This is class about the the history of "the West" up to the year 1600, which is an important part of the story of how we as a species have ended up in the situation in which we find ourselves in the 21st century. It's about the choices we have collectively made about how to live with one another, and the consequences that those choices have had, whether good or bad. One of things I find endlessly fascinating about studying human beings in the past is just how contingent and arbitrary so much of our lives have been. To put it simply, so much of what we assume is "natural," "essential," or "the way it's always been" shows itself to have simply been made up on the fly by people just as flawed and limited as we are in the present. Things that we assume to be enduring and unchanging in our society have in fact changed repeatedly over time. I find that super interesting, and more than that, hopeful. Since things have changed before, the good news is that if we don't like the way things are now, we can change them again. The study of history reveals that there is no one single way to be human. Our society is our creation and our responsibility to improve.

To that end, one of the aims of this class is to provide you with some alternative views of who we are by looking at who we have been in the past. It will hopefully provide you with a sense of how recent an invention the way we live in the present is by showing you how we used to live. To get the most out of this experience, however, you will need to keep in mind that learning is not a spectator sport. You can't just sit back passively and expect to get anything near the full benefit of this class. You need to be actively engaged in your own education. I certainly have to play my part, and I promise to do my best to present an interesting and dynamic class which offers you all sorts of opportunities to learn cool stuff. The actual learning is your job, though. To put it another way, I can cook the most delicious banquet imaginable, and set the table in the most attractive way possible, piling it high with all sorts of fabulous delicacies. But in the end, you're the one who actually has to eat the meal. So if you're going to take this class, I'll ask you to make a conscious decision to engage in all of the opportunities available to you, and to commit to coming to all of the class sessions, to participating in an active and thoughtful manner in all of our class discussions, to completing all of the assigned readings, and to submitting all of the required assignments. If you do, I promise it will be worth your while. Your place at the table is set, and you are invited....

Stuff the College makes me include:

Course Description: Examines the development of western civilization from ancient times to the present. Part I of II.  Lecture 3 hours per week.

General Course Purpose: HIS 101 surveys the general history of Western civilization from about 3000 BCE to 1600 CE and allows students to reach a basic understanding of the characteristic features of Western civilization's early historical development in that span of time. Students will learn about some of the important political, economic, social, intellectual, cultural and religious changes that shaped the development of the West.

Course Prerequisite/Corequisite: None

Course Objectives. Upon completion the course, the student will be able to:

Communication

    • Explain using written and oral communication the changing structures and development of Western civilization up until 1600 CE.
    • Describe key people, periods, and events of Western civilization through 1600 CE using written and oral communication.  


Critical Thinking

    • Identify and evaluate the social, economic and political forces at work in the evolution of Western civilization from approximately 3000 BCE to 1600CE.
    • Understand the general chronology and geography of Western history
    • Evaluate the main forces or factors at work in the historical development of the West
    • Analyze the cultural achievements of ancient and medieval Western civilization.
    • Analyze and evaluate complex historical sources and materials and reach conclusions based on interpretations of primary and secondary resources.


The Near East:  Suggested Context The Neolithic Revolution, Ancient Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt, Ancient Anatolia, Ancient Persia and Iran, Ancient Levant (i.e., the Hebrews)

    • Identify and/or explain the origins of complex Near Eastern societies.
    • Compare and contrast Near Eastern societies and civilizations
    • Analyze the development and impact of culture, economics, politics, society, technology, and religious and philosophical ideas
    • Analyze and evaluate complex historical sources and materials and reach conclusions based on interpretations of primary and secondary resources.


Ancient Greece: Suggested Context Minoans, Mycenaeans, The Archaic Age (Age of Homer), Creation of the Polis, Persian Wars, Classical Philosophy, Classical Art and Architecture, Democracy,  Athens vs. Sparta, Peloponnesian War, Alexander the Great and Hellenization, Hellentistic Philosophy, Hellenistic Art and Architecture

    • Identify and/or explain the origins of complex Greek societies.
    • Compare and contrast Greek city-states
    • Analyze the development and impact of culture, economics, politics, society, technology, and religious and philosophical ideas
    • Analyze and evaluate complex historical sources and materials and reach conclusions based on interpretations of primary and secondary resources.


Ancient Rome:  Suggested Context  Etruscans, Early Roman civilization, Establishment of the Republic, Punic Wars, Conquest and Expansion, Fall of Republic, Pax Romana, Roman Art, Literature, and Philosophy, Roman Emperors, Christianity, Third-Century Crisis, Fall of the Roman Empire

    • Identify and/or explain the origins of Roman society • Compare and contrast the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire
    • Analyze the development and impact of culture, economics, politics, society, technology, and religious and philosophical ideas
    • Examine connections between Rome society and the rest of the world
    • Analyze and evaluate complex historical sources and materials and reach conclusions based on interpretations of primary and secondary resources.


Western European Kingdoms, the Byzantine Empire, Eastern Europe, and Islamic Caliphates:  Suggested Context The Franks, The Anglo-Saxons, The Bungundians, The Reign of Justinian, Iconoclasm Controversy, Islam as a Religion, The Umayyad Caliphate, The Abbasid Caliphate

    • Identify and/or explain the origins of complex societies after the fall of Rome.
    • Compare and contrast the development of kingdoms in the Early Middle Ages
    • Analyze the development and impact of culture, economics, politics, society, technology, and religious and philosophical ideas
    • Analyze and evaluate complex historical sources and materials and reach conclusions based on interpretations of primary and secondary resources.


