History 102 Online Syllabus

Required Technology

This is an online class and access to the internet and a laptop or desktop computer is required. This class is NOT optimized for tablet or cell phone use.

Mode of Instruction:

This class is taught online, asynchronously, meaning that all instructional material is pre-recorded and there are NO set meeting times and students may cover the material at their own pace
However, there are specific due dates for all the assignments in the class, so students should plan their work and study accordingly.
The class material is broken up into modules on the Canvas web site
The items in each module MUST be viewed or completed in order the first time you view the material. Do NOT try to skip ahead without viewing ALL of the videos and material first.
Each module will contain a combination of readings, videos, and graded activities
ALL online material is required for the class. Read and watch EVERYTHING!
This class requires THREE (3) hours of direct instruction (viewing Canvas videos, assigned articles, discussion boards, etc.) per week in addition to homework, reading, and writing assignments.
Failure to watch the class videos will result in your assignment scores being penalized, up to receiving a zero on the Module Assignments. In extreme circumstances you will be dropped from the class for non-attendance as this is the equivalent of skipping class in a traditional, in-person course.
Failure to complete all the required work in two consecutive Modules’ in Canvas and Launchpad without making prior arrangements with the professor will result in being dropped from the class. This includes failure to watch the videos on Canvas.
Watching the videos at faster than normal speed (i.e., 1.5x or 2x speed) does NOT constitute “watching the videos completely.”

Email Communication:

Email: mestes@palomar.edu.
Email received during regular school hours (Monday through Thursday, 8:00 am to 4:00 pm) will be answered within 24 hours.
Emails received after 4:00 pm on Thursday will be answered the following Monday or next instructional day in the case of a holiday. (Note: I MAY answer emails outside of regular school hours, but it depends on my circumstances)

Office Hours

I am in my office (MD 376) and available for meetings on on Mondays and Wednesdays from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm.
I am available for a Zoom meeting Mondays through Thursdays during regular school hours (8:00 am to 4:00 pm), subject to my existing schedule.
If you wish to consult with me during “Office Hours” on Zoom, please email me at mestes@palomar.edu to schedule a specific day and time
In extenuating circumstances I can meet on Zoom outside of normal school hours
Note: I am teaching, holding in-person office hours, and/or in meetings and therefore unavailable for meetings on Mondays and Wednesdays from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm. I am available AFTER 2:00 pm on these days for a Zoom meeting.

Required Texts:

Textbook: MindTap Website for A People and a Nation: A History of the United States. The book is an online version. There is NO printed book. Access is available for purchase directly through the Canvas website.
Workbook: Document Analysis Activities for History 102. The workbook is available as a free Microsoft Word document that must be downloaded from the class Canvas website. You may also purchase a printed version of the workbook through the Palomar College bookstore, but this is optional.

Behavior:

Personal online behavior and deportment consistent with the smooth operation of the instructional program is expected.
All discussions are to be conducted in a respectful manner. Any differences of opinion are to be expressed using polite and respectful language and should reference specific historical sources as evidence.
Abusive or derogatory language against an individual or group will not be tolerated and may result in being referred to the Office of Student Affairs for disciplinary action.
NOTE: The class will discuss and analyze historical sources that may contain language that is offensive and/or derogatory to certain groups. Students may use examples from these sources in assignments but must make very clear that they are analyzing the opinion of the source, not expressing their own opinion.
Disruption of the learning environment, including the distraction of or disrespect for the professor, will not be tolerated.

College policy on recording or duplication of class materials:

This policy was instituted due to an unauthorized screenshot of a Canvas course that later appeared in an online attack of a faculty member which led to threats made against them and their family:

Please respect the integrity and intellectual content of this class. Students may only record video or audio of lectures with the consent of the instructor, and recordings may only be made for personal educational use. (An official accommodation letter from the Disability Resource Center may also permit recording.) All course content, including slides, videos, handouts, assignments, exams, textbooks, etc., is the intellectual property of its creator; is protected by Palomar’s AP 5500: Standards of Student Conduct; and may be protected by copyright. Unless otherwise indicated, course content may not be copied, captured, altered, sold, or distributed in print or digitally without written permission of the course instructor. This includes sharing course content with others in person, through the mail, or via the internet (including social media, email, etc.). When in doubt, please ask the instructor for clarification.

