Doctorate Portfolio Scott Comar · Doctorate Portfolio Scott Comar Committee Members Borderlands...

Doctorate Portfolio

Scott Comar

Committee Members

Borderlands History Cheryl Martin, PhD

United States History Adam Arenson, PhD

Indigenous Peoples in Central America, Canada,

and the Pacific Jeff Shepherd, PhD

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Table of Contents

Professional Development

Curriculum Vitae………………………………………………………………….........................4

Statement of Teaching Philosophy………………………………………………………………..9

Syllabi

United States History from 1865………………………………………………………...12

World History from 1000 C.E…………………………………………………………...16

Indigenous, Spanish and Mexican Borderlands....………………………………………27

Essay Grading Rubric....…………………………………………………………35

Annual Activities Reports

2011……………………………………………………………………….......................36

2012……………………………………………………………………….......................39

Coursework: included in Annual Activities Reports

Grant Proposal...............................................................................................................................43

Conference Essay

“Resistance from Mexico’s Northern Periphery: Journalism in El Paso during the

Mexican Revolution” …………………………………………………………………....46

Publication

Review: “Indigenous Adaptations to a Changing Social Environment in the El Paso

Borderlands and the Tigua of Ysleta del Sur.” Review of Extinction or Survival?: The

Remarkable Story of the Tigua, and Urban American Indian Tribe by S.K. Adam …….62

Professional Essay

Rationale for Studying History in a Borderlands Context: How United States, World,

and Tigua Indian Histories Cohere with the Field of Borderlands History……………...64

Borderlands History..............................................................................................................80

Seminar Paper in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of

Master of Arts: “Indigenous Resistance in the El Paso Borderlands: The Tigua

Indian Land Dispossession and the Salt War of 1877”.....................................................81

Historiography and Research Proposals

“Reconceptualizing North American Borderlands History in the

Twenty-first Century”......................................................................................................184

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“Imperialism, Fantasy, and Exoticized Others: Historiographical Trends and

Shifts on Interracial Marriage in the U.S.-Mexico Borderlands”....................................225

“Borderlands Revolution at a Glance: A Call to Arms”..................................................242

Synthetic Essays

“Agency over Negotiation: Shifting Paradigms of New Indian and

Borderlands History”.......................................................................................................269

“An Abrupt Shift in an Era of Gradual Change: The Significance of the Mexican

American War in the History of the U.S.-Mexico Borderlands, 1820-1890”.................282

“Indigenous Borderlands in Central America and the North American Southwest:

A Comparative Synthesis”...............................................................................................297

Annotated Bibliography: Borderlands History............................................................................326

United States History...........................................................................................................359

Seminar Essay: Published in the journal Nakum Vol. 3 (2012)

“As the Sun Shined Brightly: Tigua Representations of Indigeneity and Agency

Through Public Presentations”........................................................................................360

Synthetic Essays

“The American Revolution as a Radical and Conservative Revolution”........................401

“Reunification through Emancipation: An Ideological Strategy that Shaped the

Outcome of the Civil War”..............................................................................................427

Historiography

“Three Rivers: A Post-Consensus Look at Identity in American Indian History”..........459

Book Reviews

Virginia D. Anderson, Creatures of Empire: How Domestic Animals Transformed

Early America (New York: Oxford University Press, 2004)...........................................494

Daniel J. Richter, Facing East from Indian Country: A Native History of Early

America (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2001)..................................................495

Ira Berlin, Many Thousands Gone: The First Two Centuries of Slavery in North

America (Cambridge: Belknap Press of University of Harvard Press, 1998)..................497

Shane Vogel, The Scene of Harlem Cabaret: Race, Sexuality, Performance (Chicago:

University of Chicago Press, 2009).................................................................................499

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Margaret A. Lowe, Looking Good: College Women and Body Image, 1875-1930

(Baltimore: John’s Hopkins University Press, 2003)......................................................501

Annotated Bibliography: United States History..........................................................................502

Indigenous Peoples in Central America, Canada, and the Pacific......................515

Synthetic Essays

“Global Comparisons in Local Contexts: An Approach for the Historical

Analysis of Indigenous/Colonial Contact Relations in Central America, Canada,

and the Pacific”................................................................................................................516

“Changing Worlds: Imperial Discourse and Discursive Islander Resistance”................534

Historiography

“Indigenous Peoples and Imperialism in Central America, Canada, and the Pacific in

Environmental History”...................................................................................................575

Review Essays

First Peoples of Canada...................................................................................................609

Pacific Islanders............................................................................................................ ...623

Euro-Centric Myths and Imperial Imaginations: The Nation as a Unit for

Historical Analysis...........................................................................................................633

Book Review

Homi K. Bhabha, The Location of Culture (New York: Routledge, 1994).....................642

Annotated Bibliography: World History

Indigenous Peoples of Central America, Canada, and the Pacific..................................644

Dissertation Prospectus

“The Tigua Indians: A Borderlands History”..................................................................660

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Curriculum Vitae

Scott C. Comar

The University of Texas at El Paso

Department of History

Liberal Arts Building, Room 320

El Paso, Texas 79968-00532

[email protected]

Educational Background

Associate of Arts, El Paso Community College, El Paso, Texas, 2006.

Bachelor of Arts, Summa Cum Laude, University of Texas at El Paso, 2008.

Major: History (Social Studies Composite). Minor: Secondary Education.

Master of Arts, U.S./Mexico Border History, University of Texas at El Paso,

2010. Thesis title: “Indigenous Resistance in the El Paso Borderlands: The

Tigua Indian Land Dispossession and the Salt War of 1877.” Member of Phi

Alpha Theta.

Currently pursuing a doctorate at the University of Texas at El Paso with a

major in Borderlands history and minors in United States and World history.

Research

Books

Border Junkies: Addiction and Survival on the Streets of Juárez and El Paso.

Austin: University of Texas Press, 2011.

Journal Articles

“The Texas Two Step: The Incorporation and Dispossession of the Tigua of

Ysleta Del Sur, 1848-1889.” Password 54, no. 2 (2009): 55-72.

“As the Sun Shined Brightly: Tigua Representations of Indigeneity and

Agency Through Public Presentations.” Nakum 3, no. 1 (2012):

http://indigenouscultures.org/nakumjournal/?p=1217.

Reviews

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“Indigenous Adaptations to a Changing Social Environment in the El Paso

Borderlands and the Tigua of Ysleta del Sur.” Review of Extinction or

Survival?: The Remarkable Story of the Tigua, and Urban American Indian

Tribe by S.K. Adam. Nakum 3, no. 1 (2012):


“The Deeper Truth About Spanish Colonization.” Review of Indian

Conquistadors: Indigenous Allies in the Conquest of Mesoamerica. Edited by

Laura E. Matthew and Michael R. Oudijk. Nakum 3, no. 1 (2012):


Teaching

Teaching Assistant

United States History 1301, The University of Texas at El Paso, Fall 2007.

Assistant Instructor

World History 2302, The University of Texas at El Paso, Fall 2012, Spring

2012.

United States History 1301, The University of Texas at El Paso, Fall 2012,

Spring 2013.

Lecturer

United States History 1302, The University of Texas at El Paso, Summer

2011, Summer 2012.

Conference Presentations

89th Annual Meeting of the Southwestern Social Science Association, April 8-

11, 2009. Grand Hyatt. Denver, Colorado. Presented Friday, April 10 at

Texas in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries, Phi Alpha Theta Session:

“The Texas Two Step: The Incorporation and Dispossession of the Tigua of

Ysleta Del Sur, 1848-1889.”

2009 University of Texas at El Paso and New Mexico State University Phi

Alpha Theta Conference: First Place in Essay Contest. Essay presented: “The

Texas Two Step: The Incorporation and Dispossession of the Tigua of Ysleta

Del Sur, 1848-1889.”

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2010 Phi Alpha Theta Biennial Convention, January 6-9, 2010. Hyatt

Regency, Mission Bay Spa and Marina, San Diego California. Presentation

Date: Jan. 9 at Session 110, Native Americans and War: “Beyond Mestizaje:

Indigenous Agency in the San Elizario Salt War of 1877.”

2010 El Paso Community College Hispanic Heritage Conference, Oct. 7, 2010.

El Paso, Texas. Panel presentation and discussion on El Paso and the

Mexican Revolution. “Resistance from Mexico’s Northern Periphery:

Journalism in El Paso during the Mexican Revolution.”

