History
101: Western Civilization I
Spring 2012
Monday
12:30
am-1:55
pm
Hybrid Class
Prof.
James Baer
Office: Bisdorf 252
Office Hours for Spring
2012: Mon-Wed:
10:30AM-12:00NOON
and
Tues-Thu.
10:00AM-11:00AM or by appointment
Office Telephone: (703) 933-3978 Secretary (703) 933-3974
Email: jbaer@nvcc.edu
Web
Page:
www.nvcc.edu/home/jbaer
Hybrid
Class: This section will meet
once each week
in class for
lecture and discussion. The other hour
and one-half will
consist of special
activities and assignments
completed by students
in a
distance learning format. Many
of these activities
will require knowledge
of Blackboard and the use of a
computer. This class will be
useful for students
who can work
well on their own, do not need special assistance from
the instructor and are comfortable with
computers.
Course
Description:
The
purpose
of
this
course is to show how constant interaction among peoples has
produced
changes, which have led to the development of Western Civilization from
prehistory through the seventeenth century. The objectives of this
course are
as follows:
1.
To learn
how human societies have changed over time.
2.
To learn
the meaning and origins of civilization.
3.
To
understand the role of religion.
4.
To trace
the development of political organization
The
required
text
for
this course is WESTERN CIVILIZATIONS,
Vol.
I by Coffin and Stacey. The
text has an
online chapter summary with information and a self-quiz to help you
master the
information. Go to: Western Civilization I text
Students
are
expected
to
do their own work, attend class, and participate in class
activities and discussions. Any make up work must be done with
permission from
the instructor. Students must be careful not to plagiarize when using
internet
sources, and any assignments with material copied directly from the
internet
without citation will be given a grade of F. Attendance will be taken
and will
count as a percent of the grade. Click for more information on plagiarism.
I
have
placed information about the class on our Blackboard site for your
convenience.
Assignments for the class will be linked to the online syllabus, so go
to the
web page first if you have any questions. If you need to contact me, it
will be
easier by email than telephone. You may also come by to chat or get
help during
office hours and call me on the telephone during office hours.
Special
Needs
and
Accommodations:
Please speak to the instructor at the beginning of
the semester about any special problems or needs. If you are asking for
special
accommodations based on a disability you should provide a disability
data
sheet, which you can get from a counselor for special needs in the
Student
Services Center.
In
case the
campus closes for an emergency students should communicate with the
instructor
via email to make sure that class activities and assignments are
completed
despite interruptions.
Grades:
1. Study Guide assignments: 2 assignments@ 10% of grade each=20%
2. Internet assignments Herakles
(Hercules) Joan
of Arc , 2 assignments @5% each=10%
3. Midterm 20%
4. Discussion board assignments: Hammurabi,
Athens or Sparta, Life in Rome,
Middle
Ages,
Clovis and Charlemagne and comparing Luther with Machiavelli @ 2%
each=12%
5. Letter about Machiavelli 3%
5. Final Exam 25%
6. Attendance 10%
Study
Guides
Available:
Ch
1 &
2: (click
here for study guide 1)
Ch 3 & 4 (click
here for study guide 2)
Ch 5 & 6: (click
here for study guide 3)
Ch 7 & 8 (click
here for study guide 4 )
Ch 9 & 10 (click
here for study guide 5)
Ch 12 & 13 (click
here
for
study
guide 6 )
Special
Needs and Accommodations: Please
speak to the instructor
at the beginning of the semester about any special problems or needs.
If you
are asking for special accommodations based on a disability you should
provide
a disability data sheet, which you can get from a counselor for special
needs,
who is located in Room 196 of the Bisdorf
Building.
CLASSES
AND
ASSIGNMENTS
Mon. Jan. 23; Class: Introduction to class, computer/internet
work/nature of
hybrid class; Intro & prehistory, agricultural revolution and
Mesopotamian
Civilization. How do we know about these early people?
Wed. Jan. 25: Activity: Read Ch 1 and 2 and then read online list of
Hammurabi’s code Hammurabi
and
his
Law
Code.
Answer the question about whether or not code is fair and post a response of 200
words on
Discussion Board in Blackboard site. Then read at least
two
other students' comments and respond to them.
Mon. Jan. 30: Discussion Board Posting
Due by 12:00
noon. (2% of grade) Class: Comparing Middle Eastern Civilizations
(Mesopotamia, Egypt, Assyria, Persia, Israel etc.)
Wed. Feb. 1: Activity: Read the web pages about Hercules and his twelve
labors http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/Herakles/labors.html and write
500 words on how this hero exhibits fundamental
values of the ancient Greeks. Then, read Ch. 3 and 4 in the text.
Mon.
Feb. 6:
Hercules writing assignment due (5% of grade). Class:
Discussion of
Greece and the polis. Sparta and Athens: How did different Greek cities
compare? Who were the thinkers and writers of the “Golden Age”?
Wed. Feb.8: Activity: If
you could be transported back in time would you rather go to ancient
Sparta or
ancient Athens? Explain in 200 words where you would have gone and what
there
is about that city that is more attractive to you. Then, go back and
look at
other students’ comments and reply to at least one. Then, read
Ch. 5 in the text.
Mon.
Feb. 13: Discussion
Board Posting Due by 12:00 noon (2% of
grade). Class: The
Roman
Republic: Why was it so successful?
