History 121
Syllabus
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My communication with the class will be primarily through announcements posted on the Blackboard Message Board. However, if you need to contact me, please feel free to send me an email directly. Also, be sure to ENTER YOUR CURRENT STUDENT ID NUMBER and CLASS ID ON ALL EMAILS, otherwise a response will be significantly delayed.
All homework assignments must be posted on Blackboard. Assignments emailed to me will not receive any credit. The Blackboard system is our “classroom” therefore you must turn in all assignments into the BB system. NO EXCEPTIONS!!!! DO NOT EMAIL ME.
There are no face-to-face meetings in this distance education class. You will receive all information for the class electronically. ONLINE students, after the semester begins, you must check the News page every day. Anything less and you will be jeopardizing your grade and status in the class! This is an intense class which imitates a regular in-person class. Also, this is a 3 unit college level class and as such requires 10-12 hours of study per week.

As is the case with many on-campus courses, History 121 requires that the student be highly disciplined and motivated. This course offers considerable flexibility for the completion of assignments, yet like students taking Asian History at the SCC campus, on-line students must meet certain deadlines in order to complete the course successfully. Late work will not be accepted!! No exceptions!!!

PREREQUISITES

None. However, a desire to learn and think critically is beneficial.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

• Critically analyze and examine documents, quantitative data, and historical events to evaluate, develop logical methods and understand contending viewpoints. • Develop communication skills through writing exercises and discussion of critical historical events. • Act as a better informed citizen, astute cultural observer, and knowledgeable voter through the study of history.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
History 120 is a broad-based survey of U History. Historical events and themes will be discussed from a multi-dimensional perspective using relevant examples from a variety of primary and secondary sources. History 120 is a general education, transferable class that fulfills the History requirement for all A.A. and A.S. Degrees. This course also meets the requirements for the California Teaching Credential.
General education does not mean remedial. History is relevant and alive. This is a first and second year college class which parallels US History classes at both public and private universities. The study of history is vital to understanding many of the social, political, economic and ethnic issues of today.

IS ONLINE INSTRUCTION RIGHT FOR YOU?

Online instruction has made education more accessible to many individuals who have found it difficult to attend traditional college classes for a variety of reasons. Single parents, students with physical disabilities, and people with demanding work schedules can log-on at their convenience and complete a college level course. However, online instruction may not be the best option for everyone.

Students in an online course must be highly self-motivated and self-disciplined. This is not an independent study class. In other words, you are expected to “attend” class on a bi-weekly basis, to keep up with the course materials, and to submit assignments in a timely manner. I only allow students to work one week ahead or one week behind schedule. The reason for this is to keep everyone on roughly the same topic so that we can have good discussions of the material. The more student interaction there is, the better and more interesting the course!

Please be aware that online courses are as demanding as traditional courses. Do not expect to complete the work in a coffee break. You should expect to spend about 8-10 hours per week reading the materials, studying, and completing the assignments.

You should ask yourself the following questions before committing to an online course:

1. Will I miss the face-to-face interaction with the instructor and fellow students? 2. Am I self-motivated enough to keep up with the material? 3. Do I have time in my schedule to take this course seriously? 4. Is reading a good way for me to learn? (You will be reading both the text and lectures, so if you are more of an aural learner, this might not be the best medium for you).

ONLINE ETIQUETTE

Please remember that although you are talking through the computer, a living, breathing, person is reading your messages. Please consider yourself to be in an academic community of people who wish to be treated with kindness and respect. No rude, obnoxious, or disrespectful behavior toward the instructor or fellow students will be tolerated. I reserve the right to drop students who do not comply.

