Texas History

History 2301

General Course Syllabus (Internet only)

Textbook: &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; Texas: Crossroads of North America

= &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; De la Teja, Marks, Tyler

= &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; Combined edition with Major Problems in Texas History (Haynes & Wintz)

= &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; ISBN 9780618969661

Instructor: &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; Rob Risko, MA

Office hours (A123): 11-12 MWF & 10-11 TTH, before/after class, or by appointment

= &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; Phone: 903-675-6346

= &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; E-mail: rrisko@tvcc.edu (preferred)

Course Description: &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; This course covers a brief geography of Texas and the history of its people= from the time of the Indians to the present. Special emphasis will be plac= ed on Spanish influence, independence from Mexico, the Republic Period, Civil = War and Reconstruction, as well as the development of the modern state.

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Method of Instruction= :     &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp; WebCt based. The course will be supplemen= ted by on-line assignments, term paper, assigned readings when specified.

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Method of Evaluation<= /b>:     &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp; The course grade will be determined by four major tests, which includes a f= inal exam, as well as on-line assignments. Tests will cover textbook chapt= ers as outlined, on-line assignments, and all selected readings as assigned. Each exam and will count for 12.5% per= cent of the class grade. Your total on-line assignments’ (14) average will also count as a single test grade at 12.5%. The term paper will count 25%. The Video or Book Review Assignment will count 12.5%. Exams will include approximately 50 multiple choice, objective questi= ons based off of the on-line quizzes.

Term Paper Instructions (see website for detail= ed instructions)

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Book Review Instructions (optional assignment that replaces video assignment—see website for more details)

Most of you wrote book repo= rts in high school. A book report usually summarizes the content of a book= or briefly retells the narrative and concludes by offering an opinion on = the merits of the book. A book review does something different. It provide= s a critical analysis.

A book review discusses the main themes of a book, states the author's thesis (main point), descri= bes the author's sources (evidence), assesses the author's use of the sour= ces in arguing the thesis, and compares the author's work with other books= on the same subject. If a book review offers an opinion on the merits of = the book, it does so on the basis of the author= 's stated objectives, not on the basis of the reviewer's biases.

The word "critical&quo= t; in "critical analysis" does not mean that you are obligated = to produce an unfavorable review, nor that you should be disparaging in y= our remarks. It means that you should use critical reading skills to ask yourself what the author's objective is, what the author's thesis is, = and how the author has used his or her sources to construct an argument us= ing evidence that is persuasive. In the final analysis, has the author persuaded you--the reader--to agree with his or her interpretation of history?

Like every good piece of writing, your book review should be constructed with an introduction, = the main body of the text (several paragraphs) in which you develop your analysis, and a conclusion.

Your b= ook review should include the following elements:

Title

Introduction: Identificatio= n of the author and title of the book you are reviewing.

Main body: Objective = or purpose of the book as stated by the author, usually in preface <= /o:p>

Thesis, main argument and secondary argument

Sources Assessment of the author's use of evidence to support thesis Is the author's interpretation convincing? Provide examples to support your o= wn position

Comparison with other books= you have read on the same subject (you may use the textbook as a compariso= n)

Conclusion: Concluding evaluation

Your b= ook review should be three to four pages in length, or 750 to 1000 words when printed double-spaced and in 12-point font.

If you want to include citations from the book you are reviewing, use quotation ma= rks for the citations and insert page number on which the citation appears in parentheses immediately afterwards. If you choose to cite works other than = the book you are reviewing, you should use the appropriate conventions of historical scholarship for footnotes and include a bibliography. A useful g= uide in this respect is Mary Lynn Rampolla, A Poc= ket Guide to Writing in History, 3rd ed. (Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2001. Other methods may be found by simply searching the internet for= Turabian or MLA styles.

Before= you begin writing your book review, you should take a look at some examples of = good reviews. I suggest you look at other reviews as a general starting point. You are not expected to follow the exact format of the reviews. Further, you are not expected to meet their level of sophistication.

Books = of historical scholarship are not novels or works of fiction. They are describ= ed as "non-fiction" and are interpretations of events and phenomena = in the past. Historians "argue" their case. They make claims and assertions about the past, but most historians do not claim to be able to "prove" what happened in the past. You should therefore avoid the words "prove" and "proof." You should also avoid referr= ing to actors in the past as "we." "We" are actors in our o= wn time, but we could not act before we were born. Once you have properly identified actors in the past, the appropriate pronoun to use is "they."

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Major Objectives:           &n= bsp;            = ;            &n= bsp;            = ;            &n= bsp;

1.&nbs= p; To acquire an understanding of history—the basic framework from Pre-Columbian America to the present and how ordinary people acted and were acted upon by events and society.

2.&nbs= p; To develop positive attitudes toward learning, history, and various peoples.

3.&nbs= p; To gain factual knowledge (terminology, classifications, methods, trends).<= o:p>

4.&nbs= p; To learn to apply course material to improve rational thinking, problem-solvin= g, and decision-making.

5.&nbs= p; To develop a sense of personal responsibility (self-reliance, self-discipli= ne).

To gain a broader understanding and appreciation of intellectual and cultural activity (music, science, literature).

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