syllabus

Axia College

Course Design Guide HIS/135 Version 3The American Experience Since 1945

Please print a copy of this syllabus for handy reference. Whenever there is a question about what assignments are due, please remember this syllabus is considered the ruling document.

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Facilitator Information Kathleen Stillio [email protected] (University of Phoenix) [email protected] (Personal) 412-496-7284 (Eastern Standard Time) Facilitator Availability I am usually available between the hours of 4 pm – 10 pm, Eastern Standard Time in your classroom. I do reserve Wednesdays and Saturdays for my family so I will not be online during that time. I provide you with these times to make it easier to communicate with me, not to limit our contact. Should you need to contact me outside these time frames, you should not hesitate to do so. If you post a question to your Individual Forum I will respond to you the next time I check into class, with a goal of responding within 24 hours! If you would like to speak by phone, you may certainly call me. To ensure you reach me, please post a request for phone communication in your Individual Forum to set up a time for you to call me. Be sure to include your phone number and the time zone. I am here to help you succeed in any way I can. For emergencies, when you are not able to gain access to messages on the Online Learning System (OLS), please send a message to my personal email address. In the event a third party needs to contact me, please direct them to my contact information listed under "facilitator information." No third party should use your login credentials to gain access to the classroom.

Where to Go to Class Main: This is the main forum for the class and is where discussion is conducted. It has read-and-write access for everyone. Chat-Room: This is a read-and-write access forum. It is designed as a place to discuss issues not related to the course content. This is the forum to which we will send our bios. Course-Materials: This is a read-only forum, which means you can read messages here but cannot send any. This is where I will post the course syllabus and materials. Individual Forum: You will see one forum with your name on it. This is a private forum, shared only by you and me, the facilitator. Your classmates will not have access to this forum. You can also ask questions here. However, if you have general questions about instructions of assignments, please post those in the Main forum, since other students may benefit by that exchange as well.

Policies For class policies, please see the Policies link on the left side of the Materials page for the course on eCampus. Faculty and students/learners will be held responsible for understanding and adhering to all policies contained within that link. University policies are subject to change so please be sure to read them at the beginning of each class as it may have changed since your last class. Policies may be slightly different depending on the modality in which you

attend class. If you have recently changed modalities it is important you read the policies governing your current class modality.

Technical Support Technical Support is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Call 1-877-832-4867, or use the e-mail support form. Answers to the most common issues are found in the Knowledge Base by clicking Help, found at the top of every student Web site.

Feedback Each week, I will provide grades or scores and comments on your assignments.

Grading Formula

Points Grade 95+ A 90-94 A- 87-89 B+ 84-86 B 80-83 B- 77-79 C+ 74-76 C 70-73 C- 67-69 D+ 64-66 D 60-63 D- <59 F

Course Description This course is an overview of the principal social, political, economic, and global events which have shaped the American experience since World War II. Understanding modern American history is a necessity in today's ever-changing world. This course aims to supply the tools for understanding current political, social, cultural, and economic problems in the U.S. by applying historical perspective to analyze contemporary issues. Course Topics & Objectives Week One: Start of the Cold War

Explain the impact of McCarthyism on the U.S. Relate the ideology of the Cold War to the breakdown of wartime alliances after the end of WWII. Examine American Cold War policies and practices in international relations from the late 1940s

to the mid-1950s. Week Two: Postwar Economy

Explain how the American economy changed after WWII. Describe the culture of consumption during the Eisenhower administration. Explain Eisenhower’s pragmatic political measures to manage the economy and the politics of

consensus. Week Three: New Frontiers

Describe Kennedy’s vision of the New Frontier. Explain how the U.S. became involved in the politics of Southeast Asia.

Week Four: Liberal Reform Explain how the minority groups’ struggle for civil rights began in the 1950s. Describe the social structure and lifestyles of the Counterculture. Examine the social and political ramifications of LBJ’s Great Society and the continued struggle

for social justice. Week Five: The Vietnam War

Compare Nixon’s policies of engagement to foreign policy strategies used during the Cold War. Describe the connection between student unrest and the Vietnam War. Explain the political and social outcomes of the end of the war in Vietnam.

Week Six: Nixon’s Legacy Measure the impact of the Watergate scandal on public perception of government power.

Week Seven: Reaganomics

Explain how the policies introduced during the Reagan presidency contributed to conservative

politics and stimulation of the economy. Describe the social, economic, and political composition of the decade of corporate greed.

Week Eight: End of the Cold War

Relate the political events of the 1980s to the collapse of communism in Europe and the end of the Cold War.

Week Nine: Moving Toward a Global Community

Explain the role of the U.S. in the emerging global community.

