Examines selected topics in the United States history, which shaped the American experience, presented in film.

There are no prerequisites for this course.

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

1. identify and discuss the major political and social events that occurred in American History during the following Historical periods: Early America, New Republic, Civil War, Late 19th century, Early 20th Century, World War II, Civil Rights, 1960s, and Post-Cold War.
2. evaluate and interpret historical documents and primary sources.
3. interpret films as texts that can help reveal the nature of historical characters and events.
4. explain how movies reveal the social, political, and cultural concerns of the time in which they were made.
5. evaluate films as complex cultural documents that reflect the concerns of the era in which they were made.
6. write an effective historical essay.

Possible Assignments Include: (Subject to change each semester. The actual assignments are available in the Syllabus in the Blackboard course site on the first day of classes.)

Your final grade may be based on the following scale. Please note that you must also pass at least several exams in order to pass the course, regardless of your scores on the other assignments.

There are three exams in this course.