2011 Phi Alpha Theta Southwest Regional Conference, March 12, 2011. New

Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico. Session D, The American

West: “John P. Randolph: Surveyor, Speculator, and Land Fraud in West

Texas.”

2011 Joint Conference of the National Popular Culture & American Culture

Association and the Southwest/Texas Popular Culture and American Culture

Association, April 22, 2011. San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter Hotel & San

Antonio Marriott Riverwalk Hotel, San Antonio, Texas. 7392 Chicano/a

Literature, Film, and Culture. Session Chair for “Borders and Resistance.”

Presented “Resistance from Mexico’s Northern Periphery: Journalism in El

Paso During the Mexican Revolution.”

2012 Consulate General of México, Ventanilla de Salud Drug Awareness

Week Panel. April 2, 2012. The University of Texas at El Paso. Presented on

Border Junkies: Addiction and Survival on the Streets of Juárez and El Paso.

2012 World History Association Conference, June 29, 2012. Albuquerque

High School, Albuquerque, New Mexico. Session D6, Panel: “Coerced Labor,

Migration, and the Movement of the Periphery.” Presented “Changing

Worlds: Imperial Discourse and Discursive Islander Resistance.”

Honors and Awards

University of Texas at El Paso, College of Liberal Arts, Department of

History, Outstanding Graduating Senior, 2008.

University of Texas at El Paso, College of Liberal Arts, Teacher Preparation

Program, Outstanding Secondary Education Student, 2008.

University of Texas at El Paso, College of Liberal Arts, Outstanding

Graduate Student in History, 2010.

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University of Texas at El Paso, College of Liberal Arts, Graduate School

Banner Bearer, 2010.

Border Regional Library Association, Southwest Book Award for Border

Junkies, 2012.

Academic Service

Disc jockey for KCCR, 1540am, El Paso Community College Radio.

Senator and Parliamentarian, El Paso Community College Student

Government Association.

Parliamentarian, Texas Junior College Student Government Association,

2006 Convention.

Intern Teacher, World History, at Americas High School, Socorro

Independent School District, El Paso, TX. 2008.

English as a Second Language Tutor for the UTEP Center for Civic

Engagement with SHINE ESL at La Mujer Obrera, El Paso, TX.

El Paso Community College Foreign Language Lab: Lab assistant working

with students and faculty in language acquisition, 2008 to 2010.

H-NET Assistant Editor, H-Borderlands at the University of Texas at El

Paso. 2010-2011.

References

Arvis Jones: Director, Student Leadership and Campus Life; Student

Government Advisor. El Paso Community College. P.O. Box

20500. El Paso, TX 79998. Phone. (915) 831-2712. E mail.

[email protected]

Aurolyn Luykx: Ph.D. Assoc. Prof. of Anthropology and Teacher Education.

University of Texas at El Paso. 500 W. University Ave. El Paso,

Texas 79968. Phone. (915) 747-5426. E mail. [email protected]

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Cheryl Martin: Ph.D. Professor. History. University of Texas at El Paso. Liberal

Arts Building, Room 320. 500 West University Ave. El Paso, TX

79968. Phone. (915)747-7048. E mail. [email protected]

Howard Campbell: Ph.D. Prof. of Anthropology and Sociology. University of Texas

at El Paso. Old Main. 500 W. University Ave. El Paso, TX 79968.

Phone. (915)747-6525. E mail. [email protected]

Jeff Shepherd: Ph.D. Assoc. Prof. History. University of Texas at El Paso.

Liberal Arts Building, Room 320. 500 W. University Ave. El

Paso, TX 79968. Phone. (915)747-6805. E mail.

[email protected]

John A. Lencyk: Ph.D. English Instructor and Institutional Coordinator. El Paso

Community College. P.O. Box 20500, El Paso, TX 79998-0500.

Phone (915) 831- 2875. E mail. [email protected]

Kathleen Staudt: Ph.D. Professor Political Science. University of Texas at El Paso.

BEN Room 303. 500 W. University Ave. El Paso, Texas 79968.

Phone. (915) 747-7975. E mail. [email protected]

Lucille Dominguez: Ph.D. English Creative Writing. The University of Texas at El

Paso. Education Building Room414. 500 W. University Ave. El

Paso, Texas 79968. Phone. (915) 747-5572. E mail.

[email protected]

Maceo C. Dailey: Ph.D. Director of African American Studies. Associate Professor, Department of History. University of Texas at El Paso. Liberal Arts

Building, Room 401. 500 West University Avenue. El Paso, Texas.

Phone. 915-747-8650. Email. [email protected]

Renaldo Reyes: Ph.D. Multicultural Education in Secondary Schools Instructor

University of Texas at El Paso. College of Education Room 307.

500 W. University Ave. El Paso, Texas 79968. Phone. (915) 747-

8817. E mail. [email protected]

Sandra M. Deutsch: Ph.D. Professor. History. University of Texas at El Paso.

Liberal Arts Building, Room 320. 500 West University Ave. El

Paso, TX 79968. Phone. (915)747-7066. E mail.

[email protected]

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Statement of Teaching Philosophy

When I do not know myself, I cannot know who my students are. 1

Education has been one of my most rewarding and life changing experiences. As such, my

teaching philosophy is based upon both the personal and academic growth in which my social

and pedagogical awareness has evolved significantly during the course of my college education.

It values connections between classroom and community and is greatly influenced by scholars

such as Allen Bloom, William G. Perry, and Paulo Freire. While attending a history class during

my first semester of community college, the instructor suggested that “history is fun” and

encouraged me engage the subject matter beyond its superficial aspects.2 Subsequently, I decided

to become a history teacher, against the advice of some of my colleagues, because of this

facilitator’s progressive approach. Five years later, after obtaining my license to teach social

studies at the secondary level, I entered graduate school and began to see the deeper complexities

about history. While reinforcing the classroom methods that I learned as an undergraduate, my

graduate school experience gave me a clearer perspective on the processes of critical thinking

and teaching history.

Relevant to my teaching philosophy, Parker J. Palmer’s The Courage to Teach raises

three primary questions concerning identity, motives, and methods. Considering identity and

motives, he specifically asks “who is the self that teaches?” 3 For me, this question speaks to the

reason why I went to college in the first place, which was to find myself and change my life. Yet

soonafter, my increasing knowledge of the tensions and hardships in today’s world inspired me

to view teaching history as part of a larger process of social justice and democracy building.

Having hit a bottom in my life, I entered college in El Paso, Texas, on the U.S.-Mexico border

while living in Juárez, Mexico. As I lived in and witnessed the poverty and social inequity all

around me, my professors pushed me to use my voice to advocate for social change and human

rights. In this context, education shaped both my identity and motives as my civic awareness

progressed in unison with my cultural literacy and critical thinking skills. Like other historians,

these determinants influenced me to view history as a way to create an informed and engaged

citizenry and enhance the principles of democracy that enabled me to go to school in the first

place. In this sense, my teaching philosophy builds from the ideas of Brazilian educator Paulo

Freire, who advocated for a public education that gives socially engaged citizens and scholars an

understanding of the political ideologies and processes at work behind the governmental policies

which impact their lives.4

1 Parker J. Palmer, The Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher’s Life (San Francisco:

Jossey-Bass, 1998), 2.

2 Although I didn’t realize this at the time, this is one of the main reasons why scholars study history. For more on

this see Frank Stricker, “Why History? Thinking about the Uses of the Past,” The History Teacher 25, no. 3 (1992),

295.

3 Palmer, The Courage to Teach, 4.

4 For more on these concepts see Stricker, “Why History? Thinking about the Uses of the Past,” 306-307; Freire,

Paulo, Teachers as Cultural Workers: Letters to Those Who Dare Teach, trans. Donaldo Macedo, Dale Koike, and

Alexandre Oliveira (Boulder, Co: Westview Press, 2005), 18-20.

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Connecting Friere’s ideology to the rationale of the history classroom necessitates a

methodological approach that not only informs students, but also engages them in the processes

of critique and higher order thinking skills. In this sense, I propose a methodology that moves

students beyond the perceptions offered by the simplistic confines of fact driven history and

allows them to make past present connections as they develop an awareness of the complexities

and various interpretations through which historians view the past. My approach is greatly

influenced by educational psychologist William G. Perry, who presented student cognitive

development as a transition from dualism, in which students viewed knowledge in terms of right

or wrong, to relativism, in which students critically analyze the facts before deciding on a

position, and decisions are made according to one’s values and ideology.5

My main motive for moving students away from a simple fact driven way of reasoning is

to show them how to think critically and reach Perry’s stage of relativity. This approach applies

Allen Bloom’s taxonomy, which involves the processes of analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.