Course Materials Davidson, J. (Ed.). (2006). Nation of nations: A concise narrative of the American republic (4th ed., Vol.

2). New York: McGraw-Hill. Axia College’s Writing Style Handbook, available online at

https://axiaecampus.phoenix.edu/Writing_Style_Handbook_AxiaUOP.pdf All electronic materials are available on your student Web site. Recommended Weekly Point Values Week One

CheckPoint: McCarthyism 30Assignment: Cold War Ideology and Policies 100

Week TwoCheckPoint: Eisenhower’s Politics 30Discussion Questions 20Participation 15

Week ThreeCheckPoint: Kennedy’s New Frontier 30Assignment: Southeast Asia 100

Week FourCheckPoint: Comparing Kennedy’s New Frontier and Johnson’s Great Society 30Discussion Questions 20Participation 15

Week FiveCheckPoint: Nixon’s Politics 30Assignment: The Vietnam War 100

Week SixDiscussion Questions 20Participation 15

Week SevenCheckPoint: Reagan’s Economics 30Assignment: Decade of Corporate Greed 100

Week EightDiscussion Questions 20Participation 15

Week NineCapstone CheckPoint: End of the Cold War 30Final Project: Most Significant Events 250

Point Total 1,000Week One

Start of the Cold War

Explain the impact of McCarthyism on the U.S. Relate the ideology of the Cold War to the breakdown of wartime alliances after the end of WWII. Examine American Cold War policies and practices in international relations from the late 1940s

to the mid-1950s.

Course Assignments 1. Course Preparation

Read the course description and objectives. Read the instructor’s biography and post your own.

2. Readings

Read Appendix A. Read Ch. 27 of Nation of Nations: A Concise Narrative of the American Republic.

3. CheckPoint: McCarthyism

Submit a 150- to 200-word response in which you address the following:

o Explain how McCarthyism affected the lives and political thinking of people in the U.S. o Defend McCarthyism as appropriate or criticize it as inappropriate for the time in which it

occurred. 4. Assignment: Cold War Ideology and Policies

Write a 250- to 350-word paper in which you address the following:

o Describe how the Cold War ideology that crystallized after WWII changed wartime alliances that had existed during the war. o Describe how American Cold War policies and practices influenced international relations from the late 1940s to the mid-1950s.

Format your paper according to APA standards. Post your paper as an attachment.

Summary of Week 1 Deliverables

Assignment Location DuePost BioCheckPoint: McCarthyism

Chat RoomAssignment Section of eCampus

Day 1 (Monday)Day 3 (Wednesday)

Assignment: Cold War Ideology and Policies Assignment Section of eCampus Day 6 (Saturday)

Week Two Postwar Economy

Explain how the American economy changed after WWII. Describe the culture of consumption during the Eisenhower administration.

Explain Eisenhower’s pragmatic political measures to manage the economy and the politics of consensus.

Course Assignments

1. Readings

Read Ch. 28 of the text.

2. CheckPoint: Eisenhower’s Politics

Submit a 150- to 200-word response in which you address the following points:

o Explain the pragmatic, political measures Eisenhower used to manage the economy. o Explain the politics of consensus.

3. Discussion Questions

How did the U.S. economy change after WWII ended, compared to what it had been like during the war? Use specific examples of what people were able to have and do and what it must have felt like after the scarcity of their wartime experiences.

o Respond to your classmates’ answers by considering the following points: Explain how your classmates’ examples might have been experienced differently by people who had fought abroad and people who had stayed in the United States during the war. Explain how your classmates’ examples might have been experienced differently by people who had enjoyed luxuries before the war and people who found them to be a new experience.

Describe the culture of consumption during the Eisenhower administration. How do you think such large-scale, newfound getting and spending culture influenced people’s feelings about America?

o Respond to your classmates’ answers by considering which people were more likely than others to feel the benefits of certain kinds of economic growth. Help connect how public spending influenced business and government budgets, which in turn helped more people.

Weekly Reminders Discussion Questions Discussion question responses will not count towards the class participation requirement and will be evaluated separately. Participation All week: Remember to participate in the class discussions by posting at least 2 substantial messages in 4 out of 7 days during the week. Only posts in the Main classroom forum will count towards your class participation score. Summary of Week 2 Deliverables

Assignment Location DueParticipation Main Forum Ongoing (4 days per week)Week 2 DQ 1 Main Forum Day 2 (Tuesday)Week 2 DQ 2 Main Forum Day 4 (Thursday)

CheckPoint: Eisenhower’s Politics Assignment Section of eCampus Day 6 (Saturday)

Week Three New Frontiers

Describe Kennedy’s vision of the New Frontier. Explain how the U.S. became involved in the politics of Southeast Asia.

