Complete the Course Plan and Submit Through This Assignment Tool
Look for the yellow to notice all of the places where you need to type your answer. 
Cautions: 
•	This is 5 pages—the last 4 are the same pages as the List of Due Dates. Tip: Print these pages and put them where you will see them daily. Check them off as you do things. You have to be self-managed in Distance Education. 
•	There are no late papers in this class. Watch the date and the hour that assignments close. The Blackboard tool closes and you cannot submit.
General Question about Whether I Met You Before
If you were never in a class that I taught, please answer: _ No
If you were previously in a class I taught, please answer these questions: 
•	_ Online? or _ On-campus? 
•	What year?  ________ (approximately)   
•	If on campus, which one:  _ Sugar Land? or _ Richmond?
Making Sure Your Professor Can Help You If Something Goes Wrong 
Type your emergency contact information so I have several ways to reach you if it is in your interest if I contact you. Example of when I would call you: You did not complete the Final Exam and I am required to fail you for the course.
Your last name: _________________ __________     Your first name: _________________ __________     
Reliable phone number:  _____-_____-________      Alternative email: _________________ __________     
Deciding the Grade You Plan to Earn
Place an X in the yellow box to the left of YOUR planned grade in this 1000-point course and notice the required points.
	Final Letter Grade that You Plan to Earn	How Many Points That You Must Earn for That Grade	
	A (exceptional)	895 or above (Range: 895-1000 points)	
	B (above average)	795 or above (Range: 795-894 points)	
	C (average)	695 or above (Range: 695-794 points)   	
	D (below average)	595 or above (Range: 595-694 points)   	
	F (failing)	594 or less	
Making Sure You Do Enough Points for the Grade You Want to Earn
Place an X in the yellow box to the left of each assignment you will do so you earn the points you need for the grade you want. Caution: Do not assume you will make perfect scores on everything. That is not how life works for most of us. Tips: 
•	If you want an A, to be safe put an X in the yellow box by every assignment on both page—and do them.
•	To help you monitor your grade during the term, I post an announcement at the end of Unit 1, 2, and 3 so you can determine your current letter grade. 
•	History is different from other freshman classes, the writing is different, and the requirement for evidence is different. This course tries to help you, but you have to notice. 
General Information to Use with the List of Due Dates (Your Only Safe Source of Dates)
Dates Set by WCJC That Are Not Covered in the List of Due Dates:
•	Last day for you to “Drop” the course with grade of “W”:  5/3/2019
•	Holidays: UIL (3/29) and Easter Break (4/18-4/19, with classes resuming 4/22)
Information from the Syllabus or from Instructions with Assignments: 
Passwords for Self-Tests and Unit Exams
•	For self-tests for Learning Quizzes or Evidence Quizzes: selftest < no capitals, no spaces, and no punctuation
•	For Unit Exams:  onetimeonly < no capitals, no spaces, and no punctuation
2 Methods to Locate Work in the Course on Blackboard’s Course Menu
•	Shortcut to All Graded Work (No Content or Instructions)—Only provides Blackboard tools to submit work
•	Learning Modules (All Content/All Graded Work)—Provides everything you need: study guides, instructions, lessons, primaries and all of the Blackboard tools you use from assignments to quizzes to discussions to exams. 
How to Use the List of Due Dates to Know Where, When, and How:
The List of Due Dates—these 4 pages—are available at the end of this syllabus and separately on the Course Menu and as a link at other locations in the course.
1.	Where to work: The List of Due Dates tells you which Learning Modules to use to do your work. Example:
•	To do the work listed under the heading “Meeting the Respondus Requirements to Take the Final Exam”
•	You click 1st on Learning Modules on the Course Menu and 2nd on the folder “Meeting the Respondus Requirements to Take the Final Exam”
2.	When to work: The row for each assignment shows you:
•	When the work opens (is available to you to start preparing)
•	When work is due (must be submitted)
3.	When you have flexibility: Some dates overlap in order to give you flexibility during each unit. Example: Notice how Unit 1’s Exam period overlaps with the start of Unit 2. If you finish Unit 1 early, you can start Unit 2 early.
4.	How to work in Any Unit: All Units about history work in the same way. In Unit 1, the Tips apply to all 3 Units.
5.	The next 3 pages show you:
•	On page 12, the 3 Learning Modules that you use throughout the semester – the one with the Sample Respondus Exam and the one for Evidence Quizzes and the one for doing the 3-Part Writing
•	On pages 13 and 14, the Learning Modules that you use one after another for specific content, such as Getting Started, Unit 1, Unit 2, Unit 3, and the Final Exam

