The life of the law has
not been logic, it has been experience
— Oliver Wendell Holmes, jr.
History 3600: The US Constitution and the Nation
Instructor:
Dr. Lynne Curry email: cflc2@eiu.edu
Office: 2532 Coleman Hall my
office 581-7988
Office hours: TR 11:00 - 12:30; and by appointment department: 581-3310
Description:
This course surveys the development of the US Constitution and the American
legal system within the context of the nation’s political, social, and economic
history.
Required texts: Michael Les Benedict, The
Blessings of Liberty
Waldrep, Curry, Riccio, The U.
S. Constitution and the Nation
Articles posted
on course website
Course requirements:
1. I expect
your attendance, thorough preparation, and active participation at each class
meeting
2. Two
mid-term examinations and a final. All
are in essay format. The final is not
comprehensive. Dates are as follows:
Mid-term I, Thursday, September 30th ; Mid-term II, Thursday,
November 11th; Final, Wednesday,
December 15th, 2:45 pm to 4:45 pm. Note: I will not reschedule your final examination
unless you have three exams scheduled for the same day.
3. Check our
course website on WebCT daily.
Important information, announcements, weekly assignments, emails from
me, and additional readings will be
posted there. You are
responsible for keeping up to date with all information posted on our course
website.
4. Non-credit
quizzes. Week quizzes are available on
our course website. They are optional,
and do not affect your grade for the course.
The quizzes serve as a self-check so that you can make sure you are
understanding the key concepts from lectures and readings. If you are having difficulty answering the
quiz corrections correctly, reread the assignments and review lecture
notes. If you continue to have
difficulty, see me asap.
Grading:
Mid-term exam I 30%
Mid-term exam II 30%
Final exam
40%
Accommodations: If you have a documented physical or
learning disability, please contact me as soon as possible regarding any
required arrangements
Things that annoy me, so don’t do them: Consistently coming in late. Getting up in the middle of class to use the restroom. Cell phones ringing. Loud gum chewing. Private conversations in class.
Treating fellow students rudely.
Packing up your books before I say class is over. Dull, boring, glassy-eyed, unprepared
students who just sit there like rocks.