42.126 Western Civilization Since 1650

Fall 2006

M. Hickey Old Science Hall Office 130 phone: 389-4161

e-mail: mhickey@bloomu.edu

NOTES:

Follow this link to a study guide for the final exam. You will NOT be allowed to use notes or the textbook/document copies in class during the exam, so you really have to study!

Office Hours: M, W, 4:00-5:00; T, Th 2-3:30.

Navigation links for this syllabus

Basic course information:

Brief course introduction
Required texts
Course grade components and grade scale
Policies regarding absences and late papers
Mandatory paper form
On reading documents and preparing for discussion
On using endnotes
On plagiarism (quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing correctly to avoid plagiarism)
On disruptive behavior

Explanations of graded course assignments:

Class participation
Quizzes
Mid-term exam
Term Paper
Final exam

Weekly Schedule of Lecture Topics and Assignments

___________

other links

Link to study questions on Fagan

Link to Hickey's European and Jewish History Resources Page

Brief introduction to the course: This course is a survey (an overview) of Western Civilization since the mid-1600s with a primary concentration on European history.

Among the topics we will examine this semester:

the development of the centralizing state and the birth of the modern notion of the nation state, which expanded the claims of the state over people's lives
the development of modern science and its application to thinking about society (i.e., the Enlightenment)
the development capitalism and in particular of industrial capitalism, which transformed people's daily lives, created new kinds of social classes and social conflicts, and has led towards further globalization of human culture
the development of modern concepts of politics and government, and in particular the concept of rights
conflicts over how and by whom rights are defined and who "gets" them
the development of intellectual and social movements that have shaped people's understanding the world and guided their efforts to change it (e.g., Liberalism, Conservativism, Nationalism, Anarchism, Socialism, Communism, Fascism)
the development of new methods by which states and other political/social actors mobilize, control, or eliminate mass populations (e.g., propaganda, total war, genocide, ethnic cleansing)

This course is organized around lectures and class discussions. The grade in the course will be based upon your attendance and participation in class discussions; quizzes on assigned readings (from the course textbook and web-linked documents); a mid-term exam (on all assigned readings and lectures); a term paper (on an additional required reading); and a final exam (on all assigned readings and lectures).

There is a very heavy emphasis in this class on reading, analysis of reading, and writing about what you have read. The objectives of the course and the course assignments are to:

Help you improve your analytical skills as a reader and as a listener
Help you improve your communication skills, and in particular your writing skills
Help you develop skills in contextualizing and analyzing historical documents
Help you gain a usable survey-level knowledge of the history of Western Civilization
Encourage you to apply the methods of historical study to problems of contemporary life

Required texts:

The following books are required for this course, and are available at the University Store:

Marvin Perry, et. al., Western Civilization: Ideas, Politics and Society, Volume II, From the 1600s Seventh Edition (Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004).

Brian Fagan, The Little Ice Age: How Climate Made History, 1300-1850 (New York: Basic Books, 2000). Link to study questions on Fagan.

In addition, there are required documents for reading each week, which you will find linked to the Weekly Schedule of Lecture Topics and Assignments.

Grade Components and Course grade scale

Your Grade in this course is based upon:

Class Participation and Attendance (10 percent)
Quizzes (20 percent)
Mid-term Exam (20 percent)
Term Paper (20 percent)
Final Paper (30 Percent).

The grade on your quizzes, exams, and papers will reflect your accuracy in answering questions, the clarity of your communication, the logic of your arguments, your use of assigned evidence, and your correct use of proper form and grammar (on exams and papers).

Course grade scale: A = >92; A- = 91.9-90; B+ =89-88; B = 87.9-82; B- = 81.9-80; C+ = 79-78; C =77.9-72; C- = 71.9-70; D+ = 69-68; D = 67.9-60; E = <60

Absence Policy: Your participation grade will fall by 5 percent for every unexcused absence. I will consider absences "excused" only in cases of medical, family, or university/work-related events about which you have informed me in advance, in writing, or in cases that are documented in writing by the university administration.

Also, if as a result of an unexcused absence you miss giving a presentation, taking a quiz, etc., you will fail that assignment.

