APST 610
Foundations of Appalachian Studies
1. Catalog Entry
APST 610
Foundations of Appalachian Studies
Credit hours (3)
In this required course of the Appalachian Studies Certificate curriculum, students will be exposed to an overview of the history of the Appalachian Region from its earliest European explorers and their interaction with Native Americans to its settlement by various ethnic groups. There will be a heavy historical emphasis on events in the late 19th century up to the latter 20th century and how those events have shaped the formation of the Appalachian region as well as the creation and continual evolution of a formal Appalachian Studies discipline that began in the late 1960s.
2. Detailed Description of Course
The course may cover all or any of the following groups, events, and activities and
how they have influenced and continue to impact the Appalachian region:
1) Native American Presence
2) European Colonization
3) Slavery, Emancipation, and Jim Crow Era
4) Civil War
5) Natural Resource Extraction
6) Industrialization of the U.S.
7) Single Industry Economies
8) Labor Unionization
9) Local Color Writers
10) Missionaries
11) Folk culture
12) Education (opportunities, policies, and beliefs)
13) WWI and WWII
14) War on Poverty
15) Creation of the Appalachian Regional Commission
16) Outmigration
17) Absentee landownership
18) Tourism
19) Growth, creation, distribution, and abuse of drugs
3. Detailed Description of Conduct of Course
The course may consist of in-class instructional activities, such as lectures, guest
lectures, documentary viewings, experiential learning opportunities, and discussion.
In addition, there may be online assignments and field experiences. Students will
have opportunities to interact in a variety of ways (i.e. the classroom, online, and
in small groups outside of class). Students may participate in assignments and activities,
including but not limited to writing-to-learn activities, oral communication activities,
and case studies.
4. Goals and Objectives of the Course
Students will be able to:
1) identify historical events unique to Appalachia
2) explain how these unique historical events have formed the region’s political
economy
3) explain how these unique historical events have shaped the region’s cultural
identity
4) explain how the region’s image has been molded by literary treatments over
the course of more than a century
5) identify Appalachian stereotypes
6) explain how Appalachian stereotypes have served various individuals, groups,
industries, and businesses
7) explain the social and political implications of Appalachian stereotypes
5. Assessment Measures
Include but are not limited to:
1) in-class attendance and participation
2) online assignments
3) experiential field assignments
4) exams
5) critical reading reflection logs
6) article-length paper or detailed lesson plan for use in high school or undergraduate
college classroom
6. Other Course Information
None
Review and Approval
February 15, 2013