HIST 101 E Western Civilization I

Transcription

1 Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 1 HIST 101 E Western Civilization I Late Fall Session October 26 December 19, 2015 Course Description European history from the Ancient Near East and Egypt to 1715 Prerequisite: None Proctored Exams: -- Final Textbooks Donald Kagan, Steven Ozment, Frank Turner and Alison Frank, The Western Heritage. Columbia College Custom Edition. (Boston: Pearson Education) This includes the MYHISTORYLAB online, which includes valuable test preparation exercises. ISBN-13: Textbooks for the course may be ordered from MBS Direct. You can order online at (be sure to select Online Education rather than your home campus before selecting your class) by phone at For additional information about the bookstore, visit Course Overview History and historical knowledge are the heart and soul of a liberal arts education. History enriches your understanding of the past and present and can help you prepare for the challenges the future will bring. This survey course will explore the antecedents to modern-day Western civilization. It will examine social, religious, intellectual, scientific, artistic, economic, and political aspects of various cultures from ancient times to the early modern era. The course will emphasize elements of ancient, medieval, and early modern Western cultures that are significantly reflected in American life its philosophies, laws, and customs. Technology Requirements Participation in this course will require the basic technology for all online classes at Columbia College: A computer with reliable Internet access, a web browser, Acrobat Reader, Microsoft Office or another word processor such as Open Office.

2 Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 2 You can find more details about standard technical requirements for our courses on our site. Course Objectives To understand the major events, people, ideas and basic evolutionary structure of Western civilization from Neolithic times to To understand the development of political, social, economic, cultural, and intellectual aspects of each civilization and engage in historical-mindedness in their critical evaluation of how the present civilization in the West has evolved. Measurable Learning Outcomes Identify key characteristics of Paleolithic and Neolithic societies. Describe the emergence of the Polis, the conflicts between Greece and its neighbors, and the transition between the Greek Golden Age and the Hellenistic World. Describe the rise, fall, and legacy of Roman civilization. Explain the rise of Christianity and its political, religious, social, and cultural impact throughout the western world. Explain how the rise of Islam contributed to the growth of a new empire and a resulting divergence between empires. Describe the issues which resulted in the growing conflict between the Monarchy and the Pope between 1000 and Define and explain the fundamental concepts of medieval society. Describe the reformation and its impact on society. Explain the religious and state conflicts which existed. Define absolutism and illustrate how it impacted state building and the struggle for order. Grading Grading Scale GRADE POINTS PERCENT A B C D F Grade Weights ASSIGNMENT POINTS PERCENT Discussion % Essays % Quizzes % Final Exam % Total %

3 Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 3 Schedule of Due Dates WEEK ASSIGNMENT POINTS DUE DATE Discussion 1 1 Discussion 2 2 Discussion 3 Discussion 4 Quiz Discussion 5 Discussion 6 Discussion 7 Essay Discussion 8 Discussion 9 Quiz Discussion 10 Discussion 11 Essay Discussion 12 Discussion 13 Quiz Discussion 14 Discussion 15 Essay Discussion 16 Discussion 17 Discussion 18 Saturday Saturday Saturday Final Exam 200 Saturday TOTAL 1000 Assignment Overview Discussions: To be eligible to receive full credit on your discussion postings, you need to respond to at least two of your classmates posts each week in addition to your initial posts. You need to plan on following the progress of the discussion threads at least three times each week so that you can participate in ongoing discussions.

4 Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 4 Your discussion posts are due by night at midnight. Discussions postings should include either a concise summary of information from the textbook or an analysis of the topic under study. Please do not use long quotations. I will be especially impressed with postings that use materials and resources found on the textbook's website or other reliable sources. If you do use any source other that the textbook, please note within the text of your discussion posting where you got the information. Each response to your classmates should add to the discussion in a meaningful way by bringing up an original and relevant point. It is not your job to tell other students that they have not addressed parts of the discussion topics, although you are encouraged to express a different interpretation or ask for additional information from other students on particular topics. Essays: You will write three essays in this course, due in Weeks 3, 5, and 7. All essays are responses to questions based on your reading of primary source documents, but will require that you understand the background material presented in the required textbook. These questions are found in the class dropbox in Desire 2 Learn. The essays are worth 100 points each and must be between 300 and 500 words in length, double-spaced, and submitted to the dropbox in either MS Word or Rich Text Format. In responding to the questions in the discussions and on the essay, you may want to use resources in addition to your textbook. This is encouraged, as it allows you to explore areas of interest in more detail. I do caution you, however, to be aware of any biases that some authors might have in dealing with the subject matter. Remember that Wikipedia is not an acceptable resource, as it is not refereed, and therefore not reliable. I recommend the sources found in the databases available through the Columbia College library. Be sure to document your sources properly using either the MLA or Turabian (Chicago Manual of Style) format. Essays that have any plagiarized material will receive zero points. Quizzes: There will be three quizzes in this course in Weeks 2, 4, and 6. Quizzes must be completed before the midnight on night deadline. Final Exam: The final exam in this course must be taken in a proctored setting. This will be a closedbook exam. You will not be able to use your text or other references or notes during the exam. Please see the information below about finding a proctor. I must have your proctor information by the end of Week 2. Submit your proctor information to the folder in the Dropbox. Course Schedule Week 1 Ancient Civilizations Readings: Chapter 1, Pages Discussion 1 In the "Introductions" discussion, introduce yourself to your fellow students. Please tell us a little about yourself, including your name and your major, and discuss any special interests you may have in history. If you don't think you have any interest in history, think about any movies you have seen that are set any time in the past. What intrigues you about the movie's setting? Discussion 2: How did geography, culture, and climate play a role in the development of different religious outlooks in Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Israel? How were the political and social structures of each civilization tied to its religious views?

5 Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 5 Week 2 Ancient Greece Readings: Chapters 2 and 3, Pages Discussion 3: If you could choose to live in one of the three Greek poleis featured in your textbook (Corinth, Athens, or Sparta), which would you prefer and why? In making your decision, be sure to consider both the major differences between these poleis and the cultural and philosophical ideas that unite them into a single culture. Discussion 4: How did the Greek view of the relationship between man and nature influence their conception of the Gods? How was this view expressed in Greek philosophy and the arts? Quiz 1: Covers material from Chapters 1-3, Pages Week 3 Ancient Rome Readings: Chapters 4 and 5, Pages Discussion 5: What factors led to the collapse of the Roman Republic and the emergence of the Roman Imperial government structure? Discussion 6: Did the emergence and growth of Christianity contribute to the decay of "Roman virtue"? Consider the ways Christianity came into conflict with the Roman State Religion. Take a look at the letter from Pliny to Trajan at Peter Kirby s collection of Early Christian Writings ( It may help you understand the issue of Roman persecution of the Christians. Discussion 7: Discuss the factors that contributed to the downfall of Roman imperial administration. What part did the Roman military, the influx of barbarian peoples, and the reforms of Constantine play in this transformation? Essay 1: Read the Funeral Oration of Pericles in the Ancient History Sourcebook at Fordham University ( Given the context of this speech, do you believe everything Pericles says about Athens in the Funeral Oration? Why or why not? Week 4 The Transformation of Europe Readings: Chapters 6 and 7, Pages Discussion 8: How did the Europe under the rule of the Charlemagne differ from Europe during the time of Constantine, and what did the title of "emperor" mean during each period? Discussion 9: Discuss the differences and similarities between Western (Roman Catholic) Christianity, Eastern (Orthodox) Christianity, and Islam. Quiz 2: Covers material from Chapters 4-7, Pages Week 5 The High Middle Ages Readings: Chapters 8 and 9, Pages Discussion 10: How did medieval Universities differ from universities today? See Jacques de Vitry s description of medieval students ( for one scholar s description of students in medieval universities.