Allowing students to compare historical contexts and time periods, the application of Bloom’s

higher order thinking skills drives students away from the cut and dry simplicity of dualism and

towards the critical analysis of relativism.6 Within this framework, I propose a pedagogical

approach that blends some traditional methods, such as lecture, with collaborative and

constructivist methods in order to guide students into the processes of knowledge construction

and interpretation. I believe that student work groups are essential to this process and view a

noisy classroom as a good thing, as long as students are engaged. Yet I also recognize the fact

that student expectations vary and that while some students may excel in an open ended learning

environment that involves analysis and discussion, other students may expect more lecture or

guidance. In this context, the ability to meet student needs rests upon the use of various methods.

I also believe that instructors need to clarify their expectations well in advance and move beyond

the content by teaching the mechanics of research and essay writing.

Through a student centered approach, I believe that assessment should be applied as a

heuristic tool in order to reinforce learning instead of serve as a vindicating mechanism under the

auspices of student or faculty accountability. One way to reduce student anxiety, which blocks

their ability to think critically, is to have students put all of their books, notes, and cell phones at

the front of the room, form small groups, and discuss the exam with each other as they take it. In

this way, the fear and anxiety that is often associated with testing (especially bluebook tests) is

reduced, allowing students to think, compare, and clarify their information and understanding in

the process. This connects well with a student centered approach towards education by

motivating students externally, through the use of tests, and intrinsically by giving them a sense

of community within the classroom. I also view the act of drawing real life connections from

historical content and contexts as a powerful form of intrinsic motivation that connects students

with each other and the facilitator. Implicit within this is the awareness of self as an educator

who guides student learning and admits that learning is a two way street, or a reciprocal process

that invokes the phrase “each one teach one.”7

5 William G. Perry, “Cognitive and Ethical Growth: The Making of Meaning,” in The Modern American College,

edited by Arthur W. Chickering (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1981), 76-109.

6 For more on Bloom’s Taxonomy see Ellen P. Kottler and Nancy P. Gallavan, Secrets to Success for Social

Studies Teachers (Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, 2008), 50-51.

7 Parentheses are my own.

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Another aspect of my educational philosophy is the use of technology. In order to keep

students engaged, I support the use of sound-bites, slideshows, and short video clips. In addition,

I believe that music in a collaborative or constructivist setting actually enhances students to relax

and enjoy what they are doing, instead of stressing out and missing the opportunity of the

moment because they are focused on the outcome instead of the journey that takes them there. In

this regard, I view a stress free classroom as an environment that offers students the best possible

opportunity to develop critical thinking skills and voice their positions in solid and engaging

discussions with their peers. Thus, students have the right to a safe learning environment that

does not impede their ability to engage with others in a democratic fashion which builds sound

practices for all in the academy as well as in society.

One of my lifetime mentors once told me something very significant to my teaching. He

said that if I did not have a plan, then I was planning for failure. As such, I see lesson plans and

class preparation as essential elements to success in the classroom. I also see them as an ethical

obligation and pedagogical responsibility towards students. However, I am also aware of the fact

that good teachers can improvise and think on their feet.

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Syllabus

History of U.S. from 1865

History 1302 CRN 32402 Sec. 203 Summer II 2012

Classroom: UGLC 342 Class Time: M,T,W,R,F 9:20am – 11:30am / 07/09—08/03 Instructor: Scott Comar, MA Office: LART 320 C Office Hours: M,W,F 11:45-12:45, and by appointment Phone: (915)747-5875 E mail: [email protected] Course Description and Objectives: This course will cover the development of the United States from the Reconstruction Era to the present. It will examine Westward expansion, Populism, the Gilded Age, Imperialism, Progressivism, the Great Depression, McCarthyism, Civil Rights, and the United States in the era of globalization. Students will learn various basic facts and particulars of American history since 1865. They will also be able to identify and evaluate various historical, social, and political trends, changes, and continuities in American society from 1865 to the present. Required Reading: Faragher, John M. et al. Out of Many: A History of the American People, Volume 2.

Brief 6th Edition. USA: Pearson-Prentice Hall, 2011. This book is available at the UTEP bookstore or online in either book or Ala Carte (binder) format. Three ring binder is required for Ala Carte version. All students must have this book.

-A copy of this book will also be on reserve at the UTEP Library. -Additional class readings for assignments will be posted on Blackboard. Course Requirements and Grading Class Participation 60% of total grade

Participation includes: 1. Attendance 10% 100pts

2. Group and individual assignments for posted primary and secondary readings x8

Assignments 1 through 8 posted on Blackboard 40% 400pts 50 points each

3. Essay 750 words 10% 100pts

mailto:[email protected]

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Essay is worth 10% of total grade. Essay must have a thesis and supporting premises based on examples from the textbook. Essay prompts will be provided. All essay’s must be at least 750 words (3 pages),12 pt. font (Times New Roman) typed, double-spaced, with one-inch margins. You must write your full name, student ID, date, and title of the essay on your paper. Every paper must be stapled. Essay prompts, guidelines, and grading rubric will be posted on Blackboard. Exams: 150 points each x 4 = 600 points 40% of total grade

Exam 1 10% 100pts Exam 2 10% 100pts Exam 3 10% 100pts Exam 4 10% 100pts A = 900-1000, B= 800-899, C = 700-799, D = 600-699, F = below 599. Class Policies

1. Students who miss three or more classes will be dropped from the course. If you are having medical problems or other documented problems contact me immediately. Students who walk out of class will be counted as absent. Attendance will be taken at the beginning of every class. Students not accounted for will be marked absent. If you are a little late, see me after class to make sure that you are not marked absent. Students who constantly show up late risk being dropped from the class.

2. Laptop computers may be used for note taking only. Laptop computers may not be used for checking e mail, surfing the internet, or visiting web sites. The use of cell phones or other electronic devices for text messaging is strictly prohibited. During examinations and/or quizzes absolutely no electronic devices may be used. Violators will be immediately reported to the Dean’s Office.

3. Absolutely NO FOOD OR DRINKS ARE ALLOWED IN UGLC CLASSROOMS.

NO EXCEPTIONS.

4. Classroom conduct: Students must conduct themselves in a manner appropriate to a university classroom. Any behavior that is distracting to other students or to the instructor is strictly out of order. This includes arriving late to class and leaving early except in the case of extreme emergencies. Disruptive students will be reported to Deans Office. Regents Rules and Regulations for classroom conduct are available for inspection electronically at http://www.utsystem.edu/bor/rules.htm .

5. Students must have a UTEP e mail account. Students also need to have access to Blackboard. Computers are provided at the UTEP library and the computer lab in the Liberal Arts building.

http://www.utsystem.edu/bor/rules.htm

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6. Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism: According to sections 1.3.1 of the UT Regents’ Rules and Regulations, “It is the official policy of the University that all suspected cases or acts of alleged scholastic dishonesty must be referred to the Dean of Students for investigation and appropriate disposition. It is contrary to University policy for a faculty member to assign a disciplinary grade such as an “F” or a zero to an assignment, test, examination, or other course work as a sanction for admitted or suspected scholastic dishonesty…” In short, anyone caught cheating will be reported to the Dean of Students. For more on cheating see UT Regents’ Rules and Regulations section 1.3.1.1.

7. Students with Disabilities: If you require accommodations or suspect that you have a disability please contact The Center for Accommodations and Support Services (CSSO) at 747-5148 or at [email protected] or visit Room 302 of the Union East Building. For more info visit http://sa.utep.edu/cass/.

8. Each student will bring 4 scantrons and 4 Blue Books to class by third class meeting (July 11). Do not write your names on the Blue books. These materials will be redistributed for testing.

9. Students are required to bring their textbooks to class every day. Students are required to read chapters before class in order to effectively participate in class discussion. There are eight assignments posted on Blackboard. These are group and individual assignments. Students should print these assignments prior to class meetings or they may use a laptop computer when doing group work in class.

