California History Syllabus

Dr. Allison Baker
abaker@santarosa.edu

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Course Learning Outcomes & Objectives	About Your  Instructor
Communication	Required Textbook
Course Format & Organization	Module Course Content & Assignments
Online Preparedness	Expectations & Resources
Important Dates	Tips

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Welcome to California History!

This course is a survey of California history from the precolonial period to the present. The course will examine the distinct contributions and interactions of diverse peoples and environments. Special attention is given to how political power is shaped by race, gender, class, and ethnicity in different periods of the state's history.

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Course Learning Outcomes and Objectives:

Student Learning Outcomes:

Course Outline:

Here is the link to the Course Outline of Record:

History 22 Course Outline of Record

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About Your Instructor

My name is Allison Baker and I'm a full-time History Instructor at Santa Rosa Junior College's Petaluma Campus. I teach a variety of American/U.S. History courses: History 17.1 & 17.2 (the U.S. History surveys); History 21 (Race, Ethnicity & Gender in American Culture); and History 22 (California History).

I'm especially excited to be teaching California History. My academic background and interests center on California history: 

My dissertation, "The Lakewood Story: Defending the Recreational Good Life in Postwar Southern California Suburbia, 1950-1999," is a study of the postwar planned community of Lakewood, California, with a focus on how its development reflected postwar suburbia's emphasis on youth and recreation.

I worked on a few public history projects for the City of Lakewood, serving as associate producer for three documentaries and co-authoring a book on the city's history for Lakewood's 50th anniversary.

I was born and raised in California: I grew up in Los Angeles during the 1970s and 1980s and lived there until 2005, when I relocated to Sonoma County. My childhood memories include exploring and enjoying Southern California's many attractions.

You can learn more about me on the "Meet the Instructor" page: 

 

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Communications

Although we may not meet face-to-face during this course, there are several ways we can communicate:

How to Contact Me

Instructor Contact Information:

• The best way to reach me is through the Canvas Inbox (located on the left margin of this page). It's similar to an email.
• You can also email me at abaker@santarosa.edu
• Make sure you put History 22 or California History in the subject line. I teach multiple classes each semester so may well miss your important message if you don't identify which class you're from. Also remember to sign your full name at the bottom of your message!
• Response Time:  I respond to Canvas Inbox and email messages within 24 hours on weekdays. If you message or email me over the weekend, I will respond by the end of the day on Monday.

Virtual Office Hours:

I am available to meet for virtual office hours through Zoom. I encourage you to meet with me at least once during this course. I really enjoy meeting students, and it's often helpful to discuss your questions and concerns in dialogue (rather than just through emails). Please contact me to arrange a time.

How I Will Contact You

I will reach out to you a few times during each module using the following methods:

Instructor Announcements

I will post announcements on the “Announcements” page in Canvas throughout the semester to provide important information about the course, such as assignment due date reminders, revision and extra credit opportunities, events of interest, etc. 

Please set your Notification preferences on Canvas so that you receive the Instructor Announcements: how to manage your Canvas Notifications in this course.  Canvas notifies students according to their preferred Notification Preferences as soon as the instructor creates an Announcement.

IMPORTANT: Please check your email/notifications from Canvas frequently for any updates and communications from me regarding the class materia

Module Overview Videos

For each module, I post a short Module Overview Video that provides an overview of the module's topics and assignments.

Canvas Inbox Messages

At the end of each module, you will receive one or more messages from me regarding your performance on the Quiz and the Discussion Assignment. If you did not submit a Quiz or Discussion Assignment, I will reach out to you through the Canvas Inbox to find out if you need additional support or an extension.

Gradebook Comments

I will post individual comments on your Discussion Assignments in the Gradebook. When you see your score, please be sure to open the "comments" icon. I often provide important feedback, and if I am offering a revision opportunity, this is where you will find my comments on how to revise as well as the revision due date.

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Required Textbook

Rice, et al., The Elusive Eden: A New History of California (5^th edition)

ISBN 10: 1-4786-3754-4

ISBN 13: 978-1-4786-3754-7

Also available as an eBook

Purchase/rent through the JC bookstore or Amazon.com

IMPORTANT! This book is required! You will not be able to get through the course without it.

