Linfield College

HISTORY 257

INSTRUCTOR: John Ritter                          

PHONE: 503-779-5221

email: jritter@wvi.com                              

REQUIRED TEXT:”The Pacific Northwest”, by Carlos Schwantes,

                                                                                

COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course will cover the comprehensive history , geography and culture of the Pacific Northwest from ancient through modern times.

PREREQUISITE: None

COURSE OBJECTIVES: By the end of the course the students will:

• have a basic understanding of the complex history of the Pacific Northwest.

• be able to discuss the major themes of Indian history.

• realize how complex and diverse their history and societies were in the past and are today. And how the varied population of the region  has contributed to the development and settlement of the United States...

• develop an appreciation for the land and people of indigenous populations.

• learn how the geography of the United States has contributed to its settlement by euro-colonizers.

• realize the complexities of Oregon, Washington and Idahoan societies and their uniqueness.

 

INSTRUCTOR BIOGRAPHY: History is my passion as well as my vocation. I live outside of Salem, with many animals, married and two grown children who are gone. I have graduate degrees in history, am bi-lingual and have traveled extensively in Oregon and the Northwest, Africa, Europe and Mexico.  I am a retired administrator for the Oregon Department of Corrections and the Oregon department of Education and have taught history classes for colleges for 26 years...

METHODS OF EVALUATION

Course grade: The final course grade will be determined by the following:

1-Your Scholarship- via reading assignment completion.

2-Academic Work-assignment completion

3-Your level of activity via the course software.

4-Your input/my input.

 

Essays: You will be required to write one essay every two weeks, the topic may be on a notable “person”, and their contributions to PNW  society/culture, or an “event”, and how it changed /effected the area, or a “group”, say a tribe, and how they effected life in the PNW. Topics are open todiscussion, and if you find something you wish to write about, first clear it with the instructor, then do it. I want this to be a learning situation, where you may look deeper into certain topics that pique your  interest. Essays may be informal, 3-5 pages, and  contain your opinion. Try to make them interesting for me and you. You are not limited to your text, and may look elsewhere for research material.

                                               

                                               

Class participation: You will be required to make three substantive contributions to the class, via the “Class Discussions’, emails to me, and completing assignments in a timely manner...The Discussion section of the web site should be used to ’discuss’ with your classmates, concerns, insights, comments about the material in the text. You may also use this area to question me, and your fellow students….If you want a private answer to your questions, Email works good…

 

Grading scale:

            A= 90-100% of completion of all assignments in an exemplary style.                           

            B= 80-90%    of completion of all assigned work in a superior manner.                       

            C=below 80%, completion of all tasks in an average manner.   

COURSE POLICIES

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Incompletes: A grade of Incomplete (I) is given only in emergency situations. The student must request an Incomplete in writing and must obtain my permission. All uncompleted work must be completed within the time limits I set. If you simply don’t turn in the final assignments or the final exam, your course grade will be calculated with the missed portion counting for 0 points.

Academic honesty: Cheating and plagiarism will not be tolerated. Any student found to be engaging in either of these activities at any point in the course will receive a failing grade for the assignment and/or entire course and may be subject to further college sanctions.

 

Rules of Discussion: The classroom should be a safe haven within which individuals can discuss the widest possible range of topics without fearing retribution, ridicule, or attack. In order for this to happen, we must assume that we are all persons of intelligence and good will who may ultimately disagree, sometimes to a profound degree, with one another but whose characters are not impugned or intelligence disparaged because of this disagreement. The classroom is not a forum for proselytizing, nor is it a soapbox for diatribes by either students or faculty. For the academic endeavor to succeed, we must treat each other with civility, courtesy, and respect. All perspectives and questions are welcome, as long as they are impelled by a genuine desire for knowledge, can be articulated thoughtfully, and supported by sound reasoning.

Difficulties: Problems, questions…SEE THE INSTRUCTOR IMMEDIATELY.

Students with disabilities: Students with documented disabilities who may need accommodations, who have any emergency medical information the instructor, should know of, or who need special arrangements in the event of evacuation, should make an appointment with the instructor as early as possible, no later than the first week of the term.

 

CLASS OUTLINE   AND ASSIGNMENTS

                                                                     

 

Class Feb 17th.2007, Class Ends: May9th..2007.

      Your opinion is valued. Try to get away from rigorous historical writing and be creative, in other words, make your essay interesting. And each essay must be completed by the following Monday of 2^nd. week, late assignments are not a good idea...

To succeed in class. You must get your reading completed, and essay turned in on time. Late is not a good idea. Use the assignments section of the software to send in your essay..