Syllabus Checklist Snapshot
American History II (HIST 1302.2A1) CREDIT 3 Semester Credit Hours (3 hours lecture, 0 hours lab) MODE OF INSTRUCTION: Online PREREQUISITE/CO-REQUISITE: TSI Complete for Reading COURSE DESCRIPTION A survey of the social, political, economic, cultural, and intellectual history of the United States from the Civil War/Reconstruction era to the present. United States History II examines industrialization, immigration, world wars, the Great Depression, Cold War and post-Cold War eras. Themes that may be addressed in United States History II include: American culture, religion, civil and human rights, technological change, economic change, immigration and migration, urbanization and suburbanization, the expansion of the federal government, and the study of U.S. foreign policy. COURSE OBJECTIVES Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to • Create an argument through the use of historical evidence. • Analyze and interpret primary and secondary sources. • Analyze the effects of historical, social, political, economic, cultural, and global forces on this period of United States history. • Demonstrate Critical Thinking Skills - creative thinking, innovation, inquiry and analysis, evaluation and synthesis of information. • Demonstrate Communication Skills - effective development, interpretation and expressions of ideas through written, oral, and visual communication. • Demonstrate Social Responsibility - intercultural competence, knowledge of civic responsibility, and the ability to engage effectively in regional, national, and global communities. • Demonstrate Personal Responsibility - ability to connect choices, actions, and consequences to ethical decision-making. INSTRUCTOR CONTACT INFORMATION Instructor: Mrs. Renée Celeste Email: rceleste@lit.edu Office Phone: No office phone Office Location: No office location
Office Hours: No office hours. If you need to get in contact with me, please email. REQUIRED TEXTBOOK AND MATERIALS A digital copy of the textbook will be provided to students on blackboard. Students will need the ability to watch a feature film for their final assignment. Three different films will be provided on blackboard if a student cannot locate a film. ATTENDANCE POLICY: Students must log in to the Blackboard course at least once a day to complete assignments and read any announcements from the instructor. If the instructor notices that the student has not logged in to the course in more than three days, a Starfish alert will be created. DROP POLICY If you wish to drop a course, you are responsible for initiating and completing the drop process by the specified date as listed in the College Calendar on the Student Success web page. If you stop coming to class and fail to drop the course, you will earn an “F” in the course. COURSE CALENDAR Week Assignments Dates Location 1 • Complete Introduction Assignment • Read Syllabus & Take Syllabus Quiz Must complete by: June 5, 2026 Online 1-2 • Must complete ALL Unit 1 assignments by the due date: • Reconstruction Recorded Lecture, Primary Source Quiz, and Review Quiz • Big Business Recorded Lecture, Primary Source Quiz, and Review Quiz • Gilded Age Recorded Lecture, Primary Source Quiz, and Review Quiz • Politics of Conservatism Recorded Lecture, June 10, 2026 Online
Primary Source Quiz, and Review Quiz • Progressive Era Recorded Lecture, Primary Source Quiz, and Review Quiz 1-2 • Take Unit 1 Exam Must complete Exam by: June 10, 2026 Online 2 • Submit Prewriting Assignment Must submit by: June 15, 2026 Online 2-3 • Must complete ALL Unit 2 assignments by the due date: • Forging of Modern Government Recorded Lecture, Primary Source Quiz, and Review Quiz • America as a World Power Recorded Lecture, Primary Source Quiz, and Review Quiz • America and the Great War Recorded Lecture, Primary Source Quiz, and Review Quiz • Prosperity and Depression Recorded Lecture, Primary Source Quiz, and Review Quiz • The Jazz Age Recorded Lecture, Primary Source Quiz, and Review Quiz Must complete all Unit 2 assignments by: June 22, 2026 Online 2-3 • Take Unit 2 Exam Must complete Exam by: June 22, 2026 Online 3 • Submit Cultural Artifact Assignment Must submit by: June 26, 2026 Online 3-4 • Must complete ALL Unit 3 assignments by the due date: • The Great Depression Recorded Lecture, Must complete all Unit 3 assignments by: July 2, 2026 Online
Primary Source Quiz, and Review Quiz • WWII Recorded Lecture, Primary Source Quiz, and Review Quiz • Price of Power, Part I, Recorded Lecture, Primary Source Quiz, and Review Quiz • Culture of the Postwar Era Recorded Lecture, Primary Source Quiz, and Review Quiz • Price of Power, Part II, Recorded Lecture, Primary Source Quiz, and Review Quiz 4-5 • Take Unit 3 exam Must complete Exam by: July 2, 2026 Online COURSE EVALUATION Final grades will be calculated according to the following criteria: Final grades will be calculated according to the following criteria: 1. Exams (Three) 40% of final grade 2. Rough Draft Assignment 10% of final grade 3. Final Cultural Artifact Assignment 20% of final grade 4. Weekly Assignments/Participation/Attendance 30% of final grade GRADE SCALE • 90-100 A • 80-89 B • 70-79 C • 60-69 D • 0-59 F TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS For the latest technical requirements, including hardware, compatible browsers, operating systems, etc., review the Minimum Computer and Equipment Requirements on the LIT Online Experience page. A functional broadband internet connection, such as DSL, cable, or WiFi is necessary to maximize the use of online technology and resources.
