The Historian’s Craft
Syllabus and Survival Guide
History 301 – Fall 2013
Thursdays, 7:00 pm – 9:45 pm Sierra Hall 287
Instructor
Thomas W. Devine
Phone: (818) 677-3550 Email:
tom.devine@csun.edu
Office Hours:
Sierra Tower 624, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2:30-3:30 pm, and by appointment
gladly given.
Required
Reading
The following books – listed in the order in which we will
read them – are available at the Matador Bookstore. All other readings will be
provided in class or available on the web syllabus.
- Alan
Brinkley, John F. Kennedy
- W.
J. Rorabaugh, Kennedy and the Promise of the Sixties
- James N. Giglio and Stephen G.
Rabe, Debating the Kennedy Presidency
- Mark
J. White, Missiles in Cuba: Kennedy, Khrushchev,
Castro and the 1962 Crisis
To subvert the system and to save yourself some money, you
should consider buying used copies of the books. You are likely to find used or
discounted copies at significantly lower prices at the following websites:
www.bookfinder.com; www.half.com; www.amazon.com; www.dealoz.com
Spirit of
the Course
This course will prepare you for further study in the field
of history and introduce you to the methods historians employ in their research
and writing. We will also be working to develop skills that will serve you well
not only in upper division history courses, but in the world outside Sierra
Hall – the ability to think critically, to construct a logical and compelling
argument, to evaluate and interpret evidence in order to reach a conclusion,
and to convey information to others who may have no prior knowledge of a
subject. Whether you choose a career that relates directly to the study of
history or not, such skills are invaluable.
You will also learn to write in clear, coherent, and concise
prose. We will be reading and editing each other’s writing, learning how to
turn source material into smoothly flowing narrative, mastering the art of
constructing topic sentences and banishing passive voice, lifeless verbs, and
convoluted phrasing. You will leave here a better writer than when you entered.
Moreover, you will find that once you have mastered the “tricks of the trade,”
writing papers will come much easier for you.
Our specific area of focus will be on U.S. History during
the presidential administration of John F. Kennedy. All students will choose a
research topic related in some way to the events of these years that draws on
both primary and secondary sources, many of which are easily accessible on
line.
Grading
To have this course count toward your History major, you
must earn a “C” or better.
Quizzes/Class Participation --15%
Book Review [Due Sept. 23]
--10%
Analytical Paper [Due Oct. 31] --15%
Annotated Bibliographies/Research
Proposal [Due Sept. 26, Oct. 7, Nov. 1] --15%
Research Paper Draft [Due 5pm, Friday, Nov. 22] --15%
Research Paper Final [Due 8pm, Thursday, Dec. 12] --30%
Grading is based on a 100 point
scale. All grading is done on the +/– system.
On
Line Resources
Web Sites on the Kennedy Years
Access to JSTOR
Access to WorldCat 
(If you’re accessing these sites at home, you
will need to enter your CSUN user ID and password.)
Explanation
of Requirements
Research Paper
The main requirement for the course
is the successful completion of a 5000-word (i.e. 15-20 page) research paper
(not including bibliography) based on a variety of primary and secondary
sources. An “A” paper will reflect the author’s thorough knowledge of the
topic, effectively incorporate primary sources, and draw from various kinds
of primary and secondary sources. It will offer a compelling answer (adequately
supported with evidence) to a sharply focused question and will be
well-organized, properly documented, and clearly written. Those papers that do
not meet any of these criteria will not receive a passing grade. Everything
else will fall somewhere in the vast middle. You must submit both a draft and a
final version of your paper.
Quizzes
There will be occasional short quizzes during the early part
of the semester. The purpose of the quizzes is to provide an incentive for
completing the assigned reading and to ascertain who has read and who hasn’t.
If you have done all the reading – or even most of it – you should have no
difficulty doing well on the quizzes.
Class
Participation
This grade will be based on the quality
of your participation in the class discussions as well as your ability to meet
deadlines over the course of the semester. Have the reading and other
assignments done BEFORE you come to
class and be ready to comment – simply being “present” will not earn you a high
participation grade. You will receive credit for each made deadline and lose
credit for each missed deadline.
Annotated Bibliographies
You will submit two annotated
bibliographies. In the first, you will summarize the arguments and content of
four journal articles. In the second, you will summarize the content of seven
primary sources.
Book Review
You will write a 1200-word book
review of one of the books listed in your initial bibliography. We will discuss
in class the proper format of a book review and your grade will be based in
part on how well you follow this format.
Analytical
Paper
The analytical paper assignment will focus on the material
covered in the assigned readings and during class discussion. There will be a
choice of topics which will be handed out well before the due date. Papers
must be at least 1500 words. Grades will be based on the quality of your
ideas and how effectively you present them.
Research Proposal
You will submit
an overview of your proposed research paper. This will include separate
sections on background information and context; the basic question or questions
you are trying to answer; and the sources you will use in your paper.
Surviving History 301…
Attendance
Since this class meets only once a week and its success
depends on active student participation, it is important – and it is expected –
that you will be at every session. I take attendance before and
after the break. I understand that an occasion may arise that makes it
impossible to come to class. Out of fairness to your classmates who do attend
every week, however, each absence past the first two will reduce your final
grade. More than three absences over
the course of the semester will put in you in jeopardy of failing the class,
regardless of your grades on the written assignments.
