The history of the Unites States is not the narrative of one group. It is a chronicle of many groups and individuals, including Africans, Asians, Europeans, and Native Americans as well as the differing perspectives of men and women. In short, the story of the United States can be compared to a mosaic, combining the rich colors and textures of all the world's cultures and experiences. Recent scholarship attempts to preserve and emphasize the diversity within the broader American experience, enriching but not losing sight of the larger picture formed by the individual segments. As the United States has grown into a dominant world power, this diversity has been a testing ground for the ability of different cultures to live together, albeit sometimes under sometimes challenging circumstances. Today, in the early twenty-first century, a greater appreciation of the complexity of the past and of our contemporary society may offer us the keys for resolving some of the conflicts confronting the United States and the larger world within which we live.
In this course, the organization of topics is mainly chronological, with minor exceptions for thematic reasons. The course comprises seven topics:
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Module 1 |
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Lesson |
Chapter Title |
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1 |
Ch. 17: Reconstruction, 1863-1877 |
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2 |
Ch. 18: Frontiers of Change, Politics of Stalemate, 1865-1898 |
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3 |
Ch. 19: Economic Change and the Crisis of the 1890's |
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4 |
Ch. 20: An Industrial Society, 1890-1920 |
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Ch. 17-20: Exam 1 |
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Module 2 |
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Lesson |
Chapter Title |
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5 |
Ch. 21: Progressivism |
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6 |
Ch. 22: Becoming a World Power, 1898-1917 |
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7 |
Ch. 23: War and Society, 1914-1920 |
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8 |
Ch. 24: The 1920's |
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Ch. 21-24: Exam 2 |
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Module 3 |
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Lesson |
Chapter Title |
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9 |
Ch. 25: The Great Depression and the New Deal, 1929-1939 |
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10 |
Ch. 26: America During the Second World War |
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11 |
Ch. 27: The Age of Containment, 1946-1954 |
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12 |
Ch. 28: Affluence and Its Discontents, 1954-1963 |
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Ch. 25-28: Exam 3 |
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Module 4 |
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Lesson |
Chapter Title |
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13 |
Ch. 29: America during its Longest War |
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14 |
Ch. 30: America in Transition: Economics, Culture, and Social Change in the Late Twentieth Century |
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15 |
Ch. 31: Winds of Change: Politics and Foreign Policy from Ford to Clinton |
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Ch. 29-31: Exam 4 |
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Exams: Each exam will cover material from four chapters of the course text. Exam One will be chapters 1 to 4, Exam Two will be chapters 5 to 8, etc. (See the Overview of Lessons on the previous page.) Each exam will consist of 35 multiple-choice questions and four essay questions. You will be required to answer two of the essay questions. Both the multiple-choice questions and the essay questions are drawn from the study guide. The essay questions are drawn from the section entitled “Discussion and Analysis.” The multiple-choice questions are worth two points each; each essay is worth 15 points.
Papers: Each paper should be 500 to 750 words (2 to 3 pages, double-spaced) in length. Topics for the papers can be found in Section III of the Student Notebook under the words “Possible Paper Topics.” Three topics are given for each chapter. For the first paper, you will be required to choose one topic from any of the eight chapters (24 possibilities); for the second paper, you will be required to choose any topic from the last eight chapters (24 possibilities). The first paper is due when the student takes the second exam; the second is due when the student takes the fourth exam.
Extra-credit assignments: Students will also have the opportunity to submit two extra-credit assignments. Each is worth up to five points. For the assignment(s), students can choose from the list of extra-credit questions on Page 12 & 13 and write a 750 word essay in answer to the question.
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4 exams @ 100 points each = 400 points 2 required papers @ 25 points each = 50 points Total = 450 points 2 extra-credit assignments @ 5 points each* = 10 points Total points possible = 460 points |
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Points |
Grade |
Points |
Grade |
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90-100 |
A |
405-450 |
A |
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80-89 |
B |
360-404 |
B |
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70-79 |
C |
315-359 |
C |
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60-69 |
D |
270-314 |
D |
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59 and below |
F |
269 and below |
F |
Extra-credit set 1
Extra-credit set 2
| All extra-credit work must be submitted before the last exam |
According to UMUC policy, academic dishonesty is the failure to maintain academic integrity. Academic dishonesty includes but is not limited to: cheating (using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information, or study aids in any academic exercise); fabrication (falsification or invention of any information or citation in an academic exercise); bribery offered for grades, transcripts, or diplomas; obtaining or giving aid on an examination; having unauthorized prior knowledge of an examination; doing work for another student, presenting another student's work as one's own; and plagiarism.
Plagiarism is the presentation of another person's idea or product as one's own. Plagiarism includes but is not limited to the following: copying verbatim all or part of another's written work; using phrases, charts, figures, illustrations, or mathematical or scientific solutions without citing the source; paraphrasing ideas, conclusions or research without citing the source; or using all or part of a literary plot, poem, film, musical score or other artistic product without attributing the work to its creator. Students can avoid unintentional plagiarism by carefully following accepted scholarly practices. Notes taken for papers and research projects should accurately record sources of material to be cited, quoted, paraphrased or summarized, and papers should acknowledge these sources in references. Please use the following websites to educate yourself on avoiding plagiarism and on the UMUC policy on plagiarism and academic dishonesty.
Web links to learn more about plagiarism:
University of Maryland University College Asia
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Unit 5060 Box 0100
APO AP 96328-0100
DSN 225-3680

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