Student Learning Outcomes for History 102:

Upon successful completion of this course students will be able to:	Students will demonstrate this through:
Accurately interpret American history using primary and secondary sources	Document analysis activities in the workbook Discussion and analysis of the documents in the workbook
Identify, use, and cite reliable primary and secondary sources in American history	Document analysis activities in the workbook Discussion and analysis of the documents in the workbook Essay exams using documents as evidence Final paper using documents as evidence
Demonstrate college level writing in assessing and interpreting of American history	Module writing assignments Essay exams and final paper using documents as evidence
Basic understanding of California politics and government	Document analysis activities in the workbook Discussion and analysis of the documents in the workbook

Academic Honesty:

Plagiarism or any form of cheating will be cause for a zero on the assignment. This applies to ALL assignments. Every assignment is to be done individually unless the instructor specifically states that it is a group project, including homework. All written assignments will be submitted through the college’s anti-plagiarism service. If in the opinion of the instructor a student has committed plagiarism, they will receive a ZERO on ALL components of the assignment. In addition, the student will be reported to the Office of Student Life for appropriate disciplinary and academic action.
- All work must be done COMPLETELY by YOU!
Do NOT use any artificial Intelligence (AI) programs to complete any assignment, including researching a topic!
Do NOT use the “make my writing pretty” AI services or extensions such as Grammarly.
ANY use of AI assistance with any assignment will be treated as plagiarism/cheating
- If there are no workbook or textbook documents in a writing assignment = Automatic ZERO
- If the citations for the documents are the wrong format or inaccurate = Automatic ZERO

Late Work (Including Exams):

If an assignment has not been completed, the computer automatically inputs a zero into the Canvas gradebook when the due date passes
You can still submit late assignments for credit
Multiple choice assignments on will update immediately in the grade book
Written assignments will remain a zero after you submit them, but will update when I input a grade
All late work goes to the bottom of my “to-do” list
Late work is subject to a 2% per day penalty

Example: Graded score = 85% – 5 days late = 75%

Homework:

There will be homework assignments for each chapter in the text. These assignments are multiple-choice in format and are located in the Canvas Modules

The Assignments for EACH chapter will include only multiple-choice questions in MindTap
You MUST complete the assignment BEFORE the deadline stated in the class schedule.
You will have an unlimited amount of time to answer the questions until the due date.

Participation and Document Analysis:

The Document Based Questions (DBQs) and Class Discussion Documents are in the required workbook Document Analysis Activities for History 102.

Before viewing the online videos, read and complete the document analysis assignment to the best of your ability.
Have the workbook with you as you watch the videos and add information and notes where appropriate
There will be assignments that follows the videos: Discussion board and short essay response that will require you to use the documents analytically as evidence. These assignments will determine your participation grade
For each EACH on Canvas your initial post is due WEDNESDAY and the response is due THURSDAY before midnight
You are required to use and cite these documents as evidence in your in your discussion board posts and essay exams.
The more effort you put into the document analysis, the easier it will be to write the essays!

Exams:

There will be a total of TWO exams and a cumulative final in this course. There will be two portions to the exams, with more weight given to the essay component. The exams are in the weekly module on Canvas that matches their due date.

