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Lecturer(s)
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Dudáček Václav, Mgr.
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Königová Veronika, PhDr. Ph.D.
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Course content
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Week 1 Introduction. A sociological snapshot of America today. Pre-contact America. Including the indigenous cultures of North America and the empires of Central and South America. Week 2 1st contacts with Europeans and colonial history Relations between the Native Americans and European colonists. Jamestown and Plymouth. Salem witch hunt. Slavery and the Triangle Trade. Week 3 The American Revolution Causes and major milestones. The Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution. Week 4 Early 19th Century: Westward and Southward expansion The relations Native Americans. The New England whaling industry. The Monroe Doctrine. The War of 1812. The Mexican-American War. Week 5 Mid-19th Century: the US Civil War Slavery, abolitionism and the Underground Railroad; North-South economic relations; the Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation; Lincoln's assassination; Reconstruction Week 6 Late 19th Century: the Industrial Revolution Immigration from Europe and China; the building of the railroads; the genocide of Native Americans; migration to the North and the "Rust Belt" Week 7 Beginning of the 20th Century The Spanish-American War, foreign policy in Latin America; war in the Philippines; the Robber Barons. WWI, Sacco and Vanzetti Week 8 The Great Depression Prohibition; the origins of consumerism; the stock market crash, the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl; FDR and the New Deal Week 9 World War II; Relations with Europe; US entrance into the war; the Manhattan Project and the first use of the atomic bomb Week 10 Race and culture in the US The US tax system and funding of education; redlining and "white flight"; the development of the suburbs Week 11 Contemporary topics Major sources of energy at different periods; current events seen in historical context Week 12 Credit test. Week 13 CREDIT WEEK
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Learning activities and teaching methods
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Collaborative instruction, Discussion, Seminar classes, Textual studies
- Preparation for comprehensive test (10-40)
- 36 hours per semester
- Preparation for formative assessments (2-20)
- 16 hours per semester
- Contact hours
- 26 hours per semester
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| prerequisite |
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| Knowledge |
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| demonstrate the knowledge of English at level B1 according to CEFR |
| interpret texts from the field of American realia and reproduce their content and main ideas |
| reproduce the content of video material dealing with American realia |
| identify key issues from the field of historical development of the USA |
| delimit the basic data related to the culture and society of the USA |
| Skills |
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| demonstrate specialized skills at the B1 level according to CEFR |
| adequately respond to listening material in English |
| actively engage in pair/group discussion on various topics dealing with American realia |
| present and interpret the content and main topics of films and documents related to American realia |
| independently summarize and interpret texts on the popular scientific level |
| learning outcomes |
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| Knowledge |
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| define and summarize the current cultural, economic and political issues within the United States of America |
| demonstrate the knowledge of English at the B2 level according to CEFR |
| characterize the USA in a wider cultural context |
| analyze the most important social and cultural issues in relation to the USA |
| characterize in detail the stratification of American society |
| Skills |
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| demonstrate specialized skills at B2 level according to CEFR |
| analyze social developments in USA on the basis of theoretical concepts from the field of cultural studies |
| present the content of specialized literature on Amerfican realia |
| explain own standpoint related to the most important social and cultural issues in the USA |
| critically work with the content of British and American media |
| teaching methods |
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| Knowledge |
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| Textual studies |
| Collaborative instruction |
| Discussion |
| Seminar classes |
| assessment methods |
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| Test |
| Skills |
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| Skills demonstration during practicum |
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Recommended literature
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Iceland, John. Poverty in America. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2013.
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Lakoff, George. Moral Politics. How Liberals and Conservatives Think. Chicago: Chicago University Press, 2016.
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Oakland, Jon. British Civilization. London: Routledge, 2010.
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Zinn, Howard. A people's history of the United States : 1492 to present. New York : Harper Perennial Modern Classics, 2005. ISBN 978-0-06-083865-2.
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