Ms. McDonald's History class

This course covers American History from the Pre-Columbian period to the present. It provides a thorough
examination of the major social, political, and economic events, issues, and themes of the period. The main
theme of this course will be the exploration of American democracy- how it was defined by various groups,
how those definitions changed over time, and how those competing definitions are reflected in policies and
actions. We will also consider the role and various definitions of capitalism as they relate to the changing ideas
about democracy. The prerequisite is the English Placement Exam administered by SLCC online, it must be taken prior to the class. 
Required Textbook
Openstax U.S. History, available online for free at https://openstax.org/details/books/us-history.
Additionally it can be downloaded as a .pdf, accessed through the openstax app in the app store, or a
hardcopy can be purchased online from amazon.com (the hardcopy is not needed for class, I
recommend one of the online options). This is the required textbook for SLCC.
Learning Objectives

Substantive Knowledge: At the conclusion of this course, students will be able to:
Demonstrate a basic understanding of the founding and political, social and economic development of the
United States
Demonstrate an understanding of what the discipline of history is and what methods historians employ
Demonstrate knowledge of the chronology of major issues, events, themes that played a role in the creation of
the American Republic and the development and evolution of U.S. institutions
Describe large thematic historical concepts
Demonstrate an understanding that history can be a contested territory rather than a set of agreed upon facts
Distinguish between primary and secondary materials and be able to describe the assets and liabilities of each
Effective Communication: At the conclusion of this course, students will be able to:
Speak and write effectively and clearly about the history, principles, and government of the United
States
Construct a narrative around an evidence-based argument
Demonstrate orally and in writing that the ethics and practice of history mean recognizing and building on the
work of others and providing appropriate and thorough attribution