A couple of things to remember: • Since other people cannot see your facial expressions while communicating, choose your words carefully. Please look over your messages before posting to be sure that they will not be interpreted as rude. • The use of capital letters is considered to be shouting. Think of other ways to emphasize a point. • The use of smiley faces such as ( or ;) can let someone know your positive intentions. You might want to check out the following web site for fun “emoticons” to use: http://www.chirpingbird.com/netpets/html/computer/emoticon.html. • Although you are not graded on grammar in the discussion boards, make sure that your posts are coherent.
INSTRUCTOR: Narges Rabii
EMAIL ADDRESS: msnarges@hotmail.com.
Please do not use the SCC email as I will not have access to this site daily.
PHONE: (714) 628-4940 FAX: (714) 532-4481
OFFICE HOURS:
Since this is a distance education course, my office hours will be by arrangement. I am available by email during the semester from Monday through Thursday 9-5 pm only. I usually will make every attempt to answer your emails within 48 hours of the above stated schedule.
CLASS REQUIREMENTS
All class announcements will be posted on Blackboard Course Management system message board pages. The blackboard site for SCC is: http://rsccd.blackboard.com
TYPES OF ASSIGNMENTS: • Articles/Assignment. You will be responsible for analysis of an article/question(s) that is historically relevant. The responses will be posted under “Assignments” and require analytical, critical and logical synopsis of the article/question. Be sure to read the “assignment” section for the readings. Do not summarize the article, write an analytical response. See BB for documents to help you with this section. Assignments are mini essays on the theme/topic for a specific unit. Assignments turned-in or postmarked late will receive NO credit! Make every attempt to turn in your assignments early, I recommend that you turn in your assignments one full day before they are due. This will ensure that you don't miss the important deadlines. If you see a ( ! ) instead of a score that means that your work still needs to be graded. Your assignments will be turned into Safe Assignment. This is a tool to ensure that plagiarism is curtailed. Be sure to do your own work. • Discussion Board. The exchange of ideas on the Discussion Board is between you and your classmates. As the Professor, I am both moderator and active contributor. Discussion Board will reinforce concepts introduced in lecture and readings and assign exercises to advance the development of individual student learning outcomes. There are 2 questions on the Discussion Board, you must answer both questions by the due date and then respond to the post of one other student by the second due date. Guidelines for Posting- These are not Discussion Board posts as in other classes, they are mini-essays. Properly written English is required. You must make an argument and support it with references to the readings, lectures and other readings. Examples from your own independent study or experience are appropriate if they advance your argument. You are graded on substance, not length. Evaluation of Posts- Posts are evaluated on both individual merit, accuracy, bibliographic citations ( when appropriate) and the contribution they make to the unfolding discussion. Late posts will not be graded. Post often. Post early.

Remember to: - be a presence on the board, have a voice, be memorable, an active citizen - posting early in the week increases the chances of getting feedback - lively, thoughtful posts can help your grade overall

You cannot make-up for a lack of posting throughout the term by submitting a flurry of posts at the end of the course. Discussion board postings are our opportunity to engage in scholarly discussion. Answers to the questions and comments to classmates must be meaningful and civil. A grade will be assigned for the discussion board at the end of the term. Late posts will not be graded. Be sure to familiarize yourself with the Discussion Threads for all posts. You are required to post frequently. Online discussion posts are assignments. These assignments will be due by the due date and represent a portion of your grade. These posts represent major themes within the week’s curriculum and will be graded at the end of the term. Plagiarism will not be tolerated. Be sure to do your own work. • Do not email assignments to me. All work must be posted in BB by the posted due dates. • Four (4) exams. 50 Multiple Choice questions. You will have 1 ½ hours to complete the exam. Be sure to close all applications, websites and pop-up blockers before beginning the exam. Do not refresh the page or hit the back button. You cannot go backwards, do not attempt to do so, otherwise the exam will shut down and you cannot re-access it. Do not attempt to print any page, or you will be locked out. Once you have begun the exam, you must finish it. Do not run any other programs while taking the exam ( i.e. Virus Protection, Pop-up Blockers, etc.) These applications may cause malfunctions in the Blackboard system. If you have any problems with the exam, i.e. “computer malfunctions”, down web sites, etc. EMAIL ME IMMEDIATELY to the HOTMAIL ADDRESS!! You may be required to come to campus to take the exam. This is a timed test; you will have exactly 1 ½ hours to complete the entire exam. Be mindful of the time because all exams that exceed the time limit (5 minute exception) will not be graded. • Quiz: One quiz on the orientation video and the syllabus. This quiz is mandatory. All students who do not take the quiz will be dropped. • You will be accessing the Blackboard web site to take your exams. Be sure to be mindful of the time, set a timer for yourself; do not rely on the BB system. If you see a ( ! ) on an exam score that means that your work still needs to be graded and/or you have exceeded the allotted time limit for that assignment. I will not penalize your grade for going over the time as long as the length of time is within reason (i.e., ~ 5 minutes). If you see a padlock icon on an exam that likely means that you exceeded the time allowed or there was a problem with submission of work. You will have a 48 hour window period in which to complete your exams online. Please do not wait until the last minute to logon to Blackboard to begin your exam. The exam time will stop at exactly at the time posted on BB on the last day of the window period and cannot be reopened. EXAMS This is a timed test, you will have exactly 1 ½ hours to complete the entire exam. Be mindful of the time because all exams that exceed the time limit (5 minute exception) will not be graded. You cannot go backwards, do not attempt to do so, otherwise the exam will shut down and you cannot re-access it. Once you have begun the exam, you must finish it. Do not run any other programs while taking the exam (i.e. Virus Protection, Pop-up Blockers, etc.)If for any reason you have a “computer malfunction” you are allowed to make-up the exam at the end of the term during the same period as the final exam. Send me an email asap, to msnarges@hotmail.com
GRADING

