| Time | Days | Location | Instructor | GER | Credit | OPUS Class Number | Syllabus (Tentative) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
8:30am-9:45am | TuTh | Bowden Hall 118 | Kaiser, Michael. | HSC. | 4 | 1039 | TBA. |
Content: This course provides a broad, introductory overview of key historical developments and issues in the making of modern America, from 1877 to the present. By examining the transformation of economic, social, cultural and political life in the United States since the late nineteenth century, students will gain a rich historical context for understanding vital issues of public concern in modern American society.
Required Texts: Les Standiford, Meet You In Hell: Andrew Carnegie, Henry Clay Frick, and the Bitter Partnership That Transformed America; Tim O’Brien, If I Die In a Combat Zone: Box Me Up and Ship Me Home; Timothy Egan, The Worst hard Time: The Untold Story of the Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl; David von Drehle, Triangle: The Fire That Changed America; Kevin Boyle, Arc of Justice: A Saga of Race, Civil Rights, and Murder in the Jazz Age; Paul Fussell, Doing Battle: The Making of a Skeptic; Larry Devlin, Chief of Station, Congo: Fighting the Cold War in a Hot Zone; Cleveland Sellers, The River of No Return: The Autobiography of a Black Militant and the Life and Death of SNCC; Ken Ellingwood, Hard Line: Life and Death on the US-Mexico Border
Recommended Texts: James Roark, et al., The American Promise: A History of the United States, Vol. 2
Grading: 1) Book Reviews (3 x11% = 33%) – There will be three short book reviews of 750-900 words over the course of the semester. 2) In-class Midterm Exam (20%) – It will consist of identification questions and short essays. 3) In-Class Final Exam (30%) – It will consist of identification questions and essay questions. 4) Class Participation (17%) – Participation grades will be determined by attendance at lectures and participation in class discussions.
The schedule of courses on O.P.U.S. is the official listing of courses, including days and times they meet and the General Education Requirements they satisfy. Students should use course descriptions as general guidelines. Course requirements, grading details, book lists, and syllabi are subject to change.