African American History Syllabus Spring 10

COURSE SYLLABUS
AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY

COURSE TITLE: SURVEY OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY
COURSE NUMBER: HIS 1613 (Seal Hall 115) SECTION 01 CRN 23327
T-TH 12:15-1:30PM D Period
INSTRUCTOR: Mr. James P. Walsh
OFFICE: Seal Hall-Office R
OFFICE TELEPHONE: (601) 403-1231
E-MAIL: JWALSH@PRCC.EDU
OFFICE HOURS: Office hours are posted next to my door at Office R.

COLLEGE MISSION STATEMENT:
Pearl River Community College is a public institution committed to providing quality educational opportunities for all who seek them.

REQUIRED TEXTS:
Franklin, John Hope and Alfred A. Moss, Jr. From Slavery to Freedom: A History of African Americans 8th edition. Boston: McGraw Hill, 2000.
(There will be a small series of assigned readings available either online or as reserved readings at the Circulation Desk of PRCC’s library.)
You will need Scantron sheets for in-class quizzes and the exams. They are available at the bookstore.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES:
This course examines the African American experience from the Atlantic Diaspora to the present. Particular emphasis will be placed on the character of African emigration and American slavery, Reconstruction, the New South, Jim Crow, the two World Wars, and the Civil Rights Movement. In addition, further emphasis will be placed on the experience of African Americans in Mississippi, especially during the Jim Crow and Civil Rights years. Through lecture students will be exposed to both broad and thorough examinations of the black experience in America. Through assigned readings in both the Franklin textbook and reserved readings, the student will be exposed to salient examples of African American historiography. Therefore, the student will be expected to read, interpret, organize, and write about extensive amounts of information concerning the prominent persons, events, and concepts of the African American past. Through these exercises, the successful student—and citizen—will develop an excellent grasp of the material by honing and perfecting analytical skills, reading and writing fundamentals, and the integral processes of critical thinking.

EXAMS AND QUIZZES AND READING EXERCISES:
2 Mid-Term Exams (100 points each) 200 Points 50% Semester Grade
1 Final Exam (100 points) 100 Points 25% Semester Grade
6 Quizzes (10 points each) 60 Points 15% Semester Grade
1 Writing Assignment (40 points) 40 Points 10% Semester Grade 400 Total Points

GRADING SCALE:
90 to 100 A Excellent 360 – 400 Total Points
80 to 89 B Good 320 – 359 Total Points
70 to 79 C Average 280 – 319 Total Points
60 to 69 D Poor 240 – 279 Total Points
59 and Below F Failure 239 and Below

PREREQUISITES;
There are no perquisite classes for this course. It is recommended, however, that students have completed either of the one-year surveys: World Civilizations I & II or U.S. History I & II.


MAKE UPS:
The student MUST see the instructor immediately (the very next class period that the student attends) to make arrangements to make up missed exams. There are no make ups for missed quizzes—they will count as one of your dropped grades. It is the student’s responsibility to stay current on assigned work and exercises.

ATTENDANCE:
Students are allowed to miss twice the number of class sessions as the class meets in a week. Students are therefore allowed four absences during the course of the term. If a student does miss five or more classes, a “cut out” form will be sent to the Academic Dean’s office and the student will be dropped from the class roll and receive an F for the course. A student who is more than fifteen minutes late after the official start time of the class will be considered officially absent from class.

TARDINESS:
To be successful in this class, you need to be diligent in your attendance and promptness. Tardy students miss important material, and even more importantly, disrupt the instructor and other students. Three tardies will count as one absence. Students who leave the classroom before dismissal will be charged with a tardy.

QUIZZES:
There will be nine quizzes based on lecture material, chapters from the textbook, and the selection of readings I will assign through the course of the semester. All quizzes are multiple-choice or true-false. I will drop your three lowest quiz scores. If a student takes an in-class quiz at the beginning of class and then leaves the class, he or she will receive a zero for that quiz and an absence for that day. Bring a Scantron sheet to each in-class quiz day.

EXAMS:
There will be two mid-term (or “hour’) exams. They are fill-in-the-blank, multiple-choice, true-false, and essay. Make-ups for the mid-term exams MUST be arranged with the instructor on the very first day back to class. The final will be comprehensive and completely objective. Bring a Scantron sheet to each mid-term exam and the final.

WRITING ASSIGNMENT:
There will be one short writing assignment due about two thirds of the way through the semester. The required length will be 4 to 5 pages. The assignment will consist of a brief biographical research paper centered on significant figures in African American history here in Mississippi. Students who plagiarize on this assignment will lose all forty points PLUS an additional letter grade off their final course grade. More information about the assignment (and plagiarism) will be handed out as the semester progresses.

EXTRA CREDIT:
There will be one opportunity for extra credit in this course. Upon completion of the extra credit assignment, I will replace your lowest grade of any quiz you have taken with a 100%. I will make details regarding extra credit available later in the semester.