Learning Modules That You Do or Use Throughout the Semester
Meeting the Respondus Requirements to Take the Final Exam (MAR 31-APR 24) 
You have 3-weeks to take the Sample Respondus Exam so you can take the Final Exam. You are graded using a checklist.
	Assignment (Listed in the Order They Become Open)	Opens	Due 	Points	
	If you exactly follow Distance Education’s requirements on the 1st try and in the 1st week (3/31-4/6), you earn 20 points; the 2nd week (4/7-4/13), 15 points; and the last week (4/14-4/24), 10 points. If you need 2 tries, you earn only 5 points. Tip: Use Distance Education’s video and the grading checklist to make sure you do this correctly. Caution: only external (clip-able) webcams.	3/31 -12:00 AM	4/24–11:59 PM	20	
Evidence Quizzes (Required to see the 3-Part Writing) (APR 1-APR 15) 
	Assignment (Listed in the Order They Become Open)	Opens	Due	Points	
	To open the folder for the 3-Part Writing, complete at least the Self-Tests for Evidence Quizzes 1-4. Score at least 80%+ on each Self-Test or—if you did not—do its Full-Test to at least 80%. Use Course Messages to email your instructor that you have completed these 4 Self-Tests, and she confirms you will be in the Discussion or tells you what to do. 	4/1 -12:00 AM 	4/15–1:00 PM 	40	
3-Part Writing–Paper, 2 Peer Reviews, and Replies to Peer Reviews (APR 8-MAY 14) – Opens Early for Questions.
With the 3-Part Writing discussion, your instructor opens and closes the same discussion when each of 3 Parts stop and start according to the dates below and puts students back into the discussion after they reply to feedback. Instructions at the top of the 3-Part Writing folder tell you what to do with each Part, including covering everything from length to citation to required textbook pages and required Subject lines.
	Assignment (Listed in the Order They Become Open)	Opens	Due	Points	
	The folder opens early 4/8 with instructions on citation and required textbook pages and contains required primaries. The 3-Part Discussion opens 4/15 so you can post your paper (the 1st Part). Cautions: You cannot see others’ papers before you post your own so ask questions in the Unit 1 Learning Discussion. Late papers are not accepted. You must do the 1st Part to do the 2nd and 3rd Parts.	4/15–1:00 PM 	4/24–11:59 PM 	100	
	The Discussion reopens for the 2nd Part (2 peer reviews). After her class ends at 1:00 PM, your instructor emails feedback on the 1st Part in Course Messages. Tip: The quicker you reply, the quicker you are back in the discussion for the 2nd Part. 	4/29–1:00 PM 	5/6–11:59 PM	100	
	The Discussion reopens for the 3rd Part (replies to peer reviewers). Carefully examine comments about evidence by the 2 students who peer reviewed it. Reply to their peer review according to the instructions. 	5/9–1:00 PM 	5/14–11:59 PM	40	
	Total for the 3-Part Writing 			240	

