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Prerequisite

There are no prerequisites for this course.

Course Learning Outcomes

This is a general survey of United States history from 1492 to 1877; it will guide you through the colonization of the Americas, the French and Indian War, the Revolutionary War, the westward expansion, and the Civil War. This is the first course in a two-part United States History series (HIST 041 and HIST 043).

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

  1. Describe many of the main people, events, and ideas which contributed to the founding and early development of the United States of America.

  2. Describe and evaluate American identity, how the U.S. political system works, and to what degree the country has lived up to the ideals that are claimed as a nation.

  3. Analyze how history is put together and evaluate historical sources and evidence.

  4. Articulate thoughts about history (and other subjects) in many different ways.

  5. Analyze historical events and how it has affected the nation today. 

Course Materials

All the materials you need are included in the course. You do not have to buy any additional textbooks.

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Assignments

At various points throughout the course, you will need to submit a teacher-graded assignment that will evaluate your knowledge of the content included in that module. Take the opportunity to apply what you have learned, and demonstrate your understanding of the lessons by analyzing and making comparisons. A rubric is included to help you review the requirements so that you include all the details in your assignment.

The assignments that have “skill” in the title of the assignment will help you develop the skill for this course. As long as you complete the assignment successfully and complete the outcome, you should be able to claim the optional micro-credential.

Note-Taking Guides

As part of the requirements of this course, you are required to complete 3 Note Taking Guides. The first guide will include your notes from Modules 1–4, and you will submit at the end of Module 4. The second guide will include your notes from Modules 5–8, and you will submit it in Module 9. The last guide will include your notes from Modules 10–15, and you will submit it in Module 16.

Module Quizzes

At the end of each module, you will submit a computer-graded quiz that will test your knowledge of the content for that module. These are open-book quizzes.

Exam

You will take a Midterm Exam that covers the first part of the course (Modules 1–8). The midterm is open-book and includes about 50 questions.

The Final Exam consists of about 50 questions and is comprehensive, but the questions concentrate more on the second part of the course. You will, however, be expected to use the knowledge you have learned in the first part of the course to make comparisons and answer more in-depth questions.

Grading

Your grade in this course will be based on these assignments and exams:

Assignment or Exam Grading Percent of Total Grade
Discussion Boards Teacher Graded 10%
Assignments and Note Taking Guides Teacher Graded 50%
Quizzes Computer Graded 25%
Midterm and 1 Proctored Final Exam Computer Graded 15%

* You must pass the final exam with at least a 60% to earn credit for the course.

Grade Scale

Your letter grade is calculated according to these percentages.

A 93% - 100%
A- 90% - 92%
B+ 87% – 89%
B 83% - 86%
B- 80% - 82%
C+ 77% - 79%
C 73% - 76%
C- 70% - 72%
D+ 67% - 69%
D 63% - 66%
D- 60% - 62%
F (fail) 0% - 59%

Getting Help

Please use the help menu in this course to contact Academy of America or your instructor. You can find information about tutoring available to Academy of America students on the Tutoring website.

The Resources page offers a wide variety of services to support you:

  • Academic success skills coaching such as time management, study skills, test preparation, motivation, and more.

  • Course-specific support that includes live tutoring and on-demand resources.

Come find out how we can help you achieve your goals.

Course Policies

For information about how long you have to complete the course, resubmitting assignments, retaking exams, and other questions, please see Academy of America’s Policies.

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