HIS 1101-147
Instructor: Dr. David Reid
Appalachian
Fall 2003
Classroom: 112 Whitener Hall
Class Hours: MWF
Instructor’s Office
& Office Hours:
Office: 217 Whitener Hall
Office
Hours: Mon.
Wed.
Fri. 11am-12noon
And by appointment
(Please note: On occasion my office hours may need
to be changed for administrative duties or other scheduled events. If you need
to see me ASAP, please contact me by phone or email to schedule an
appointment.)
Office Telephone: 828-262-6876
Email: reidda@appstate.edu
Homepage: http://www.appstate.edu/~reidda
“The past does not determine the future, but it is
the raw material from which the future will be made. To use this legacy
properly, we must first understand it, not because the past is the key to the
future, but because understanding yesterday frees us to create tomorrow.”
M. Kishlansky et al., Civilization
in the West, 3rd ed. (New York: Longman, 1997), pp. 2-3.
Understanding the past is the lifeblood of history, and as such has become one of the foundational skills of the modern university curriculum. But what does it mean to “understand” the past? And how is one supposed to use this understanding to “free” ourselves to create tomorrow?
Contrary to popular opinion, history is not about memorizing endless lists of names, dates, and other historical facts. Rather it is an intellectual activity that examines the historical record in order to make sense of human experience. Much of history looks at the challenges that have faced the world’s diverse cultures, and then tries to make sense of how people in different eras tried to meet and overcome those challenges. The decisions made in one historical era often have profound effects on the subsequent development of society, and historians spend a considerable amount of time formulating an understanding of the changes that human societies have undergone. Our challenge in this two-semester course is to survey the scope of world history in order to better understand our place in it and (we hope) to better understand how we can improve what is popularly referred to as the human condition.
Together HIS1101 and HIS1102 constitute the History Department’s contribution to the Core Curriculum requirements at ASU. This means that the course and the students enrolled in it have certain responsibilities. The goal of the course is to expose students to the various cultures that have contributed to world history since the emergence of Homo sapiens (i.e. modern humans) approximately 50,000 years ago. Most of our efforts will focus on the origins and development of human civilizations over the last 5000 years (a small fraction of the Earth’s 4.5 billion year history!). More specifically, HIS1101 will carry the story through the middle ages, to the dawn of the “modern era.”
But subject matter is just a start. ASU’s Core Curriculum courses are also designed to introduce you to the academic skills that will be necessary for your future academic and professional success. The most important of these skills is the ability to think critically, which itself encompasses a variety of related skills. Upon completing the Core Curriculum program you should be able to analyze different kinds of evidence and then be able to formulate your own conclusions based on your analysis. You will develop your ideas in written and oral form, thereby improving your ability to make persuasive arguments using the standard rules of logic. You should also become proficient at analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of different types of arguments. Although many of your Core Curriculum classes will focus on prepared materials, eventually you will have the opportunity to design and carry out a research program of your own. The overall goal, however, is to help you develop a body of knowledge and the ability to put that knowledge to creative use. The activities presented in HIS1101 and HIS1102 are all designed to encourage your intellectual development in these areas.
à Keep in mind that the skills you develop in this course are not merely academic skills that will earn you a college degree. They are life skills that will enhance your performance in whatever careers you choose to pursue.
In-class activities and private study are equally important, and you will achieve greater success in the course if you diligently keep up with the readings and come to class prepared to discuss them. Indeed, a thorough understanding of the course material and the ability to communicate your understanding clearly through oral and written argument are the keys to achieving high marks in the class.
I will take attendance at the start of each class meeting. If you are not present by the time that I have finished, then that class will count as an absence in your record – even if you show up at some later point in the class period. More than 4 absences will start to hurt your grade, and 10 or more absences will result in an automatic failing grade for the course. Course grades will be determined by your performance in the following activities and will count towards the respective percentages of the total course grade:
Participation in Class Discussions 20%
Two In-Class Group Presentations 10%
In-Class Quizzes & Misc. Assignments 10%
Two Argumentative Essays 30% (Each is worth 15% of total grade)
Midterm & Final Exam 30% (Each is worth 15% of total grade)
First and foremost, you should be aware that this course is based on your active participation. Class size is kept small in order that you have more opportunities to participate with fellow students as well as interact with your professor. More specifically, class discussions provide you with a forum to express your ideas and your confusions about the course material, so do not feel that you need a perfect understanding of the material to speak up in class. Indeed, it is precisely when you do not understand something that it is most important for you to raise your voice. It is now commonly recognized that learning improves when one tries to explain new ideas to others. Our time in class is one opportunity to practice this for yourself. My office hours provide another opportunity for you to talk about the course material and raise any questions you may have. While in class, I will provide a framework for discussion and help you clarify and develop your ideas regarding the past.