Learning Modules Containing Assignments That You Do One After Another
Getting Started & Staying Successful All 8 Weeks (MAR 25-MAR 27)
	Assignment 	Opens	Due	Points	
	Complete tasks listed on the last page of the Course Orientation link. (If you cannot complete these tasks by 3/27, email your instructor in Course Messages.)	3/25–8:00 AM	3/27–11:59 PM 	40	
Unit 1: Creating a New America from 1860 to 1900 (MAR 27-APR 13)
Unit 1 includes Tips to help you succeed from the beginning. The Tips apply not only to Unit 1 but to Unit 2 and Unit 3 as well. For example, by doing each Unit’s Learning Discussion and making above a 60 on the Exam, you can earn 90 instead of 60 points. 
	Assignment (Listed in the Order They Become Open)	Opens	Due	Points	
	Use Unit 1’s Study Guide with its Lessons and textbook chapters 23 to 27.
Tip: Everything you need is in this Learning Module—except the textbook.	–	–		
	Take the Learning Quizzes in Unit 1. Tip: See tips at the top of its folder. (The incentive for each Learning Quiz in the Unit ends on the date listed in an Announcement.)	3/27–12:00 AM	4/13–-11:59 PM	70	
	Post and/or reply in Unit 1 Learning Discussions. Tips: a) It closes the day before the exam starts. b) Use the Discussion Instructions in your instructor’s 1st post. c) Earn 10 extra credit points if you also make above 60 on the Unit Exam. d) For Unit 1, the 1st 5 people to post earn 5 extra points and, if you need help, your instructor coaches you. 	3/27–12:00 AM	4/10–11:59 PM 
	20	
	Take Unit 1 Exam.  Tips: Complete Self-Tests or Full-Tests at 80 percent or more to earn a 1 point incentive for each quiz. 	4/11–12:00 AM	4/13–11:59 PM 	100	
	Total for Unit 1			190	
Unit 2: Moving to the World Stage-America from 1900 to 1945 (APR 13-APR 30)
	Assignment (Listed in the Order They Become Open)	Opens	Due	Points	
	Use Unit 2’s Study Guide with its Lessons and textbook chapters 28 to 34.	–	–		
	Take all Learning Quizzes in Unit 2 (Tip: same instruction as Unit 1.)	4/13–12:00 AM	4/30–11:59 PM	82	
	Post and reply in Unit 2 Learning Discussions. (Tip: same instruction as Unit 1.) 	4/13–12:00 AM	4/27–11:59 PM	20	
	Take Unit 2 Exam 	4/28–12:00 AM	4/30–11:59 PM	100	
	Total for Unit 2			202	

Unit 3: Transformations–America from 1945 to the Near Present (APR 30-MAY 12)
	Assignment (Listed in the Order They Become Open)	Opens	Due	Points	
	Use Unit 3’s Study Guide with its Lessons and textbook chapters 35 to 41. 	–	–		
	Take all Learning Quizzes in Unit 3. (Tip: same instruction as Unit 1.)	4/30–12:00 AM	5/12–11:59 PM	48	
	Post and reply in Unit 3 Learning Discussions   (Tip: same instruction as Unit 1.)	4/30–12:00 AM	5/9–11:59 PM	20	
	Take Unit 3 Exam - Tip: The extra days are to make Spring Break responsibilities more flexible.	5/10–12:00 AM	5/12–11:59 PM	100	
	Total for Unit 3			168	
Final Exam: 1860 to the Present (MAY 5-MAY 15) – Opens Early for Review 
Take the Final Exam on either date. Cautions: The History Department requires History instructors to fail students for the whole Course if they do not take the Final Exam. I will apply the penalties (points deducted from your exam grade) if
	Assignment (Listed in the Order They Become Open)	Opens	Due	Points	
	Check all existing grades. If you think there is an error, email the specifics.	--	5/12–11:59 PM		
	1st time period for taking the Final.	5/11–7:00 PM	5/12–11:59 PM		
	2nd time period for taking the Final.	5/14–7:00 PM	5/15–11:59 PM		
	Check all new grades. If you think there is an error, email in Blackboard Messages the exact name of the grade and your phone # before NOON.	--	5/16–12:00 PM 		
	Total for the Final Exam Regardless of the Day Taken			100	

Total of the Points Above
Total	Part of the Course	
 20	Respondus	
 40	Evidence Quizzes	
240	3-Part Writing (paper, 2 peer reviews, 2 replies to peer reviews)	
 40	Getting Started	
190	Unit 1	
202	Unit 2	
168	Unit 3	
100	Final Exam	
1000	Total for the Course	

I reserve the right to modify the syllabus during the semester.