HIST 13A
History of the U.S. and Its Colonial Origins: Colonial Origins and First Nation Building Acts
Description: Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Strongly recommended for History majors planning to take more advanced courses in U.S. history. Cultural heritages, political institutions, economic developments, and social interactions which created contemporary society. P/NP or letter grading.
Units: 5.0
Units: 5.0
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Most Helpful Review
Professor Kurz wins the greatest teacher ever award. Ask and he will tell you about how I ended up getting a P/NP grade when I actually earned an A+, and i suck at history! He makes his lectures fun and really interesting. He doesnt simply regurgitate information, but he turns them into stories with voices and everything. It doesnt feel like you are in class. Best class offered and taught by the BEST teacher in this school. Take this class for elective credits if needed, its definitely worth it!!!
Professor Kurz wins the greatest teacher ever award. Ask and he will tell you about how I ended up getting a P/NP grade when I actually earned an A+, and i suck at history! He makes his lectures fun and really interesting. He doesnt simply regurgitate information, but he turns them into stories with voices and everything. It doesnt feel like you are in class. Best class offered and taught by the BEST teacher in this school. Take this class for elective credits if needed, its definitely worth it!!!
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Most Helpful Review
Fall 2020 - I took this class through Zoom and he altered the class to be as convenient as possible due to COVID restrictions. Our grade was based on two small papers, final paper, and participation credit in discussions. I really enjoyed going to discussions as we went over primary sources that we would end up using as evidence in our papers. My TA, Rebekka, was very kind and understanding. She was very considerate of the students who had a hard time speaking up in class so she gave writing assingments and such. She helped us by reviewing our drafts and also advising them. Dr. Meranze gave awesome lectures. His voice is monotone so you may zone out here and there, but he is very passionate about the topic and is always willing to help you and answer your questions. I went to his office hour and he was so nice and considerate of my questions and concerns. He also took his time answering my emails as he explained and answered my question very thoroughly. I would recommend for a STEM major who is trying to fulfill a GE on top of their rigorous science courses.
Fall 2020 - I took this class through Zoom and he altered the class to be as convenient as possible due to COVID restrictions. Our grade was based on two small papers, final paper, and participation credit in discussions. I really enjoyed going to discussions as we went over primary sources that we would end up using as evidence in our papers. My TA, Rebekka, was very kind and understanding. She was very considerate of the students who had a hard time speaking up in class so she gave writing assingments and such. She helped us by reviewing our drafts and also advising them. Dr. Meranze gave awesome lectures. His voice is monotone so you may zone out here and there, but he is very passionate about the topic and is always willing to help you and answer your questions. I went to his office hour and he was so nice and considerate of my questions and concerns. He also took his time answering my emails as he explained and answered my question very thoroughly. I would recommend for a STEM major who is trying to fulfill a GE on top of their rigorous science courses.
Most Helpful Review
Fall 2023 - I took this class for a GE requirement. Professor Pestana is very well versed on the topic of the class. She is a good story teller. She doesn't shy away from addressing the problematic Eurocentric view of U.S. history by calling out historical authors. Your grade all depends on if you have a good TA. Your grade is based on essays and discussions.
Fall 2023 - I took this class for a GE requirement. Professor Pestana is very well versed on the topic of the class. She is a good story teller. She doesn't shy away from addressing the problematic Eurocentric view of U.S. history by calling out historical authors. Your grade all depends on if you have a good TA. Your grade is based on essays and discussions.
Most Helpful Review
Fall 2021 - Amazing class. Since Week 1 I went around recommending this course as a GE. I am a STEM major so it was really fun taking a course that explores other fields. Lectures are not recorded, but the midterms and the final are not based on actual lecture content which means you could do fine without attending. What really matters is attending section which gives you participation part of your final grade (20%). You have a list of primary sources to read each week which sometimes do get dense, but as long as you read 3-4 of them you should have enough content for section and for the midterms. The textbook is not really important if Im being honest. The professor will prompt you to purchase it, but I never used it and still got an A in the class. TA's were super easygoing and responsive to emails. The professor is usually hard to get in contact with, so he prompts you to speak to your TA before reaching out to him. Again 10/10 recommend
Fall 2021 - Amazing class. Since Week 1 I went around recommending this course as a GE. I am a STEM major so it was really fun taking a course that explores other fields. Lectures are not recorded, but the midterms and the final are not based on actual lecture content which means you could do fine without attending. What really matters is attending section which gives you participation part of your final grade (20%). You have a list of primary sources to read each week which sometimes do get dense, but as long as you read 3-4 of them you should have enough content for section and for the midterms. The textbook is not really important if Im being honest. The professor will prompt you to purchase it, but I never used it and still got an A in the class. TA's were super easygoing and responsive to emails. The professor is usually hard to get in contact with, so he prompts you to speak to your TA before reaching out to him. Again 10/10 recommend
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