6 Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 6 Discussion 11: Describe the social, political, and religious misfortunes of the 14th century and the effect of these events on the psychological and material fortunes of Europeans. Essay 2: Read Robert the Monk's account of Pope Urban II's call to crusade found on the Internet History Sourcebooks Project site at Why would Christians in the West be moved to embark on a dangerous journey to fight in the Holy Land after hearing Pope Urban's speech at Clermont? Week 6 The Renaissance Readings: Chapter 10, Pages Discussion 12: Why did the Renaissance start in Italy? Describe the role of the aristocratic courts of such powerful figures as the de Medicis and the papacy in engendering and sustaining this cultural revival. Discussion 13: The main goal of all Renaissance humanists was to fix their own world by recovering the glories of ancient Rome and Greece. How was this effort to revive antiquity reflected in the art and literature of the Renaissance? Quiz 3: Covers material from Chapters 8-10, Pages Course Evaluations: Please evaluate the course. You will have an opportunity to evaluate the course near the end of the session. A link sent to your CougarMail will allow you to access the evaluation. Please note that these evaluations are provided so that I can improve the course, find out what students perceive to be its strengths and weaknesses, and in general assess the success of the course. Please do take the time to fill this out. Week 7 The Reformation Readings: Chapter 11, pages Discussion 14: What were some of the topics Luther raised in the 95 Theses ( What did he see as the major problems with the religious practices of his day? Discussion 15: Why did the Reformation happen in the early 16 th century after Martin Luther posted the 95 Thesis rather than earlier in response to other protests against Church practice? Essay 3: Read Luther s 95 Theses at the Internet Christian Library ( Martin Luther wrote these propositions in order to engage in a debate with fellow theologians. How do the issues Luther present for debate illustrate the problems in the Church of his day? Week 8 The Early Modern World Readings: Chapter 12, 13, and 14, Pages Discussion 16: Identify the basic causes, both political and religious, of the bitter struggles of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries in France, the Holy Roman Empire, and the Netherlands. Describe the political and religious dimensions of the settlement of each of these conflicts. Discussion 17: In what ways did the new science of Copernicus, Brahe, Kepler, and Galileo challenge not only the Aristotelian cosmos--foundation of all medieval science--but also the claims of the

7 Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 7 church? Discussion 18: How did Versailles symbolize the authority of the French king and how did the Louis XIV use Versailles as a way to establish and maintain power? Final Exam: The exam may be taken any time during week 8. You will have two hours to complete the exam. No notes or textbooks are allowed at the proctored final exam. Course Policies Student Conduct All Columbia College students, whether enrolled in a land-based or online course, are responsible for behaving in a manner consistent with Columbia College's Student Conduct Code and Acceptable Use Policy. Students violating these policies will be referred to the office of Student Affairs and/or the office of Academic Affairs for possible disciplinary action. The Student Code of Conduct and the Computer Use Policy for students can be found in the Columbia College Student Handbook. The Handbook is available online; you can also obtain a copy by calling the Student Affairs office (Campus Life) at The teacher maintains the right to manage a positive learning environment, and all students must adhere to the conventions of online etiquette. Plagiarism Your grade will be based in large part on the originality of your ideas and your written presentation of these ideas. Presenting the words, ideas, or expression of another in any form as your own is plagiarism. Students who fail to properly give credit for information contained in their written work (papers, journals, exams, etc.) are violating the intellectual property rights of the original author. For proper citation of the original authors, you should reference the appropriate publication manual for your degree program or course (APA, MLA, etc.). Violations are taken seriously in higher education and may result in a failing grade on the assignment, a grade of "F" for the course, or dismissal from the College. Collaboration conducted between students without prior permission from the instructor is considered plagiarism and will be treated as such. Spouses and roommates taking the same course should be particularly careful. All required papers may be submitted for textual similarity review to Turnitin.com for the detection of plagiarism. All submitted papers may be included in the Turnitin.com reference database for the purpose of detecting plagiarism. This service is subject to the Terms and Conditions of Use posted on the Turnitin.com site. Non-Discrimination There will be no discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin, sexual orientation, religion, ideology, political affiliation, veteran status, age, physical handicap, or marital status. Disability Services Students with documented disabilities who may need academic services for this course are required to register with the Coordinator for Disability Services at (573) Until the student has been cleared through the disability services office, accommodations do not have to be granted. If you are a student who has a documented disability, it is important for you to read the entire syllabus before enrolling in the course. The structure or the content of the course may make an accommodation not feasible. Online Participation You are expected to read the assigned texts and participate in the discussions and other course