Please bring your textbooks to our meetings! We will make considerable use of them throughout the semester. For texts that are on the web, print yourself a hard copy before you begin reading, that way you can make marginal notes as you read.
During the semester each student will help lead class discussion by working with two or three other students. The presentations will focus on specific discussion questions and/or the assigned readings for a particular day. Although I expect you to work as a group in organizing the material of your presentations, I will assess the contributions of each student individually according to the substance of the presentation, the cohesiveness of the argument or ideas presented, and the quality of oral delivery. More information regarding the group presentations will be forthcoming.
Throughout the semester, there will be a variety of short quizzes and assignments based on the assigned readings. While these quizzes and assignments will focus on “Big Picture” themes and issues rather than minute details, it is imperative that you keep up with the daily readings in order to do well.
à With a few exceptions, quizzes will not be announced in advance, so be prepared!
Both the argumentative essays and the in-class exams will stress the development of analytical thinking and compositional skills. Each essay assignment will have you take a position (i.e. formulate a thesis) on a matter of historical importance. You will then use the body of your essay to defend your thesis by presenting evidence taken from the readings. The assignments for the argumentative essays will be handed out a week before the papers are due and will focus on particular assigned readings as presented in the course outline below. Each paper will be between 3 and 4 pages in length. Your arguments will then provide the basis for what should be some lively in-class discussions!
à All assigned work will be due in class, and late papers will be graded down a full letter grade for each day that they are late, unless you contact me in advance concerning a verifiable emergency.
There will be two in-class essay exams. Each exam will be graded on a hundred-point scale: A 93-100, A- 90-92, B+ 87-89, B 83-86, B- 80-82, C+ 77-79, C 73-76, C- 70-72, D 60-69, F <60. Each exam will require that you write one long essay and several shorter identification essays. I will hand out review worksheets before each of the two exams and a sample midterm before the first exam. The goal of the exams is to test your understanding of important historical events and patterns. Most importantly you should be able to identify and discuss the broad themes that form the basis of the course (for example, the nature of political power, the relationship between religion and society, etc). Be assured, though, that I am not looking to see how many obscure facts you have memorized! History offers us the opportunity to analyze and interpret the past. While historical “facts” are essential to your understanding of the past, they only become meaningful once we have placed them in an interpretive framework and determine their broad historical importance.
à Make-up exams will only be given in the case of certifiable family or health emergencies. Under no circumstances will make up exams be given before the scheduled exam date.
WebCT is an on-line website (accessible through your AppalNET account) in which students can communicate with the class as a whole as well as with their professors. I will use WebCT to post assignments and initiate discussion topics. If you have difficulties finding or using the WebCT site for this class, please contact me or talk to the office of Academic Computing Services. They are located in 2073 Raley Hall (828-262-6266).
Since discussion constitutes a central element of the course, it is essential that you arrive in class on time and listen respectfully to your fellow students. The discussions provide you with an opportunity to learn about a variety of ideas just as they provide you with an opportunity to express your own ideas and opinions. We will sometimes touch on issues on which you and your classmates hold conflicting positions, and it is important that we treat one another with courtesy and respect.
Lastly, please turn off all beepers and mobile phones (but see me in emergency situations).
It is expected that
all students will read and understand ASU’s Academic Integrity Code, which can
be found on-line at http://www.academicaffairs.appstate.edu/academic_integrity_index.htm.
All violations of academic integrity are forbidden. In short, all class work
must be your own. Any student caught cheating, falsifying work, plagiarizing,
abusing course materials, or being complicit in such activities will be
referred to the Office of Student Judicial Affairs as explained in the Academic
Integrity Code.
Individuals who require reasonable accommodations must contact the Disability Services Office of the Learning Assistance Program, which is located in D.D. Dougherty Hall (828-262-3053), as soon as possible. Information about their services is also available at http://www.fpext.appstate.edu/gstudies/dss/index.htm.
Assigned
Texts (available at the ASU Bookstore)
Although the following texts will be available in the campus bookstore, feel free to compare prices either in town or on the Internet. The Internet has a number of sites devoted to finding new and used books: www.pricescan.com and www.bookfinder.com, in particular, allow you to compare the costs of books with all the online booksellers.
Merry E.
Wiesner et al., Discovering the Global Past: A Look at the Evidence, Vol. 1:
To 1650, 2nd ed. (
Candice L. Goucher et al., In the Balance: Themes in Global History (Boston: McGraw Hill, 1998). ISBN 0-070-24179-1 (Available through the ASU Textbook Rental Program)
Cynthia Kosso, Map Workbook for World History, vol. 1, 3rd ed. (Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 2001). ISBN 0-534-57179-4
Gilgamesh: A Verse Narrative, trans. Herbert Mason (New York: New American Library, 1970). ISBN 0-451-62718-0