HIS

In this course, students explore the different approaches, methods, and source material of historical, political, and social research, interpretation, and writing. The first part of the course works with students on the importance and uses of historiography and differing modes of historical and political inquiry, and is focused on NCSS theme II, Time, Continuity, and Change. The middle part of the course focuses on United States history from 1765 to 1835 as seen through the lenses of four NCSS themes: Theme I, Culture, especially political culture, provides a concept and approach for comparing republicanism and liberalism in the founding period. Theme X, Civic Ideals and Civic Practices allow a closer look at constitution-making and state-building, beginning with the Albany Congress, and including the Declaration of Independence, the first state constitutions, and the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights. Theme III, People, Places, and Environments (or geography), by drawing on the work of Meinig, introduces another dimension of many of the same processes' of imperial centralization, nation-building, and federalism. This part of the course concludes with a look at the stage of economic development (Theme VII, Production, Distribution, and Consumption) beginning in the early 1800s, including and thebuilding of the Erie Canal, and exploring the relationships between economics, the law, and public policy, drawing on the work of Hurst and others. The final part of the course, focusing on Theme VI, Power, Authority, and Governance, examines this extended period as a foundation for broader civic concepts and issues, such as ? power and authority, constitutions and constitutionalism, democracy and republicanism, governmental powers and individual rights, the role of the citizen in participation and representation, civil society, and the public policy-making process.

This is an advanced graduate reading seminar in topics and issues of North American/United States history, geography, and economics. The main body of the course is organized around important areas of current research and debate by scholars that address the following NCSS thematic standards: Theme I, Culture; Theme II, Time, Continuity, and Change (historical process and context); Theme III, People, Places, and Environments (geography); Theme V, Individuals, Groups, and Institutions (social history, sociology), Theme VIII, Science, Technology, and Society. In addition, the course contains an economics module that addresses NCSS Theme VII, Production, Distribution, and Consumption, in the context of US history and society. The course will be organized both thematically and chronologically, and will include readings that together will address problems of US/North American history from the pre-Columbian period to the present. The course will be particularly valuable to candidate secondary teachers who want to gain a solid understanding of many aspects of North American society evolving within a complex geographic setting. Whenever possible, a focus will be placed on New York State history.

This is an advanced reading seminar course in topics of global history, geography, and economics. It is specifically designed to build student understanding of selected issues in the development of human society within various geographic environments over the last two millennia, with an emphasis on the processes of ?globalization? in recent periods. The main body of the course is organized around important areas of current research and debate by scholars; the course addresses several NCSS thematic standards, most prominently, Theme IX, Global Connections. The other thematic focuses are: including: Theme I, Culture; Theme II, Time, Continuity, and Change (historical process and context); Theme III, People, Places, and Environments (geography); Theme VIII, Science, Technology, and Society. In addition, the course contains an economics module that addresses NCSS Theme VII, Production, Distribution, and Consumption, in the context of the world economy and the forces of globalization. Students completing this course will not only increase their knowledge of global history, geography, and economics as content fields but will also be better prepared to teach these subjects in New York State.