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Course Format & Organization

This course will be taught entirely online (no Zoom or face-to-face meetings). This gives you a very flexible study schedule, but also requires that you work in a self-disciplined and independent manner.

The course is divided into 6 modules (some are 3 weeks long and others are 2 weeks long). For each module, you will:

• read chapters in your required textbook, The Elusive Eden
• read and watch course content (read Class Notes and watch lecture videos and documentaries)
• participate in group discussions (submit discussion assignments)
• take a quiz

As a student in this class, it is your responsibility to read and understand completely everything that's on this syllabus.

I reserve the right to change the course syllabus and point values for specific assignments and activities at any time. If I do so, I will inform the class promptly via e-mail and on the class website. Therefore it is essential that you keep your current email address on file by updating your SRJC profile in your Student Cubby any time you make a change to your contact information.

 

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Module Course Content and Assignments

The key to navigating this course is through the modules; be sure to click on each page in the module to see its contents.

Each module includes:

• A Module Overview: main topics and learning objectives; schedule of activities to complete for the module
• Class Notes: the module's course content, including lecture videos, written lecture notes, documentary videos, other resources.
• Discussion Assignment(s)
• Quiz

Reading/Watching the Course Content:

You are expected to read completely through all assigned textbook chapters, Canvas Class Notes pages, and watch all lecture videos and documentaries. Please note that the assigned readings and Class Notes content is all required material and is provided to help you successfully complete assignments and quizzes.

Instructor Tip!: I recommend that you take notes on lecture videos and documentaries.

Discussion Assignments:

The Discussion Assignments are listed on the Schedule in the Module Overview for each module. Click on the link for each assignment to read detailed instructions on what you are expected to do; also click on the three vertical dots in the upper left hand corner to view the Grading Rubric for each assignment. Make sure you complete the assignments on time. Discussion Assignments are due at the end of each module on a SUNDAY at 11:59pm.

Instructor Tip!: Make sure that you remember to submit a Response Post(s) before the end of the module!

Main Post Courtesy Due Date: As a courtesy to your classmates, you are encouraged to submit your Main Post by Thursday at 11:59 pm of the week they are due, so that your classmates have at least three days to read everyone's Main Posts before submitting their Response Posts.

Expectations for Discussion Assignments:

For Discussion Assignments, you will submit a Main Post and a Response Post. You will do this directly into the text box.

Please note that although you will be responding in a discussion format, the same level of critical thinking and analysis that you would demonstrate in a paper assignment is expected.

Discussion Assignments should have detailed answers and must be completed using full, grammatically-correct sentences without spelling errors. Type your discussion posts in a word editing program (e.g MS Word/Google docs) and use a grammar/spell checker if you're not confident about your writing/spelling abilities. Assignments written in "texting" lingo (e.g. "these guys r gd lol") will not receive credit. Assignments with excessive writing errors (more than 5 separate errors) will have 5 points deducted.

Each assignment for this course includes detailed instructions on content and length, and a grading rubric showing how your assignment will be scored, including the criteria and points awarded.

Instructor Tip!: I recommend that you consult the grading rubric before writing and submitting each assignment.

Instructor Tip!: IMPORTANT!:  Be sure to read my comments on your assignments by clicking on the Grades page and the rubric/comments icons next to each assignment.

Quizzes:

At the end of each module, you will take a 10-point objective quiz (multiple choice, true/false, and/or matching questions) based on that module’s content. Quizzes are open-book/open-note. These quizzes will be available when a module opens and will close on the last Sunday at 11:59pm.  If you miss a quiz deadline, you cannot take the quiz. You can only take the quiz once. There are 6 quizzes (one for each module); your lowest quiz score will be dropped, and the course grade will be calculated based on 5 quizzes. Quizzes are due at the end of each module on a SUNDAY at 11:59pm.. Make sure you submit the quiz by the end of the module.

Final Exam:

There will be one online final exam due on December 9^th at 11:59 pm. It will include an objective section (multiple choice, matching, true/false questions based on the course material from throughout the course) and an essay. The final exam is open-book/open-note. On December 2^nd at 11:59 pm, the Final Exam Study Guide will be posted, including the essay question so that you may prepare. The exam will be available 48 hours prior to the due date, beginning on December 7^th at 11:59 pm, and you may take it any time until the due date, December 9^th at 11:59 pm.