Class Calendar—Reading and Assignment Schedule Week 1 July 9-13. Chapters 17, 18, and 19. Reading Schedule

-Read before class

July 9. Class Intro / Form Groups July 10. Reconstruction: Read Chapter 17. July 11. Native Americans and Western expansion: Read Chapter 18 -Assignment 1 due at beginning of class (Ind.) -Assignment 2 due at end of class (Group) -Scantrons and Bluebooks Due

July 12. The Gilded Age: Read Chapter 19 July 13. Exam 1 Exam 1 Week 2 July 16-20. Chapters 20, 21, 22, and 23.

mailto:[email protected]://sa.utep.edu/cass/

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July 16. Populism and Imperialism Read Chapter 20 Assignment 3 due at end of class (Ind.)

July 17. The Progressive Era Read Chapter 21 Assignment 4 due at end of class (group) July 18. World War 1 & Home Front Chpt 22: Read pp. 575-590 July 19. The 1920s Read Chapter 23. July 20. Exam 2 Exam 2 Week 3 July 23-27. Chapters 24, 25, 26, and 27.

July 23. Great Depression and New Deal Read Chapter 24 Assignment 5 due at beginning of class (Ind.)

July 24. World War II Read Chapter 25 Assignment 6 due at end of class (Group) July 25. The Cold War Read Chapter 26 July 26. John F. Kennedy era Read pp. 727-736 July 27. Exam 3 (course drop deadline) Exam 3 Week 4 July 30- August 3. Chapters 28, 29, 30, and 31.

July 30. Civil Rights Read Chapter 28 Assignment 7 Due (Ind.) July 31. Viet Nam & Civil Rights Read Chapter 29 Assignment 8 Due (Group) Essays Due

August 1. 27 Conservativism Read pp. 806-825 August 2. The United States in a Global Age Read Chapter 31 August 3. Exam 4 Exam 4

Grades due Aug 9.

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Syllabus

World History 2302, MWF


Scott Comar

How is the world connected? Very often the world’s peoples, civilizations, and nation’s are

studied in isolation from one another. As a student in this course, you will develop a new

understanding of world history. The aim of this course is to teach you the historical significance

of global interconnections between the world’s civilizations and peoples from 1000 C.E. to the

present. It also aims to help you develop the critical thinking skills that are necessary for

understanding different historical contexts and points of view. By examining the broad patterns

of change and continuity, as well as the turning points in world history, you will develop a

greater understanding of today’s global environment. Accordingly, the objectives of this course

involve both skills and content.

Skills Based Objectives:

You will improve your study skills and learn to read by purposefully focusing on both content and its larger historical meaning.

You will work individually and collaboratively with your peers.

You will develop your ability to comparatively analyze, synthesize, and evaluate historical content, contexts, and perspectives.

You will increase your writing skills.

You will improve your presentation skills.

Content Based Objectives:

You will learn the global significance of the connections between China, Eurasia, and Africa.

You will understand how various world empires shaped historical outcomes and connected the world’s peoples.

You will learn the significance of Western European expansion and mercantilism.

You will develop a deeper understanding of the world’s political revolutions and the rise of the world’s nation-state system.

You will also learn about the global implications of industrialization, imperialism, modernity, and post-colonialism.

Ultimately, you will understand how all of these forces that connected the world’s people transitioned during the twentieth century and shaped today’s globalized world.

Activities and Assignments.

In this class you will participate in various activities and assignments:

You will be pre-assessed on your existing knowledge.

You will critique and comparatively analyze primary and secondary sources in various essays and in class discussions.

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You will follow a regular reading schedule.

You will read, discuss and write about sections from the works of various contemporary scholars in order to learn the subjectivity behind the construction of history.

You will answer a historical question by writing three essays in which you take position and support your argument with solid evidence from the class readings.

You will be expected to pass quizzes and written exams.

You will participate in group discussions and share your views with the class.

You will work with a group to develop a presentation (i.e. PowerPoint ) for the class.

You will also meet with me at least once over the course of the semester to discuss your progress and any concerns that you may have.

Assessments

You will be formally assessed with exams, quizzes, essays, and class participation and

informally assessed through short writing assignments. Informal assessments will not be graded,

but they will count towards your participation grade.

Formal Assessment (Graded)

Exams: You will have the opportunity to take four exams, which includes the final exam. Exams

will contain a combination of multiple choice, short answer, and essay questions. Your lowest

exam score will be dropped. Thus, if you score well on your first three exams, you do not have to

take the final exam—unless you want to. On the other hand, if you do not do well on your first

exams, the final will give you a chance to increase your grade. In sum, there will be four exams;

the top three will count towards your grade.

Class Participation: Your class participation grade will include group assignments, attendance,

discussion, and completion of all quizzes and essays.

Quizzes: Short quizzes will be assigned regularly (see calendar). Some will be in class multiple

choice quizzes, others will be short paragraph writing assignments that address a central question

on the reading or lecture.

Essays: Essays will be graded according to a standard rubric that is on the last page of the

syllabus. Essays will be graded on content (50%), structure (20%), grammar (10%), citations

(10%), and format (10%). Please read the rubric carefully.

Class Readings

Required readings for the class (You must get these for the class):

Tignor, Robert, Jeremy Adleman, Stephen Aron, Stephen Kotkin, Suzanne Marchand, Gyan

Prakish, and Michael Tsin. Worlds Together, Worlds Apart: A History of the World from 1000

CE to the Present. 2nd ed. Vol. 2. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2011.

18

Pomeranz, Kenneth L. James B. Given, and Laura J. Mitchell. eds. Worlds Together, Worlds

Apart: A Companion Reader, Vol. 2. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2011.

James. C.L.R. The Black Jacobins: Toussaint L’Ouverture and the San Domingo Revolution. 2nd

ed. Revised. New York: Vintage Books, 1989.

Supplemental readings sections that will either be posted on class website or e mailed by

me will come from the following secondary sources:

Berkhofer, Robert F. “Demystifying Historical Authority: Critical Textual Analysis in the

Classroom.” In History Anew: Innovations in the Teaching of History Today, 21-27, Edited by

Robert Blackey. Long Beach, CA: California State University Press, 1993.

Brown, Cynthia S. Big History: From the Big Bang to the Present. New York: The New Press,

2007.

Crosby, Alfred W. Ecological Imperialism: The Biological Expansion of Europe, 900-1900. 2nd

ed. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2004.

Huntington, Samuel P. The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of the World Order. New

York: Simon and Schuster, 1996.

Smith, Linda T. Decolonizing Methodologies: Research and Indigenous Peoples. London: Zed

Books, 1999.

Thornton, John. Africa and Africans in the Making of the Atlantic World, 1400-1800. 2nd. ed.

New York: Cambridge University Press, 1998.

Course Requirements and Grading

Class Participation 70% of total grade

Participation includes:

4. Attendance 5% 50pts

5. Quizzes (5 formal 10 pts each) 5% 50pts

6. Group and individual Assignments for posted primary and secondary readings x10

Assignments 1 through 10 posted on class website 20% 200pts

20 points each

7. Group Presentations 10% 100pts

19

8. Essays x3 30% 300pts

Essays are worth 30% of total grade. Essay must have a thesis and supporting premises

based on examples from the class readings. Essay prompts will be provided. All essay’s must be

12 pt. font (Times New Roman) typed, double-spaced, with one-inch margins. You must write

your full name, student ID, date, and title of the essay on your paper. Every paper must be

stapled. Essay prompts, guidelines, and grading rubric will be posted on Blackboard.

Exams: 100 points each x 3 = 300 points 30% of total grade

Exam 1 10% 100pts

Exam 2 10% 100pts

Exam 3 10% 100pts

The first three exams are mandatory.

If you take the final exam, I will drop your lowest test score

so that the highest three scores count towards your grade.

A = 900-1000, B= 800-899, C = 700-799, D = 600-699, F = below 599.

Class Policies

10. Laptop Computer and Cell Phone Policy: Laptop computers may be used for note taking only. Laptop computers may not be used for checking e mail, surfing the internet,

or visiting web sites. The use of cell phones or other electronic devices for text messaging

is strictly prohibited. During examinations and/or quizzes absolutely no electronic

devices may be used. Violators will be immediately reported to the Dean’s Office.

11. Attendance Policy: You will be able to miss two classes without losing any points. If you miss three classes, I will deduct ten points from your attendance grade. Subsequently,

I will deduct ten points for every day that you miss. If you miss seven classes your

attendance points will be zero. If you miss eight classes, I will drop you from the course.

