IDS 2103H - Honors Interdisciplinary Studies: The American Experience

Communications Department

Credit(s): 6
Contact Hours: 94
Effective Term Fall 2019 (565)

Requisites

(Prerequisite ENC 1101 and
Prerequisite appropriate score on the college placement test) or
Prerequisite ENC 1101H or
Permission of the Program

Course Description

This course is an integrated survey of the foundations of American government, history, and culture in the context of trends in globalization. It emphasizes the principle intellectual developments, perspectives and challenges which have shaped America and its global relationships. The survey gives special consideration to the disciplines of political science, history, anthropology, literature, and social systems. (Note: Students who complete IDS 2103H will receive equivalency credit for: POS 2041H and AMH 2010H. This course partially satisfies the writing requirements outlined in the General Education Requirements.)

Learning Outcomes and Objectives

  1. The student will identify and evaluate the significance of the major historical, artistic, literary, scientific, technological, and intellectual developments of American culture by:
    1. explaining the historical significance of the colonial period, the Revolutionary period, the Civil War era, westward expansion, industrialization, urbanization, major social reform movements, WW I, WW II, and the emergence of America as an international power.
    2. explaining the significant literary movements from the colonial period to the 20th century modern and post-modern eras, with emphasis on the innovations, characteristic themes and influences on subsequent cultural developments.
    3. explaining the significance of developments in scientific and technological thought contributed by figures such as B. Franklin, T. Jefferson, E. Whitney, G.W. Carver, the Wright brothers, H. Ford, T. Edison and R. Oppenheimer.
    4. explaining the significance and characteristic concepts of American society such as pietism, Deism, Americanism, sectionalism, nationalism, civil religion, progressivism, romanticism, naturalism, realism, pragmatism, idealism, modernism and post modernism.
    5. explaining the background, artistic style, and artistic contributions of American artists.
  2. The student will demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of the interrelatedness of the major social, historical, artistic, literary, scientific, technological and intellectual developments of American culture by:
    1. explaining the fundamental presuppositions and issues of the major intellectual and artistic movements and characteristic concepts of American culture (e.g., civil religion, pragmatism, romanticism).
    2. explaining the nature and significance of the transition from a European world view to the "American" world view which reflects the distinctiveness of the American cultural and artistic experience (e.g., individualism, the Protestant work ethic, anti-intellectualism, manifest destiny).
  3. The student will identify the basic backgrounds that led to the adoption of the principles of American government by:
    1. summarizing the contributions of the Magna Charta, British Petition of Rights and the British Bill of Rights.
    2. explaining Locke's Social Contract Theory and de Montesquieu's Separation of Powers Theory, each of which became incorporated in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
  4. The student will identify the fundamental principles of the Constitution and the ways they were implemented by:
    1. summarizing the following principles: popular sovereignty, limited government, separation of powers, representative government, horizontal and vertical federalism, and national supremacy.
    2. stating how these principles became a part of the Constitution.
    3. discussing the formal and informal methods of amending the Constitution.
    4. documenting specific historical changes in the Constitution, predict future changes in the Constitution, and propose further changes in the Constitution.
    5. making a comparative analysis of the American Constitution with the governing documents of other nations.
  5. The student will identify and evaluate the organization and function of the three branches of the federal government by:
    1. summarizing the powers and responsibilities of Congress in both legislative and non-legislative areas.
    2. summarizing the powers and responsibilities of the Executive Branch.
    3. summarizing the powers and responsibilities of the Judicial Branch.
  6. The student will learn the scope of the civil liberties and civil rights as contained in the original Constitution, the Bill of Rights and other Amendments by:
    1. examining the original Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and other Amendments for their liberties.
    2. summarizing the civil rights provided for in Amendments to the Constitution and selected federal legislation.
    3. examining selected court cases concerning civil liberties and civil rights.
  7. The student will analyze life in the English colonies of North America (1700-1776) prior to the American independence movement by:
    1. comparing and contrasting regional differences in settlement patterns, family structure, labor systems, and cultural adaptation and explaining why they emerged.
    2. examining the lives of African-Americans in the colonies and the merged culture they created in North America.
    3. explaining the role of men and women of various races in and around the colonies.
    4. assessing which Enlightenment concepts of Reason, Nature, and Progress and philosophical theories took root in the American colonies, and addressing the significant new ideas and institutions that were stimulated by the Great Awakening.
    5. explaining how and why George Grenville expected the American colonists to help England pay for the costs of the British empire and describing the colonists' reactions.
    6. assessing Charles Townshend's ideas for raising revenues in the colonies and explaining why he thought his plan would succeed and how the colonists responded.
    7. explaining why the Tea Act added to American suspicions of England and how the Americans responded.
    8. discussing whether the Revolutionary War could have been avoided and exploring whether it was an inevitable conflict once the colonists met in the first and second Continental Congresses.
  8. The student will synthesize the American independence movement, the Revolutionary War, and the emergence of a new nation (1775-1783) by:
    1. assessing the strengths of the British army at the outset of the Revolutionary War and accounting for England's failure to quickly win the war.
