Historical Skills and Methods

Student Learning Outcomes, Goals, Objectives:

Students successfully completing this course will be able to:

History Department Objectives

• Analyze historical duration, succession, and change in terms of human agency and larger systems or structures in a wide variety of places and periods.
• Use historical thinking to contextualize and analyze primary and secondary sources representing different points of view.
• Conduct original research by investigating and interpreting primary and secondary sources
• Use evidence-based reasoning to interpret the past coherently while developing and presenting an original written argument

CIC College Writing Student Learning Outcome

• Analyze written texts to understand how they relate to particular audiences, purposes, and contexts as a way to inform one’s own writing
• Create and revise written texts for particular audiences, purposes, and contexts
• Through oral or written reflection demonstrate awareness of one’s writing choices as well as how one’s own writing contributes to ongoing conversations in the relevant discipline

Course Grading Information:

Activity/Performance Measure	Percentage/Points
Class Participation	15%
In-Class (and occasional at-home) exercises	20%
Salevouris Essay, initial draft	5%
Salevouris Essay, revision	10%
Secondary Source Critique, initial draft	5%
Secondary Source Critique, revision	10%
Primary Source Analysis	10%
Initial Research Portfolio	5%
Final Research Proposal	20%

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-
67-69	D+
63-66	D
60-62	D-
59 or lower	F

Attendance/Participation:

I expect regular attendance. You are allowed to miss two class meetings without penalty. For every absence beyond the first two, I will reduce your cumulative course grade by 2 points (e.g., from 90 to 88). If you miss more than 6 classes, you earn an F for the class. Only in rare cases will I allow additional (unpenalized) absences beyond the initial two: in such rare cases (i.e., flat tires, unexpected doctor's visits, a family member's unexpected illness, etc) I may require documentation. Simply emailing me to tell me that you can't make class (even if for a good reason) doesn't excuse the absence; I will count it towards one of your two freebies.

If something serious and lasting occurs, please come and speak with me and we will decide together how to proceed. Of course, religious observances and official university business/obligations do count as exceptions.

Course Materials Purchased by the Students:

Michael Salevouris with Conal Furay, The Method and Skills of History: a Practical Guide, 4th edition (Wiley-Blackwell, 2015). ISBN: 9781118745441