DISABILITIES STATEMENT The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 are federal anti-discrimination statutes that provide comprehensive civil rights for persons with disabilities. LIT provides reasonable accommodations as defined in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, to students with a diagnosed disability. The Special Populations Office is located in the Eagles’ Nest Room 129 and helps foster a supportive and inclusive educational environment by maintaining partnerships with faculty and staff, as well as promoting awareness among all members of the Lamar Institute of Technology community. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the Special Populations Coordinator at (409)-951-5708 or email specialpopulations@lit.edu. You may also visit the online resource at Special Populations - Lamar Institute of Technology (lit.edu). STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT STATEMENT It is the responsibility of all registered Lamar Institute of Technology students to access, read, understand and abide by all published policies, regulations, and procedures listed in the LIT Catalog and Student Handbook. The LIT Catalog and Student Handbook may be accessed at www.lit.edu. Please note that the online version of the LIT Catalog and Student Handbook supersedes all other versions of the same document. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE STATEMENT Lamar Institute of Technology (LIT) recognizes the recent advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI), such as ChatGPT, have changed the landscape of many career disciplines and will impact many students in and out of the classroom. To prepare students for their selected careers, LIT desires to guide students in the ethical use of these technologies and incorporate AI into classroom instruction and assignments appropriately. Appropriate use of these technologies is at the discretion of the instructor. Students are reminded that all submitted work must be their own original work unless otherwise specified. Students should contact their instructor with any questions as to the acceptable use of AI/ChatGPT in their courses. STARFISH LIT utilizes an early alert system called Starfish. Throughout the semester, you may receive emails from Starfish regarding your course grades, attendance, or academic performance. Faculty members record student attendance, raise flags and kudos to express concern or give praise, and you can make an appointment with faculty and staff all through the Starfish home page. You can also login to Blackboard or MyLIT and click on the Starfish link to view academic alerts and detailed information. It is the responsibility of the student to pay attention to these emails and information in Starfish and consider taking the recommended actions. Starfish is used to help you be a successful student at LIT.
ADDITIONAL COURSE POLICIES/INFORMATION 1. QUIZZES: Students will take quizzes online. There are two types of quizzes: primary source reading quizzes and lecture review quizzes. a. Primary source reading quizzes: These quizzes are worth 10 points each, unless otherwise noted. These quizzes are based on the information the student reads from the primary source readings, as scheduled. b. Lecture review quizzes: These quizzes are worth 10 points each, unless otherwise noted. These quizzes are to test the student’s knowledge over lecture material and serve as a review for the class. c. Students that miss assignments (like quizzes) cannot make up the assignment unless the student had a documented sickness or a documented school-related absence. The student must receive permission from the instructor to make up a missed assignment by emailing the instructor. d. Any student caught cheating on a quiz will receive a zero for that quiz. For online classes, cheating includes using information found online, like Wikipedia or other similar sites. The student should only use information within the course to keep grading fair. If a student is found to have the exact same answer(s) as another student in the same class, either on a quiz or an exam, the instructor will give a zero to both students for that answer(s). The instructor will determine if the answers are close enough to be considered cheating. e. Quizzes will be graded within a week of their submission. 2. EXAMS: study material for the exams will come primarily from the recorded lectures, as well as the material that students read in the primary source documents. Exams are worth 100 points total. a. Students that miss a test are only allowed to make up the exam if the student has an unavoidable emergency. The student must contact the instructor as soon as possible to schedule a make-up exam, and receive permission from the instructor to make up the exam. b. Any student caught cheating on an exam will receive a zero on that exam. Cheating on an exam includes using internet sources like Wikipedia (and others) to answer questions. DO NOT USE WIKIPEDIA TO STUDY FOR THE EXAM. Students should only use class materials to study and prepare for the exams and quizzes to keep grading fair. If a student is found to have the exact (or very closely worded) answers as another student on an exam, both students will receive a zero for those answer(s).
c. Exams will be graded within a week of their submission. 3. PREWRITING ASSIGNMENT AND FINAL CULTURAL ARTIFACT ASSIGNMENT: Students will turn in their Prewriting Assignment and their final submission for the Cultural Artifact Assignment to Blackboard on the due date scheduled (or earlier). Students are required to check the “SafeAssign” box so that their assignment is checked for plagiarism through the online software. a. There is a list of approved films in the HIST 1302 Film Options folder for the class. The student gets to pick ONE film out of the given options that they want to watch for the assignment. If a student has a film they would like to pick that isn’t on the approved list, it must be first approved by the instructor. There are two assignments that must be completed: a Prewriting Assignment (you may also see this called the “Rough Draft Assignment”) and then the final submission of the assignment (called the Cultural Artifact Assignment). The Prewriting Assignment is not a typical rough draft of your final paper. It is a question-and-answer assignment. b. Students can submit their Cultural Artifact assignment late; however, there is a 10-point deduction for each 24-hour day that the assignment in turned in late (this includes weekends). The instructor will not accept the Cultural Artifact assignment after 3 days past the due date. Students will receive a zero for the assignment if they do not turn it in. c. Plagiarism will not be tolerated. All assignments are checked for plagiarism, which includes: not properly citing quotes from the book, slightly changing the words of sentences that are not the intellectual property of the student, copying a previous student’s assignment, or improperly using sources from the internet (such as prompting AI engines to create a paper). If the student plagiarizes on the Cultural Artifact assignment, the student will receive a zero for the assignment. The online software will show some plagiarism on the assignment, especially if you use quotes from the film and another source. Just make sure you are properly citing the quote in accordance with MLA style. d. The Prewriting Assignment will be graded within a week of its submission. The Cultural Artifact Assignment takes a little bit longer to grade, so it will be graded within ten days of its submission. If a student turns in their assignment early, the student must notify the instructor to grade it earlier. The instructor will start grading the papers once the due date has passed.
4. COMMUNICATION WITH STUDENTS: The instructor will reply to all appropriate forms of communication (e-mails and Blackboard messages) within a 24-hour period on weekdays and a 48-hour period on weekends/holidays. Students should be professional and include their name and class number/section when contacting their instructor. The easiest/fastest way to get into contact with this instructor is through email as Blackboard messages tend to get lost in the shuffle.