The first portion will consist of a 50-question multiple-choice exam located on the class Canvas web site.
- The material will be drawn from the homework, class discussion documents and DBQs.
- You will have 1.5 hours to complete the multiple-choice portion of the Exam.
- You will have only one opportunity to complete the multiple choice portion of the exam
- You will have seven (7) days to complete the exam.
- Late submissions will be subject to the 2% deduction per day rule.
  - This is to be an individual, open-note, open-book assignment.
The second portion of the exam will consist of a formal five-paragraph essay. (About 2,000 words)
- Specific essay questions will be posted at the beginning of the week when the exam is scheduled.
- Students will have seven (7) days to answer one (1) of the assigned essay questions
- The essays must analyze and cite primary or approved secondary source documents from the Workbook, textbook, or MindTap website as evidence
- The essays must be submitted through the college’s anti-plagiarism/Anti-AI service. Plagiarism or use of AI on the essay with constitute a ZERO (0) on BOTH parts of the exam and a referral to the Office of Student Life for academic discipline.
- Late submissions will be subject to the 2% deduction per day rule.
- This is to be an individual, open-note, open-book assignment.

Final Exam:

The final exam will be given during the last week of the semester and will be cumulative in nature. It will consist of a formal essay of about 5,000 words and 50 multiple-choice questions. The essay must analyze and cite primary source documents from the Workbook, textbook, or Launchpad website as evidence. The final exam will be administered in the same manner as the first two exams except that the essay prompts will be posted earlier.

Grades:

The class grade is determined using weighted categories:

Component	Percent of Semester Grade
Homework	15%
Participation	30%
Exams	35%
Final Exam	20%

Overall Course Grade:

Percentage	Grade
100%-90%	A
89%-80%	B
79%-70%	C
69%-65%	D
64% and below	F

All your grades will be available through the course Canvas web site. This includes individual assignments and your overall course grade. I do NOT “round-up” the grades. The grade calculated by Canvas is the final grade that will be entered in the college “My Palomar” web site. However, extra points may* be awarded if I determine that student learning has occurred that is not reflected in the formal assignment and exam scores. For example:

An overall course score of 79.55% might* equal a “B” if: the student actively participates in online class discussions (beyond what is required for the class), asks thoughtful and analytical questions, brings in outside information that relates to a topic under discussion, has shown effort by completing the extra credit assignments and/or has contacted the instructor to develop a plan to improve their academic performance well before the end of the class.
An overall course score of 69.99% will** equal a “D” if: the student does not participate in the class discussion unless directly contacted by the professor, consistently turns in work after the due date, does not take advantage of extra credit opportunities, does not contact the professor to develop a program to improve performance in the class, etc. In other words, they do NOT show that there is any learning going on that might not be reflected in exam or assignment scores.

*Please note the words are “MAY” and “MIGHT.” They are NOT the word “WILL.” If you call or email the instructor at the end of the class asking (or worse yet, demanding or “I think I deserve…”) that extra points be awarded to your final grade… Bad Things will happen.

**In this case, it IS the word “WILL.” Think on that.

Special Needs:

Students who qualify for testing accommodation must have paperwork on file with the Palomar College Disability Resource Center (DRC). Students with special needs that require instructional accommodation should discuss their individual situation with the instructor within the first week of the class.

Student Resource Services:

The Office of Student Affairs (760-744-1150 x2594) can connect you to resources assisting with food, housing, and more, including the Anita and Stan Maag Nutrition Center and other free food events. Visit the website for a full list of available community resources. If you feel comfortable doing so, please communicate with your instructor about any food or housing insecurity you may be facing that may impact your performance in class.

As a student, you may experience a range of issues that can cause barriers to learning, such as strained relationships, increased anxiety, alcohol/drug problems, feeling down or depressed, experience difficulty concentrating and/or lack of motivation. These mental health concerns or stressful events may lead to diminished academic performance or reduce a student’s ability to participate in daily activities. Palomar College services are available to assist you with addressing these and other concerns that you may be experiencing. You can learn more about the broad range of confidential mental health services available on campus via the Behavioral Health Counseling Services website.

For a complete list of student support services, click here.

Class Agreement:

Your continued attendance in this class indicates that you have read and agree to abide by the conditions laid out in this syllabus AND the following assignment schedule.