History 1310
World History I
University of Central Arkansas
Spring Semester, 2008




Dr. James W. Brodman
Professor of History
Office: Irby 105G (Office Hours: 10 am and noon MWF or by appointment)

Telephone: 450-3158
E-mail: jimb@uca.edu
NOTE:Email is the fastest and surest way of contacting me.
Home Page: http://www.uca.edu/divisions/academic/history/brodman.htm

 

Class Schedule:

 

8 am, 9 am (MWF): Irby 114

 

Required Textbook: Roger Pauly, Voices That Shaped the Ancient and Medieval Worlds: A Sourcebook to 1500

 

Suggested Reading: Any world or western civilization textbook is STONGLY suggested. A good traditional print text is: McKay, et al., A History of World Societies (any edition). For an online alternative, there is Sherman-Salisbury, The West in the World, 2nd edition. Rights to use this book may be purchased at www.ebooks.primisonline.com for $34.03. Click on “Browse our complete electronic versions of ...”, then “next” and then “Social Sciences and Humanities” and then “History” and then on the text. You will have to register on the site and install an ereader on your computer.

 

Course Requirements: 3 major examinations @ 100 points =300
3 map quizzes @10 points = 30
2 critical thinking exercises @ 20 points = 40
1 critical thinking essay @ 30 points = 30
Total Possible Points = 400

 

Grading Scale: A: 354 to 400 points
B: 310 to 353 points
C: 266 to 309 points
D: 218 to 265 points
F: 0 to 217 points




 Why take World History? For most students, the easy answer to this question is that it is a course required for graduation. This is undoubtedly true, and there are several reasons why this is so. As a core undergraduate course, World History is designed to contribute to your overall education and enhance your ability to complete the baccalaureate program. In this course, you will be called upon to assimilate a great deal of information, organize it in a logical manner, and express clear conclusions drawn from this data. Such skills are essential for success in college and afterwards in all professional endeavors. In addition, World History seeks to enhance cultural literacy by introducing you to key concepts, events and situations that are essential to an understanding of western and other world civilizations. Even if you never liked history before, you will enjoy this class if you approach it with a spirit of curiosity.

 

 To do well in this class, it is very important for you to attend class regularly, to listen attentively and take good lecture notes, to ask questions and participate in discussions, and to schedule sufficient time for studying and preparing for assignments and examinations. In order to encourage regular attendance, it is my policy that anyone who is absent for more than a total of two weeks (i.e., 6 for 50-minute classes) can be dropped from the class roll. Because arriving late disturbs everyone else in class, anyone who arrives after the class has begun will be counted as being absent for that class.

 

WebCT: Materials for this course will also be posted on WEBCT. Students should register at the WebCT site (www.uca.edu/webct) no later than January 18 when open registration on the site will cease.

 

 The Fine Print: Students who for a serious reason are absent from a major examination can make it up if that student contacts me within one week of the missed examination, or within one week of returning to school, whichever is later. Students who fail to do this will forfeit the privilege of a make-up examination. Make-up examinations may be more difficult and of a different format than regular examinations. If you fail to keep an appointment to take a make-up examination, you will forfeit the right to make up that examination. All make-up examinations must be scheduled by YOU with the Office of Graduate Assistants in the Department of History (Irby 118, 450-5626). Since the due date for out-of-class assignments is the LAST day on which such assignments will be accepted, any assignment handed in after the due date will normally receive a grade of zero. Consequently, students are strongly advised to hand those assignments in BEFORE the final due date. Under NO circumstances will emailed assignments be accepted!! Absence from the final examination will result in the assignment of a failing grade unless you tell me in a timely fashion of a serious reason for that absence.

 

 Anyone who engages in disruptive or unruly behavior is subject to dismissal from the class. Such behavior includes habitually late arrivals, leaving class early, taking bathroom or water fountain breaks, consuming food and beverages, and inattention. Any academic dishonesty, including plagiarism and cheating, will lead to penalties that range, at a minimum, from a grade of zero on the assignment in question to, at a maximum, dismissal from the class with the grade of F. The use of pagers, cell phones, laptop computers, mp3 players, video games or any other electronic devices not specifically authorized by the instructor is not permitted

 

.


Tutorial Assistance: Students who experience difficulties of any sort with the course are encouraged to meet with me to discuss these problems. Tutorial assistance can be arranged through the History Department's graduate assistants (Irby 118, 450-5626). The University of Central Arkansas adheres to the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. If you need an accommodation under this Act due to a disability, contact the Office of Disabilities Support Services at 450-3135. Information concerning University Academic Policies can be found on pp. 35-40 of the Student Handbook and, for those on sexual harassment, on p. 112-117. Students should familiarize themselves with all policies listed in the Student Handbook.