Medieval Europe: Suggested Context France, England, Holy Roman Empire, The Papal States and the Catholic Church, The Ottoman Empire, The Crusades, Feudalism, Monasticism, Agricultural Revolution, Black Death, Hundred Years’ War

    • Analyze the development and impact of culture, economics, politics, society, technology, and religious and philosophical ideas
    • Examine connections between the East and the West
    • Analyze and evaluate complex historical sources and materials and reach conclusions based on interpretations of primary and secondary resources.


Renaissance, Reformation and Explorations: Suggested Context The Italian Renaissance, The Northern Renaissance, Humanism, The Printing Press, The Lutheran Reformation, The Calvinist Reformation, The Anglican Reformation, The Anabaptist Reformation, The Catholic Reformation, The Age of Exploration, Encounter, Invasion, and Expansion

    • Identify and/or explain the origins of the Renaissance, Reformation and Age of Exploration
    • Analyze the development and impact of culture, economics, politics, society, technology, and religious and philosophical ideas
    • Examine connections between European societies and the rest of the world.
    • Analyze and evaluate complex historical sources and materials and reach conclusions based on interpretations of primary and secondary resources. 


Major Topics to be Included

    • The Near East
    • Ancient Greece
    • Ancient Rome
    • Western European Kingdoms, the Byzantine Empire, Eastern Europe, and Islamic caliphates
    • Medieval Europe
    • Renaissance, Reformation and Explorations

Readings

There are no books you need to purchase for this class. We will be making use, as much as possible, of Open Educational Resources (OER) which are available online for free.

Even though we have left the more traditional paper textbook-oriented model of a history class behind, however, this course still requires you to do a great deal of reading, writing, and, above all, thinking.  You should take the course readings seriously, and make sure to keep up with the reading assignments described below in the Class Schedule.

Course readings should be completed BEFORE you log into the class for which they are assigned. It is especially important to read the primary sources assigned each week. Taking notes on them, marking the most important passages, and jotting down any questions you might have is highly encouraged.

NOVA ALL ACCESS TEXTBOOK PROGRAM:  When you register for classes each semester, you’re automatically enrolled in NOVA All Access and charged a fee of $22.50 per credit hour. The fee will appear on your student account, along with your tuition and other fees.  YOU need to decide if the fee benefits you.  And YOU need to opt out if it does not save you money.  Complete details about the NOVA All Access program are available here.

How do you determine if the program saves you money?  Use this Google Sheets calculator tool to decide whether the All Access cost is higher than your materials would cost to get on your own.  Here is a video tutorial about how to use the Google Sheets calculator tool.

How do you opt out if it does not save you money?  If the program does not save you money, YOU CAN OPT OUT and get your money back to buy your textbooks independently.  Click here and click a SMALL link just above FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS that says “Opt Out of NOVA All-Access.” 

Grading and Due Dates

Your overall grade for the class will consist of the following elements. Scores will be posted on Canvas, and will be accompanied by general comments about the strengths and weaknesses of your work.  If you would like a more detailed description of aspects of the assignment which could be improved, just ask me and I will be happy to provide one.

Last Day to Drop with a Tuition Refund or Change to Audit: September 11

Last Day to Withdraw Without Grade Penalty: November 3

December 11 is the last day any work will be accepted for this class. See the NOVA Academic Calendar for a list of important dates and deadlines this semester.

Course Element	Percentage	Due Date
Attendance and Participation	15%	Every Class Session
Primary Source Discussion Leadership	10%	Sign-up Sheet with Dates and Documents will be Available in Canvas
Book Review (2 Pages)	10%	Due October 19
Annotated Bibliography, Part 1	10%	Due November 2
Annotated Bibliography, Part 2	10%	Due November 9
Research Project	20%	Project due November 23 Reflections due November 30 (video), or December 7 (in-person interview)
Exams	25%	Midterm Exam in class, October 23 Final Exam, Thursday, December 11, 8am

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Percentage	Final Course Grade
Above 90%	A
80-89%	B
70-79%	C
60-69%	D
59% and Below	F

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Expectations

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Guidelines for Conduct During Class Meetings

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Our in person class sessions are a very important part of your learning process, and represent an opportunity for you to interact with both me and your classmates. To get the most out of our class meetings, I'm asking you to adhere to the following guidelines.

Attendance: First and foremost, you actually need to be in class to benefit from our activities. You will need to attend every class session and be actively engaged in everything going on. Moreover, attending means being on time and not leaving early, which can be disruptive to your classmates' learning process. Certainly, isolated exceptions can be made for unusual occurences such as illnesses, accidents, or family emergencies, but these should be rare. Repeated absences or late arrivals will negatively impact your grade. You are also responsible for knowing about all information discussed and all announcements made in class. Being absent is not an excuse for being unfamiliar with something discussed in a given class session. 

Electronic Devices: Few things are more persistently harmful to the learning environment than the distraction provided by internet-enabled devices such as smart phones and laptops. Nothing is more precious than being in control of your own thoughts, and you should guard against people who make vast profits by capturing your attention and keeping you from concentrating on anything else. Let's be clear: multitasking is a myth. You may think that you can learn in class while also being involved in other online activities, but you're wrong about that. To that end, I am going to insist on no screens in class other than the relatively rare instances which I will specify. Unless you hear me explicitly say otherwise during a class session, you should not have your phone or laptop out at all. They should be silenced and stowed out of sight until the end of class.

Preparing for Class: You should make sure that you have completed the assigned readings and any required assignments specified on the Course Schedule below before you walk into that class meeting. You may be asked to discuss both readings and assignments, so you should have access to them during class either by bringing hard copies or taking notes in advance to which you can refer. You should especially make sure you are ready to talk about the readings labeled as "Discussion Sources."

