Introduction to US History

Resource type: this resource is a course.

Completion status: this resource is ~25% complete.

INTRODUCTION TO US HISTORY I & II
INSTRUCTOR:Geoffrey D. Plourde
This course is a survey of the history of the United States of America, taught at the college level. Due to the massive amount of content involved, this course is separated into two semesters. Semester I (HIST-AM-101) will cover 1492-1865 (Colonies to American Civil War), and Semester II(HIST-AM-102) will cover 1866-Present (Reconstruction to 200x-ish). Wherever possible, I will be using the US History Wikibook. However any textbook will do, and I will use other texts that I have to supplement.

Coursework consists of one assignment and lecture per week, with a final project at the end of each semester. If you are taking this course to prepare for the AP exam, there is some additional coursework focusing on writing skills every four weeks.

Anyone is welcome to follow along and read all the course material. However, those who are taking this course should be motivated and independent learners. While knowledge of US history is beneficial, it is not necessary. Completion of some of the coursework in this class requires a decent command of the English language.

Course Outline

• Week 1
• Week 2
• Week 3
• Week 4

Coursework

Weekly Assignment (Every week)

The lecture for this week provided an overview of a period of US History. Studies have shown that using information increases retention. With that in mind, select an article that relates to this period and improve it one assessment level. You may work with others in small groups, especially if you are attempting to write a GA or FA. You may write an article from scratch, but it must be start class and have one source to fulfill this assignment. Alternately, expand the section of the United States History Wikibook that corresponds to the period of time covered in the lecture.

AP Assignment (Every Four Weeks)

This assignment is for students interested in taking the AP test in May. The Advanced Placement exam is a way for high school students to take a more rigorous course. Students who receive a 3 or higher on the exam will generally get college credit for an introductory course. In the case of US History, those who receive a 4 or 5 generally get credit for two semesters (6-8 credits). This is dependent on each college though. The exam will be 185 minutes and have two sections. The first section is 80 multiple choice questions. The lecture and weekly assignment are designed to provide a solid foundation in this area. The second section is a bit more difficult, as you must write a DBQ paper and two essays in under two hours. This assignment will help in this area.

Over the past four weeks, we have covered several periods of American history. Please answer the following question in essay format. What impact have the periods covered in the last four weeks had on the United States and the world? Defend your answer.

Students

Sign up below if interested. This course is an open entry, open exit course.

Texts

The following books are resources that can be used to study US History. You do not need to splurge on textbooks. If you have a copy or can acquire one cheap, use them. Otherwise they are a waste of money as i have yet to find a single textbook that accurately portrays US History.

• US History Wikibook -Free text developed by Wikibooks, missing some areas.
• The American Pageant. David Kennedy and Lizabeth Cohen. - The most commonly used textbook. If you have a copy, I recommend it as a reference.
• People's History of the United States. Howard Zinn. - This book focuses on providing an alternative view of history from marginalized viewpoints. Because it is controversial, read it with a grain of salt.