Requirements


HISTORY OF MIDDLE EAST CIVILIZATION I HISTORY 251
COURSE INFORMATION Fall and Spring Semester

History 251 Index l Semester Syllabus and Study Guides I Summer Syllabus and Study Guides I Semester Requirements I Summer Session Requirements I Museum Field Trips I Cultural Projects I Videos I Maps I Websites I Bibliography

Attendance Office Hours Textbooks Library Examinations Grades on Subjective Questions Grades on Objective Questions Rules for Examinations Examination Book Research Paper Book Review Grading Criteria, Book Reviews and Papers Cultural Project Your Final Grade

Attendance
NVCC is a state institution. The state and NVCC administrators require regular attendance in class. Absences do occur, some excusable and some not. If you are absent more than six hours in succession you will be withdrawn from the course as of that date. This action is reported to the Admissions and Records Office. When an absence of six hours is anticipated, the Instructor should be notified. When a student misses nine hours regardless of reason and succession of hours the instructor will withdraw the student. This a lot of "red tape" but it must be remembered that state and federally financed institutions are not at liberty to do as they please. Financial accountability is a constant concern for state citizens.
Withdrawal from this class, without penalty, is the responsibility of the student. Any student can withdraw from any course without penalty through the eighth week of the semester. After that date the student must have the approval of the class instructor. Initiation of the procedure for obtaining the grade of "W" must be done by the student. Any student who disappears and fails to withdraw will receive "F" as a final grade.

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Office Hours
All NVCC instructors have office hours. As soon as the class assignments have been stabilized for the Semester, I will give you a printed form with my scheduled office hours. It would be a wise procedure to make an appointment with me--sometimes three or four students will be waiting which places me under a bit of tension while trying to deal with student problems.
You will need to telephone me when you have problems relating to examinations or prolonged class absence. Please place the call to NVCC during my scheduled office hours (703-845-6357). If an emergency should develop, I do not mind you calling me at home--I have an answering machine (202-546-7510). NVCC will not give you my home telephone number.

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Textbooks
Textbooks can be purchased at the NVCC Bookstore in the Tyler Building. The bookstore is open one night during the week after the first week of the semester.

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Library
The NVCC Library of the Alexandria Campus is located on the second floor of the Bisdorf Building. Assigned reading material not found in the text will be placed on Closed Reserve and kept at the Library Circulation Desk. Closed Reserve permits maximum student accessibility to limited materials. Reading material may be checked out overnight but must be returned the next morning. Audio-visual material must be used in the Library.

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Examinations
During the semester you will be expected to complete three examinations. The first examination will be taken during the sixth week and will cover all class lectures, discussions, library assignments, handouts, and textbook material dealing with material covered during the first seven weeks. The second examination covers the next six weeks of study and will be taken during the thirteenth week of the semester. The final examination will be taken during the regularly scheduled Final Examination period..
Each examination contains two or more sections (multiple choice questions, identification items, essays, short answer questions, etc.). All grades received are equal when calculating the final grade. For example, the grade of "B" on the essay is equal to the grade of "B" received on multiple choice or identification items. At the end of the semester all grades will be converted to their mathematical equivalents and divided by the number of grades received. The three examinations will considered 75 points of the final grade.

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Grades on Subjective Questions
The general essay or exxays on each exam will be taken from examples provided on your study guide. You have your essay from the first day--think about the topic and know what you intend to write before you arrive in the testing situation. If you wish to discuss certain aspects of an essay prior to the exam, your instructor is available during scheduled office hours.
Generally, on the essay, "A" is excellent (you know and understand the material and have shown in your work considerable understanding of the concepts and interpretation of the subject matter under consideration); "B" indicates good work (understanding and interpretation at a high level); "C" indicates fair work (understanding and interpretation in little evidence, but with a knowledge of the material); "D" is not a failing mark, it means only that the work under consideration is poor. If you ever have questions abut any earned marks, please see me. I may be able to help you improve your future earned marks.

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Grades on Objective Questions
The multiple choice questions are designed to test your general understanding of classroom lectures and discussions, reading of the textbook and library materials, and your ability to reach conclusions when dealing with several known factors. Grades on the multiple choice sections are "scaled" in relation to the highest score obtained by an individual student on a particular exam (i.e., highest score (42), 90% of 42 -- "A", etc. . .)

