Rosemary Bell, Professor
History 420, History of Latin America
Tu/Th 9:35-10:50am, room 1-1219B
Office Hours: MW 11am-noon or by appt.
Email: bellro@smccd.edu
Voicemail: 650 738-4213
Website:http://www.smccd.edu/accounts/bellro/

Partially satisfies American History and Institutions requirement. Recommended: Eligibility for ENGL 100, 105 or equivalent. PUT IN TRANSFER INFORMATION

Skyline College

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History 420, History of Latin America

This course will take us on a trip through Latin American from colonial times to the present. Greater emphasis will be put on present-day Latin America. Case studies will be used.

Book
The required book for class is History of Latin America, by Keen, et al. It is available at the book store.

Key Themes in the Course
I am aware that students sometimes feel overwhelmed by the vastness of the subject. We will make no attempt at a comprehensive examination of all the information, however, we will focus on some important aspects of the social life, political behavior and cross-cultural relationships of the people we meet. This course is not meant to be rote memorization, I am hoping to provoke some energetic thinking and creativity on your part. By the end of the course I sincerely hope that you think more reflectively and critically.

Student Learning Outcomes: at the end of this course I would like you to have the ability to:
1. Communicate effectively your ideas both orally and in writing.
2. Develop critical reading and interpretative skills.
3. Understand and apply definitions of words and strengthen your vocabulary.
4. Listen responsively and attempt to maintain a level of open mindedness.
5. Apply ideas and concepts from not only American history, but world history to present day events.

Responsibilities
Your responsibilities include reading the required assignments before coming to class and being prepared for exams or written assignments. This means having a scantron/bluebook and pencils.

Attendance
It is important that you come to class. You will be allowed four absences, any over this number and I will deduct five points for each additional absence from your final grade. Chronic lateness will also be penalized by a deduction in points at the end of the semester. I will not drop you from the class. You must do that through the Registrar's Office.

Exams
There will be a series of quizzes, group work and class discussions. The quizzes may be unannounced. Keep up with the readings, come to class, ask for help and you shouldn't have any difficulty. Exams must be taken on the days assigned. There will be no make-ups unless a doctor's note on official stationary is provided. Format of the make-up exams will be at the discretion of the instructor.

Assignments
You can earn a total of 400 pts. for this class. The breakdown is as follows:
3 in-class exams (75 pts. each)
1 map quiz (25 pts.)
1 reflective writing assignment (50 pts.)
Final Exam (100 pts.) may be cumulative

400-360 = A
360-320 = B
320-280 = C
280-240 = D
below 240 = F

Please:
1. If you are going to be absent for more than one consecutive class, please call or e-mail me. This is for your protection as well as mine.
2. If you need to leave early please let me know before class begins.
3. Please do not give me elaborate excuses as to why you weren't in class or why you did not do the assignments. I'll respect you more if you tell me the truth.
4. Please be courteous and respectful of others.

Students With Disabilities
If you have a disability and require accommodations, please advise me during the first week of class. To be provided with the appropriate accommodations, you will need to obtain a signed form from the Disabled Students Programs and Services (650-738-4280).

Basic Information
1. Assignments are due at the BEGINNING of class. For each weekday an assignment is late I will deduct 10 pts.
2. If you are late to any exam I am willing to give you a makeup (see above), however, I ask that you not enter the classroom and disturb others.
3. If you simply stop attending class and do not withdraw through Admissions and Records you will receive an F grade.
4. Attendance will be taken daily.
5. Please turn off all pagers and cell phones before class begins. In case of emergency - and only in these cases - the cell phone may be placed in silent mode.  At no times are cell phones to be answered or used in class for any purposes.
6. All submitted work must be typed (double-spaced) and stapled with your G# on it.  I will not accept papers with social security numbers or names on them.

Integrity
I can not emphasize strongly enough the importance of maintaining and respecting academic integrity. What we're talking about is cheating and plagiarism. Cheating is the act of obtaining academic work through the use of dishonest, deceptive, or fraudulent acts. Plagiarism is taking someone else's work and passing it off as your own. I have "zero tolerance" for cheating and plagiarism. If I catch you plagiarizing (and believe me I will!), you will receive an F for the assignment. This may result in an F for the course. If you want to discuss this further please see me or check out page 24 in the Skyline College catalog.

My door is always open should you have any questions, concerns or problems.

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