If a real life emergency occurs, please contact me as soon as possible. I do not consider

transportation problems as real life emergencies, so please plan your transportation

arrangements well in advance. I understand that sometimes life happens, and this

attendance policy reflects that understanding.

12. Classroom conduct: Students must conduct themselves in a manner appropriate to a university classroom. Any behavior that is distracting to other students or to the instructor

is strictly out of order. This includes arriving late to class and leaving early except in the

case of extreme emergencies. Disruptive students will be reported to Deans Office.

Regents Rules and Regulations for classroom conduct are available for inspection

electronically at http://www.utsystem.edu/bor/rules/ .

13. Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism: According to sections 1.3.1 of the UT Regents’ Rules and Regulations, “It is the official policy of the University that all suspected cases

or acts of alleged scholastic dishonesty must be referred to the Dean of Students for

http://www.utsystem.edu/bor/rules/

20

investigation and appropriate disposition. It is contrary to University policy for a faculty

member to assign a disciplinary grade such as an “F” or a zero to an assignment, test,

examination, or other course work as a sanction for admitted or suspected scholastic

dishonesty…” In short, anyone caught cheating will be reported to the Dean of Students.

For more on cheating see UT Regents’ Rules and Regulations section 1.3.1.1.

14. Students with Disabilities: If you require accommodations or suspect that you have a disability please contact the appropriate services on campus for assistance. At the

University of Texas at El Paso, the Center for Accommodations and Support Services

(CASS) can be contacted at 747-5148 or at [email protected] . CASS is located in Room 302

of the Union East Building. For more information visit http://sa.utep.edu/cass/.

15. Bring textbooks to class: Students are required to bring their textbooks to class every day. You will need them. Students are required to read before class in order to effectively

participate in class discussion. All assignments are posted on the class website. These

consist of both group and individual assignments. Students can print these assignments

prior to class meetings or they may use a laptop computer when doing group work in

class.

Class Calendar

Week 1.

Topics and Readings (read before class) Assignments Due and Activities

1. Introduction: What is History? o Review Syllabus o Pre-Assessment (informal) o Form Groups (Students will work

with their assigned groups daily

throughout the semester) for Class

Discussions.

2. Global Connections & Regional Empires

Worlds Together, Worlds Apart textbook: Ch. 10, pp. 363-400

Companion Reader: Preface and pp. 1-26.

o Lecture and Discussion o Primary Source Workshop o Due Assignment 1: Primary Source

Evaluation

(See class website for instructions)

3. The Mongol Empire


Companion Reader: pp. 27-40

Cynthia S. Brown, Big History, Ch. 10, pp. 168-187 (Brown

posted on class website)

o Lecture and Discussion o Quiz

When reading, consider how Brown’s

writing about the Mongols differs with that

of the textbook.


21

Week 2.

1. The Black Plague: A Significant Turning

Point (1300-1500) / Successful Essay

Writing



o Lecture and Discussion o Essay Writing Workshop: What is

critical thinking?

o Prompt for Essay 1 to be handed out to class and posted on class

website (Five page essay due at the

end of next week).

2. Afro-Eurasian Recovery / Successful

Essay Writing cont.


o Lecture and Discussion o Essay Writing updates and feedback

By now you should be happily planning

your essay.

3. European Colonial Expansion: Spain and

Portugal

Worlds Together, Worlds Apart textbook: Ch. 12, 447-470

Companion Reader: pp. 66-82, 88-97

o Lecture and Discussion o Essay updates o Due Assignment 2: Primary Source

Evaluation

(see class website)

o Quiz

Week 3.

1. European Transformation and Asian

Prosperity


Cynthia S. Brown, Big History, 188-209

o Lecture and Discussion o Essay updates o Hand out Study Guides for Exam 1

By now everyone should be writing and

some of you may be done with your essay.

2. Mercantilism and Colonization


o Lecture and Discussion o Essay updates

3. Slavery and Coerced Labor / Test Taking

Skills


Companion Reader, pp. 114-118, 128-142.

o Lecture and Discussion o Review for Exam 1 o Due: Essay 1

22

Week 4.

1. Transformations in Asia and Europe

(1600-1750):

Worlds Together, Worlds Apart Textbook: Ch. 13, pp. 501-523


o Lecture and Discussion o Quiz (informal)

2. Regional Cultures / Exam 1 Review

Worlds Together, Worlds Apart Textbook: Ch. 14, pp. 525-558.

o Lecture and Discussion o Review for Exam 1

3. Exam 1 Exam 1

o Blue Book Required

Week 5.

1. Enlightenment and Revolution (1750-

1850) / Examining Secondary Sources

and “Demystifying Historical Authority”

Worlds Together, Worlds Apart Textbook: Ch. 15, 561-572


o Lecture and Discussion o Hand out instructions on how to

examine a secondary source.

o Hand out prompt for review essay on C.L.R. James, The Black Jacobins

o Due Assignment 3: Primary Source Evaluation

2. Revolution in the Americas (1791-1825)

/ Examining Secondary Sources cont.

Worlds Together, Worlds Apart Textbook:, Ch. 15, pp. 561-572.

Begin James, The Black Jacobins

o Lecture and Discussion o Secondary Source Review cont.

3. Industrious to Industrial Revolution

(1750-1850)


Still reading C.L.R. James, The Black Jacobins

o Lecture and Discussion o Secondary Source Review cont.

o Quiz

Week 6.

1. Western Imperial Expansion (1750-1850)


Brown, Big History, pp. 210-229 (posted on class website).

Finish James, The Black Jacobins

o Lecture and Discussion o Due Assignment 4: Reflection on

Brown (1 page:

see class website for instructions)

o Book review updates By now everyone should be almost finished

with James’s The Black Jacobins and

starting their book reviews

2. Alternative Visions and Resistance to

Western Expansion


James, The Black Jacobins

o Lecture and Discussion o Hand out instructions for group

presentations

By now everyone should be writing their

book reviews on James.

23

Week Six Cont.

3. Alternative Visions and Resistance to

Western Expansion


o Lecture and Discussion o Due Essay 2: Review Essay on C.L.

R. James, The Black Jacobins

o Quiz (informal)

Week 7.

1. Consolidating Nations



o Discussion o Group Presentations o Hand out Study Guide for Exam 2

2. New Imperialism (1850-1914)



o Discussion o Group Presentations

3. Global Tensions and Modernity (1890-

1914)


Companion Reader, pp. 232-235, 243-248, 254-257,

o Discussion o Group Presentations o Due Assignment 5: Primary Source

Evaluations

(see class website for instructions)

Week 8.

1. Popular Culture and National Identities


Companion Reader, pp. 249-253, 258-263

o Quiz (informal) o Class Discussion o Group Presentations

2. Revolution, Industrialization,

Imperialism, Resistance, and Nationalism

o Review for Exam 2 o Class Discussion

3. Exam 2 Exam 2

o Blue Book Required

Week 9.

1. Understanding Different Viewpoints and Subjectivity in Historical Writing

(Selected Readings on class website) First: read

Robert F. Berkhofer, “Demystifying Historical Authority.”

Then read selections from the following

o Class Discussion o Comparative Analysis Essay Prompt

will be distributed to class.

Before Class: When reading, consider the

following questions for class discussion:

how do the themes and arguments differ?

24

authors for class discussion:

Samuel P Huntington, The Clash of Civilizations

Alfred W Crosby, Ecological Imperialism

Linda T. Smith, Decolonizing Methodologies

What do you think the authors’ moral or

political views are? Who are what is

empowered in these selections? How do

these two authors see imperialism?

2. Understanding Historical Viewpoints and Subjectivity if Historical Writing Read selections from the following on class

website




o Class Discussion o Review Essay Prompt and consider

possible responses

o Quiz (informal assessment)

3. Understanding Historical Viewpoints and Subjectivity in Historical Writing




(see class website for reading selections)

o Class Discussion o Due Assignment 6: Reflective

Comparative Analysis Essay on the

way Huntington, Crosby and Smith

viewed imperialism.

Week 10.

1. The Great War: World War 1


Companion Reader, pp. 285-288.

o Lecture and Class Discussion o Primary Source Evaluation

Questions to consider: what caused the war?

How is World War 1 a turning point in

world history?

