Sp 2010 Western Civilization to 1650

Western Civilization to 1650 (42.125)

Spring 2010

M. Hickey Old Science Hall Office 130 570-389-4161 mhickey@bloomu.edu

Office Hours: T-Th. 2:00-3:30; Weds 5:00-6:00 or by appointment

Navigation links for this syllabus

GRADED ASSIGNMENTS:

Participation (10 percent)
Quizzes (20 percent)
Mid-Term Exam (30 percent)
Final Assignment (40 percent)

Warning regarding plagiarism

Weekly Schedule of Assignments

Brief Description: This course is a historical survey of Western Civilization to the mid-1600s.

It begins with a brief examination of societies in the ancient Near East, moves on to the history of

Ancient Greece and Rome, then focuses on the history of Europe.

Here are some of the topics we will cover in the course:

Geographic and other factors contributing to the rise of ancient civilizations
The interrelationship between economic, state, and religious systems in the ancient world
The roles of warfare and trade in spreading ancient civilization
The evolution of democratic institutions and classical philosophy in Greece
The centrality of law and imperialism to Roman society
The influence of Greek and Roman culture on other societies
The origins and evolution of monotheism (i.e., Judaism, Christianity, Islam)
The collapse of Roman hegemony
The central role of religion in Medieval culture
The shifting relationship between the Catholic Church and monarchical power
The emergence of a commercial economy
Feudalism and the rise of national monarchies
The roles of trade and warfare in the spread of Western European power
The impact of the Renaissance on the arts and scholarship
The impact of the Reformation on popular religious belief and politics
The origins of modern science
The relationship between religious conflict and the emergence of nation states

The course will be organized around discussion of reading assignments and "mini-lectures."

The main course objectives are to help you:

Develop a solid, basic understanding of major themes in the history of Western Civilization to 1650
Develop a solid, basic understanding of the deep historical roots of modern Western culture
Develop familiarity with the process historians use in examining evidence and writing history
Develop your critical reading skills through analysis of historical evidence
Develop your ability to explain complex ideas clearly in writing

Grades and Grade Scale: Your grade in this course is based upon:

Participation (10 percent)
Quizzes (20 percent)
Mid-Term Exam (30 percent)
Final Assignment (40 percent)

The grades on written work will be based on accuracy, clarity, and logic. I will also consider technical matters, such as grammar and punctuation.

IMPORTANT NOTES RE. ASSIGNMENTS AND CLASS SESSIONS:

"Make-up" and late assignments: I will give "make-up" quizzes or exams only in cases of excused absences.
"Excused" absences: If you have medical, family, or university-related events (etc.) and inform me in writing in advance, or if you have documentation provided by the university administration, then an absence is excused.
Regarding plagiarism: Please read the linked warning regarding plagiarism. Plagiarism will result in failure of the assignment and a formal complain to the University Academic Conduct Board.
Regarding disruptive behavior: Please read the linked statement regarding disruptive behavior in the classroom.

Grade Scale

An "A" in the course means that you have a total of 920 or more out of 1000 possible points
A- = 900-919
B+ = 880-899
B=820-879
B-=800-819
C+=780-799
C=720-779
C-=700-719
D+=680-699
D=600-679
E= fewer than 600 points

Required Texts: The following books are required.

Thomas Noble, et al., Western Civilization: The Continuing Experiment. Volume 1, to 1715. 6th Dolphin Edition. Boston: Houghton-Mifflin, 2010. Study questions and ID questions on the Noble textbook
Sophocles, Euripides, Aeschylus, Five Great Greek Tragedies. New York: Dover, 2004. Study questions on Five Great Greek Tragedies
The Song of Roland. New York: Signet Classics, 2002. Study questions on The Song of Roland
SUGGESTED: A. Lunsford, Easy Writer. 4th Edition, Boston: Bedford-St. Martins, 2010.
I may post web-linked documents during the semester.

