Southern Utah University

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Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Summer Semester 2026

Hist of Nat'l Parks (Online)

HIST 3820-30I

Course: HIST 3820-30I
Credits: 3
Term: Summer Semester 2026
Department: HSOC
CRN: 20563

Course Description

This course introduces undergraduates to the history and challenges of creating and maintaining the places and programs that make up the U.S. national park system. Students will learn about the variety of resources, values, viewpoints, and ideas that are represented in the more than 400 units of the national park system, which stretches from Guam to Maine and Alaska to the Virgin Islands. The role of the federal agency in charge of the parks, the National Park Service (NPS), will be explored, including its work in community recreation and historic preservation. The course emphasizes the unprecedented challenges the national parks faced during the early years, the role of tourism, and the need to make the parks relevant to an ever-more-diverse society. (As Needed) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Equivalent Course(s): HIST 6820

Required Texts

National Parks: The American Experience 5th ed by Alfred Runte
Saving Yellowstone: Exploration and Preservation in Reconstruction America by Megan Kate Nelson. 
These core texts will be supplemented by additional readings and videos.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, you will be able to:
  1. Analyze the major functions of the national park system, such as providing recreation, preserving wilderness, conserving biodiversity, curating museum collections, and more.
  2. Learn and practice how to perform historical research using both published, archival, and  digital sources.
  3. Develop an understanding of the geographic and thematic breadth of the national park system.
  4. Gain knowledge of the issues, key events, and major figures that comprise the story of the national park system.
  5. Identify and understand the intellectual, ethical, and professional issues faced in the conservation, preservation, and interpretation of these public lands.
  6. Implement a research and presentation skill set in working on a historical project of relevance to the history of the national park system.
  7. Understand how competing claims to the past influence how national parks are presented to the public.

Course Requirements

Your work in History 3820 will focus on reading and reviewing textbook chapters and films, participating in weekly discussions, writing a book review, a virtual visit, and a park history presentation. The grading and examinations will reward your persistence and diligence in moving consistently and sequentially through all course materials. You are encouraged to work at a steady and systematic pace to finish all required work by the appropriate deadlines. All of your coursework will be submitted through Canvas.

Park Presentation
You will be required to share a presentation detailing the human history of any NPS unit of your choice, with some exceptions. Consult the assignment tab for a list of exempted parks. For detailed information and a presentation rubric, consult the assignment tab. This assignment is worth 30% of your grade.

Book Review
For this assignment, you will write a 7-page double spaced book review of  Saving Yellowstone: Exploration and Preservation in Reconstruction America by Megan Kate Nelson. Note that this is different from a book report. In your review, you should summarize the work, explain its main themes, discuss the author’s approach, and comment on what the book contributes to our overall understanding of the history of National Parks. For detailed information consult the assignment tab. This assignment is worth 20% of your grade.

National Park Designation Visit
For this assignment, you are required to virtually visit any NPS unit with the exception of a National Park. National Monuments, Preserves, Historic Sites, Memorials, Battlefields, Cemetery’s, Recreation Areas, Seashores, Rivers, Parkways, and Trails are all open. You will then complete the form also located in the files tab and upload it AND a selfie of yourself with the web page. This assignment is worth 20% of your grade.

3-2-1's
Over the course of the semester we will be watching Ken Burn’s The National Parks film series as well as studying selected readings.  For detailed information and a rubric, consult the assignment tab. This assignment is worth 30% of your grade.

At the conclusion of the week, you will be required to submit responses to each reading and film assigned for the module. After reading and viewing the assigned selections, utilize your reasoning and analytical skills to compose a short, reasoned response. The responses will need to be answered in a 3-2-1 format:

3 things you found relevant, interesting, or thoughtful
2 questions you found in your reading of the material
1 Takeaway - What is your personal takeaway from the week's assigned materials?
Each point should be in the form on one or two paragraphs. I consider a paragraph to be no more than 5-6 sentences. 

Course Outline

  1. Introductions and Foundations
  2. The American West and Early Tourism
  3. Yellowstone
  4. Worthless Lands and John Muir
  5. The Antiquities Act
  6. See America First
  7. Park Presentations
  8. Conservation and Philanthropy
  9. Ecology Denied
  10. Depression and War
  11. Family Vacation
  12. Controversies - Part 1
  13. Controversies - Part 2
  14. Book Review Submission

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

Late papers will receive a penalty of at least one full letter grade.  

Attendance Policy

This is an online class, but weekly engagement is required. 

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.