Note Taking: In order to help you focus on what is going on in class and to remember it later, I strongly recommend that you take notes. While you certainly do not need to transcribe every last word which is said, writing down the main ideas and most important details is indispensable for your success as a student. I will sometimes use slides and other visual aids, but you should not feel like you need to copy the material found there verbatim; instead, focus on absorbing the gist of what is being said in class and translating it into your own words. Since I've already asked you not to use laptops, paper and a pen or pencil is the way to go when it comes to note taking. If for some reason this request poses a special difficulty for you, feel free to get in touch with me and we can talk about your situation.

Disruptive Behavior: Please be considerate of the other people involved in this class. Private conversations during lecture or class discussions all can distract and disturb the rest of us. If you have a question or a comment on the course material, please raise your hand and wait to be called on. Please do also keep in mind that there are other students in class who will also want to ask questions and make comments. Allow them the opportunity to do so and do not dominate the entire conversation.

Abuse: Any student who seems to be under the influence of alcohol or intoxicating drugs, or who is abusive or violent will be referred to the appropriate College authorities.

Don't Be Mean: You are expected to treat your fellow students with respect and a spirit of generosity and good-will. If you have a problem with one of the other students that you are unable to resolve on your own, please contact the professor for guidance and assistance.
 
Announcements: If there is something I need to communicate to the class, I will post an announcement to the course Canvas page. It is the your responsibility to check the course's Canvas page and your College email account in a timely manner in order to receive information on the substitute assignment and when it is due. You should adjust the settings of your Canvas account to make sure that you are promptly notified.

Course Content Warning: Lectures and course materials may contain disturbing content, including, but not limited to: violence, sexual assault, war crimes, genocide, mental or physical illnesses or disabilities, discrimination or persecution on the basis of gender, race, ethnicity, religion, and/or sexual orientation, etc. If you have been personally impacted by one or more of these topics and suffer from PTSD, please email me if you would like prior notification of lectures containing discussions of the effecting topics. In general, however, you should assume that this is class for adults which encompasses uncomfortable topics that you are expected to handle in a mature manner.

Accommodations: Students requiring special accommodations for assignments or exams should have the appropriate forms from the Disability Support Service (DSS).  Forms should be given to me no fewer than 7 days before the date the assignment or exam requiring the accommodation is due, and preferably at the very beginning of the semester. Please also feel free to discuss any special needs you have with me.

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Formatting for Papers: All written work should be double spaced, using 12 point Times New Roman font and one inch margins.  All papers must be word processed and submitted through Canvas as files in .doc, .docx, .pdf, or .rtf format (no .pages format files, please).  E-mail submissions will not be accepted.  See this rubric for a more detailed description of how you will be graded.

Style and Grammar: All of your work for this class must present a main argument or thesis which addresses the question(s) posed by the assignment, should support that argument with evidence, and should be written in grammatical and stylistically correct English.  Make sure to proofread and use spell-check. For information on writing papers for this class, make sure to read my Tips for History Papers page.  You also might want to consult the following handy websites:
     
        Patrick Rael, "Avoid Common Mistakes In Your History Paper"
        Steven Kreis, "Writing the Short Essay"


Citations:  In written work for this class, you MUST include a formal citation any time you refer to a specific passage in a text, even if you do not quote the text directly.  The required method for citing sources in this class is the Chigago Manual of Style's format, which is the standard for the discipline of history.  According to this format, at the end of any sentence or paragraph drawn from a specific part of a source, you insert superscript number which corresponds to a footnote at the bottom of the page with the appropriate bibliographic information.  Number your footnotes consecutively. Consult the previous web link for more detailed information on citations in this format.  You also might find these websites (https://libguides.nvcc.edu/ChicagoTurabian & https://www.plagiarism.org/article/what-are-footnotes) and this video on "How To Use Chicago-Style Footnotes In A History Paper"  helpful. EVERY PAPER you complete for this class should include a bibliography at the end listing all of the sources you consulted (even if the list includes only one source).  Your bibliography page does not count toward the page length of your assignment. Papers without appropriate Chicago-format footnotes will receive a 20% penalty.

Plagiarism: Plagiarized work will not be accepted for this class. Any student caught plagiarizing or cheating in this course will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action, including at a minimum no credit whatsoever for the assignment or exam in question.  Procedures for disciplinary measures and appeals are outlined in the NOVA Student Handbook. Particularly flagrant instances of cheating or multiple instances of plagiarism may result in a grade of "F" for the course.

Please note that even copying a sentence or two from another source without citing it is enough to trigger a plagiarism penalty.  Likewise, changing a word here or there from content which you copy is still plagiarism.  Your work should be entirely in your own words except for the passages which you quote and appropriately cite.

For a bit more discussion on why you will probably get caught if you try to use the web to plagiarize, see "How Dumb Do They Think We Are?" by Jonathan Malesic.  All of your papers for the class will be checked for plagiarism by Turnitin software.

A.I. Writing Tools: Various tools which use artificial intelligence to generate text suggest intriguing possibilities for the future of writing. Right now, however, they are fairly crude, and do not do a good job of producing well-written papers which fulfill the specifications of course assignments. Moreover, part of what you are here to do is to get some practice in how to write and think for yourself. Therefore, assignments which make use of A.I. generated content will not be accepted, and trying to use A.I. writing tools to substitute for your own writing will likely be a waste of your time. This policy includes writing assistance tools such as Grammarly-- please don't use them. If I suspect you have used substantial A.I. assistance on an assignment, I reserve the right to insist that you schedule a meeting with me to discuss the work in question to make sure that you personally crafted it before you can receive a grade. Please see the following video for a more detailed discussion of why using A.I. on your assignments is a really bad idea: Is Using A.I. On A College Paper B.S.?