It is your responsibility to take the exam by the due date; failure to do so will result in a zero for the final exam.

Extra Credit Opportunities:

I will offer a few extra credit opportunities throughout the course! Please do not email me at the end of the course to ask about additional extra credit opportunities.

Late Work Policy:

• In general, I don’t accept late assignments. However, in the case of a personal hardship or emergency, I will accept one late assignment from each student. To request an extension, please contact me as soon as possible, preferably before the due date.
• Submission links for assignments and quizzes deactivate after the due date; therefore, if you need an extension, you will need to contact me so that I can reset the due date for you.
• The Final Exam must be submitted on time.
• No missing assignments will be accepted after December 4th.

 

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Grading

I grade at the end of each module and post grades and comments on the online Canvas gradebook within 1 week.

Your grade will be based on: 5 discussions and 5 quizzes (150 points), and the Final Exam (50 points). The course grade will be calculated based on 200 points possible. A few extra credit opportunities will be available throughout the semester.

Grades will be assigned as follows:

A	90%	180 points or more
B	80%	160-179 points
C	70%	140-159 points
D	60%	120-139 points

Important Note about the Canvas Grades page! Ungraded assignments may show a 0 grade. Please do not assume that you have received 0 for assignments you have submitted. The number will change when I actually grade the assignment -- usually within 1 week. You should be able to check the status of an assignment to make sure you've submitted it.

This class can be taken for a Grade or Pass/No Pass. If taking Pass/No Pass, you need at least 70% of the total class points (140 points) for a Pass. Be sure to check the deadline for switching to P/NP. Make sure you know whether a grade in this class is necessary for any certificate or degree you are pursuing. To check your grades please click on the Grades link in the Canvas sidebar.

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Online Preparedness

To take this class in an online format you should have the following:

• Relatively powerful (reliable) computer: either a PC running a recent version of Windows or Mac OS that can display web pages and stream short videos from the web.
  If you need a more powerful computer, please check out SRJC's loan program:
  SRJC Student Laptop Loan Program
  
  
• Internet Connection: You will need a decent, reliable Internet connection that allows you to read Canvas pages, complete quizzes/assignments, and particularly, to view the online videos.
  
  
• Web Browser: Chrome is the browser recommended for optimal working in Canvas. If you choose to use a different browser, make sure it's a recent update.
  
  
• Internet Plug-ins/extensions: Make sure you have commonly-used Internet plug-ins installed with your browser particularly Acrobat Reader.
  
  
• E-mail Account: Use just ONE e-mail account that you check frequently. Make sure the e-mail account does not get so full that messages are bounced. Do not change e-mail accounts in mid-course unless it's absolutely necessary!
  
  • You can obtain an e-mail account either by signing up for a JC Student account or by getting a free online account through Gmail or similar service.
    For more information on JC Student E-mail Accounts please visit: SRJC Information Technology Student Email Support
    

 

• Familiarize yourself with the Canvas learning management system used by SRJC
• Set Canvas notifications so you receive alerts on your phone about homework and due dates

If you need reassurance that you are ready to take an online class, please check the following page: https://de.santarosa.edu/new-online-learning.

 

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Student Expectations and Resources

Your time commitment:

According to SRJC guidelines, you can expect to dedicate approximately 9 hours a week for a full semester 3 unit class (this includes reading/watching lectures and completing assignments/activities). This is the official SRJC formula but may not actually reflect the time you spend on the class.

Each Module Overview includes a Schedule of Activities with an estimated time commitment for each activity. Plan ahead and make an effort not to fall behind with your assignments.

If you fall behind with your assignments, please e-mail me before you decide to drop the class. I'm very willing to help you out.