2. Mass Culture, Production, Consumption,

and the Great Depression (1914-1929)


Companion Reader, pp. 270-284, 300-303.

o Lecture and Class Discussion

3. Authoritarianism and Mass Mobilization:

Communism and the Soviet Union

Worlds Together, Worlds Apart Textbook:, Ch. 19, pp. 723-725


o Lecture and Class Discussion o Due Assignment 7: Primary Source

Evaluation


o Quiz

25

Week 11.

1. Authoritarianism and Fascism (1920s-

1930s)



o Lecture and Discussion

2. Latin American Corporatism and Anti-

Colonial Visions




3. World War II and the Three World Order




Evaluation

o (see class website for instructions) o Quiz

Week 12.

1. The Cold War



o Lecture and Class Discussion o Hand out study guide for Exam 3 o Handout Essay Prompt for Essay 3.

2. Decolonization


Companion Reader: pp, 340-360

o Lecture and Class Discussion o In Class Primary Source Evaluation

3. Three Worlds




Evaluation


o Quiz (informal)

Week 13.

1. Tensions in the Three World Order


o Lecture and Class Discussion o Essay 3 updates

2. Globalization (1970-2000)


o Lecture and Class Discussion o Essay Skills Review o Exam 3 Review

3. The New Global Order (1970-2000)



o Lecture and Class Discussion o Due Assignment 10: Primary

Source Evaluation


o Quiz (informal)

26

Week 14.

1. 2001 to the Present

Worlds Together, Worlds Apart Textbook: pp. 823-843


o Class Discussion o In Class Primary Source Evaluation o Essay Progress Updates

2. “What Now? What Next?”

Cynthia S. Brown, Big History, pp. 230-248.

o Class Discussion o Review for Exam 3 o Due: Essay 3

3. Exam 3 Exam 3

o Bluebook Required

Week 15

1. Review for Final Exam Review for Final Exam

o Grades for Exam 3 posted

2. Review for Final Exam Review

3. Final Exam

The Twentieth Century

Final Exam

o Bluebook Required

27

Syllabus

History 3350, T, TH

Indigenous, Spanish, and Mexican Borderlands


Scott Comar

Spain’s colonization of the North American Southwest would have been impossible without the

aid of indigenous peoples. In fact, indigenous peoples are greatly responsible for the creation of

today’s U.S.-Mexico border. Moving from the early 1500s to the mid-1800s, this course will

examine Spanish colonization, indigenous contact relations, and the way that indigenous peoples

controlled New Spain’s northern frontier and shaped the U.S.-Mexico border. Its major themes

include contact relations, indigenous agency, and borderlands identities within the context of the

social, cultural, and economic power dynamics of colonial and indigenous communities.

Skills Based Objectives:

You will improve your study skills and learn to read by purposefully focusing on both content and its larger historical meaning in order to learn the subjectivity behind the

construction of history.

You will work individually and collaboratively with your peers.

You will develop your ability to comparatively analyze, synthesize, and evaluate historical content, contexts, and perspectives.

You will increase your writing skills.

You will improve your presentation skills.

Content Based Objectives:

You will understand the formation of the U.S.-Mexico borderlands as a process.

You will develop an understanding of various concepts that relate to borderlands indigenous/colonial contact relations.

You will learn about historical agency and discover how indigenous peoples influenced colonial expansion and settlement.

You will learn how various indigenous peoples in the borderlands assimilated into colonial society as their identities changed through the process of ethnogenesis.

You will examine how the U.S.-Mexico borderlands evolved through a series of historical changes and turning points that involved the development of cultural binaries

and barriers.

You will examine how indigenous peoples influenced state policies and the formation of the U.S.-Mexico border.

Activities and Assignments.

In this class you will participate in various activities and assignments:

You will be pre-assessed on your existing knowledge.

28

You will follow a regular reading schedule, critique, and comparatively analyze the assigned readings in various essays, homework assignments and class discussions.

You will write three essays in which you take position and support your argument with solid evidence from the class readings.

You will be expected to pass quizzes and exams.

You will participate in group discussions and share your views with the class.

You will work with a group to develop a presentation (i.e. PowerPoint) for the class.

You will also meet with me at least once over the course of the semester to discuss your progress and any concerns that you may have.

Assessments

You will be formally assessed through exams, quizzes, essays, and participation in class

discussions and informally assessed through short writing assignments. Informal assessments

will not be graded, but they will count towards your participation grade.

Formal Assessment (Graded)

Exams: You will have the opportunity to take four exams, which includes the final exam.

Exams will contain a combination of multiple choice, short answer, and essay questions.

Your lowest exam score will be dropped. Thus, if you score well on your first three

exams, you do not have to take the final exam—unless you want to. On the other hand, if

you do not do well on your first exams, the final will give you a chance to increase your

grade. In sum, there will be four exams; the top three will count towards your grade.

Class Participation: Your class participation grade will include group assignments,

attendance, discussion, and completion of all quizzes and essays.

Quizzes: Short quizzes will be given regularly (see calendar). Some will be in class

multiple choice quizzes, others will be short paragraph writing assignments that address a

central question on the reading or lecture.

Essays: Essays will be graded according to a standard rubric that is on the last page of

the syllabus. Essays will be graded on content (50%), structure (20%), grammar (10%),

citations (10%), and format (10%). Please read the rubric carefully.

Class Readings

Required readings for the class (You must get these for the class):

Barr, Juliana. Peace Came in the Form of a Woman: Indians and Spaniards in the Texas

Borderlands. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2007.

Deeds, Susan M. Defiance and Deference in Mexico’s Colonial North: Indians under Spanish

Rule in Nueva Vizcaya. Austin: University of Texas Press, 2003.

29

DeLay, Brian. War of a Thousand Deserts: Indian Raids and the U.S.-Mexican War. New

Haven: Yale University Press, 2008.

Weber, David J. The Spanish Frontier in North America. Brief Edition. New Haven: Yale

University Press, 2009.

Supplemental readings sections that will either be posted on class website or e-mailed by

me will come from the following secondary sources:

Bolton, Herbert E. “The Mission as a Frontier Institution in the Spanish-American Colonies,”

The American Historical Review 23, no. 1(1917): 42-61.

Hämäläinen, Pekka. Comanche Empire. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2008.

Matthew, Laura E. and Michael R. Oudijk, eds. Indian Conquistadors: Indigenous Allies in the

Conquest of Mesoamerica. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2007.

Sandos, James A. “From “Boltonlands” to “Weberlands”: The Borderlands Enter American

History.” American Quarterly 46, no. 4 (1994): 595-604.

Course Requirements and Grading

Class Participation 70% of total grade

Participation includes:

9. Attendance 5% 50pts

10. Quizzes (5 formal 10 pts each) 5% 50pts

11. Group and individual Homework Assignments for assigned readings x8

Assignments 1 through 8 posted on class website 20% 200pts

25 points each

12. Group Presentations8 10% 100pts

13. Essays x3 30% 300pts

Essays are worth 30% of total grade. Essay must have a thesis and supporting premises

based on examples from the class readings. Essay prompts will be provided. All essay’s

must be 12 pt. font (Times New Roman) typed, double-spaced, with one-inch margins.

You must write your full name, student ID, date, and title of the essay on your paper.

8 Topics to include Tlaxcaltecan-Nahua, Jesuits and Franciscans, Tarahumara, Tejano, Tigua, Manso, Suma,

Apache, Comanche, Captive Raiding, the Bourbon Reforms, Mexican Independence, Texas Independence, and the

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.

30

Every paper must be stapled. Essay prompts, guidelines, and grading rubric will be

posted on the class website.

Exams: 100 points each x 3 = 300 points 30% of total grade

Exam 1 10% 100pts

Exam 2 10% 100pts

Exam 3 10% 100pts

The first three exams are mandatory.

If you take the final exam, I will drop your lowest test score

so that the highest three scores count towards your grade.

A = 900-1000, B= 800-899, C = 700-799, D = 600-699, F = below 599.

Class Policies

16. Laptop Computer and Cell Phone Policy: Laptop computers may be used for note taking only. Laptop computers may not be used for checking e mail, surfing the internet,

or visiting web sites. The use of cell phones or other electronic devices for text messaging

is strictly prohibited. During examinations and/or quizzes absolutely no electronic

devices may be used. Violators will be immediately reported to the Dean’s Office.

17. Attendance Policy: You will be able to one class without losing any points. If you miss two classes, I will deduct twenty points from your attendance grade. Subsequently, I will

deduct ten points for every day that you miss. If you miss five classes your attendance

points will be zero. If you miss six classes, I will drop you from the course. If a real life

emergency occurs, please contact me as soon as possible. I do not consider transportation

problems as real life emergencies, so please plan your transportation arrangements well

in advance. I understand that sometimes life happens, and this attendance policy reflects

that understanding.

