HIST 2301 - Texas History Course Syllabus

HIST 2301:

Description
A survey of the political, social, economic, cultural and intellectual history of Texas from the pre-Columbian era to the present. Themes that may be addressed in Texas History include: Spanish colonization and Spanish Texas; Mexican Texas; the Republic of Texas; statehood and secession; oil, industrialization and urbanization; civil rights and modern Texas.
Credits 3 Lecture Hours 3 Lab Hours 0
Extended Hours
0
Contact Hours
48
State Approval Code
54.0102.52 25
Instructor Name
Curtis Odom
Semester/Year
Fall 2024
Meeting Time and Location
Hist 2301.401 Online—students are expected to spend at least 3-4 hours per week reading, reviewing, and participating in assigned activities for successful completion of this course.
Alternate Operations During Campus Closure

In the event of an emergency or announced campus closure due to a natural disaster or pandemic, it may be necessary for Panola College to move to altered operations. During this time, Panola College may opt to continue delivery of instruction through methods that include, but are not limited to: online learning management system (CANVAS), online conferencing, email messaging, and/or an alternate schedule. It is the responsibility of the student to monitor Panola College's website (www.panola.edu) for instructions about continuing courses remotely, CANVAS for each class for course-specific communication, and Panola College email for important general information.

Student Basic Needs

Unexpected circumstances may arise, but Panola College offers various resources to support students. If you need mental health services or are facing challenges with transportation, affording class materials and supplies, or accessing food regularly—issues that may impact your class performance—please visit panola.edu/resources.

Class Attendance

Regular and punctual attendance of classes and laboratories is required of all students. When a student has been ill or absent from class for approved extracurricular activities, he or she should be allowed, as far as possible, to make up for the missed work. If a student has not actively participated by the census date, they will be dropped by the instructor for non-attendance. This policy applies to courses that are in-person, online, hybrid, and hyflex.

Attendance in online courses is determined by submission of an assignment or participation in an activity. According to federal guidelines, simply logging into a distance learning course without participating in an academic assignment does not constitute attendance. Distance learning is defined as when a majority (more than 50%) of instruction occurs when the instructor and students are in separate physical locations. Students must engage in an academic activity prior to the course census date. 

When an instructor feels that a student has been absent to such a degree as to invalidate the learning experience, the instructor may recommend to the Vice President of Instruction that the student be withdrawn from the course. Instructors may seek to withdraw students for non-attendance after they have accumulated the following number of absences: 

Fall or spring semesters: 

3 or more class meeting times per week - 5 absences

2 class meeting times per week - 3 absences

1 class meeting per week -  2 absences

The student is responsible for seeing that he or she has been officially withdrawn from a class. A student who stops attendance in a class without officially withdrawing from that class will be given a failing grade; consequently, the student must follow official withdrawal procedures in the Admissions/Records Office.

Please note: Health Science and Cosmetology courses may require more stringent attendance policies based on their accreditation agencies. Please see the addendum and/or program handbook for further information concerning attendance.  

Pregnant/Parenting Policy

Panola College welcomes pregnant and parenting students as a part of the student body. This institution is committed to providing support and adaptations for a successful educational experience for pregnant and parenting students. Students experiencing a need for accommodations related to pregnancy or parenting will find a Pregnancy and Parenting Accommodations Request form in the Student Handbook or may request the form from the course instructor.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Course Policy

AI is a helpful tool for research; therefore, it may be used by students when it enhances the academic experience of the course. However, the goal of this course is for students to gain a particular set of skills and knowledge, as stated in the instructional goals, learning outcomes, and course content of this syllabi. Students who use AI for an easy grade rather than the acquisition of knowledge and skills are invalidating the academic experience. Consequently, the instructor, whose expertise is the basis for assessing student academic development, reserves the right to assign a grade to a student’s AI driven work that is consistent with the acquisition of skill and knowledge. In cases of disputed grades, an instructor may require students to repeat their performance on a course assignment under a controlled environment and without the use of AI to demonstrate their true acquisition of course skills and knowledge. The refusal or failure to repeat the performance shall be considered the acceptance of the originally assessed grade.

Student Learning Outcomes
Critical Thinking Skills – to include creative thinking, innovation, inquiry and analysis, evaluation and syntheses of information
CT1: Generate and communicate ideas by combining, changing, or reapplying existing information

Communication Skills – to include effective development, interpretation, and expression of ideas through written, oral, and visual communication
CS3: Develop, interpret, and express ideas through visual communication

Personal Responsibility – to include the ability to connect choices, actions, and consequences to ethical decision-making
PR1: Evaluate choices and actions and relate consequences to decision-making

Social Responsibility – to include intercultural competence, knowledge of civic responsibility, and the ability to engage effectively in regional, national, and global communities
SR3: Engage in regional, national, and global communities
Instructional Goals and Purposes

The purpose of this course is to … teach students how to use primary and secondary sources to analyze historical evidence from the historical, social, political, economic, cultural, and global forces on Texas history. In this course, students will also analyze the historical, social, political, economic, cultural, and global forces on Texas history.

Learning Outcomes

After studying all materials and resources presented in the course, the student will be able to:

  1. Create an argument through the use of historical evidence
  2. Analyze and interpret primary and secondary sources
  3. Analyze the effects of historical, social, political, economic, cultural, and global forces on Texas history
Course Content

A general description of lecture/discussion topics included in this course are listed in the Learning Objectives section of this syllabus.