    2. explaining why France joined the war on the American side and the importance of this decision to an American victory.
    3. analyzing how different British and American choices during the war might have changed its outcome.
    4. explaining how white women and African-American men and women hoped to improve their positions in society and analyzing the degree to which their conditions actually changed after the war.
    5. arguing the loyalist positions found among colonials.
  9. The student will evaluate the competing visions of “republic,” the creation and contents of the Articles of Confederation and of the original United States Constitution, and the major divergence in Alexander Hamilton’s and Thomas Jefferson’s views of government (1776-1796) by:
    1. explaining how Americans of the late eighteenth century defined “republic,” and showing how their different definitions influenced the state constitutions they adopted.
    2. explaining why some political leaders believed the Articles of Confederation hindered national growth and prosperity and describing the alternatives they proposed.
    3. formulating the arguments surrounding the relative power of the national government and assessing how the Constitution of United States mirrors those arguments.
    4. analyzing how Alexander Hamilton’s vision of the future of the United States differed from Thomas Jefferson’s and assessing the impact of Hamilton’s influence during Washington’s presidency.
  10. The student will synthesize the seminal events of the early republic, the limited war with France, the emergence of a two-party system, and the impacts of the Jeffersonian era (1796-1804) by:
    1. explaining what the Federalists sought to achieve by engaging in a limited war with France in 1798 and explaining how the Republicans reacted.
    2. analyzing the emergence of the two-party system – Federalists versus Republicans.
    3. contrasting Jefferson’s vision of America’s future development when he became president with the policies he later adopted.
    4. analyzing the impact of westward expansion on Native Americans and on American society during Jefferson’s presidency.
    5. analyzing the significance of the three major theatres of the war.
  11. The student will analyze the United States’ dynamic growth and the consequences of that growth on American political, economic, and social institutions prior to the Civil War by:
    1. describing and examining the widespread changes in American political institutions.
    2. describing the emergence of new modes of production and the new social relationships they created.
    3. identifying the sources of social reform during the first half of the nineteenth century and analyzing their influence on American social and economic conditions.
  12. The student will evaluate and synthesize the causes, events, outcomes and impacts of the Civil War by:
    1. analyzing the constraints that political leaders faced as the war began.
    2. describing the relative strengths and weaknesses of the conflicting militaries.
    3. analyzing the impact on culture, people, and the land as a result of the war.
    4. comparing and contrasting emergent technologies and strategies in warfare introduced by the war.
  13. The student will develop organizational techniques appropriate for expository writing by:
    1. recognizing and using appropriate organizational techniques—analysis and classification, coordination and subordination, informal plans and formal outlines.
    2. recognizing and using appropriate patterns of organization—spatial, chronological, and logical (deductive and inductive).
    3. organizing ideas and details relevant to the thesis for an expository paper into a clear plan which facilitates explanation of the ideas to an audience of peers.
  14. The student will demonstrate the knowledge of independent research by examining critical perspectives related to work of literature or a book and synthesizing relevant secondary sources in history, culture, and philosophy relating to the context of the work by:
    1. selecting and presenting materials from specified sources to:
      1. identify and paginate sources correctly.
      2. use appropriate parenthetical citations.
      3. summarize, paraphrase, quote effectively.
    2. composing papers which integrate the student’s own words and ideas with those from primary and/or secondary sources.
    3. composing oral reports, panel presentations, in class lectures, analytical papers that effectively blend original thought with a critique of primary/secondary sources.
  15. The student will demonstrate the skill to retrieve, interpret and evaluate information effectively and efficiently from electronic sources and use proper documentation in citing these sources by:
    1. selecting the most appropriate investigative methods.
    2. constructing and refining research strategies.
    3. locating, extracting, recording, and managing the information and its sources.
    4. comparing new knowledge with prior knowledge to determine the value added, contradictions, or other unique characteristics of the information.
  16. The student will evaluate critically both primary and secondary sources for credibility and reliability by:
    1. summarizing main idea extracted from the information.
    2. synthesizing main ideas to construct new concepts.
    3. determining whether new knowledge has an impact on the individual’s value system and taking steps to reconcile differences.
    4. validating understanding and interpretation of the information through discourse with other individuals, subject-area experts, and/or practitioners.
    5. assessing assumptions or hidden political or cultural bias held by secondary sources.

Criteria Performance Standard

Upon successful completion of the course the student will demonstrate mastery of 70% of the above stated objectives. The writing will meet the criteria of at least Level 4 of the SPC Analytical Rubric for Writing.

History of Changes

DBT 2/19/87 Effective Session 19863 DBT 11/12/87 Effective Session 19872 DBT 11/17/88 Effective Session 19891 3 YR C&I Review 1993-94. 3 Yr 1996-97. C&I 10/9/01, DBT 11/20/01 Effective 20012. Effective 20021 (GR word count chg) Add H to prefix/# eff 20022. C&I 5/25/04, BOT 6/22/04, eff 20041(0340PS). Remove GR word count per State mandate, effect 20061(0370). 3 Year Review 2007. C&I 6/22/2010, BOT 8/17/2010, Effective 20101(0430). C&I Approval: 05/31/2013, BOT Approval: 06/17/2014, Effective Term: Fall 2014 (490).
C&I Approval: 02/14/2019, BOT Approval: 03/19/2019, Effective Term: Fall 2019 (565)