LECTURE MATERIAL:
Because of the “survey” nature of the course, the main emphasis is on lecture and lecture material, thus consistent attendance is of paramount importance. Tape recorders are allowed, but check with the instructor first. Students are NOT allowed to use laptops to take notes during class. “Study buddies” and fill-in note takers, however, are highly recommended.

EMAILS & OFFICE HOURS:
Office hours for instructors at two-year colleges are almost always much greater than those for instructors at four-year institutions. Please take advantage of these office hours as much as possible. Beyond office hours and interpersonal contact, the most efficient way to stay in touch is through emails. All PRCC students have free email accounts. When emailing the instructor, identify yourself with your full name and what class you are enrolled in. Allow the instructor at least 24 hours to respond.




ADA INFORMATION:
If you have a disability that qualifies under the Americans With Disabilities Act and you require accommodations, you should contact Ms. Moody at 601-403-1060 (tmoody@prcc.edu) for information on appropriate policies and procedures.


“ENLIGHTENED SELF-INTEREST”:
There are any number of things that the student can do (and not do) to get the grades that he or she thinks they deserve. Some are listed below.

1.) Do not miss class. Come to class on time. Take notes. Prepare. Be ready to learn.
2.) Take advantage of PRCC’s very generous office hours.
3.) Do not get up in the middle of class. Use the restroom before class.
4.) Do not talk while the instructor is speaking.
5.) Do not sleep in class. You must be mentally present, as well as physically. After being warned, if you sleep in any future class you will be counted absent for that entire class period.
6.) Do not study for another course in this class. If you continue to do so after being warned, I will give you a zero on your previous quiz score in the grade book and count you absent for the day.
7.) Do not use a laptop at any time during the class period.
8.) Do not text during class. If you continue to text after being warned, I will give you a zero on your previous quiz score in the grade book and count you absent for the day.
9.) Do not listen to iPods, MP3 players & all other sundry and nefarious listening devices. If you continue to do so after being warned, I will give you a zero on your previous quiz score in the grade book and count you absent for the day.
10.) If a student persists in talking, sleeping, studying, or texting in class (Numbers 3 through 9 above), I will subtract points, add absences, and ask for a personal conference with the student. If the problem persists, I will inform Dr. Breerwood to remove you from my class.



LECTURE AND CLASS SCHEDULE:

Week 1 1/12-1/14 Class Introduction & Syllabus, West Africa: Society & Origins
Franklin Ch. 1 & 2
Friday 1/15 Last Day to Drop and Add Classes

Week 2 1/19-1/21 The Atlantic Diaspora and the Rise of Colonial Slavery
Franklin Ch. 3& 4
Monday 1/18--MLK Day--Classes do not meet.
Quiz I Thursday 1/21

Week 3 1/26-1/28 The American Revolution and the Rise of the New Republic
Franklin Ch. 5 & 6
Quiz II Thursday 1/28

Week 4 2/2-2/4 Western Expansion & the Expansion of Plantation Slavery
Franklin Ch. 6 & 7
Quiz III Thursday 2/4

Week 5 2/9-2/11 Sectionalism: North, South, East & West
Franklin Ch. 8 & 9



Week 6 2/18 Sectionalism & Civil War
Franklin Ch. 10 & 11
Mardi Gras Mon 2/15 & Tues 2/16 Classes Do Not Meet

Week 7 2/23-2/25 Civil War
Franklin Ch. 11 (cont’d.)
Exam I—Thursday 2/25

Week 8 3/2-3/4 Reconstruction & Resistance—Victory and Defeat
Franklin Ch. 12 & 13
Quiz IV Thursday 3/4

Week 9 3/9-3/11 Self Help, Empire and the Color Line
Franklin Ch. 14 & 15
Quiz V Thursday 3/11

Week 10 3/15-3/19 Spring Break

Week 11 3/23-3/25 World War I, the Great Migration, and Red Summer
Franklin Ch. 16 & 17
Quiz VI Thursday 3/25

Week 12 3/30-4/1 The Harlem Renaissance and the New Deal
Franklin Ch. 18 & 19
Exam II—Thursday 4/1
Good Friday Break 4/2 Classes Do Not Meet

Week 13 4/6-4/8 World War II and the Double V
Franklin Ch. 20 & 21
Thursday 3/4—Book Response Due

Week 14 4/13-4/15 Brown and the Rise of a Civil Rights Movement
Franklin Ch. 22 & 23
Monday 4/12—Last day to withdraw with guaranteed W
Quiz VII Thursday 4/15

Week 15 4/20-4/22 Civil Rights and Black Power
Franklin Ch. 23 (cont’d.)
Quiz VIII Thursday 4/22

Week 16 4/27-4/29 Nixon, Reagan and the newly “Solid South”
Franklin Ch. 24 & 25
Quiz IX Thursday 4/29

Week 17 5/4-5/6 Obama & “Post-Racial America”
Franklin Ch. 25 (cont’d.)
Individual Consultation and Review




FINAL EXAM THURSDAY 5/13 1:00 TO 2:15PM SEAL HALL ROOM 115