Course Schedule
PowerPoint Schedule

This course surveys the political, economic, and social development of the United States. It traces the constant and changing values that shaped American institutions, and analyzes the diversity of the American people.  Upon completion of this course you will have a much stronger sense of how the United States reached its present state, both domestically and as a part of the greater world community.

Plagiarism:
You are responsible for understanding the Moorpark College code of academic practice (available online at http://www.moorparkcollege.edu/catalog/policies.html ).  Any student who plagiarizes in this class will receive an "F" grade and be referred to the Dean of Student Learning.

Grading:
Your course grade will be determined by your performance on the following assignments:

PowerPoint Presentation (30 points, or 10%): This is intended to be a fun and informative activity for you and the whole class.  Your small group (3-4 students) will pick a topic of interest and historical value that took place between 1700-1877.  Then develop a PowerPoint presentation, complete with well-organized text and helpful images, for presentation to the class.  The goal is an interesting and informative 10-12 minute presentation that strengthens our understanding of your topic.  Your topic is due on September 14th; please feel free to start discussing possible topics with me as soon as possible.  Please note that your PPT must be on a different topic than your paper. 

Short Research Paper (60 points, or 20%): This 5-7 page paper based entirely on primary source documents related to a particular topic.  We will discuss the specific requirements of this paper in class on February 5th, in the meantime you need to begin developing a paper proposal that outlines your proposed topic and the documents you plan to use, this proposal is due September 21st.  Click here for guidelines for writing the research paper.

Midterm Exam (60 points, or 20%): A traditional in class exam scheduled for October 19th.  Please make sure you bring a 50 question scantron form and a bluebook (both available in the Moorpark College bookstore) with you.  Midterm Reviews: PPT or Text

Final Exam (60 points, or 20%): A traditional in class exam scheduled for December 14th.  Please make sure you bring a 50 question scantron form and a bluebook (both available in the Moorpark College bookstore) with you.  Final Reviews: PPT or Text

I expect that you will take both exams on the scheduled date and time, without exception.

Attendance and Class Participation (90 points, or 30%):  This category is fairly self-explanatory.  It includes class attendance, regular participation in class discussions and debates, and select in-class assignments.  Attendance is absolutely critical to your success in this class, please note that you will lose 10 points for each missed class session.   When you are present I expect you to be present. Your cellphone should be silenced and put away, and laptops will be used for class related purposes only. Do not underestimate the power of the negative image you create when you try send text messages or e-mails on class time.  This grade will be broken down into three 30-point assignments. These assignments will be recorded on 9/21, 11/2, and 12/7.

On each assignment you will receive a certain number of points out of the points possible.  At the end of the course I will divide the total points you have earned by the total points possible to determine your percentage.  From that point the standard grading scale (90-100%=A, 80-89.9=B, 70-79.9=C, 60-69.9=D, 0-59.9=F) will be used to determine your final grade for the course.

Course Schedule:

Date	Assigned Reading/Key Activities and Due Dates
8/17	Introduction
8/24
8/31	PowerPoint Topic Due
9/7
9/14
9/21	Class Participation Grade I Paper Proposal Due
9/28
10/5	Extra Credit Assignment: 1) Read any one (1) of the Federalist Papers from this list: Federalist 10, Federalist 23, Federalist 51, Federalist 69 2) Then use specifc quotes from the Paper you read to describe what you learned about the principles and beliefs of the founding fathers by reading the Papers.  Your response should be between 1-1.5 pages, typed, double spaced.  You may either e-mail your response to me (as a Word Doc or RTF file) or print in and bring it to class on Monday 10/12. Yes, this is good practice for writing your paper :)
10/12
10/19	Midterm Exam Midterm Reviews: PPT or Text
10/26
11/2	Class Participation Grade II
11/9
11/16	Paper Draft Due for Review
11/23
11/30
12/7	Class Participation Grade III Research Paper is Due
12/14	Final Exam

PowerPoint Schedule:

Date	Students' Names	Topic
9/21	Luis Padron Nima Jahanbin Jared Torres Spencer Balsz	Boston Tea Party
9/28	Julia McBeth Ana Tahara Megan Duvick Ariana Raaf	Whiskey Rebellion
10/5	Brooke Mosbeck Deanna Limon Megan Torrey Tyler Malinger Alix Hapsburg	Jefferson & Madison
10/12	Cynthia Bennett Alex Anderson	Free Masons
10/12	Brittany Uko Ken Smith Cari Moore	Seneca Falls Convention
10/26	Chris Balay Alice Anderson Sam Forrest	Social Aspects of the Gold Rush
11/2	Mary Lemerand Kim Wittig Curtis Davis Monique Rogers Angela Suster	Manifest Destiny
11/9	Jeremy Stone Zach Polte Ben Trotman	Advancements in metals technology
11/16	Jason Mann Brian Dittman James D’agati	Transportation During the Civil War
11/23	Michael Janus Cort McPherson David Agredano Caleb Jackson	Ulysses S. Grant & Robert E. Lee