HIST 205 - Cold War America: 1945-1991

Number of Credits: 3
Cold War America: 1945-1991 surveys politics, society, and culture in the United States during years that became defined by the nation’s simmering conflict with communist regimes around the globe. The course covers the various crises and controversies of the era that either united us in confidence or divided us in uncertainty, with an emphasis on the ways in which the bi-polar world order that emerged after World War II established parameters for the American way of life that have even outlasted the Soviet Union. Credit by exam available. (Spring Term Only) Three hours lecture each week. Three Credits. Three billable hours.

Pre-requisite(s): eligibility for ENGL 101.
Course Objectives: Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

Summarize and explain the major events of the years of the Cold War, 1945-1991,in order to show clear, concise understanding of how they changed America (GE1, GE2, PG1, PG2, PG4)
Communicate orally, by discussing readings that offer various interpretations of key issues in American History from 1945-1991 (GE1, GE2, PG1, PG2, PG4)
Demonstrate informational literacy to know when there is a need for information,and to be able to identify, locate, evaluate, and effectively use that information for the issue or problem at hand. (GE2, GE4, PG1, PG4)
Express themselves in formal writing, by authoring an analysis of historical newspapers and a research paper that offer a clear and supported position on a complex historical subject or event. (GE1, GE2, GE4, PG1, PG2, PG4, PG5)
Think critically, from analyzing the successes and failures of the past and explaining and predicting how people with values and mindsets different from our own handle similar circumstances. (GE2, GE6, GE7, PG1, PG2, PG3, PG4)
Make historical connections by recognizing contemporary behaviors, actions, and policies that demonstrate how people fail to learn lessons from those past successes and failures. (GE2, GE7, PG1)
Identify and expand their world perspective by taking into account various, often divergent points of view as well as humanity’s commonalities and differences.(GE6, GE7, PG2, PG3)