Late Work:  Major assignments (papers and exams) may be submitted for up to one week after the specified due date with a 10% late penalty. After one week, they will no longer be accepted (No exceptions!!!).

You cannot resubmit revised work for a higher score once it has been graded.

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The easiest way to contact me outside of class is through e-mail or Canvas message.  In order to receive a response to your message, however, your e-mail must contain the following elements:

• Your full name, the name of the class, and the day and time when it meets in the title of your message.   
• Appropriate salutations and signatures.
• Correct grammar and punctuation.

Messages sent using "text-ese" or rude or abusive language will be ignored (b/c it makes u look ignorant d00d)!

I have on average between 150-200 students a semester, so you need to provide me with as much information as possible if you want a timely answer to your message.  Please allow at least 48 hours before following up.  If you haven't received a response within a couple of days, however, feel free to nag me.

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Description of Course Elements

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At least once over the course of the semester, you will lead a class discussion of one of the Discussion Sources. You begin with a brief introduction of the document, and then guide the class through a discussion of its contents and significance.

Part 1: Introduce and Analyze the Document (Approximately 5 min): Your introduction and analysis should address the following questions.  Use them as a guide in your attempt to analyze the document's meanings and historical context.

• Who crafted the document?
• Why was the document crafted?
• Who or what was the intended audience?
• What is the author's point of view?
  
• Is there any strong bias which might distort the document's contents?
  
• What are the basic contents of the document?
  

Part 2: Lead a Class Discussion of the Document (Approximately 15 min.) - This is where you run the show. You should be trying to help the class understand the document's significant and how it helps us understand the time and place in which it was written. Feel free to use groups/ games/ Q&A/ debate.
         
Since you are the lead person in generating the discussion for that class, you are required to create three questions per document that will help foster debate/discussion about the documents. Some of the primary sources contains various “Questions to Consider;” please only use them as a reference to help craft your own ideas and concepts to present to the class. Do not plagiarize the questions or use A.I. to generate them.

For primary source evaluations that have two or more students working together, it is the group’s responsibility to arrange how they will present the analysis and divide the work equally. Each student, however, is required to lead a segment of the analysis and present his or her own knowledge of the sources.

I will make a sign-up sheet with dates available to you early in the semester.  Failure to attend class on the day of your presentation because of an unexcused absence will result in a zero for the assignment.

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Introducing the Research Project:

The most important part of your work for this semester will ask you to define topic or question relevant to some aspect of modern world history to research, to find high quality primary and scholarly secondary sources on that topic, and to produce a finished Research Project which makes a clear, specific argument about life in that particular time and place.

It’s always easiest to research something that you’re actively interested in, so you should try to find some sort of subject that connects with something you are passionate about in your own life. No matter what sorts of things you’re into, there’s almost always a way to devise a history research topic that links to your interests.

Please don’t assume that just because you’re taking a history class that you are restricted to so-called “traditional” history topics like politics, war, revolutions, etc. All aspects of human life are fair game for historical research, so you’re also welcome to investigate topics involving sex and gender, family life, science and technology, crime and punishment, arts and entertainment, or whatever other thing human beings do which interests you. I’ve had students, for example, complete very interesting projects on the history of political movements for trans rights, combat sports, fashion, and serial killers. The important thing is to find something that are interested enough in to really do a deep dive into.

That said, there are a few boundaries:

1)  You should investigate a topic which largely falls sometime between the years 4000 BCE and 1600. The period before 4000 is interesting, but there really isn't enough written evidence to make for a viable project. There’s perhaps a bit of wiggle room with these dates, but the bulk of your focus should be somewhere within this span of time.

3) There needs to be a sufficient body of written primary source documents in a language which you are able to read. Documents written by people who lived during the period you are researching and who personally experienced the events which you are investigating are indispensable to any work of historical scholarship. Unfortunately sometimes there are very interesting topic ideas for which the sources simply aren’t available. It is up to you to make sure early on in your research process that you will be able to find the minimum of 5 written primary source documents necessary for this project. Please see below for a list online primary source collections which can be a convenient starting point for your preliminary investigations.

Formats: Your finished project should be in one of the following formats.

• “Day In The Life” Video: You will craft a video in which you depict three different people from the same basic time and place in history. These can either be real people from history (for example Pericles, Alcibiades, and Aspasia) or fictional characters representing different types of people (for example a knight, a peasant, and a nun from medieval Britain). Your portrayal should focus on what the daily lives of these people were like, and what that reveals about the particular place and time which they inhabit. Your video should be at least 15 minutes long, and publicly viewable.

• TED Talk: You will craft a video presentation in which you teach your audience about a particular historical question or issue from the time encompassed by the class. The video should feature you talking, but it should also include visuals to engage the audience and reinforce the material which you are teaching. Your video should be at least 15 minutes long, and publicly viewable.

• Travel Log:  You will craft a website which narrates a journey to at least 5 distinct locations and/or events from the same basic time and place in history. You should discuss the sights, sounds, and feelings of your protagonist as they visit the sites or events, and discuss what the things being witnessed reveal about this particular time and place in history. You website should be at least 1000 words long over 5 distinct pages, and should be publicly viewable.