Library/Museum Report (2000 words) 100 points
Exam #1 100 points A = 100-89%
Exam #2 100 points B = 88-78%`
Exam #3 100 points C = 77- 68%
Exam #4 100 points
Quiz 20 points D = 67- 55%
Discussion Board Posts (150-500 words) 40 points F = less than 54%
Assignments (300-500 words) 40 points
Total Points: 600 points

Please note there is no "curve" in this class, however the scale has been adjusted, as seen above. You will be expected to write about 15 pages in this class. The combination of discussion board posts, Assignments and the long report. These are broken down to word counts that vary depending on the type of assignment.
DROPS
If for any reason you should decide to drop this course, it is your responsibility to officially drop the course in the Records Office. If you do not officially drop, you may end up receiving an "F" in the course. Also, please inform me of your decision and so I can remove your name from the roster. But it is your responsibility to drop the class with the Admissions and Records Office. They can be reached at 714-628-4900

TEXT

Schaller, American Horizons, Oxford University Press, 1st edition

COMPUTER REQUIREMENTS

The following requirements are necessary for this class: • Computer Specs: Fast computer: PC running an Intel Pentium-III or Mac with a G3 or G4, with a 10x CD-ROM drive. Also, you should have a minimum of 64 Mb of system RAM (memory), though I recommend higher. • Web Browser: Most recent version of Netscape Navigator, Microsoft Explorer, FireFox, or Safari for Mac (see links below).

COURSE POLICIES AND STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Late Work: Late work will be deducted 80% 2. Student Demeanor: Please treat everyone with courtesy and respect. I encourage all students to participate openly and freely in the course discussions, and I expect students to respect the opinions of others. This does not mean you have to agree with everything I or another student says, but you must disagree in a non-threatening and productive manner. 3. Quality of Work: This is a college course therefore I will expect college-level work. While I do not grade specifically on grammar or spelling, remember that overall impression and clarity of ideas will be included in the grading. 4. Plagiarism: Plagiarism, the use of someone else’s published or unpublished work in whole or in part without attribution, is a major infraction of SCC’s Academic Honor Code. Proven plagiarized work will be given a 0/F. Please contact me if you need more information on how to correctly cite the work of others in your papers. 5. Cheating: Students found cheating on an exam or assignment will receive a 0/F for that exam or assignment. 6. Withdrawals: Students who do not log-on for 2 consecutive weeks may be dropped from the course. However, do not expect to be automatically dropped if you stop attending. It is your responsibility to make sure that you are officially withdrawn by drop date or you may receive an F for the course. Please contact me if you will be unable to access the course site for any extended period of time and do not want to be dropped. 7. Discussion Board: When posting on the Discussion Board, please keep your comments consistent with the subject and purpose of the thread of discussion. I encourage lively discussion and debate but remember that disagreeing with an idea is different from attacking an individual. In that spirit, do not post messages that contain personal attacks against other individuals. If I or another student respond to your post with a question and you do not reply before the end of that section of the course, your post may be deleted. Although I encourage you to use the textbooks and outside resources for your posts, please do not directly quote the textbook or copy and paste data from other sources. Your posts to the discussion are to be in your own words and reflect your own thoughts. Once again, all discussion board responses must be a minimum of 300 words. Any Discussion Board entry that does not follow these criteria will be deleted and you will not receive credit for the post. LATE DSB POSTS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

Presidential Library/ Museum Assignment

All students in survey courses are assigned to visit a museum, historic house or site. The choice of museum will be up to you, but must reflect the topics of this class. The format of museum reports should follow these guidelines:

Describe your museum experience: In a general way, using formal language describe what was it like and what types of things you encountered. Did any of the exhibits relate to something you have studied? How? Be specific. Include a mention of the date of your visit and attach a receipt. Your report may include comments on the quality of presentation you encounter: Are the exhibits explained effectively? Are personnel well-informed? Is the facility well-designed?

