered, but also topics from PowerPoint programs and lecture outlines will be covered.  There will be no make-ups for any exam.  Each exam must be completed within a four-day window period, and you only have one opportunity to complete each exam.  No "do-overs" will be permitted.  However, there is no time limit to complete these exams, and you will be given access to an Adobe PDF copy of each exam on Blackboard so that you can complete the exam on paper before you attempt the exam on Blackboard.  No incompletes will be given.  (Verified emergencies provide the only exceptions to these policies.)

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities:

Students with disabilities who may need accommodations in this class are encouraged to notify the instructor and contact Disabled Student Services and Programs (DSP&S) early in the session so that reasonable accommodations may be implemented as soon as possible.  Students may contact DSP&S by phone at (619) 644-7112 or (619) 644-7119 (TTY for deaf).

Course Grading Structure

Author: Oscar Cañedo
Last Revised: 01/12/2006