• Video Game or Board Game Plan: You will craft a website which outlines either a plan for either a physical board game or a video game set in the time and place encompassed by your Research Project. While the game should be designed to be entertaining, it should also teach players about some aspect of life in the past in a particular time or place. Your website should feature at least 5 distinct pages which describe your proposed game, and which might include the goal, setting, rules, characters, and/or interesting features of your game. Note, you do not actually have to produce a working finished version of your game, although you can if you want to. Your website should be at least 1000 words long over 5 distinct pages, and should be publicly viewable.

• Do Your Own Thing (If  You Can Convince Me): You can also propose your own format for a Research Project, but you will need to explain why you think this particular format is interesting and a good way to discuss your particular topic. If I agree, I will approve the proposal; if not, you will need to pick one of the other Research Project formats. The format also will need to meet the same requirements as the others in terms of length, word count, number and types of sources used, and public accessibility. Power Point or other slide-based presentations are extremely boring, and definitely will not be approved.

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Step 1: Topic Proposal (Due September 14)

This is the beginning of your research process. After carefully considering what you’re interested in and what sort of project you would like to do, you should upload a brief video clip in which you answer the following questions:

1) What sort of topic do you want to research this semester? You should be as specific as possible about the particular time frame and/or geographic region. (Sometimes it can be helpful to phrase your topic in terms of a particular research question. For example “What factors led to the end of the Roman Republic?” “What was life like for women in ancient Egypt?” "How did the society of classical Athens treat LGBTQ+ people?" or “How did serfs in Medieval Europe attempt to improve their situation?”)

2) Why do you find this topic interesting? In what ways do you anticipate that your research will be relevant to things that you care about in your own life?

3) Which of the project formats have you chosen?

4) What sorts of primary sources do you expect to use? Have done any preliminary checking to see what sorts of sources are available? If so, where? (Remember, primary sources are documents written by people who lived during the period you are researching and who personally experienced the events which you are investigating. So for example, are there letters or memoirs written by people who were involved in the events? Relevant laws from the time period in question? Interviews of people who lived through the events?)

After submitting your proposal, make sure to check my feedback. It’s possible that I may have some questions or requests for your to address before your idea is approved, and you can’t move any further with your project until it’s actually approved.

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Step 2: Find a good book related to your topic and read it.

Now that you have a well-defined research topic, it’s time to begin to learn more about it. To that end, you should find a scholarly monograph (a book written by a modern historian, usually published by an academic press), written some time within the past 50 years, at least 100 pages longs, and related in some way to the topic which you are investigating.

Please note that the book which you find cannot be a primary source document, an encyclopedia or dictionary, a collection of essays, or a children’s book. Also, I recommend finding an actual printed copy of the book, since several studies suggest that it is easier to process and retain information from print than from a screen. That said, if the only convenient way to acquire the book in question is electronically, that’s also acceptable.

Promising places to search for books:

NOVA Library: You can search for books at the NOVA library, which has an adequate collection of print and e-books. You can request that physical books from any of the various campus’ libraries be sent sent your home campus within a matter of days.

GMU Library: As a NOVA student, you can also check out books from the George Mason University library, which has substantially larger collection. To check items out you must have a valid NOVACard and proof of enrollment.

Interlibrary Loan (ILL): You can also request books from libraries and collections all over the country through ILL by filling out a brief form.

Wikipedia “Further Reading:” While Wikipedia has some limitations as a resource, it can be a useful starting point. In particular, many Wikipedia articles feature a section toward the end of the page entitled “Further Reading,” which lists well-known relevant books on the topic of the article. It’s not a bad strategy to look at this list of books and see if any of them sound promising or are available to you in one of the above collections.

Obviously, if you find it convenient to buy your book, either new or used, that’s fine, but by no means is it required for this course.


Things to submit through Canvas:

You should submit the full bibliographic citation for the book which you have chosen, including the author’s name, the title, the publisher, the year of publication, and the total number of pages, in order to get it approved. Make sure to check my feedback in order to make sure the book you have picked will work before moving on to any of the other steps. (Due September 21)

You should upload a picture of you with the book. If you’re reading an e-book version, your photo should be of you with your ebook reader or laptop with the text of the book clearly visible on the screen. (Due October 5)

You should upload a picture of a page of the book with the author’s main argument highlighted or circled (Obviously you shouldn't physically mark a library book-- simply take a picture and use Paint or some other similar program to indicate the argument in the photo). (Due October 12)

Finally, you should write a 1-2 page double-spaced review of the book in which you discuss the scholarly credentials and background of the book’s author, the author’s main argument (note that this is not simply what the book is about; rather, what is the author trying to say about the subject?), briefly summarize what the various sections/chapters of the book deal with, describe the specific sources of evidence used by the author to support that main argument (Are they secondary sources? Primary sources? If so, what sorts of documents are they? Personal correspondence? Memoirs? Court documents? Laws?), and provide your overall assessment of how useful the book is to someone interested in its subject matter. Your title should just be the complete bibliographic citation for the book. in Chicago format. Any citations for quotations or specific information from the book or other sources on the author's background should be in the form of correctly formatted Chicago-style footnotes. You cannot turn in a book review unless you have had the book approved by me in advance. (Due October 19)

While you’re at it, you should also be looking closely at the book’s notes and bibliography. Since the book is at least partially about what it is you’re researching this semester, that means that both the primary source evidence and the scholarly secondary sources which the author consulted may also be useful to you. Make a list of those sources, and see if you can track any of them down.

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Step 3: Find a scholarly journal article related to your topic and read it. (Due October 26)

You should also find a scholarly article published in a peer-reviewed scholarly journal, written some time within the past 50 years, at least 10 pages in length, and related in some way to the topic which you are investigating.