Participation (10 percent of course grade)

What are my minimal expectations?

attend every class session
complete all assigned readings
take notes on the readings and bring your notes to class
be prepared to ask as well as answer questions about readings in class
take notes during the class sessions
ask as well as answer questions about any lectures I present in class

Your participation grade will be based upon:

attendance

the quality of your contributions to discussions.

You can not participate if you are not in class, so your grade will fall in direct ratio to your unexcused absences.

TIP ON STUDYING:

How should you take notes on the textbook readings?

Write down your notes in a notebook. (Studies show highlighting is basically useless!)
Focus on the main points--what are the most ideas and information in each section of a chapter?
Write out answers to the linked study questions for each chapter--in your own words!
Define the ID terms for each chapter--in your own words!
The study questions help you prepare for the exams.
Your quizzes will be based n the vocabulary terms.
Bring your notebooks and the textbook to class, in case we use them in class discussions.

How should you take notes on Five Great Greek Tragedies and The Song of Roland?

Be sure that you read the linked study questions before you begin reading each book.
In a notebook, make references to passages that relate to specific study questions.
When you finish reading, use your notebook to sketch out outlines for your answers to each of the study question.
You can be certain that at least one study question on the plays will on your midterm exam
You can be certain that at least one study question on Roland will be on your final exam.

How should you take notes in class?

Don't try to write down every fact---focus on the main points.
Write out a few sentences to summarize the main points.
Summarize the most important evidence ("facts") that help you understand the main points.
Take notes on in-class discussions.

Quizzes (20 percent of course grade):

You will have at least five quizzes. The questions will be based on the textbook ID terms.

What must to be in your answer?

IN YOUR OWN WORDS, based on the Noble textbook, you must be able to explain the following for each ID:

who or what was it?
when was it (what century or centuries)?
where was it (as specific as possible)?
if a person, why was he or she historically important
if an idea or concept, what did it mean and why was it historically important
if an event, what was it and why was it historically important

You can not use your written notes during the quizzes, so you must review your notes before our class sessions.

Your semester quiz grade will be the average of all your quiz grades.

In grading your quizzes, my primary concern will be their accuracy, clarity, and logic.

Be sure to read the warning regarding plagiarism.

Mid-Term Exam: (30 percent of course grade.)

You will have a mid-term exam that covers the following:

Lecture material from Weeks I-VI
Study questions on Noble, chapters 1-6
Study questions on Five Great Greek Tragedies

You can not use your written notes for the exam, so you must prepare by reviewing your notes in advance.

In grading your exams, my primary concern will be their accuracy, clarity, and logic.

Be sure to read the warning regarding plagiarism.

Final Exam (40 percent of course grade):

You will have a final exam that covers the following:

Lecture notes from Weeks VII-XIV
Study questions on Noble, chapters 7-15
Study questions on The Song of Roland.

You can not use your written notes for the exam, so you must prepare by reviewing your notes in advance.

In grading your exams, my primary concern will be their accuracy, clarity, and logic.

Be sure to read the warning regarding plagiarism.

Weekly schedule:

Note: 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.

Week I (19-21 January): The Ancient Near East and Egypt.

Readings: Noble, chapter 1

Week II (26-28 January): Western Asia, Ancient Israel, and Pre-Archaic Greece

Readings: Noble, chapter 2. Not a bad idea to begin reading Five Great Greek Tragedies.

Week III (2-4 February): Archaic Greece and Classical Greece

Readings: Noble, chapter 3. Get to work reading Five Great Greek Tragedies.

Quiz 1 (chs. 1-3)

Week IV (9-11 February): Alexander the Great and Hellenic Civilization

Readings: Noble, chapter 4. You should be finishing Five Great Greek Tragedies.

Week V (16-18 February): Royal Rome and the Roman Republic (link includes Hickey's notes on questions 3-5)

Readings: Noble, chapter 5. You should begin reviewing for the exam.

Week VI (23-25 February): Imperial Rome