Late Paper Policy: If you do not turn an assignment in on the day that it is due, I will deduct 10 percent from the grade for every 24 hours that passes until you turn in the paper. The only circumstance under which I will allow a paper to be late is if you have an excused absence (see above).

Mandatory paper form

All papers for this course must be written in 12 point Times Roman font, DOUBLE SPACED, with one inch margins.
Type your name in the top right hand corner of the first page.
Make sure that your initials are in the top right hand corner of every subsequent page.
All pages must be numbered at the bottom center of the page.
Staple papers in the top left hand corner.
Single-indent the first sentence of each paragraph.
Do not "double-skip" between paragraphs.
All quotations must be placed in quotation marks, except in the case of bloc quotations.
All quotations, paraphrases, and direct summaries must be accompanied by endnotes in proper form. See the linked pages On Plagiarism (Quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing correctly to avoid plagiarism) and On using endnotes.

Warning #1: If your paper does not follow the proper form, I will give it back to you un-graded. You then will have 48 hours to correct it. If you do not correct the form, you will receive no credit for the assignment. You will have only one chance to revise.

Warning #2: If I find more than 5 obvious errors in grammar or spelling on any one page of your paper, I will stop reading the paper and give it back to you un-graded. You then will have 48 hours to correct the spelling and grammar errors in the paper. You will have only one chance to revise.

Warning #3: I will not tolerate plagiarism in any form.

It is my policy that if a student is found to have plagiarized all or part of any quiz or short assignment, the student will fail that assignment if it is the first offense.
If a student is found to have plagiarized all or part of any exam or a major paper assignment, the student will fail the entire course and I will file a formal charge against them with the University, as per the University's Academic Integrity Policy (PRP 3512).
If a student is found to have plagiarized more than once on any assignments in this course, the student will fail the course and I will file a formal charge against them with the University, as per the University's Academic Integrity Policy (PRP 3512).
Please be sure that you have read the University's Academic Integrity Policy PRP 3512 (http://www.bloomu.edu/current/prps/3512.php).
Also, be sure that you have read my explanation of how to avoid plagiarism in the link On Plagiarism vs Quoting.

Please be sure that you have read the following policies regarding this course:

On reading the web-linked documents and preparing for class discussions:

Almost every week this semester you will be asked to read and discuss primary sources. A primary source is any kind of evidence about the past that was created during the time period under study. So, the diary of an upper-class women who lived during the English "Glorious Revolution" would be a primary source on life in England in the late 1600s. The work rules posted at a factory in Paris in 1844 would be a primary source on life and work in France in the 1840s. A photograph taken by a soldier during a battle in World War One would be a primary source on the experience of soldiers during that war. A law issued by the German government in 1935 would be a primary source on the policies of Nazi Germany. Etc., etc, etc. (you get the idea).

All of our primary sources this semester are posted somewhere on the Internet. They are all "real" documents that have been transcribed to the web without changes to the texts or images (except for some abridgement, which is always noted), and they are decent translations (when the original was not written in English).

When you read each document or view each image, you must take notes. Try to answer all of the following questions:

When and where was this document written/image created?
Who wrote this document or created this image and who was the intended audience?
What was the context (the background) for the writing of the document/creation of the image?
If the context is not clear from the text of the document/the image itself, then you first should make note of the time, place and the identity of the creator. Then look back to your textbook to see what you can learn about the context.
What does the document say/image show at its "surface level"? In other words, what would anyone be able to understand about the subject and what is "happening" in the document or image?
What specific evidence in the document/image supports your interpretation of its "surface" meaning
Now go deeper than the surface level, and think about what you know about the context: what main point or points does the author or authors of the document/image seem to be making?
What specific evidence in the document/image supports your interpretation of its "deeper" meaning?
What does the document/image show us about the specific event it records or about the time and place it records?

GRADED ASSIGNMENTS:

Class participation (10 percent):

The most basic component of participation is being present in class. Therefore, I will deduct points from your participation grade for each unexcused absence. (See above, Policies regarding absences and late papers.)