There are a number of easy ways to find and access scholarly journal articles through the NOVA library website. One of the most useful is through, JSTOR, an online database of journal articles. Please check out this video for detailed instructions on how to find journal article on JSTOR.

You should submit the full bibliographic citation for the journal article which you have chosen, including the author’s name, the title of the article, the name of the journal, the volume and/or issue number, the year of publication, and the range of pages in the journal in order to get approved.

While you’re at it, you should also be looking closely at the article’s notes and bibliography. Since the book is at least partially about what it is you’re researching this semester, that means that both the primary source evidence and the scholarly secondary sources which the author consulted may also be useful to you. Make a list of those sources, and see if you can track any of them down.

How To Find A Scholarly Journal Article: This video walks you through the process of finding a scholarly journal article using the NOVA Library and JSTOR: How to Find a Scholarly Journal Article

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• The name and background of the author, if known.
• The date the document was originally written, if known.
• The author’s purpose in writing the document and its historical context.
• Any bias displayed by the author.
• The significance of the document (ie, how are its contents important to an understanding of the topic?)

Make sure to take a look at the feedback which I leave you to see if you need to resubmit this assignment, or if there are any improvements which you need to make for your finished Research Project.

For primary sources, you might consult the following resources (some of these sites also contain secondary sources as well):

Directory of World History Primary Sources

• World History Sources
  
• Perseus Digital Library
• Ancient History Sourcebook
  
• Medieval History Sourcebook
• The Avalon Project
• World Digital Library
  
• Hanover Historical Texts Collection

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• The name and scholarly background of the author (education, publications, university appointments, etc.)
• The author’s main argument (note, this is not the same thing as a simple description of the subject matter-- what is the author trying to say about this subject?).
• The specific types of evidence used to support the author’s main argument (are they primary sources? Scholarly secondary works?)
• How successful/convincing is the author’s argument?

Make sure to take a look at the feedback which I leave you to see if you need to resubmit this assignment, or if there are any improvements which you need to make for your finished Research Project.

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Step 6: Come up with a main argument for your Research Project. (Due November 16)

You should should submit a single sentence which sets our the main argument for your project.

While what you’re turning in here is comparatively brief, your main argument essentially synthesizes all of the reading and analysis which you have been working on for the past several months in order to make some sort of meaningful statement about a particular time and place in the past. This means you should put a lot of careful thought into your main argument.

Please note that your main argument needs to be as clear and specific as possible. For example, rather than a vague statement such as “My project will discuss what life was like for women in classical Athens,” a much stronger main argument would be “Women in Athens were usually not able to make choices about their own lives, and generally their lives were dominated by the men in their family.” Likewise, instead of asserting that “The Roman Republic fell because or variety social, economic, and cultural factors,” it would be better to argue "The Roman Republic ended because a widening gap between rich and poor, which allowed ambitious politicians the opportunity to build a base of popular support which they used to destabilize republican institutions.”

Make sure to take a look at the feedback which I leave you on your main argument to see if you need to resubmit this assignment, or if there are any improvements which you need to make for your finished Research Project.

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Step 7: Craft and submit your finished Research Project. (Due November 23)
 
Finally it's time to actually produce your actual project in the format which you defined in Step 1. When turning in your Research Project through Canvas you will need to submit two elements in order to receive credit for having completed the assignment:

    1) A link to where your project video or website is publicly viewable.

    2) The script or text for your project so it can be checked for plagiarism and A.I. use.


Please see the brief descriptions above of the various available Research Project Formats. Whatever format you use, your project must include the main argument you came up with in Step 6, and must list somewhere all of the sources from Parts 1 and 2 of the Annotated Bibliography from Steps 4 and 5. You can not turn in a Research Project without having an approved Topic Proposal.

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Step 8: Project Reflections.

The last element which will determine your actual grade for the Research Project will be your reflections on your research and the project itself. These reflections can in the form of 1) a prerecorded video which you upload through Canvas; or 2) an interview with me, which can be conducted either online through Zoom, or in person in my office (An appointment for this must be requested and scheduled no less than 48 hours in advance).

If you choose the video option, the video should be between 5-10 minutes long, and should answer the the following questions:

•     What was the main argument of your project? How successful do you think you were in supporting that argument?
•     What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome in conducting this research?
•     Which of your primary sources was the most useful and why?
•     Which of your secondary sources was the most useful and why?
•     In what ways did your attitudes toward the topic of your project change as you learned more about it?
•     What was the most interesting thing you learned about your topic?
  
•     If you had the project to do over again, how would you change your approach?

While you can use notes for your video, you should not simply read off of a prepared script-- just talk to me about your project.

If you choose the interview option, I will ask you some questions about your project, which will be broadly similar to the questions listed for the video option. This interview will be relatively informal, but it will give us the opportunity to discuss your research process, sources, main argument, and the content of your project. The interview should not last longer than about 10 minutes. I'll provide information on how to make an appointment for the interview later in the semester. Please note that if I suspect you plagiarized material for your project or used A.I. assistance, I reserve the right to require you to complete the interview option.

The video option is due on November 30. The interview option must be completed no later than December 7. You cannot complete this assignment unless you have turned in a completed Research Project.

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There are two exams for this course which will be completed in class.

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    Part 1) Time Line (5 Paragraphs): Provide a Time Line which lists in chronological order what you think are the five most important events in the history of the West from Prehistory to the first century BCE. ALL OF YOUR EXAMPLES MUST BE EVENTS OR DEVELOPMENTS WE DISCUSSED IN CLASS!  Each item on your Time Line should be a paragraph long and should contain the following information:

•         What happened.
•         When it happened (approximate dates are okay).
•         Why it happened.
•         The major Consequences of the event.
•         How is this event significant or important?

