1960s Class Syllabus

History 314: The 1960s
Fall 2010
Class Times: Tuesday and Thursday 6PM to 9:15PM
Classroom: Thayer Hall, West Point N.Y.

Course Outline:
Course Description: The course will deal, in substantive detail, with the 1960s. In order to understand the immediate and underlying causes of the period, the course will involve discussions of the two decades leading up to it, and its long term effects. We will look at this period in two ways: a watershed in modern U.S. history, and as a period of history that continues to cause worldwide debate within political, scholarly and social circles.

Course Objectives: At the conclusion of the course, the student will be able to recognize that various philosophical, historical, religious, and political traditions within the decade that have shaped modern society. In addition, they should be able to analyze the influence of these traditions on democratic principles. Specifically:
• Have a comprehensive knowledge of events that occurred in the 1960s.
• Through the use of lectures, readings and research understand the major historical importance of the 1960s and how it has affected the development of America.
• Understand the background and root causes that set the conditions for the 1960s and the different perspectives on those causes.
• Have a fully developed understanding of the period, and the role it played in the development of the United States.
Required text: All texts and readings will be provided throughout the course.

Grades: 1,000 points total
• Class participation and online discussions: 20%
• Paper requirement: book review or battle analysis with associated discussion: 30%
• Public Debates (2): 20%
• Group Presentation: 15%
• Autobiography interview and presentation: 15%
Academic Integrity: Academic integrity, a commitment to honesty, fairness, respect, and responsibility, is the foundation of the learning process. All members of the Saint Thomas Aquinas College community are held to the highest standards of academic honesty. While we recognize the participatory nature of education, we take academic integrity very seriously, and the College policy on academic dishonesty details consequences that can include dismissal from the College. That policy can be found in both the Student Handbook and the College Catalog.
As a student in this class, you must demonstrate your commitment to academic integrity by submitting work which originates in your own imagination, analytical faculties, or your own knowledge, which you have done yourself, and which represents your very best efforts. When appropriate, your work should be supplemented and supported by other sources; however, you must always insure that these sources are properly cited using the recommended documentation system.

Accommodations: Students needing accommodations for a documented disability should notify the instructor before the end of the first week of classes.

Attendance: More than two unexcused absences from class will result in a lower grade (one half of a letter grade). Excused absences are determined at the discretion of the instructor. Extended absences will require a note from the appropriate administrative office.
Course Schedule
WEEK TOPICS
10 AUG Why and how should we study the 1960s? USMA library orientation
12 AUG Civil Rights, Decolonization, and the Cold War: The Early 1960s
17 AUG Vietnam I: The early years to Tet
19 AUG The Civil Rights Movement (Public Debate 1)
24 AUG Autobiography and Interview (research period)
26 AUG Autobiography interview presentation
31 AUG The Women’s Rights Movement (online discussion)
2 SEP International Relations: Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia and the Arab Israeli Wars (Public Debate 2)
7 SEP Vietnam II: After Tet (online discussion)
9 SEP Group Presentations (one domestic and one international)
14 SEP Long term effects of the 1960s (online discussion)
16 SEP Current events discussion – Comparisons of Vietnam to Afghanistan/Class close out

Assignment Due Dates
19 AUG: Public Debate 1 – Civil Rights
26 AUG: Autobiography interview paper and presentation
2 SEP: Public Debate 2 – US support of Israel
9 SEP: Group presentation
16 SEP: Paper
 
Graded Products
Public Debates: Open discussion based on designated topics, which you will be assigned a side. Specifically:
• Demonstate an ability to refute opposition’s points or support that of his/her side.
• Displays public citizenship in respect to the 1960s period.
• Presents cogent and clearly stated positions in class.
• Paper’s conclusion reflects the arguments and positions taken.
• Thought are unified, complete, and flow in a logical sequence, both written and oral.
• Historical information is accurate and proper use of supporting facts.
• Creatively takes on the persona of the time.
The public debate consists of two parts:
1. Position paper that lays out your argument or position. 1 to 2 pages – 50%.
2. Open forum debate in classroom – 50%.