Beyond your being in the room, my expectations regarding your participation are that you:

complete the reading assignments for each week before our first class session that week (the exception being the first week of class)
take notes on all assigned readings so that you are able to ask and answer questions in an informed manner
take notes on the course lectures and on course discussions
ask questions about anything that is unclear to you (I will explain as many times and ways as necessary to answer your question)
ask questions about anything about which you would like more information (I will answer if there is time and if I am able. If there is not time, I will discuss the answer with you outside of class. If I do not know the answer, I will say so and will try to find an answer.)
volunteer to answer questions that I ask to the class in general, but do so in an informed manner
answer questions in an informed manner if I ask you directly about course readings and lectures
participate in small group discussions and activities in an informed manner

What does "in an informed manner" mean? It means that your participation must reflect your having actually done the readings, that it must reflect your having given serious thought to the readings and to the content of lectures.

Your grade will be based upon the quality of your participation in class (on how your participation has added to the class, rather than on how many times you spoke).

Quizzes (20 percent): You will have between five and ten quizzes on assigned readings from Perry, Western Civilization and on assigned documents that you will find linked to the weekly syllabus.

I will not give you advanced notice of the quizzes. The best way to prepare is to:

complete the readings on schedule
answer all of the "Review Questions" at the end of every chapter in the Perry textbook to ensure that you understood the readings. If you do not know the answer to a question, then you need to re-read that section of the chapter.
take careful notes on the assigned documents linked to the weekly syllabus
take careful notes on class lectures
take careful notes on class discussions
always bring your notes on readings, lectures, and discussions with you to class (to review)

Some quizzes may be multiple choice format, some may be short answer, some may be short essays. Some might be in-class assignments, and some might be take home assignments. Some might require that you turn in you notes on that week's reading assignments.

Your grade on each quiz will be based upon the percentage of correct answers you provide on that quiz. You course quiz grade will be the average of all of you quiz scores.

Midterm Exam (20 percent):

You will have an in-class midterm exam on Thursday of Week V. The exam will include a multiple choice section and an essay section, and it will cover all of the readings and lectures from weeks I-IV.

The best way to study for the exam is to:

do all of the assigned readings
answer all of the study questions at the end of each chapter in the textbook
take careful notes both when you read and in all class sessions
and review your notes and your study question answers before the exam.

You will write the essay portion of your exam in a Blue Book.

You must purchase your Blue Book before class meets on Tuesday of Week V. The Blue Books cost about 25 cents and are available at the University Store.
On the cover of the Blue Book, you must write your last name, first name, and the time that your section
In class on Tuesday of Week V you must give me the Blue Book on which you have written your name, etc.
I will give you back your Blue Book before the exam begins on Thursday of Week V.
You must write your essay in class in either a #2 pencil or a blue or black pen.

The multiple choice portion of the exam will count for 30 percent of the exam grade and the essay will count for 70 percent.

I will grade the multiple choice by giving you points for each correct answer. I will grade the essay by giving you points based upon:

the logic of your essay (do you present an argument that makes sense, in which the evidence supports your major contentions?)
the clarity of your answer (is your essay coherent and well organized and are the connections between ideas and evidence presented clearly?)
your use of factual evidence from the readings and lectures (do you present specific examples that support of your argument).
Although on an in-class exam I will not deduct points for minor spelling and grammar errors, I will deduct points for major grammar errors (as those undermine the clarity of your essay).

Term Paper (20 percent) : You will write a paper that uses as its only source Fagan's The Little Ice Age. The paper will be due on Thursday of Week X.

You will find study questions on the Fagan book linked to this syllabus. These are to help guide you through the book. Plan on finishing the book by the end of week VIII, so that you have enough time to write your paper, revise it, and revise it again before the due date. (Don't even try to turn in a first draft!)

In your paper you must answer one (and only one) of the following questions:

According to Fagan, what connection was there between climate-related food shortages and popular unrest (riots, protests, revolutionary uprisings) in Europe in the period 1650-1850? Be sure to give specific examples from the 1600s, 1700s, and 1800s, and be sure to explain whether or not the weather was the only factor causing these cases of unrest.
According to Fagan, in what ways did climate change force people to alter their methods of agriculture during the Little Ice Age and what were the results? Be sure to explain where (what countries), when, and how people adapted agriculture in response to changing climate and to give specific examples of from at least two different centuries.
According to Fagan, what was the long term pattern of climate change during the Little Ice Age and how has that pattern been altered since the 1850s. Be sure to explain whether climate changes during the Little Ice Age and since have been rapid or slow, constant or irregular, peaceful or violent, and be sure to give specific examples for the 1600s, 1700s, 1800s, and 1900s.