Describe five specific artifacts: Select items from various parts of the museum--not all from the same exhibit area! Make notes on the information in the exhibit label or catalog, which may be helpful when you write the report. "Artifacts" may not be limited to objects in a museum display case--they can be buildings, equipment, even features of the landscape on a battlefield or relics, all must relate to the course and the specific readings. Do not quote the book, instead write about the relevance of the artifact in relation to the text. Why is the site you are visiting relevant to the topics studied during this course? Be specific. Why is the site you are visiting relevant to the topics studied during this course? Be specific with citations from the text.

Your discussion must be relevant to the discussion/reading of this course with citations to the text. Be sure that all of the artifacts are directly related to the text and reading. Use only MLA format for the citations.
The report should begin with the "experience" essay, which will probably include references to various exhibit items, but you should follow this with a detailed list of descriptions of five artifacts. Remember this is a research paper and must be written in formal language. Using MLA format relate the artifacts to the reading/text.

Length -- at least 2000 words, do not worry about formatting the paper. Be sure to use MLA format for all citations and DO NOT ATTACH the paper. Cut and paste into the box provided. You may attach an image of the receipt. AT THE END OF YOUR PAPER INCLUDE A WORD COUNT.
Again, DO NOT quote the book, describe the relevance.

Due Date – See “assignments”

You will schedule this assignment at your own convenience, but you my get more from it by waiting a few weeks into the course. Be certain that you know how to find the museum you have chosen, that you know what the parking and admission requirements will be, and that you have allowed sufficient time--two to three hours--for the visit. Be sure that the site you have chosen relates to the course and the readings. Part of this assignment is for you to familiarize yourself with the rich historical heritage in your community. You may want to begin with Google or Bing to find a site. A preliminary visit to the organization's web page will help plan most of this.

Remember that late work will not be accepted.

AT THE END OF YOUR PAPER INCLUDE A WORD COUNT.

SCHEDULE

Exam #1: Chapters 16-19
Exam #2: Chapters 20-23 SEE BB FOR EXAM DATES
Exam #3: Chapters 24-27
Exam #4: Chapters 28-31

STAYING IN TOUCH

If you have any questions, concerns, or issues you would like discuss you may contact me at msnarges@hotmail.com or 714-628-4940. Note: Email is the best method of communication.

SENDING E-MAILS

You can simply e-mail me from your personal e-mail account to the above listed account. When e-mailing me your assignments please follow the guidelines below. • Always include your first and last name, and the course you are enrolled in. It is important for you to identify yourself and the class you’re enrolled in since I am teaching different anthropology courses this semester. • Do not send attachments. Due to the threat of viruses I will not open any attachments. Please “copy and paste” directly into the email.

STAYING ON TOP

I highly advise you to get started quickly and complete assignments early. I also encourage you to actively participate in the discussion forums and not wait until the end of the course to post to the discussion boards. Not only will your grade suffer from this, but posting on the last day of a section of the course defeats the purpose of the discussion board.

SECURITY, ACADEMIC INTEGRITY & PLAGIARISM

Please read the following Statement carefully: 1. I agree that I, and only I, will be the one completing and submitting class materials (homework, assignments, quizzes, tests, etc.) in my name. 2. I agree that I will not attempt to decompile, reverse engineer, examine source code, or in any other manner attempt to find the answers to quizzes or exams before submitting them. 3. I agree that I will not share or accept answers or information relating to homework assignments, quizzes, exams, or any other course materials with fellow classmates and or other parties or sources. 4. I will not share or accept class information, with anyone not in this class. 5. I am on the honor code and will not use any aids, notes, books, websites or other sources during the exams. 6. If for any reason I did not complete the exam by the specified dates listed in the schedule above, no credit will be issued.

I acknowledge that failure to comply with any of the above statements may result in my removal from the course and discipline action deemed appropriate by the policies and procedures set forth by the Board of Trustees of the Rancho Santiago Canyon College District.

The instructor reserves the right to require any student, for any reason, to take any test/quiz/assessment on-site where official proof of identity will be required.

Summary

What to do first... 1. Read and print out this syllabus, then re-read it. 2. Read the tutorial on Blackboard, if this is your first class. 3. Buy the textbook: This will be the basis for studying for exams. 4. If you have any further questions, please feel free to e-mail me [msnarges@hotmail.com], otherwise, I look forward to meeting you in cyberspace.
Sincerely,
Professor Rabii