U.S. Histories University Learning Requirements ~ Outcomes

Outcome 1: Historical Knowledge ~ Demonstrates an understanding of processes, peoples, and events in the multicultural histories of the United States over at least 100 years.

Criteria

• Describes and explains histories of the United States from multiple perspectives within a chronological framework.
• Compares and contrasts historical experiences of diverse social groups.
• Describes how equality and inequality have been experienced over time.
• Identifies historical relationships between the United States and other regions/nations of the world.
• Interprets historical primary sources.

Outcome 2: Critical Thinking and Historical Reading ~ Applies critical-thinking skills in reading, comprehending, and interpreting historical evidence and scholarship.

Criteria

• Compares and evaluates competing historical interpretations and/or explanations.
• Describes how historians use two or more of the following analytical categories: class, gender, race, ethnicity, region, religion, ideology, and sexuality.
• Identifies bias and context in historical evidence and scholarship.

Outcome 3: Historical Research ~ Employs historical research methods enabling them to become their own historians.

Criteria

• Identifies a historical research topic.
• Formulates a historical research question.
• Locates, and differentiates between, primary and secondary sources.
• Analyzes historical evidence in response to the research question.

Outcome 4: Historical Writing ~ Constructs a historical narrative which addresses a historical research question using primary and secondary sources.

Criteria

• Presents a historical argument in an essay.
• Applies and integrates the results of historical research and analysis.
• Cites sources of historical knowledge using footnotes or endnotes.

Revised 5/31/05