19

 

 

 

Assignments

 

 January 10: Orientation

 

  January 14 : Ancient Greek Civilization: Text, The Odyssey, pp. 85-88; Saphho, 89-90

 

  January 16: The Rise of the City States: Sparta and Athens

 

  January 18: Athens and Greek Empire; Text, 96-97: Thucydides, The Peloponnesian War (Last Day to Register for WEBCT)

 

  January 23: Greek Culture: Text: 94, Aristophanes; Map Quiz 1

 

  January 25: Greek Philosophy; Text: 99-100(Plato, Aristotle)

 

  January 28: The Hellenistic Era

 

  January 30: Persia, India; Text: 9, 34-44

 

 February 1: China; Text: 48-49(Confucius); Sun Zi: 52-53;54-58(Legalism); Map Quiz 2

 

 February 4: Roman Republic

 

 February 6: The Roman Revolution; Text: 106-107 (Suetonius)

 

 February 8: Roman Empire; Text: 104-5;109-12 (Tacitus and Petronius)

 

 February 11: Roman Culture; First Critical Thinking Exercise due

 

 February 13: First Examination

 

 February 15: Early Christianity; Text: 120-22 (Pliny and Nicene Creed)

 

 February 18: Christian Institutions; Text: 124-26(Benedict and Theodosius)

 

 February 20: Fall of the Western Empire

 

 February 22: The Byzantines; Text: 128-34(Procopius and Anna Comnena)

 

 February 25: Muhammad and the Birth of Islam; Text: 138-39(Qu'ran)

 

 February 27: Medieval Islamic Civilization; Text: 140-43(Ibn Rushd, Usama ibn Mundiqh)

 

 February 29: The Germanic Kingdoms; Text: 180-81(Salic Code); Map Quiz 3

 

 March 3: Charlemagne; Text: 182 (Einhard)

 

 March 5: Vikings and Vassals

 

 March 7: The Material Revolution

 

 March 10: The Gregorian Reform; Second Critical Thinking Exercise due

 

 March 12: The Church in the Middle Ages; Text: 193-97(Hildegard and Francis)

 

March 14: Second Examination

 

 March 17: Medieval Government; Text: 184-89(Reilly)

 

 March 19: Medieval Germany

 

 March 21: Medieval England

 

 March 31: Medieval France

 

 April 2: Medieval Spain/Crusades/Mongols

 

 April 4: Medieval Culture

 

 April 7: Medieval Literature; Text, 191-99

 

April 9: Medieval Philosophy: Text: 200-3(Abelard and Aquinas)

 

 April 11: Plague and Other Crises of the 14th Century; Text: 204-5(Jean de Venette)

 

 April 14: The Italian Renaissance; Text: 213-4(Boccacio)

 

 April 16: Christian Humanism; Text: 215-18 (Erasmus vs. Machiavelli)

 

 April 18: Luther and the Protestant Reformation; Text: 224-28 (Luther) Critical Thinking Essay due

 

 April 21: The English and Swiss Reformations; Text: 234-35 (Calvin)

 

April 23: The Catholic Reformation; Text: 238-42 (Ignatius and Theresa)

 

 April 25: Study Day

 

 April 30, 8 am (8 am class) 2 p.m. (9 am class): Final Examination

 

 




Critical Thinking Exercises:

 

1. The First Critical Thinking Exercise is due no later than February 11. You may choose to do one of the following exercises in Voices. Answer the questions posed for each author/work; printed answers are preferred over handwritten.

 a) pp. 93, 95: Euripedes and Aristophanes
b) pp. 108, 110, 113: Sallust, Suetonius, Tacitus and Petronius (omit Virgil)
c) pp. 49, 58, 62: Confucius, Legalists, Learned Men.

 

2. The Second Critical Thinking Exercise is due no later than March 10. You may choose to do one of the following exercises in Voices:
a) pp. 129, 132, 135: Justinian, Procopius, Anna
b) pp. 139, 141, 143: Qu’ran, Ibn Rushd, Usama ibn Mundiqh
c) pp. 181, 183, 190: Salic Code, Einhard, Reilly

 

Critical Thinking Essay: Do one of the following critical thinking exercises in Voices: Women in History (p. 244), Political Theorists (p. 246), Protestant and Catholic Reformations (p. 248). This assignment is due no later than April 18.