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Kutztown University - Summer 2012
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Course Overview (What is this all about?)
====Hello, and welcome to this website. This course breakdowns the Mexican American War (1846-1848) into its major components, including the campaigns (the battles, terrain, and soldiers) and the politics that sparked the war. The American military lacked experience after the War of 1812, but that did not stop President Polk from pursuing a war against Mexico for land. Americans believed in Manifest Destiny, that they were the rightful owners of all the land between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The war that ensued bridged the past with the future, and the leaders for both sides of one of America�s most recognized wars, the Civil War, gained experience, and the country solidified its borders and gained a new president. ====

Course Policies (What is expected?)
====All written assignments are due by the last day of each week. All discussion board posts and responses occur in the Discussion Board area. Detailed instructions for each assignment are available in the Resources section. ====

====The course materials, assignments, learning outcomes, and expectations in this high school course assumes the student completed lower level history and English course to develop content knowledge and skills necessary for reserach, writing, and critical thinking. This class alligns to the Pennsylvania Academic Standards as follows: ====


 * ~ Title: ||||~ PA Academic Standard ||
 * < Elections ||||= 5.3.3E, F ||
 * < Location of Places ||||= 7.1.3B ||
 * < Branches of US Government ||||= 5.3.9B ||
 * < Understanding Timelines ||||= 8.1.9A ||
 * < Famous Individuals in History ||||= 8.3.12A ||
 * < Regional Conflict and Cooperation ||||= <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">8.4.12D ||

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Course Outcomes (What are the objectives?)

 * ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Identify the causes of the Mexican-American War. ====
 * ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Acquire a general knowledge and appreciation of camp and battle experiences of the typical soldier before, during, and at the end of the war ====
 * ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Recall the military events in Northeast Mexico and Central Mexico. ====
 * ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Recall the military events in Northwest California. ====
 * ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Comprehend how the terms of the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo changed America�s future. ====
 * ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Acquire a general knowledge of the political and miliatry leaders, and comprehend their past and future impact on America. ====

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Course Procedures (How are we going to learn all of this?)
==<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> ==
 * ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Lesson 1: The Research Paper [[image:red_back.gif width="46" height="9"]] ====
 * ====Lesson 2: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Causes of the War ====
 * ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Lesson 3: The U.S. Army ====
 * ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Lesson 4: General Taylor and Northeast Mexico ====
 * ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Lesson 5: General Scott and Central Mexico ====
 * ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Lesson 6: "54/40 or Fight!" ====
 * ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Lesson 7: Western Mexico and California ====
 * ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Lesson 8: Treaty of Guadalupe Hildago ====
 * ====Lesson 9: Peace and Legacies====



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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Required Reading (What textbooks are needed?)

 * ====John S. D. Eisenhower, So Far from God: The U.S. War with Mexico, 1846�1848, ISBN 0806132795====
 * ====Richard Bruce Winder, Mr. Polk�s Army, ISBN 1585441627====

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Course Evaluation (How are the grades calculated?)
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">(8 @ 50 points each) ||= <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">33% || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">(2 @ 200 points each) ||= <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">33% ||
 * ~ <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Grade Instruments: ||~ <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Points ||~ <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">% Final Grade ||
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Discussion Posts & Responses ||= <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> 400 points
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Exams ||= <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">400 points
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Research Paper (Topic Proposal) ||= <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">15 points ||= <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1% ||
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Research Paper (Outline) ||= <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">60 points ||= <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">5% ||
 * Research Paper (Rough Draft) ||= 120 points ||= 10% ||
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Research Paper (Final) ||= <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">225 points ||= <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">18% ||
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">TOTAL ||= <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1220 ||= <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">100% ||

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 * ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Suggested titles for further reading can be found Here.[[file:Bibliography.docx]] ====


 * ====Writing research papers is formulaic. Learning how to write one correctly is not difficult, and when done properly, will serve you well. Want to learn how to write a paper? See Lesson 1 (above) or Click Here and get started now!====


 * ====Sometimes, a small Prezi can jog our memories about key battles in campaigns.media type="custom" key="19163198"====


 * ====Timelines are useful ways to visualize when things happened and who did them.media type="custom" key="19163334"====