Student Conduct Standards:

Students who register in SRJC classes are required to abide by the SRJC Student Conduct Standards. Violation of the Standards is basis for referral to the Vice President of Student Services or dismissal from class or from the College. For more information, please see the Santa Rosa Junior College Student Code of Conduct page: https://student-conduct.santarosa.edu/

Academic Integrity:

For all assignments in this course, you may only use the course materials provided (The Elusive Eden, the Class Notes, lecture videos, documentaries, and other assigned readings and resources). The use of outside sources and/or plagiarism will result in a zero grade for that assignment. For each assignment, use only the documents provided; the use of outside sources will result in a zero grade for that assignment. All written work must be in your own words. You can only submit an assignment once. You cannot edit or resubmit an assignment once it is submitted.

Academic dishonesty, including cheating of any kind and plagiarism, is a serious offense with serious consequences. Students are required to submit only their original work in this course. The instructor reserves the right to require that students submit their written work to the website Turnitin.com, a plagiarism detection program, at any point during the course. Any information used from another source must be appropriately cited and attributed to its authors; this includes the use of another person’s ideas or words. Plagiarism of any kind will result in a zero on that entire assignment. Cheating on a quiz or exam will result in a zero on that entire quiz or exam. Students who commit an act of academic dishonesty will forfeit all extra credit points earned prior to the incident and will be ineligible for earning any extra credit in the course. Upon a second incident of academic dishonesty, you will be dropped from the class. All forms of academic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary action, as determined by the SRJC administration. Please see SRJC’s academic policies or speak with me if you have any questions about these matters. Please read and familiarize yourself with the college policy/procedure on academic integrity at:

http://www.boarddocs.com/ca/santarosa/Board.nsf/goto?open&id=A63TMC78051C

See this link on avoiding plagiarism from the SRJC Writing Center:

 http://srjcstaff.santarosa.edu/~jroyal/research/plagiarism/plagiarism.html

Read the information in this link about students' rights and responsibilities.

Collaborating on or copying of tests or homework in whole or in part will be considered an act of academic dishonesty and result in a grade of 0 for that entire test or assignment. Students are encouraged to share information and ideas, but not quiz answers or homework.
SRJC's statement on Academic Integrity

Instructor Tip!: If you have any questions or concerns about plagiarism (or just want to make sure that you are not unintentionally plagiarizing), please email me before submitting your assignment so that we can discuss your concerns. 

Access & Accommodations:

It is the mission of the Santa Rosa Junior College to support inclusive learning environments. If there are aspects of the instruction or design of this course that result in barriers to your inclusion or to accurate assessment of achievement, please notify the instructor as soon as possible. 

Every effort is made to conform to accessibility standards for all instructor-created materials. Students should contact their instructor as soon as possible if they find that they cannot access any course materials.

If you need disability-related accommodations for this class -- such as a notetaker, test-taking services, etc. -- please provide me with the Authorization for Academic Accommodations (AAA letter) from the Disability Resources Department (DRD) as soon as possible. Students are encouraged to contact the Disability Resources Department (DRD) at (707) 527-4278. DRD is a resource for students that provides authorization for academic accommodations, training and access to assistive technology, and collaborates on strategies for academic success.

If you have a health-related or mental health concern, you can contact SRJC Student Health Services.

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Important Dates

Please pay close attention to the important dates in this class, particularly those to drop and withdraw!

Dropping the Class

If you decide to discontinue this course, it is your responsibility to officially drop the course.

The last day to drop without a W is: xxxx. The last day to drop with a W is: xx.

Pass/No Pass (P/NP)

You may take this class P/NP. You must decide before the deadline, and add the option online or file the P/NP form with Admissions and Records. With a grade of C or better, you will get a P. Once you decide to go for P/NP, you cannot change back to a letter grade. If you are taking this course as part of a certificate program, you can probably still take the class P/NP. Check with a counselor to be sure. 

The Final Exam is due on December 9th.

 

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Tips For Enjoying This Class

PARTICIPATE!

Get involved in class discussions and share your ideas, insights, and questions! Your classmates will appreciate hearing your constructive comments in Discussion Assignments. In addition, I appreciate constructive and positive feedback about how the class is going. If you encounter any problems or obstacles to your learning, please let me know.

DON'T FALL BEHIND!

Stay up to date with your reading, videos, assignments, and quizzes and assignments!

Looking forward to a great semester ahead!

 

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