Time Management
The key to success in History 301 – and really in all of
your courses – is time management. Students who fail History 301 usually do so not
because they cannot do the work but because they did not manage their time
well. You are writing a term paper, not a
“last-two-weeks-of-the-semester paper.” Your final product should reflect a semester’s
worth of work – and will be evaluated accordingly. Deadlines will come up on
you much quicker than you think. Be prepared to meet them. Do not let “the
perfect” be the enemy of “the done.” Fifteen weeks is not much time to research
and write a 15+ page paper, so by week 3 you should have chosen a topic and
begun to read in secondary sources. I will badger you relentlessly to stay on
track, but ultimately you will determine whether you manage your time
effectively.
Common Courtesy
You are at a university among professional people so you
should try to act like you belong here. Do not embarrass yourself by behaving
badly. Arrive on time and do not walk out in the middle of class unless it is
an emergency or you have spoken to me about it ahead of time. Do not leave at the break and expect to be
credited with having attended the entire class. Don’t speak while others
are speaking. Turn off and put away all cell phones and other electronic
gadgets while you are in class. Texting or constantly playing with your phone
during class is rude and distracting to me and your classmates. Beyond that, it
makes you look foolish, and people will judge you accordingly. In short, act
courteously and professionally. Try to show some class. It’s part of being an
educated person.
Laptop Policy
I do not allow the use of laptops in the classroom unless
you have a signed medical note stating that you must have one with you.
Academic
Honesty
This should go without saying,
but, unfortunately, academic dishonesty is a fact of life. Do
not lie to me about why you missed class or failed to turn in an assignment. It
is unnecessary and it insults my intelligence. Do not plagiarize from written
sources or from the web. Since plagiarism is always obvious and easily caught (I know how to use Google
too), it is better to hand in your own work and get a C than someone else’s and
get an F. All plagiarized assignments will receive a grade of zero. Beyond
that, your name will be circulated among other faculty as someone who lacks
integrity and you risk being expelled from the University. If you are unsure
what plagiarism is, please consult with me BEFORE you hand in an
assignment.
Problems
If you are feeling overwhelmed, find yourself falling
behind, or are having any problems outside of class that are adversely
affecting your performance in class, be sure to let me know. Do not wait until the end of the semester
when it will be too late. I am more than willing to work with you to insure
you “survive,” but I need to know you are having difficulties. The university
will not allow you to withdraw from a class after the drop deadline simply
because you are doing poorly. Either come to see me or send an email as soon as
a problem arises and we can work something out. If you are struggling
academically, I will gladly give you extra help.
Schedule
of Class Meetings and Topics
29 Aug. Introduction: An explanation of course objectives,
mechanics, and procedures.
Reading:
John F. Kennedy, Inaugural Address, January 20, 1961
5 Sept. JFK: An Overview of his Life and
Presidency
Reading: Alan
Brinkley, John F. Kennedy
David Williams, “Choosing a Topic and Telling
your Story”
READING QUIZ #1
12
Sept. The
Kennedy Years: American in the Early Sixties
Reading: Rorabaugh,
Kennedy and the Promise of the Sixties
READING QUIZ #2
DEADLINE #1 – Monday, September 16
Submit via email attachment a paragraph
description of your term paper topic, the potential research questions you will
be investigating, and a properly formatted bibliography listing five journal
articles and at least three books that are pertinent to your topic.
19
Sept. The
Kennedy Years II/Developing a Topic/Writing a Book Review
HOMEWORK: Study Questions for
Rorabaugh, Chapters 4, 5
26 Sept. Historical Sources: Journal Articles
Reading:
4 Journal articles from your bibliography
DEADLINE #2 – Thursday, September 26
Bring to class a HARD COPY of your
Annotated Bibliography of 4 journal articles pertinent to your topic.
3
Oct. The
Kennedy Administration: Domestic and Foreign Policies
Reading: Giglio
and Rabe, Debating the Kennedy Presidency
READING QUIZ #3
DEADLINE #3 – Monday, October 7
Submit via email attachment content
summaries of 5 primary sources
pertinent to your topic.
10
Oct. Interpreting
Primary Sources
Reading:
Kennedy speaks to Governor
Ross Barnett of Mississippi about the James Meredith situation
#1 MP3
#2 MP3
#3 MP3
#4 MP3
#5 MP3
[click on “MP3” then click on
“OPEN.” When you get to the audio file
for #1, fast forward to 1:47 where the conversation begins.]
[Click on the Play arrow to start.
Click HERE
for written transcript.]
Kennedy
Address to the Nation on June 11, 1963 regarding the integration of the
University of Alabama
[Click on the Play arrow to start.
Click HERE for written
transcript.]
STUDY GUIDE &
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
READING
QUIZ #4
17 Oct. NO CLASS
24 Oct. “One Hell of a Gamble:” The Cuban
Missile Crisis
Reading:
Mark White, Missiles in Cuba
READING
QUIZ #5
31 Oct. NO CLASS
[Individual
student meetings with the Professor during this week.]
DEADLINE #4 – Friday, November 1st
Submit in hard copy or via email attachment
your formal research proposal.
7 Nov. Putting together a Research Paper –
Narrative Arcs
14
Nov. Mastering
Writing Skills
Reading: TBA
DEADLINE #5 – Anytime before Thursday, November 14
Submit via email attachment any 3 pages of your research
paper.
21 Nov. NO CLASS
[Individual
student meetings with the Professor during this week.]
DEADLINE #6 – By 5pm Friday, November 22
Submit a HARD COPY of your research
paper draft and an e-copy via
email attachment.
28 Nov. THANKSGIVING
5 Dec. NO CLASS
12 Dec. Debriefing and Celebration
DEADLINE #8 – Thursday, December 12, 8pm
Submit in class a HARD COPY of your
research paper.