    Part 2) Primary Source Analyses: You will be given the titles of two primary sources which you have read during the first half of the semester, and asked to briefly discuss the following elements:

•         The identity and point of view of the author.
•         The historical context of the document (what circumstances influenced the author?).
•         The basic contents of the document.
•         What does the document tell us about the specific time and place it was written?

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Final Exam. You should submit a file through Canvas with your responses to the following questions:

    Part 1) Time Line: Provide a Time Line which lists in chronological order what you think are the five most important events in the history of the West from the first century BCE to 1600 CE. ALL OF YOUR EXAMPLES MUST BE EVENTS OR DEVELOPMENTS WE DISCUSSED IN CLASS! Each item on your Time Line should be a paragraph long and should contain the following information:

•         What happened.
•         When it happened (approximate dates are okay).
•         Why it happened.
•         The major Consequences of the event.
•         How is this event significant or important?

    Part 2) Primary Source Analyses: You will be given the titles of two primary sources which you have read during the second half of the semester, and asked to briefly discuss the following elements:

•         The identity and point of view of the author.
•         The historical context of the document (what circumstances influenced the author?).
•         The basic contents of the document.
•         What does the document tell us about the specific time and place it was written?

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Course Schedule

Tuesday, August 26: Course Introduction/Why Bother Studying History?	Read through the Course Syllabus Watch Is History B.S.?
Thursday, August 28: Sources, Writing, and the Digital Age	Discussion Sources: Neolithic Monuments from Britain and Ireland, c. 3000-2500 BCE; Brooks, "Introduction" Watch What's The Difference Between Primary & Secondary Sources? Watch Is Western Civilization B.S.?
Assignments to Complete:	Read through the entire syllabus, and submit the Introduction Assignment and the Syllabus Quiz by 11:59 pm on August 31 using the appropriate link under "Assignments" in the class Canvas page. Make sure to check the feedback you received to see if you need to resubmit it.

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Tuesday, September 2: A Neolithic Revolution?	Discussion Readings: Gilgameš and Aga (c. 2600 BC) Watch Was the Invention of Agriculture B.S.? Brooks, "Chapter 1: The Origins of Civilization"
Thursday, September 4: Authority and Hierarchy in the Bronze Age	Discussion Reading: Excerpts from the Code of Hammurabi (c. 1780 BC)

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Tuesday, September 9: Gender, Sexuality, and Family Life in the Bronze Age	Discussion Reading: Enki and Ninmah (early 2nd millennium BC) Read Brown, "Third Gender Figures in the Ancient Near East;" Brustman, "The Third Gender in Ancient Egypt" Brooks, "Chapter 2: Egypt"
Thursday, September 11: Ancient Paganism	Discussion Readings: Enheduanna, "The Exaltation of Innana" (c.2300 BC); Penitential Prayer to Every God; Gilgamesh Flood Narrative Watch Was Ancient Paganism B.S.?
Assignments to Complete:	Topic Proposal for the Research Project due September 14.  Make sure to check the professor's feedback on Canvas to see if your topic has been approved, or if you need to resubmit this assignment.

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Tuesday, September 16: Empire and Religion	Discussion Reading: Excerpts from the Annals of Ashurnasirpal II (9th c. BC) Brooks, "Chapter 3: The Bronze Age and The Iron Age"
Thursday, September18: Yahwism and the Origins of Monotheism	Discussion Readings: Excerpts from The Book of Genesis (1-3, 6-8, 22). Watch Evidence, Citations, and Plagiarism: Who Cares? Campbell, "Ancient Religion," "Evolution Toward Monotheism, "Israelite Religion;"
Assignments to Complete:	Book Proposal for the Book Review  due September 21

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Tuesday, September 23: Jewish Monotheism	Discussion Readings: Excerpts from the Book of Deuteronomy (5, 9, 12-13, 21-22). Brooks, "Chapter 4: The Archaic Age of Greece"
Thursday, September 25: Classical Culture	Discussion Reading: Excerpts from the poetry of Sappho of Lesbos, c. 630 BCE; Aristotle on the Good Wife, c. 330 BCE Watch Was The Iliad B.S.? Brooks,  "Chapter 5: Persia and the Greek Wars"

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Tuesday, September 30: Greek Democracy	Discussion Readings: Aristotle on the Athenian Constitution (c. 320s BC) Watch Is Democracy B.S.? Brooks,  "Chapter 6: The Classical Age of Greece"
Thursday, October 2: Social Class & Slavery in the Classical Mediterranean	Discussion Readings: Aristotle on Slavery (c. 350 BC); Watch Was Ancient Slavery B.S.? Brooks, "Chapter 7: The Hellenistic Age"
Assignments to Complete:	Make sure you have the book for your Book Review Paper by October 5. Upload a picture of you with the book using the appropriate link in the course Canvas page.

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Tuesday, October 7: The Hellenistic World	Discussion Reading: Diodorus Siculus’ Account of the First Servile War (c. 135–132 BC)
Thursday, October 9: The Roman Republic	Discussion Reading: Polybius, "An Analysis of the Roman Government (Excerpt from Histories) Brooks, "Chapter 8: The Roman Republic"
Assignments to Complete:	Upload a picture of a page of the book for your Book Review Paper with the author’s main argument highlighted or circled by October 12.