Course Assignments

1. CheckPoint: Kennedy’s New Frontier

Submit a 150- to 200-word response describing what Kennedy hoped to accomplish with the New Frontier.

2. Assignment: Southeast Asia

Create a Microsoft® PowerPoint® presentation of 6 to 9 slides in which you address the following points: o Explain how the U.S. became involved in the politics of Southeast Asia. o Explain how this involvement affected the U.S. political climate of the 1950s.

Include text and visual elements in your slides; however, visual elements may not comprise

more than one third of your information. This means, for example, that no more than 3 of 9 slides may be pictures, or no more than one third of each slide may be pictures.

Include speaker notes. Post your presentation as an attachment. Summary of Week 3 Deliverables

Assignment Location DueCheckPoint: Kennedy’s New Frontier Assignment Section of eCampus Day 3 (Wednesday)Assignment: Southeast Asia Assignment Section of eCampus Day 6 (Saturday)

Week Four Liberal Reform

Explain how the minority groups’ struggle for civil rights began in the 1950s. Describe the social structure and lifestyles of the Counterculture. Examine the social and political ramifications of LBJ’s Great Society and the continued struggle

for social justice.

Course Assignments 1. Readings

Read Ch. 29 & 30 of the text.

2. CheckPoint: Comparing Kennedy’s New Frontier and Johnson’s Great Society

Identify the legislative items in the table of Appendix B as pertaining to Kennedy’s New Frontier, to Johnson’s Great Society, or to the legislative proposals of both presidents.

Post your completed appendix as an attachment.


How did the minority groups’ struggle for civil rights begin in the 1950s? Which event from this time do you think was most responsible for bringing public attention to the American Civil Rights Movement? Explain why you selected this event.

o Respond to the events your classmates see as most important by reflecting how the same activities would influence society today. What about society today would make the public reaction similar or different?

Describe the social structure and lifestyles of the 1960s Counterculture. How did the Vietnam War influence the Counterculture? Do you think there is a counterculture today?

o Respond to your classmates’ answers by adding or elaborating on information related to the 1960s Counterculture and about where we see subcultural reactions to today’s social, economic, and political issues.

Weekly Reminders

Discussion Questions

Discussion question responses will not count towards the class participation requirement and will be evaluated separately.

Participation

All week: Remember to participate in the class discussions by posting at least 2 substantial messages in 4 out of 7 days during the week. Only posts in the Main classroom forum will count towards your class participation score.


Assignment Location DueParticipation Main Forum Ongoing (4 days per

week)Week 4 DQ 1 Main Forum Day 2 (Tuesday)Week 4 DQ 2 Main Forum Day 4 (Thursday) CheckPoint: Comparing Kennedy’s and Johnson

Assignment Section of eCampus

Day 5 (Friday)

Week Five The Vietnam War

Compare Nixon’s policies of engagement to foreign policy strategies used during the Cold War. Describe the connection between student unrest and the Vietnam War. Explain the political and social outcomes of the end of the war in Vietnam.

Course Assignments 1. CheckPoint: Nixon’s Politics

Submit a 150- to 200-word response comparing Nixon’s policies of engagement with foreign policy strategies used during the Cold War.

2. Assignment: The Vietnam War

Write a 700- to 1,050-word paper in which you address the following points: o Describe the connection between student unrest and the Vietnam War, noting how each

affected the other. o Explain the political and social outcomes of the end of the Vietnam War. o Use at least two resources to support your response, including one related to the

connection of student unrest and the war, and another related to the political and social outcomes of the war.

Format your paper according to APA standards. Post your assignment as an attachment.


Assignment Location DueCheckPoint: Nixon’s Politics Assignment Section of eCampus Day 3 (Wednesday)Assignment: Vietnam War Assignment Section of eCampus Day 6 (Saturday)

Week Six Nixon’s Legacy

Measure the impact of the Watergate scandal on public perception of government power.


Read Ch. 31 & pp. 941–956 of the text.


If you had been a voter at the time of Nixon's impeachment and resignation, how would the Watergate scandal have affected your perception of government power? Do you think the Watergate scandal has had an enduring effect on the public's perception of government power today? Explain your answer.

o Respond by considering how later politicians had to respond to reactions similar to those

of your classmates’ in order to restore public confidence in government figures.

