The United States: A General Survey to 1877

Student Learning Outcomes, Goals, Objectives:

Students successfully completing this course will be able to:

Historical Comprehension: analyze historical duration, succession, and change in terms of human agency and larger systems or structures [Lecture & Reading Quizzes, Final Paper]

• appreciate what history is and understand the practice as dependent on human experiences as they change over time

• explain the trajectory of early U.S. history from the pre-colonial era to the end of Reconstruction, pointing to specific historical figures and events

Historical Analysis: use historical thinking to contextualize and analyze primary and secondary sources representing different points of view [Primary Source Close Reading, What Would They Say?, Final Paper]

• learn how to identify, analyze, and assess the arguments of both primary and secondary sources

• appreciate how identity indicators such as class, race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religion, and citizenship status influence the human experience

Historical Research: conduct original research by investigating and interpreting primary and secondary sources [Primary Source Close Reading, Final Paper]

• critically analyze secondary sources, understanding how historical arguments are constructed through primary sources and analysis

Historical Interpretation: use evidence-based reasoning to interpret the past coherently while developing and presenting an original argument, orally and in writing [Final Paper]

• communicate analytical ideas effectively, in both discussion and in writing

• write with clearer prose and more concision

Minerva Academic Curriculum Civics & Community Student Learning Outcomes

• Critically analyze claims, arguments, artifacts or information.

• Construct coherent, evidence-based arguments.

• Evaluate key concepts, principles, arguments, and contexts in founding documents of the American republic, including the United States Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and a representative selection of the Federalist Papers; and,

• Evaluate key milestones in progress and challenges in the effort to form a more perfect Union, including the arguments and contexts surrounding the Gettysburg Address, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the Letter from Birmingham Jail, as well as other texts that reflect the breadth of American experiences.

Course Grading Information:

Activity/Performance Measure	Percentage/Points
Lecture and Section Attendance & Participation	20%
Lecture & Reading Quiz #1	12.5%
Lecture & Reading Quiz #2	12.5%
Primary Source Close Reading	15%
What Would They Say?	15%
Making a Historical Argument Final Paper	25%

Grading Scale:

Percentage	Letter Grade
93-100%	A
90-92%	A-
87-89%	B+
83-86%	B
80-82%	B-
77-79%	C+
73-76%	C
70-72%	C-
63-69%	D
0-63%	F

Attendance/Participation:

Student attendance and participation will be counted as 20% of the course final grade.

Course Materials Purchased by the Students:

No course materials are required.