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Rules for Examinations
1. No notes
2. No books
3. No helpful friends
Always check to see if you have placed your name on the examination book, the test, and the answer sheet.

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Examination Book
You will need two examination books, which can be purchased at the bookstore. Also, a No 2 lead pencil and Scantron Sheets are needed. The college does not furnish examination books, No. 2 pencils, or Scantron Sheets..

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Research Paper
If you elected to complete a paper an individual consultation with your instructor should be scheduled before the end of the fourth week . The paper must be turned in to your instructor the fourteenth week of the semester.
Papers not conforming to approved form will lose points. Style will follow the proposed procedures for footnoting and bibliography suggested in Turabian, "A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations" or any other acceptable college style manual. All papers must be typewritten, on heavier weight paper, double-spaced, no less than six pages nor more than ten pages, proof-read without a disfiguring number of corrections on any given page.
Content of the paper must reveal evidence of analytical and critical consideration of the topic and sources.

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Book Review
A student may choose to write two book reviews rather than a research paper. Any book considered for review by a student must have the prior approval by the instructor. The form of the book review is as follows. Every book review is to follow this outline, point by point, each being numbered as shown:
1. Who the author is or was (consult standard biographical reference works in the library). This is to be answered in a comprehensive sentence.
2. The author's object in writing the volume (consult the Forward or Preface of the book).
3. His/Her qualifications for doing so (his/her career and past achievements). Here is where nationality (Russian, British, Irish, Turkish, Chinese, Korean, etc), education (public school, private school, college or university, degrees earned, etc.), career experiences, other books should be dealt with. Date born, period of formative years? How does his career experience fit him/her for writing on this subject? If a political personage, what party did he represent?
4. Material the author used in writing his book (consult his bibliography and footnotes). You must divide this material into two categories: (1) Primary Source material and (2) Secondary Works
5. Whether, in your opinion, the author attained his objective or not and why, you are expected to present a logical justification of your views--whatever they may be.
6. Your personal opinion of the book and why; you must support your opinion by evidence taken from the content of the book.
All book reviews must be typewritten with reasonably dark ribbon on heavier paper, double-spaced, no less than six pages nor more than ten pages, proof-read without a disfiguring number of corrections on any given page. All book reviews must be turned in to the instructor by the fourteenth week of the semester.

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Grading Criteria, in order of importance for Book Reviews and Papers
1. Command of material
2. Ability to think originally
3. Clarity (if you can't say it, you don't know it)
4. Interest
5. Ability to write English
The written project will be considered as 15 points of the final grade.

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Cultural and Field Project
As indicated in the NVCC catalogue, this course sequence is a survey of civilization. Each student is urged to investigate some aspect of the social structure of the civilization under consideration. The Field Project might include a trip to the Islamic Center, Sackler Gallery, Metropolitan Museum, Walters Art Gallery, etc. You would be advised to undertake a field project in the field of your greatest cultural interest and discuss your selection with your instructor. Usually, a field project requires a trip to museum to examine works of art of artifacts of the civilization under study.
The Field Project will be worth 5 points of the final grade.

Each student is required to complete a Cultural Project. A Cultural Project could be about Middle East food, dress, funeral service, wedding, dance, poetry, film, etc. You would be advised to undertake a cultural project in the field of your greatest cultural interest and discuss your selection with your instructor. Usually, a cultural project requires an interview with someone from a Middle East country or of Middle East heritage.

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Your Final Grade
The final grade will be calculated from three activities--the.three examinations (75 points), the cultural and field project (10 points) and the written report (15 points). All students are required to complete the three examinations in order to receive a grade. It is not required that students complete the cultural project or the written project in order to get credit for the course. If, on the final day of the semester, any segment of the two examinations is not completed, the reported grade will calculated with an "F" assigned to the missing segment.
A student, given extenuating circumstances, can be given an "I." Please note that an "I" must be completed prior to the end of the next semester. For example, an "I" received at the end of the Fall Semester must be completed prior to the end of the Spring Semester. There is a college form that must be signed by both the teacher and the student before the letter "I" can be given.

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Last update, June 6, 2005
© Jean H. Braden, 2004
email: jebraden@nvcc.edu
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