Requirements
This course has four requirements: a mid-term, a final examination, five book response papers, and the completion of two quizzes.
Book response papers
Over the course of the quarter you will be required to write five two to three page papers for your section. These papers will respond to questions posed about the five non-fiction books that you will read for the class. Each of these books was a best-seller in its time, very controversial, and remains an important document to the present. Your teaching assistant will grade these response papers.
Please do not plagiarize on these papers. UC Santa Cruz’s definition of plagiarism can be found here. If I catch you plagiarizing I will, without hesitation, flunk you and turn you over to the Provost of your College.
The rest of the time in section you will discuss all of your readings, including the online readings posted on the syllabus, and Eric Foner’s book Give Me Liberty! You can also post comments about the online readings.
Exams
The mid-term and final examinations will be the same. You will be given three essay questions in advance for both the midterm and the final. When you show up for each test, two of those questions will be on the exam. You’ll pick one to answer as a detailed essay. In addition, there will be ten identifications. You will describe five, each in a paragraph of three or four sentences. The essay will be worth 50 percent of your grade; the identifications 10 points each.
The exams will be based on your textbook, online readings, non-fiction book readings, and my lectures and presentation slides, which I will post on the syllabus for you to download.
Quizzes
Two in-lecture hall quizzes will be held during the quarter. You will have 15 minutes to complete each quiz. They will each consist of 10 multiple choice questions, based upon your textbook, Give Me Liberty!. If you have read the book, the quizzes will be very easy.
Evaluation Criteria
The mid-term will be worth 30 percent of your grade, the final 35 percent, the quizzes 10 percent, and the section papers and your section participation the remaining 25 percent.
Attendance at lecture is mandatory. Students may use laptops to take notes by submitting a written request to the instructor. Students who miss more than one section cannot pass the class, unless they have a documented medical or personal emergency.