Course Objectives

In this course students will examine the history of American women and social movements during the nineteenth and early twentieth century. Through secondary readings and course discussion we will define "social movements" and use gender as a means for understanding their organization, members' experiences, and legacies. We will rely on primary sources located in UMBC Special Collections, and other Baltimore archives (including my private collection). Students have some flexibility in the topics they choose for their final document projects. However, women's utopian visions during the nineteenth and twentieth century will be the primary focus for all final projects. (Possible topics)

In addition, students will learn technical skills for placing documents on the World Wide Web. The best final projects will be submitted for possible publication on the Women and Social Movements in the United States web project housed at SUNY-Binghamton and co-sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the ProQuest Company. This course is part of that effort's goal to make quality primary sources in American women's history available and accessible on the World Wide Web.

Warning: This course will take self-discipline. Procrastination will kill you! However, the rewards for keeping up with the course readings, research, and final project requirements are terrific! You are writing history that has the potential to be useful to millions of people around the world. Besides, I am looking forward to an enjoyable class where we can learn a lot from each other.

Step One: The Blackboard 24/7 Course Website--You MUST Enroll in the Blackboard On-Line Course (blackboard.umbc.edu)

Students enrolled in this course must have an active email account and access to the Internet. HIST 495B/713 uses Blackboard On-line software. This means that you will have access to course materials 24 hours a day, 7 days a week through the Internet.  Most assignments will be submitted on-line at the Blackboard course website. All UMBC students have access to the Internet and a personal email account through the many on-campus computer labs (locations, hours, etc.). Students may also use any computer with Internet access. Your registration with the UMBC Registrar for HIST 495B/713 will earn you entrance into this course. But you MUST ALSO enroll in the on-line version of HIST 495B/713 on the course Blackboard site in order to have full access to assignments, scheduling, the discussion board, etc. BEFORE you do anything else, enroll in the course on-line by going to:
http://www.umbc.edu/oit/NewMedia/blackboard/

I will send all email messages to your UMBC email account (yourusername@umbc.edu). If you do not want to check this account, have messages forwarded to your preferred email address (such as aol, hotmail, etc.). For help with this procedure, or if you have other questions about UMBC's Office of Information Technology services visit the OIT helpsite at http://www.umbc.edu/oit/. Helpdesk personnel in the on-campus computer labs can help with most questions. Also feel free to visit me during my office hours or make an appointment (lindenme@umbc.edu). The helpdesk phone number is 410-455-3838.

I expect students enrolled in this course to uphold the UMBC Code of Student Conduct for Academic Integrity. Also take a look at the Indiana University website: Plagiarism:   What It Is and How to Recognize It

Course Requirements

• Required Materials (Things you must buy).
  • Kriste Lindenmeyer, ed. Ordinary Women, Extraordinary Lives: Women in American History.  Scholarly Resources, 2001.
    Both undergraduate and graduate students must purchase this book.
  • World Wide Web Document: What Are Social Movements
    Be sure to read and study the Abstract, Document list, and Introduction
  • World Wide Web Document: Guides to Creating an Editorial Project
  • *M. Bahati Kuumba. Gender and Social Movements. AltaMira Press. 2001
    *Only graduate students must purchase this book.
  • Two RW-CDs. They may be of any brand and are available in the UMBC bookstore and office supply stores.
  • Your full participation!
     
• Attendance and Participation (100 points) Attendance is mandatory. The course only meets once each week, so miss a class and you miss a lot. In addition, this course is designed with collaborative learning at its core. This format demands your full participation. In other words, the other students are depending on you! Please don't let them down. TALK to me if you MUST miss a class and pay close attention to the Course Schedule.
         
• Reading Exam (100 points) The reading examination will cover themes discussed in Ordinary Women and What Are Social Movements. Graduate students will also be responsible for material in the Kuumba,  Gender and Social Movements text. We will discuss these materials the first four class meetings with the open-book, in-class examination scheduled for March 5th.
   
• Web Project (400 points) This is the major focus of the course. We will discuss your choices of web projects in class and all topics must be approved by me. Be sure to read the Guides to Creating an Editorial Project. This document is part of the Women and Social Movements Course that was taught at SUNY-Binghamton and contains useful information that will help you as you create your project.

  An editorial project, consists of six parts:

  • A research question
  • A bibliography that informs and frames the research question
  • A set of 20 documents that address the question (with annotations)
  • Short headnotes (1-2 paragraphs) for each document
  • An introduction to the whole project (3-5 pages--plus endnotes)
  • Related links

  Project deadlines linked to the Course Schedule provide the required dates for completing sections of your web project. I will divide your score for this requirement into 3 sections of 100 points each. Your document presentations will take place on the Course Blackboard Discussion Board.

  You may find Tips for Using Microsoft FrontPage useful as you begin to create your website.

Semester Grading Scale

You will be able to check your grade throughout the semester on-line at the Blackboard Course Website.