18. Classroom conduct: Students must conduct themselves in a manner appropriate to a university classroom. Any behavior that is distracting to other students or to the instructor

is strictly out of order. This includes arriving late to class and leaving early except in the

case of extreme emergencies. Disruptive students will be reported to Deans Office.

Regents Rules and Regulations for classroom conduct are available for inspection

electronically at http://www.utsystem.edu/bor/rules/ .

19. Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism: According to sections 1.3.1 of the UT Regents’ Rules and Regulations, “It is the official policy of the University that all suspected cases

or acts of alleged scholastic dishonesty must be referred to the Dean of Students for

investigation and appropriate disposition. It is contrary to University policy for a faculty

member to assign a disciplinary grade such as an “F” or a zero to an assignment, test,

examination, or other course work as a sanction for admitted or suspected scholastic

dishonesty…” In short, anyone caught cheating will be reported to the Dean of Students.

For more on cheating see UT Regents’ Rules and Regulations section 1.3.1.1.

http://www.utsystem.edu/bor/rules/

31

20. Students with Disabilities: If you require accommodations or suspect that you have a disability please contact the appropriate services on campus for assistance. At the

University of Texas at El Paso, the Center for Accommodations and Support Services

(CASS) can be contacted at 747-5148 or at [email protected] . CASS is located in Room 302

of the Union East Building. For more information visit http://sa.utep.edu/cass/.

21. Bring textbooks to class: Students are required to bring their textbooks to class every day. You will need them. Students are required to read before class in order to effectively

participate in class discussion. All assignments are posted on the class website. These

consist of both group and individual assignments. Students can print these assignments

prior to class meetings or they may use a laptop computer when doing group work in

class.

Class Calendar

Week 1.

Topics and Readings (read before class) Assignments Due and Activities

1. Introduction: What is History? Syllabus

Skills Building: Reading secondary sources.

o Review Syllabus o Pre-Assessment (informal) o Form Groups (Students will work with

their assigned groups daily throughout

the semester) for Class Discussions.

2. Indigenous Peoples and Spanish Colonization

Matthew and Oudijk, eds. Indian Conquistadors: Chapter 1,

“Mesoamerican Conquistadors,” 28-57.

Bolton, Herbert E. “The Mission as a Frontier Institution”

(Readings posted on class website).

o Lecture and Discussion o Reading Secondary Sources, Cont. o Due: HW Assignment 1:

(See class website for instructions)

Week 2.

1. Examining Bolton and Weber: Spanish Colonization and Missionaries

Sandos, “From “Boltonlands” to “Weberlands”

Weber, The Spanish Frontier, 1-89.

o Lecture and Discussion o Essay Writing Workshop: What is

critical thinking?

o Prompt for Essay 1 to be handed out to class and posted on class website

(Five page essay due at the end of next

week).

2. Colonial Expansion and Indigenous Responses

Weber, The Spanish Frontier, 90-175,


o Due: HW Assignment 2 (see class website for instructions)

o Essay Writing Workshop: viewpoints

o Quiz


32

Week 3.

1. Borderlands Transformations and Historical Memory

Weber, The Spanish Frontier, 176-264.

o Lecture and Discussion o Essay Writing Workshop o Essay updates o Hand out Study Guides for Exam 1

By now everyone should be writing and some of

you may be done with your essay.

2. “Mediated Opportunism”: Indigenous Negotiation of Spanish Colonization

Deeds, Defiance and Deference in Mexico’s Colonial North, 1-55.


o Due: Essay 1

Week 4.

1. Indigenous Negotiation of Spanish Colonization

Deeds, Defiance and Deference, 56-103.


2. Indigenous Negotiation of Spanish Colonization


Quiz


Week 5.

1. Negotiation and Identity


o Lecture and Discussion o Review for Exam


2. Exam 1 Exam 1 (Bring Blue Books)

Week 6.

1. Indigenous Agency, Kinship, and Reciprocity

Barr, Peace Came in the Form of a Woman, 1-68.

o Lecture and Discussion o Due: HW Assignment 4


o Hand out prompt for Essay 2

2. Indigenous Agency, Kinship, and Reciprocity


o Lecture and Discussion o Hand out instructions for group

presentations

Week 7. 1. Texas Borderlands, 1720-1760s.


o Lecture and Discussion o Hand out Study Guide for Exam 2

2. Texas Borderlands, 1720-1760s

Barr, Peace Came in the Form of a

o Lecture and Discussion o Due: HW Assignment 5

33

Woman, 159-196. (see class website for instructions)

Week 8.

1. Texas Borderlands, 1760s-1780s Barr, Peace Came in the Form of a

Woman, 197-246.

o Quiz (informal) o Lecture and Discussion

o Due: Essay 2

2. Texas Borderlands, 1760-1780s


o Lecture and Discussion o Review for Exam 2

Week 9.

1. Exam 2 Exam 2 (Bring Blue Books)

2. Comanche and Apache Raiding and Indigenous Hegemony

Hämäläinen, The Comanche Empire, 140-180.

DeLay, War of a Thousand Deserts, Introduction and Prologue (xii-31).


o Quiz o Hand out prompt for Essay 3

Week 10.

1. Mexico, Texas, the United States, and Indigenous Peoples

DeLay, War of a Thousand Deserts, 35-85.


o Due: HW Assignment 6 (posted on class website)




o Quiz o Essay 3 Updates

Week 11.


DeLay, War of a Thousand Deserts, 141-193


o Due: HW Assignment 7 (posted on class website)


DeLay, War of a Thousand Deserts, 194-252

o Lecture and Class Discussion o Quiz

Week 12.





o Hand out study guide for Exam 3.



o Due: Essay 3

34


o Quiz (informal)

Week 13.

1. Group Presentations o Class Discussion

2. Group Presentations o Class Discussion o Quiz (informal)

Week 14.

1. Group Presentations Review for Exam 3.

o Class Discussion o Review

2. Exam 3 Exam 3 (Bluebook Required) o Study Guide for final exam posted in

class website.

Week 15

1. Review for Final Exam o Class Discussion o Grades for Exam 3 posted

2. Final Exam Final Exam (Bluebook Required)

35

Argument, Content & Development 50 points

Poor

- Argument is missing or unclear. - Content is incomplete. - Major points are not clear and /or persuasive. - Specific examples are not used. - Suggested questions are not used to structure assignment.

Fair

- Content is not comprehensive and /or persuasive. - Major points are addressed, but not well supported. - Responses are inadequate or do not address assignment. -Specific examples do not support arguments and/or

are not related to arguments.

Good

- Content is accurate. - Argument is persuasive. - Major points are stated. - Responses are adequate and address assignment. - Content and purpose of the writing are clear. -Specific examples are used to support

arguments.

Excellent

- Content is comprehensive and accurate. - Argument is persuasive. - Major points are stated clearly and are well supported. - Responses are excellent, addressing the assignment and larger course concepts. - Content and purpose of the writing are clear. -Specific examples are used to support arguments.

Organization & Structure

20 points

Poor

- Organization and structure detract from the message of the writer. - Paragraphs are disjointed and lack transition of

thoughts.

Fair

- Structure of the paper is not easy to follow. - Paragraph transitions are awkward and need improvement. - Conclusion is missing, or if provided, does not flow from

the body of the paper.

Good

- Structure is mostly clear and easy to follow. - Paragraph transitions work. - Conclusion is logical.

Excellent

-Structure of the paper is clear and easy to follow. - Paragraph transitions are logical and maintain the flow of thought throughout the paper. - Conclusion is logical and flows from the

body of the paper.

Grammar, Punctuation & Spelling 10 points

Poor

- Paper contains numerous grammatical, punctuation, and spelling errors. - Language uses jargon or

conversational tone.

Fair

- Paper contains few grammatical, punctuation and spelling errors. - Language lacks clarity or includes the use of some jargon or conversational tone.

Good

- Rules of grammar, usage, and punctuation are followed with minor errors.

- Spelling is correct.

Excellent

- Rules of grammar, usage, and punctuation are followed; spelling is correct. - Language is clear and precise; sentences display consistently strong, varied

structure.

Citations

10 points

Poor

-Citations are not used at

all.