Students in all sections of this course will learn the following content:

  1. Texas Geography and Native Texans
  2. Age of Contact
  3. Spanish Texas
  4. Mexican Texas
  5. Revolution and Republic
  6. Antebellum Texas
  7. Civil War and Reconstruction
  8. Late 19th Century Texas
  9. Progressive Era
  10. Texas in the 1920s
  11. Great Depression and World War II
  12. Post World War II and Civil Rights
  13. Texas in the 21st Century
Methods of Instruction/Course Format/Delivery

This course is offered in both face-to-face and online formats depending on which course section is selected by the student. Face-to-face courses will consist of a minimum 85% lecture and no more than 15% online component. Online courses are delivered through online mediums from 85% to 100% of the schedule course time. Students in each of the courses, regardless of mode of delivery, will include major exams and projects, daily grades, and participation grades. For a more detailed description of the assessment process see Major Assignments/Assessments below.

Course Grade

The grading scale for this course is as follows:

Exams - 60 %

Daily Grades 30%

Attendance/Participations 10%

Grade Distribution: The grading scale for this course is as follows:

  • A – 100-90%
  • B – 89-80%
  • C – 79-70%
  • D—69-60%
  • F—Below 60%

Major Assignments/Assessments

The following items are assigned and assessed during the semester and used to calculate the student's final grade.

Assignments

Assignments

  1. Unit exams will be administered over Open educational resources (OER), assigned readings, and lecture material. The number and style of the exams may vary based upon the instructor and the length of the course. The exams will measure the students’ comprehension of the course material.
  2. Students will complete the core assessments for the courses as listed below under assessments.
  3. Reading Assignments will be administered during the semester. The assignments will cover Open educational resources (OER), assigned readings.
  4. Students must demonstrate their ability to reasonably communicate ideas regarding various historical topics by participating in a class discussion. The class discussion my be face-to-face class discussion or a discussion board within the learning management system at Panola College.
  5. All students will be assigned an attendance grade. The means by which the grade is calculated shall be determined by the individual instructor and vary based upon the method of course delivery (i.e., face-to-face or internet class). This grade is given as an incentive for students to attend class on a regular basis      

Assessments

Assessment(s): 

  1. Historical Character Paper (Critical Thinking Assignment Skills)—Students will critically analyze a figure which made significant contributions to Texas History during a period assigned by the instructor. Students will also correctly cite and format the paper according to individual instructor requirements.
  1. Historical Speech (Personal Responsibility Skills)—Students must develop, interpret, and express ideas through written or verbal communication. As such, students will develop a speech highlighting his/her strengths to run for public office. In creating this Speech, students will identify one historical figure from the History 2301 course to use as reference for voters to call upon should the need arise.
  1. PowerPoint (Communication Skills)—Students will develop, interpret, and expression ideas through visual communication. As such students will develop a Power Point Presentation that accurately depicts one period of Texas History. Individual instructors will assign periods to be covered in the PowerPoint assignment and the periods to be covered may vary from semester to semester. Students will cite and format the PowerPoint assignment according to instructor requirements.
  2. Historical Failure Paper (Social Responsibility Skills)—Students will take the character of an early Texas History figure. As this character, students will write a short essay, analyzing how this character contributed to the reformation or moral failure in Texas between 1800 till 1900. Students will properly cite and format the paper according to instructor requirements.

Assessment and Assignment Rules

  1. Academic Freedom Instructor Discretion: The history department recognizes the necessity of academic freedom. As such, each instructor maintains the right to stipulate rules in addition to this syllabus concerning assignments, make-up work, grading rubrics, classroom recordings, excused absences, extra credit, and any other matters within the individual course offerings. All of the supplemental rules must be made available to the students at the start of the semester or in advance of the completion of individual assignments. Academic Freedom and Code of Etiquette: The history department recognizes the right of the instructor and the students to address controversial subjects. This right to academic freedom is recognized as the principle by which truth may be pursued. Consequently, the department firmly upholds the right of instructors to appropriately express in writing, speaking or action their understanding, opinions, and knowledge on controversial subjects. Moreover, no student’s grade shall be diminished because of an appropriately expressed political opinion. However, the freedom of speech does not act as an excuse for inappropriate language or behavior as it is possible to freely discuss controversial issues without being obscene. Obscenity consists of language and behavior that lacks academic value, is repugnant to the standards of the community, and/or contains libel or slander. Moreover, the freedom of speech does not act as an excuse for violating standards of academic honesty or poor performance on assignments. The instructor and the college reserve the right to remove students from the class and hold disciplinary actions in accord with college policy for obscene language or behavior.
  2. Academic Honesty: The central theme of education is the enlightenment of the mind. This can only be achieved by hard, honest work. Consequently, cheating and plagiarism are strictly prohibited in the course. A student must not receive from or give to any other student information, answers, or help during an exam. A student must not "steal" the answers from an unsuspecting student during an exam. A student must not use any sources for answers during an exam (including, but not limited to notes, books, or electronic devices) without prior authorization from the professor. A student must not obtain exam questions illegally, tamper with the exam questions, nor change the results of an exam after it has been graded. Moreover, students are prohibited from plagiarizing any assignments.  Plagiarism consists in the taking of another person's ideas, words, or information and claiming those properties as one's own. Properly quoting and citing borrowed information is NOT plagiarism. However, since academic integrity is based on the originality of a student's work, no student may submit an assignment that contains an excessive amount of properly cited material. The standards and violations of academic honesty shall be further defined by the individual instructor (in accord with college policy). Individual instructors reserve the right to employ any ample means for proving academic dishonesty. Students have the right to contest a plagiarism or cheating claim through the college appeals process.  
Texts Materials, and Supplies

Texts, Materials, and Supplies:

Open educational resources as posted on Canvas at the instructor’s discretion. 

Other