8 Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 8 activities each week. Assignments should be posted by the due dates stated on the grading schedule in your syllabus. If an emergency arises that prevents you from participating in class, please let your instructor know as soon as possible. Attendance Policy Attendance for a week will be counted as having submitted a course assignment for which points have been earned during that week of the session or if the proctoring information has been submitted or the plagiarism quiz taken if there is no other assignment due that week. A class week is defined as the period of time between Monday and (except for Week 8, when the week and the course will end on Saturday at midnight). The course and system deadlines are all based on the Central Time Zone. Cougar All students are provided a CougarMail account when they enroll in classes at Columbia College. You are responsible for monitoring from that account for important messages from the College and from your instructor. You may forward your Cougar account to another account; however, the College cannot be held responsible for breaches in security or service interruptions with other providers. Students should use for private messages to the instructor and other students. The class discussions are for public messages so the class members can each see what others have to say about any given topic and respond. Late Assignment Policy An online class requires regular participation and a commitment to your instructor and your classmates to regularly engage in the reading, discussion and writing assignments. Although most of the online communication for this course is asynchronous, you must be able to commit to the schedule of work for the class for the next eight weeks. You must keep up with the schedule of reading and writing to successfully complete the class. Late work will be accepted for discussion, essays and quizzes during the class term, but a 20% Penalty will be applied. Course Evaluation You will have an opportunity to evaluate the course near the end of the session. A link will be sent to your CougarMail that will allow you to access the evaluation. Be assured that the evaluations are anonymous and that your instructor will not be able to see them until after final grades are submitted. Proctor Policy Students taking courses that require proctored exams must submit their completed proctor request forms to their instructors by the end of the second week of the session. Proctors located at Columbia College campuses are automatically approved. The use of Proctor U services is also automatically approved. The instructor of each course will consider any other choice of proctor for approval or denial. Additional proctor choices the instructor will consider include: public librarians, high school or college instructors, high school or college counseling services, commanding officers, education service officers, and other proctoring services. Personal friends, family members, athletic coaches and direct supervisors are not acceptable.

9 Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 9 Additional Resources Orientation for New Students This course is offered online, using course management software provided by Desire2Learn and Columbia College. The Student Manual provides details about taking an online course at Columbia College. You may also want to visit the course demonstration to view a sample course before this one opens. Technical Support If you have problems accessing the course or posting your assignments, contact your instructor, the Columbia College Helpdesk, or the D2L Helpdesk for assistance. Contact information is also available within the online course environment. CCHelpDesk@ccis.edu ex helpdesk@desire2learn.com Online Tutoring Smarthinking is a free online tutoring service available to all Columbia College students. Smarthinking provides real-time online tutoring and homework help for Math, English, and Writing. Smarthinking also provides access to live tutorials in writing and math, as well as a full range of study resources, including writing manuals, sample problems, and study skills manuals. You can access the service from wherever you have a connection to the Internet. I encourage you to take advantage of this free service provided by the college. Access Smarthinking through CougarTrack under Students->Academics->Academic Resources. Grading Criteria Discussion Rubric Criteria Description Points Content: Response to the Question Content: Followup Posts Level of Participation Style basics Your original post should be substantive ( words), containing either an impressive, accurate summary of information or an in-depth, accurate analysis of any part of the discussion topic. You are encouraged to explore the topic by accessing reliable web sites, reading scholarly articles or books, or analyzing topics of interest. Follow-up comments are helpful and informative additions to the discussions. Raise questions, expand the topic, or debate points raised by other students (in a constructive, polite way). At least one of those responses should be substantive ( words). You have submitted at least three significant postings: an original post and at least two responses. These contributions should be posted on at least three separate days through the week. Postings are written in clear, concise English, with rare spelling or grammatical errors. All sources are properly referenced

10 Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 10 Total Essay Rubric Criteria Description Points Focus Support Subject Knowledge Format Mechanics Style basics A well-developed, specific, defensible, and relevant thesis is articulated. The thesis statement thoroughly and completely addresses the question posed. The thesis statement is highlighted in bold or italicized lettering. Details in support of the thesis are well-chosen, explained, and connected to the argument. They are presented in a well-organized and lucid argument. Student demonstrates an understanding of the primary source document and its place in the history of Western civilization. A brief introduction and conclusion offer helpful summaries of the argument. Essay is the appropriate length ( words), double spaced, and submitted in Word or Rich Text Format. Grammar, spelling and writing style is appropriate to college level work. Total