Book Review (5 to 8 pages): Each student will read and report on a book. The book must be selected only after consultation with the instructor. The book will be analyzed in one paper 3 to 5 pages in length. The student should address the following:
• Include information about each author such as place of birth, education, major works published, and overall background. No more than 2 to 3 paragraphs.
• Discuss the scope and content of each book. What are the major themes and thesis of the book?
• Assess and compare the main sources used by the author in his/her research. Do they rely of primary or secondary sources? Check the endnotes or bibliographies for this information.
• Evaluate the book. Did you like it? Why? Consider writing style, organization, effective use of sources, and content in your evaluation.
• What did you learn about the topic or topics covered?
• Look up one professional review of the book. Do you degree or disagree with the review?
• Your review needs to focus on a description of the contents and scope of the book and on your in depth evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of the books.
• PROOFREAD!
• One of the best strategies for writing good reviews is reading a lot of good reviews. In preparing your review, consider how professional historians approach the same assignment. Check out:
o Recent issues of the Journal of American History or the American Historical Review. These are general academic history journals oriented toward audiences in many different fields. Each issue contains a large number of short books reviews, on the order of 500-1000 words, or approximately 2-4 double-spaced pages.
o Reviews in American History. This is a journal devoted entirely to longish book reviews and review essays, which consider more than one title. You can find it on the shelf in Knight Library and also on the Internet through Project MUSE: http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/reviews_in_american_history/
o Reviews about books in a particular area of interest to you. One easy way to locate these is by using the database called "America: History and Life." You can access it through the UO Library website. Look Under "Articles, Databases, and Indexes."
o Reviews by historians and/or about historical titles in major review outlets, including the New York Times Book Review, the New York Review of Books, and the Times Literary Supplement. Like reviews in publications geared to professional historians, these reviews are written for an intelligent reading audience. They are, however, less likely than those reviews to address historiographical (i.e. interpretive) themes directly.
o Internet history reviews are not constrained by the space limitations of conventional publications, and therefore vary in length from quite short to interminable. Check out:
o H-NET Reviews: http://www.h-net.msu.edu/reviews
Battle Analysis (5 to 8 pages): Choose a battle that occurred in the 1960s in consultation with the instructor. If you keep your paper simple and follow the guide you will have no problem. You will lead a discussion of your battle during the appropriate time during class. The paper should consist of:
• Introduction/Define the Subject (this should take no more than one half page - about two paragraphs).
o Intro
o Date and Location (brief location of battle, near a certain city and/or country)
o Principal Antagonists (the basic players, not a detailed analysis)
o Available Resources (primary and secondary)
• Review Strategic Setting (no more than one and a half pages)
o Causes of conflict (Immediate causes)
o Compare antagonists (key players)
o Military systems (strength, logistics, intelligence, C3)
o Previous performance
o Logistical situation
o Morale, Health and Welfare
• Review Tactical Situation (no more than one page)
o Area of Operations
o Mission (who has the advantage?)
o Equipment (who has the advantage?)
o Terrain (describe, who has advantage?)
o Troops available (advantage?)
o Time (advantage?)
• Describe the Action (what happened - general flow, not minutia – 2 to 3 pages)
o Disposition of Forces
o Initial Movements
o Major Phases of the Battle
o Key Events
o Outcome
• Assess Significance (one page)
o Short-term effects
o Long-term effects
Group Presentation: The students will be split into two groups of 3 to 5, pending class size. Each group will then, in conjunction with the instructor, choose a topic of interest that they will present to the class. One group will present on the anti-war movement, and the other group will present on the Vietnam War from 1968 to 1975.
Presentation requirements:
• Appropriate use of technology.
• Each student must participate.
• Presentation will be a minimum of 30, but no longer than 90 minutes.

Autobiography-Interview Essay and presentation (4 to 5 pages): Interview one individual who was in the U.S. (and at least a teenager) during the decade of the 1960s concerning the Vietnam War, Space Race, the Civil Rights, or a combination of the above drawing out their personal experience (and their second-hand experience through the media) of events they found personally significant or culturally dramatic. A parent, a teacher, a 50- or 60-something friend or acquaintance, a grandparent would all be suitable choices. You may find it useful to take some time to frame your questions before you call or meet with them. Then construct an essay drawing together your insights from this interview with your studies within the course. Be sure to focus on the nature and uses of personal narrative in understanding historic events and cultural processes.