Your answer must be presented in a typed paper that follows the mandatory paper form for this class. Your paper must be no shorter than 4 complete pages and no longer than 8 complete pages, not counting the endnotes. (See the link On using endnotes)

Your paper should have an introduction (which sets up and then states your thesis, in other words, your main answer to the question); at least 3 1/2 pages of body paragraphs (each of which presents and explain the evidence that supports your thesis); and a conclusion (which re-states your thesis and sums up your evidence).

In grading your term paper, I will give you points based upon:

the accuracy of your answer (have you stated Fagan's position correctly?)
the logic of your answer (do you present an argument that makes sense, in which the evidence supports your major contentions?)
the clarity of your answer (is your essay coherent and well organized and are the connections between ideas and evidence presented clearly?)
your use of factual evidence from Fagan book (do you present specific examples that support of your argument)
Correct use of endnote form (See link on using endnotes.)
Correct spelling and grammar

Again, you must follow the mandatory paper form. Notice that these instructions say that I simply will not grade your paper if it is not in proper form and that I simply will not grade your paper if I find more than five serious spelling or grammar errors on any one page. Also notice what these instructions say will happen if I find that you have plagiarized on your paper.

It would be a good idea to read the link that explains how to quote, paraphrase, and summarize correctly.

Final Exam (30 percent): At our final exam session during Week XVI, you will have an in-class final exam on Thursday of Week V. The exam will include a multiple choice section and an essay section, and it will cover all of the readings and lectures from the entire semester.

The best way to study for the exam is to:

do all of the assigned readings
answer all of the study questions at the end of each chapter in the textbook
take careful notes both when you read and in all class sessions
and review your notes and your study question answers before the exam.

You will write the essay portion of your exam in a Blue Book.

You must purchase your Blue Book before class meets on Tuesday of Week XV. The Blue Books cost about 25 cents and are available at the University Store.
On the cover of the Blue Book, you must write your last name, first name, and the time that your section
In class on Tuesday of Week XV you must give me the Blue Book on which you have written your name, etc.
I will give you back your Blue Book before the final exam begins on the exam day
You must write your essay in class in either a #2 pencil or a blue or black pen.

The multiple choice portion of the exam will count for 30 percent of the exam grade and the essay will count for 70 percent.

I will grade the multiple choice by giving you points for each correct answer. I will grade the essay by giving you points based upon:

the logic of your essay (do you present an argument that makes sense, in which the evidence supports your major contentions?)
the clarity of your answer (is your essay coherent and well organized and are the connections between ideas and evidence presented clearly?)
your use of factual evidence from the readings and lectures (do you present specific examples that support of your argument).
Although on an in-class exam I will not deduct points for minor spelling and grammar errors, I will deduct points for major grammar errors (as those undermine the clarity of your essay).

Weekly schedule:

This is a provisional schedule--I may find it necessary to change the dates of some assignments during the semester, and I may at times run a bit ahead or behind the syllabus.

Perry refers to Marvin Perry, et al., Western Civilization, volume 2. Be sure to answer the Review Questions at the end of each chapter.
Fagan refers to Brian Fagan, The Little Ice Age. Link to study questions on Fagan.
All other reading assignments are documents on the web with links from this syllabus. Be sure that you take notes on the documents based upon the directions above on reading documents and preparing for discussions.

Week I: Introduction to the course; Life in Early Modern Europe

Readings:

Begin Perry, Chapter 16
Read Fagan to page 45 (to the end of chapter 2). Notice please that the Fagan reading assignments do not always cover the same time period we are discussing in class. I have divided up the Fagan readings to get you to the end of the book on time to write your term paper.

Week II : Life and Politics in Early Modern Europe

Readings:

Finish Perry, Chapter 16, begin Chapter 17
Read Fagan, pages 45-78 (Chapters 3 and 4)
Documents: British Parliament, "The English Bill of Rights, 1689" (http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/england.htm)

Is a quiz possible? Don't get caught unprepared!

Week III: Science and the Enlightenment

Readings: