Syllabus

Dr. Leslie Schuster Michelle Valletta Gaige 302/ 456-9723 mvalletta_1611@email.ric.edu Office Hours: 9-10, 12-1, MW Office Hours 1-3:30 TW lschuster@ric.edu

http://apprenticehistorians.wikispaces.com/

 * http://apprenticehistorians11.blogspot.com/ **

 We all have distinct ideas about how learning happens and what we expect from our time in the classroom. For many of us, the high school years have shaped our expectations about college and about what should and could go on in the classroom. The model I learned there was that the student, who knew very little, was to absorb the wise and truthful words of the all-knowing teacher without any opportunity to question or make a contribution. My thoughts about how learning happens best have changed greatly since then. Here are some of the ideas that shape my work in the classroom.
 * On Teaching and Learning **

* Every student brings something valuable to learning in the classroom. I don’t believe that students are empty vessels that learn only when teachers fill you up with what we decide is important. That seems more like bowing to authority and adopting someone else’s ideas. On the contrary, students come to the classroom with all kinds of valuable ideas, questions and experiences about the subject that should inform and direct learning in the classroom. Your ideas are central to this course and a big part of our classroom time will be spent listening to and sharing your ideas and responses to the material.

* We learn by collaboration. We will work on getting to know one another so that we can comfortably share our ideas, questions and problems with the texts and assist each other.

* Part of learning is figuring out what the material means to us and how we can use it or understand it for ourselves and for our own lives. We will approach new ideas and concepts not with the idea of accepting or memorizing them but with a critical eye that involves questioning, rejecting, reformulating. We will do some reading and writing about these ideas and then adapt them for our own use - as historians, as writers, as readers, as people interested in understanding the world around us.

* My classroom practices may introduce some uncertainty into the learning process for many of you. I welcome any and all questions at any point – before, after and during class – about expectations, assignments, practices as well as content.

* Historians love to argue, debate and disagree with other historians. We love a good fight about different interpretations of the past. History, in short, is about interpretation. Historians do just what you will be doing this semester – they read documents, letters, and essays and try to figure out what they mean. In short, historians exist in a culture of interpretation and argument. This semester you will live in this culture too. You will learn to identify conflicting arguments and interpretations in the writings of others historians. Better still, you will be developing a series of arguments of your own based on your reading of the evidence.

 **Course Objective** This course introduces students to the concerns and practices of historical methods. We will spend the semester focusing on the ‘how to’ of being a historian; the kind of history we want to learn and teach, the tools of inquiry, the nature and use of sources and evidence, evaluation of evidence, interpretation, historical context and, finally, research, organization, outlines, and historical writing. **Consider yourself apprentice historians**.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Each class session will focus on a particular problem or problems related to historical methods and inquiry with readings, short writing assignments, and class discussion geared to that topic. The class will be conducted as a workshop with all students participating in the work of the class and in discussions. Workshops are dependent on the **attendance, preparation and active involvement** of each member of the class. If you attend class but are not prepared and do not participate, you will not be an asset to your peers and you will not pass the course.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">How this will work **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">* Attendance is the first must; **three missed classes** will result in a reduced grade. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">* Preparedness is key in a course like this – this means having read the assigned material and coming to class armed with short notes on the reading or the issue under discussion, including all the problems and questions you may have. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">* Active involvement means participating and helping to shape the direction of discussions to fit your needs and those of your colleagues and interacting in constructive, respectful and supportive ways.


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Focus **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> It is not possible to learn the skills of an historian - analysis, critical thinking about historical writing, interpretation or research - without a subject. Our topical focus for this semester is the 1929 Depression and the New Deal, a topic large and varied enough for everyone to locate a compelling research problem. This common focus will also make it easier for you to collaborate with one another in topic selection, research and in writing.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Also check the wiki for assignments and readings - http://apprenticehistorians.wikispaces.com/
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Texts **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> The texts for this course are Adams Library, other institutions that house primary and archival sources and Kate Turabian’s //A Manual for Writers// and Paul Buhle’s //FDR and the New Deal for Beginners//. There will be many short readings throughout the semester and most will be available electronically through Course Reserves at the Adams Library web page.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> Read all materials carefully, especially those that may not be clear to you, prepare ‘talking points’ on many readings, and actively participate in class discussions. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Regular writing assignments will include talking points on the readings, short analysis of sources, outlines, a short (practice) historical essay on primary source material, library assignments, 4 or 5 research progress reports and an annotated bibliography. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Create your own personal blog on blogspot.com. You will use this to respond to a question about the class every week {by Sunday noon every week}. The blogs will be open to all students in the class and you will also use this as a place to post comments, ideas and questions about our journey. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">The final project, which will proceed in increments throughout the semester, is a primary research paper of 14 double-spaced typed pages. This assignment will be the culmination of the skills, methods, and tools of historical inquiry that you acquire during the semester. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Please note that evaluation of this final assignment, and your work for the course as a whole, turns on the **quality of the final paper as well as the staged assignments** that are due throughout the semester. It is extremely important to complete these in a timely fashion as each new process depends on mastering or becoming comfortable with the previous set of skills and problems.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Requirements **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Maintain, and bring to class, a folder **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> of all your assignments, reports, reflections, talking points, notes on readings.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Maintain a separate notebook that will serve as your research log for the primary research project **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">. I will be collecting this regularly once we get started on that project and it will be evaluated as part of your final grade.

===**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> Talking Points. **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">This is not a busy work assignment but one designed to teach you how to prepare for class each week, and to help you come prepared to participate confidently in our discussions. Further, this <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14.6667px;">is not designed to improve your writing skills, but to improve your thinking skills. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Please follow the format below. We will be modeling this format in our class discussions during the semester, so after a few weeks the concept of seeking an argument will be easier. ===

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Your name Name of author __<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Subject or topic: __ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">What is this piece about? This can be a sentence or a list of topics, concepts, themes. __<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Authors Argument __<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">: <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">1-2 sentences — what is this author’s position on the topic? Be specific. “Oates argues that…” Note that even where there isn’t a thesis the focus and material itself often reveals the author’s position. __<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Notes __<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">: <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">Use the rest of the page to pull out the issues raised in the article and to respond to them. These are not random selections but what the author considers important. It can be a bulleted list, or full sentences. Include any quotes that you found particularly interesting or confusing. What do YOU think about the issues raised in this text? How does this text connect to other texts or issues we have covered? How does it challenge or add to your previous ideas about this? __<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Points to raise in class __<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">: <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">To prepare for class discussions, include at least one significant question or comment to share in class. **//<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> I WILL NOT ACCEPT ANY LATE TALKING POINTS—if you are absent, you forfeit the assignment. //** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14.6667px;">Talking Points are assessed based on your efforts to articulate your understanding and confusions ( 3 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14.6667px;">-, 3 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14.6667px;">, 3 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14.6667px;">+). || **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">1 point **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">Exceptional thought and effort; Indicates careful reading practices and reflects your struggle to make sense of the readings //in relation to// the course themes and concepts. Includes evidence of your own thought process and connections to other texts ||
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">.5 points ** |||| <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">Moderate thought and effort; Reflects general engagement with the text. Little evidence of your own thought process, and few if any connections to other texts.  ||   ||
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">0—.25 points ** || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">Very little thought or effort. General notes without any reflection. Notes seem disconnected from any personal thought process, and disconnected from other course themes and texts  ||||   ||

Assessment
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> Short assignments & ‘talking points’ 15% <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> First primary research paper 15% <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> **Participation 20%** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> Final project (biblio, outline, first draft, revised paper, <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">research log, notes) 35% <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> Mid term examination 15%
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">[Note: A minimum course grade of C is required for students in the History/Social Studies Sec Ed. or El Ed. Programs.] **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">This part of your grade is based on the quality of your contributions to discussion and the caliber of your engagement in class activities. The following describes the expectations.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Class Participation **


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">A **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> You come to class prepared to discuss the materials, having read all the assigned readings, sometimes more than once, in order to understand the main thesis and arguments of the author. You energetically participate in class activities and share what you have learned from the readings as well as the problems or questions that they have raised for you. You frequently volunteer thoughtful and relevant ideas, respond during discussion and/or ask valuable questions during each class meeting. You are respectful of others and their ideas and make a concerted effort to improve the learning of all.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">B **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> You come to class prepared, having read most or all of the assigned materials for thesis and arguments. You occasionally volunteer information, respond during discussion, and/or ask questions during most or every class meeting. You participate in class activities and occasionally volunteer to share what you have learned from the readings as well as the problems they have raised for you. You personally respect others and make a concerted effort to improve the learning of some.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">C **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> You generally have read at least some, maybe most, of the assigned readings for class, although you do not offer much discussion about it. You may occasionally make a comment, ask a question, or respond during discussion. You participate in class activities and make an effort to improve your own learning.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">D **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> When you are present, you may occasionally make a comment, ask a question, or respond during discussion. You participate in class activities but show little effort in improving and neglect the learning experience of others.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">F **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> You are physically present. You rarely or never contribute to discussion. Your participation in class activities shows a lack of interest in the class and your peers.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Any attempt to present someone else’s work as one’s own, on examinations, precis’, or essays constitutes plagiarism. In the academic world this is a high crime, analogous to theft, swindling and fraud. There are various forms of plagiarism of which the most common are word-for-word, patchwork, and unacknowledged paraphrase. Students found guilty of academic misconduct are subject to disciplinary sanctions and an F in the course. For more on plagiarism see []
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Plagiarism **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> If you have any special needs or problems such as learning disabilities or physical impairments that may interfere with your ability to learn and to succeed in this course, please talk to me and we can arrange reasonable accommodations.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Accommodations **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> Upon successful completion of this course, students will know and be able to meet the following History Department Learning Outcomes and Professional Standards: History Dept. Learning Outcomes, 1-9, Rhode Island Beginning Teacher Standards 1.1 - 1.3, 2.1 - 2.7, 8.1 - 8.2, 10.1 - 10.4; and National Council for the Social Studies Standards 1.1 - 1.9, 2.1.1 – 2.1.8. **Students must submit the final course writing assignment as part of their portfolio.**
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Learning Outcomes **