Fair

-Citations are used for some

but not other instances.

Good

- Citations are used for primary sources, but not

to other readings.

Excellent

-Citations are used for all instances, both to primary source and other readings as

needed.

Format

10 points

Poor

- Paper lacks many elements of correct formatting. - Paper is inadequate/ excessive in length.

Fair

- Paper follows most guidelines. - Paper is over/ under word

or page length

Good

- Paper follows designated guidelines. - Paper is the appropriate length as described for the assignment. -Format is good.

Excellent

- Paper follows all designated guidelines. - Paper is the appropriate length as described for the assignment.

-Format enhances readability of paper.

Essay Grading Rubric

36


University of Texas at El Paso

Ph.D. Program Annual Activities Report Period Covered in this Form: January 2011 to December 2011

Scott C. Comar I. Summary Statement:

The past year has been very rewarding and engaging for me as a doctoral student. In the spring of

2011, I worked with Jeff Shepherd as co-editor for the H-Borderlands website. In March I presented

my essay, “John P. Randolph: Surveyor, Speculator, and Land Fraud in West Texas” at the Phi Alpha

Theta Southwest Regional Conference at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Session D, “The American West.” In April, I presented my essay, “Resistance from Mexico’s

Northern Periphery: Journalism in El Paso During the Mexican Revolution” and chaired the “Borders

and Resistance” session (7392 Chicano/a Literature) of the 2011 Joint Conference of the National

Popular Culture & American Culture Association and the Southwest/Texas Popular Culture and

American Culture Association at the San Antonio Marriott in San Antonio, Texas. During the second

summer semester of 2011, I taught a US History 1302 class in which many of the students belonged

to the CAMP program. The class was a success and this was a very rewarding experience.

During the fall semester, I worked as Assistant Instructor for Paul Edison’s 2306 World History

class. In October, the University of Texas Press in Austin published my book, Border Junkies:

Addiction and Survival on the Streets of Juárez and El Paso. The publication process took three years

and greatly increased my academic awareness. During the spring and fall semesters I maintained a

4.0 GPA and completed the course requirements for my US and Borderlands history fields.

In the coming year I hope to pass the Spanish language exam, complete my portfolio work, and

defend my prospectus. I also seek to continue working as an Assistant Instructor in the spring and the

fall and teach either US or World history over the summer. This will likely be one of the more crucial

years in the program for me, yet I enter it with enthusiasm, open-mindedness, and willingness to

succeed.

PROGRESS TOWARD DEGREE

Courses Completed and Grades Received: U.S. History

HIST 5353: Literature and Methods of U.S. History, Shepherd 4.0

HIST 5305: Studies in U.S. History (Theory and History), Chavez 4.0

HIST 5370: Seminar in U.S. History (Cultural Borderlands and Racial Frontiers in the U.S. West),

Shepherd 4.0

HIST 5320, US History Readings to 1865, Cartwright 4.0

HIST 5370, US History Seminar, Kawashima 4.0

2011 HIST 5370 US History Seminar, Gabbert 4.0

Borderlands History

HIST 5390: Public History Internship (Mexican Revolution in El Paso), Leyva 4.0 Comar 2

37

HIST 5312: Studies in Borderlands History (Historical Memory), Martin 4.0

HIST 5374: Seminar in Borderlands History (Diasporas, Borderlands, Migrations), 4.0 Schiavone-

Camacho

HIST 5345: Individual Reading (Indigenous Peoples in Borderlands History), Shepherd 4.0

HIST 5304: Studies in Public History (The Mexican Revolution of 1910) Leyva 4.0

HIST 5345: Independent Reading-The Mexican Revolution, Sam Brunk 4.0

HIST 5312 Studies in Borderlands History, Camacho 4.0

2011 HIST 5312 Borderlands Studies, Shepherd 4.0

2011 HIST 5351 Lit/Methods, Borderlands, Martin 4.0

World History

2011 HIST 5354, World History Lit/Methods, Edison 4.0

2011 HIST 5306 Studies in World History, Ambler 4.0

2011 HIST 5345 Independent Reading, Shepherd 4.0

Courses in Progress: HIST 5306, Studies in World History, Brunk

HIST 6300, Adv. Topics in Historiography, Shepherd

HIST 6320, History Teaching and Learning, Erekson

Exams (Spanish exam, oral field exams, defense of dissertation prospectus) completed: None

RESEARCH

Research Undertaken: None

Papers Presented:

2011 Phi Alpha Theta Southwest Regional Conference, March 12, 2011. New Mexico State

University, Las Cruces, New Mexico. Session D, The American West: “John P. Randolph:

Surveyor, Speculator, and Land Fraud in West Texas.”

2011 Joint Conference of the National Popular Culture & American Culture Association

and the Southwest/Texas Popular Culture and American Culture Association, April 22,

2011. San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter Hotel & San Antonio Marriott Riverwalk Hotel,

San Antonio, Texas. 7392 Chicano/a Literature, Film, and Culture. Session Chair for

“Borders and Resistance.” Presented “Resistance from Mexico’s Northern Periphery:

Journalism in El Paso During the Mexican Revolution.”

Publications:

Border Junkies: Addiction and Survival on the Streets of Juárez and El Paso. Austin:

University of Texas Press, 2011.

Grant Proposals: None

38

Dissertation Ideas: Tigua Indian Tribal History

TEACHING

Courses in which you served as Assistant Instructor: HIST 2306, World History, Paul Edison

Courses taught (attach SAQs or other evaluation forms if available): HIST 1302, CRN 33424, History of US from 1865. Summer II.

SERVICE

Service to Department: In serve to the department, I worked as co-editor for H-Borderlands website, Assistant Instructor, and

Lecturer.

Service to University: N/A

Service to Community: I served, and am still serving, on the executive board of the local El Paso chapter of the Sierra Club.

COMMENTS

I write these comments as dissertation director and Ph.D. program director. Scott has had an impeccable 2 years of academic work. He entered the program in fall 2010 with an MA from the History Department. He submitted and

had approved his third field and roll-over credits. He has maintained a 4.0 GPA and comments from faculty reveal a

pattern of hard work, intellectual development, and professionalism. He has participated in several conferences,

chaired a conference panel, and seen his memoir/book published with UT-Press. This is quite an accomplishment for

a graduate student. After failing his first attempt in the fall, this semester he passed the Spanish Exam. This spring

he is working with me to finalize his third field, which focuses on Indigenous Peoples in Canada, Central America,

and the Pacific; and he is working with Julia to make progress on his borderlands field. Over the summer and fall he

will work with Adam to finalize his U.S. field. Over the summer I will work with him to finish his

professional/teaching materials and make substantial progress on his dissertation proposal. I see no reason why he

will not defend his portfolio in mid-fall 2012. Once he moves to ABD, I predict that he will finish his dissertation in

a timely manner. Two of his research papers and his MA Paper speak directly to the dissertation topic: a history of the Tigua through the mid-20th century. I have every reason to believe that this will be a fantastic dissertation, one

that reflects the best of borderlands and Native American history.

His weaknesses are that he has difficulty synthesizing information in oral communication, but this is easy to

improve upon. Additionally, Scott needs to apply for external grants and make some progress securing funding to

support research that will take him to Austin and Washington D.C.

In conclusion, Scott is doing extremely well and will ultimately complete his degree and dissertation within 5 years

of entering the program.

GPC The Committee agrees that Scot is doing well in the program.

Assessment: 4/5

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University of Texas at El Paso

Ph.D. Program Annual Activities Report

Scott C. Comar

Period Covered in this Form: January 2012 to December 2012

Summary Statement:

In 2012, I experienced a significant amount of personal and academic growth. As a doctoral

student beginning the transition from student to scholar, I completed my coursework and

engaged in the portfolio component of the program. In the spring, I worked as an Assistant

Instructor for Paul Edison’s 2306 World History Class. I also presented my book, Border

Junkies, at the 2012 Consulate of Mexico’s Ventanilla de Salud Drug Awareness Week panel at

the University of Texas at El Paso. That summer, I presented my essay, “Changing Worlds:

Imperial Discourse and Discursive Islander Resistance,” at the World History Association

Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico. During the second summer semester, I taught a US

History 1302 class at UTEP, in which many of the students belonged to the CAMP program.9

This was my second time teaching this class and it was a very rewarding experience that gave me

the opportunity to reflect on how my approaches to teaching had changed during the past year.

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