A2BK_DUSA History of the United States

Faculty of Education
Spring 2010
Extent and Intensity
0/0/24. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
Michael George, M.A. (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
PhDr. Irena Přibylová, Ph.D.
Department of English Language and Literature – Faculty of Education
Contact Person: Jana Popelková
Prerequisites (in Czech)
A2BP_SOZK Complex Exam || A2BK_SOZK Complex Exam || AJ2BP_SOZK Qualifying Exam
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
This is a survey course of American History from pre-Columbian times to the period of Cold War. Its aim is to provide part of the historical and cultural background necessary for those intending to be become English language teachers, as well as to serve as an introduction and foundation for further studies in American culture and literature.Some of the significant topics of American history will be covered in more depth in the seminar sessions.The class will end with an exam.
At the end of this course, students should be able to identify and evaluate the main currents of U.S. history; their causes and consequences in relation to modern American culture and society.
Syllabus
  • 1.Introduction, Immigration and the Character of Americans
  • 2.The Constitution: 1st and 2nd Amendments and their Modern Application
  • 3.Sectionalism and Slavery - and its legacy
  • 4.The West: Movement, mobility and family
  • 5. The Viet Nam War "at Home"
  • 6. Race, Ethnicity and Multi-culturalism in Modern America
Literature
  • DAVIDSON, James West. Nation of nations : a concise narrative of the American Republic. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1996, xxiv, 947. ISBN 0070157383. info
  • ZINN, Howard. A people's history of the United States. 1st HarperPerrenial ed. New York: Harper Perennial, 1990, 614 s. ISBN 0060907924. info
  • O'CALLAGHAN, D. B. An illustrated history of the USA. Harlow: Longman, 1990, 144 s. ISBN 0582749212. info
Teaching methods
This class is a combination of short lectures and longer "round table" seminar discussions where each student comes to the class having read the assigned texts (from the textbook as well as supplementary readings)and shares his/her opinions on the subject. Discussions and lectures are sometimes supplemented with relevant documentary videos.
Assessment methods
Attendance(minimum of 5 meetings), seminar participation (having read all assignments and taken active part in all discussions.) Final written exam.
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught annually.
The course is taught: every week.
Information on the extent and intensity of the course: 24 hodin.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2003, Spring 2008, Spring 2009.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
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