Wed. Feb. 15: Activity: Read Ch. 6 in the
textbook and web pages about life in Rome (Life in Rome:) city,
army, jobs, buildings,
religion, family) and post
comments of 200 words about how Romans
lived on the
Blackboard Discussion Board. Then read at least two
other
students' comments and respond to them
by noon on Monday.
Mon.
Feb. 20: Discussion:
What
happened
to
end the Republic? Augustus and the
early
Empire.
Wed.
Feb.
22:
Activity: Read Ch.
5 and 6 in
text write 500
words in answer to ONE of the
discussion questions at the bottom of study guide 3.
Assignment due by Monday noon.
Mon.
Feb. 27:
Study Guide
Assignment
Due (5% of grade) The Roman Empire. What was the role
of the
Emperor? The Pax Romana,
the
Crisis
of
the 3rd Century and the fall
of
the Western Empire.
Wed. Feb.
29:
Prepare
for midterm
test by reviewing Ch 1-6 and Study Guides 1, 2 and 3. For chapter
summaries and
practice quizzes go to: Western Civilization I text
(No late
assignments
from the first half will be accepted for any reason after today)
MARCH 5-10
NO
CLASSES: SPRING BREAK
Mon: Mar 12: MIDTERM
EXAM: CHAPTERS 1-6 (20% OF GRADE)
Wed. Mar. 15: Activity: Read
Ch
7
and
8, then answer ONE of the discussion questions at the bottom of
study guide
for Ch 7 and 8 (study guide 4 )) in 500
word essay
to be emailed to me by Monday at the beginning of class.
Mon. Mar.
19: Essay
on Study Guide 4 (Ch 7 & 8) due
(10% of
grade) Class: The Medieval Synthesis and
Rome's Three
Heirs. Byzantines, Muslims and Germans
Wed.
Mar.
21: Activity: Compare
Clovis and Charlemagne.
How were
they each responsible for
establishing Germanic kingdoms that replaced Roman rule? Which of the
two do
you consider the greater? Why? Post comments of 200 words on
Discussion
Board and reply to at least two other student’s comments. Assignment
due by Monday at 12:00 noon.
Mon.
Mar. 26:
Discussion
Board Posting Due by 12:00 noon
(2% of grade)
Class:
From Clovis to Charlemagne; the Early Middle Ages
Wed.
Mar.
28: Activity: Read about
Feudal
Life on assigned web pages (The
Middle
Ages -- Town Life). Then choose ONE category (feudalism,
religion,
clothes, health, etc.) and respond with a posting to the Discussion
Board on
Blackboard in 200 words to the following question: How did Medieval
life differ from your experience to life today? Reply to at least on
two other
student’s posting. Posting due by Monday noon.
Read
Ch 9 in text.
Mon. April
2: Discussion
Board
Posting Due by 12:00 noon (2% of grade)
Discussion: Feudalism and the expansion of
Europe. Growth of strong monarchies. Church
and State
in the Middle Ages. How did the
Crusades shape
the relationship between Islam and Christianity?
Wed. April 4: Activity:
Read the web pages about Joan of
Arc and in an essay of 500 words
write a trial brief as an English priest who accuses Joan of getting
her powers
from the devil. Use examples from Joan’s career and prove your
accusations.
(Her letters and the trial transcripts are especially interesting).
Read Ch 10
in text (Skip Ch 11).
Mon.
April
9: Joan
of Arc essay due (5% of grade). Discussion: War and Plague in the
Late Middle Ages. How did the Black Death
and
the
Hundred
Years’ War change Europe? Crisis of
the
Papacy. Why were there two Popes?
WED. April 11. Read Ch 12. Look at web pages about Machiavelli and his ideas: Machiavelli Read at least two chapters from his book “The Prince” and identify them. Choose at least two of Machiavelli’s statements or ideas about power, religion, the state or the masses and write a letter of 350 words to the president (or other major political figure in the United States) explaining why following this particular idea of Machiavelli would be helpful in his/her political career. Email this assignment to me by 12:00 noon Monday.
Mon.
April
16:
Class:
Machiavelli assignment due (3% of grade) The Renaissance in
Italy and
the end of the Middle Ages
Wed. April 18: Activity: Read Ch 13. And about Martin Luther. Then, in a posting of 200 words, compare Luther to
Machiavelli
as two men who transformed the Medieval
world and
helped create our modern world. How were these men similar or
different?
How did their ideas compare for their new directions? What do you think
these
two might have thought of each other? Post your ideas in 200 words on
the
Discussion Board and then reply to at least two other student’s ideas.
Due on
Monday at 12:00 noon
Mon. April 23: Machiavelli/Luther
assignment due (2%of grade). No late
assignments
from the second half of the semester will be accepted for any reason
after
today. Discussion: Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation in
Germany.
How did Luther begin the Reformation? The
Protestant
Reformation in England and Henry VIII. What was the role of the
English
monarchy in the Protestant Reformation in England?
Wed.
April 25: Review for final exam
Mon.
April 30: Final Exam 12:30PM-1:55PM (25%
of
grade)
Links
to history sites:
Women and Gender in
the Ancient
World
Greece
Battle of Marathon
Daily Life in Rome
The Carthaginian
Empire and Rome
in the Third Century BC
The
Middle Ages
-- Town Life
Sex in the Middle Ages (for
mature
students
only)
Animation of the
Battle of
Hastings
Love Letters of
Heloise
to Abelard
Medieval
Sources
Machiavelli
Martin Luther
Web sites on Greece
and the
Olympics:
Olympics: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/Olympics/
Hercules: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/Herakles/labors.html