Post your response to the following: Investigative reporters are bolder today than they were 30 or 40 years ago. How do you think the influence of Watergate has contributed to this boldness? Do you think investigative reporters are justified in being bold to get information for the public, or do you think they are too aggressive?

o Respond to your classmates’ answers by playing devil’s advocate. This means that when a response posts asserting investigators are too aggressive, ask how it is that the investigators can get at the truth. When a response posts asserting that investigators are justified in being bold to get information, ask how it is that people can preserve their privacy and not be tried by public opinion. Remember that this point or counterpoint type of discussion must be conducted with mature courtesy.


Assignment Location DueParticipation Main Forum Ongoing (4 days per week)Week 6 DQ 1 Main Forum Day 2 (Tuesday)Week 6 DQ 2 Main Forum Day 3 (Wednesday) Week Seven Reaganomics

Explain how the politics introduced during the Reagan presidency contributed to conservative

politics and stimulation of the economy. Describe the social, economic, and political composition of the decade of corporate greed.

Course Assignments 1. CheckPoint: Reagan’s Economics

Submit a 150- to 200-word response in which you explain how Reagan’s policies reflected conservative politics and contributed to stimulation of the economy.

2. Assignment: Decade of Corporate Greed

Review the Electronic Reserve Readings for this week, located on your student web site, which provide additional information about Reaganomics and the decade of corporate greed. These readings demonstrate different viewpoints, so read carefully to understand the

arguments both for and against Reaganomics. Notice that an article in favor of Reaganomics may give you arguments against it, and vice versa.

Create a Microsoft® PowerPoint® presentation of 6 to 9 slides in which you address the following point:

o Describe the social, economic, and political composition of the decade of corporate greed

and how it affected the political climate of the 1980s. Keep in mind that Reagan's tax policies favored some people over others.

Include text and visual elements in your slides; however, visual elements may not comprise

more than one third of your information. This means, for example, that no more than 3 of 9 slides may be pictures, or no more than one third of each slide may be pictures.

Include speaker notes. Post your presentation as an attachment.


Assignment Location DueCheckPoint: Reagan’s Economics Assignment Section of eCampus Day 3 (Wednesday)Assignment: Decade of Corporate Greed Assignment Section of eCampus Day 6 (Saturday)

Week Eight End of the Cold War

Relate the political events of the 1980s to the collapse of communism in Europe and the end of

the Cold War.


Read pp. 956–965 & Ch. 33 of the text.

2. Discussion Questions Which political events of the 1980s had the most influence on the collapse of Communism in

Europe and the end of the Cold War? Explain your answer.

o Respond by discussing how history may have been different if the events in your classmates’ answers had not happened or if they had happened at a different time. For example, if they had happened either sooner or later, how might they have affected other events? Explain these differences in detail.

Looking at how Mikhail Gorbachev’s policies changed the Soviet Union, would you consider

him a patriot, or in a sense, a subversive? Explain your answer. o Respond by using the reasons your classmates discuss to compare how other historic

figures may be considered similarly either patriots or subversives.


Assignment Location DueParticipation Main Forum Ongoing (4 days per week)Week 8 DQ 1 Main Forum Day 2 (Tuesday)Week 8 DQ 2 Main Forum Day 4 (Thursday)

Week Nine Moving Toward a Global Community

Explain the role of the U.S. in the emerging global community.

Course Assignments 1. Capstone CheckPoint: End of the Cold War

Resources: Appendixes A and C (Appendix A is located in the Course Materials tab.) Submit a 150- to 200-word response in which you explain the role of the U.S. in the

emerging global community. 2. Final Project: Most Significant Events

Resources: Appendix A Write a 1,750- to 2,050-word essay in which you address the following points:

o Choose one social, economic, or political event that you studied from each of the five decades following World War II—1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s—that you think had a more powerful effect on the American people than other events within the same decade.

o Introduce the paper with a short explanation of the overall purpose of the final project.

o Conclude the paper by hypothesizing changes you anticipate to happen in the U.S. social, economic, or political climate of the next ten years. Explain the reasons for your hypothesis.

o Review the Electronic Reserve Reading for this week, located on your student Web site, to get an idea of how you might present your hypothesis. Notice how you may trace the thread of a topic through the last five decades as you lead up to your prediction. Notice also how you may make personal comments—the hypothesis is an opinion, so you may show your bias. You are not expected to write as much as the supplemental reading, but it might be helpful.

Include at least two references in each decade’s section of your paper. Organize all sections into a unified, final paper with subtitles for each section.

Refer to Appendix C to verify that you have written a collegiate paper. Format your paper according to APA standards. Post your paper as an attachment.


Assignment Location DueCapstone CheckPoint Assignment Section of eCampus Day 3 (Wednesday)Final Project: Most Significant Events Assignment Section of eCampus Day 7 (Sunday)

Kathleen StillioFacultyUniversity of [email protected]@verizon.net412-496-7284

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