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Tuesday, October 14: Fall Break	No Class-- Fall Break
Thursday, October 16: Imperium	Discussion Reading: Introduction on Boudicca and Description by Tacitus of the Rebellion of Boudicca (60-61 CE) Brooks, "Chapter 9: The Roman Empire"
Assignments to Complete:	Book Review due October 19

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Tuesday, October 21: The Pax Romana	Discussion Source: "The Deeds of the Divine Augustus" c. 14 CE
Thursday, October 23:	Midterm Exam in Class
Assignments to Complete:	Find a scholarly journal article related to the topic of your Research Project and upload the full bibliographic citation of the article using the appropriate link in Canvas by October 26.

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Tuesday, October 28: Early Christianity: Monotheism Transformed	Discussion Reading:  Excerpts from the Gospel According to Luke; Excerpts from the Letters of St. Paul Watch: Was The Spread of Early Christianity B.S.? Campbell, "Early Monotheism;" Brooks, "Chapter 10: The Late Empire and Christianity"
Thursday, October 30: The "Fall of Rome"	Discussion Reading: Excerpts from the Gospel of Thomas; Watch Was The Fall of Rome B.S.? Brooks, "Chapter 11: Byzantium"
Assignments to Complete:	Annotated Bibliography, Part 1  due November 2

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Tuesday, November 4: Election Day	Election Day- No Class
Thursday, November 6: Islam- Monotheism Transformed Again	Discussion Reading: Excerpts from the Qu'ran (c. 7th century) Brooks, "Chapter 12: Islam and the Caliphates"
Assignments to Complete:	Annotated Bibliography, Part 2, due November 9

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Tuesday, November 11: The House of Islam (Dar al-Islam)	Discussion Reading: Excerpts from the poems of Abû Nuwás (757 - 815)
Thursday, November 13: The Dark Ages?: Authority in Medieval Europe	Discussion Reading: Excerpts from Beowulf, (c. 11th c. CE) Brooks, "Chapter 13: Early Medieval Europe"
Assignments to Complete:	Research Project Main Argument Draft, due November 16

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Tuesday, November 18: The Church	Discussion Reading: Excerpts from The Rule of St. Benedict, c.530 CE Brooks, "Chapter 1: The High Middle Ages"
Thursday, November 20: Medieval Culture	Discussion Reading: Excerpts from The Book of Margery Kempe (15th c.): The Birth of Her First Child and Her First Vision; Her Pride and Attempts to Start a Business; Margery and Her Husband Reach a Settlement; Self-Government in Medieval Ipswich (1200); The Questioning of Eleanor (John) Rykener, (1395)
Assignments to Complete:	Research Project Due November 23

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Tuesday, November 25: Holy War	Discussion Reading: Urban II Call the First Crusade at Council of Clermont, as reported by Fucher of Chartres (1095); Brooks, "Chapter 2: The Crises of the Middle Ages"
Thursday, November 27:	No Class- Thanksgiving

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Tuesday, December 2: The High Middle Ages	Discussion Reading: Usama ibn Munqidh, Excerpts from The Book of Contemplation (12th c.)
Thursday, December 4: The Black Death	Discussion Reading: Boccaccio's Decameron on the Black Death in Florence, 1348; The Statute of Laborers; 1351 Watch Was The Black Death B.S.? Brooks,  "Chapter 3: The Renaissance" "Chapter 4: Politics in the Renaissance Era"
Assignments to Complete:	Research Project Reflection must be completed no later than November 30 (Video) or December 7 (Interview).

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Tuesday, December 9: New Worlds	Discussion Reading: Bartolemé de Las Casas, Excerpt from A Brief Account of the Devastation of the Indies (1542) Watch Was Columbus B.S.? Brooks, "Chapter 5: European Exploration" "Chapter 6: Reformations"
Assignments to Complete:	Final Exam in person, Thursday, December 11, 8am

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INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT

Students are responsible for knowing and following the policies in the Student Handbook. The following are highlights of information that students should be aware of as they begin a course.

Academic Integrity Policy

NOVA promotes and emphasizes the importance of honesty in academic work. It is therefore imperative for students to maintain the highest standard of honor in their scholastic work.

Academic dishonesty, as outlined in more detail in the Academic Integrity Policy (Policy Number: 224), can include, but is not limited to cheating on an exam or quiz, submitting work that is not your own (plagiarism), or sharing assessments online. Consequences of academic dishonesty can include a failing grade on an assignment, a failing grade in the course, and may include additional administrative sanctions such as suspension or expulsion from the college. Procedures for disciplinary measures and appeals are outlined in the Academic Integrity Procedures. It is a student’s responsibility to become familiar with the student code of conduct. Lack of awareness is no excuse for noncompliance with NOVA’s policies and procedures.

NOVA Faculty may choose to use tools such as Turnitin to detect and flag instances of plagiarism in academic writing. These tools can also identify text written by artificial

intelligence (AI) applications such as ChatGPT and flag it as potential plagiarism.

 

The use of AI to complete assigned work may be considered a violation of the academic integrity policy. Students are urged to be cautious when using any web tools designed to assist with assignments without their instructors’ explicit permission to do so and to cite their sources in all their work.

Accommodations and Accessibility Services

NOVA is committed to ensuring all students have an opportunity to pursue a college education regardless of the presence or absence of a disability. No academically qualified student with a disability will be denied access to or participation in the services, programs, and activities of the College. Your access to and inclusion in this course is important to NOVA and me. Please request your accommodation letter (Memorandum of Accommodations) early in the semester or as soon as you become registered so that we have adequate time to arrange your approved academic accommodations. Returning students must renew their Memorandum of Accommodations (MOA) every semester; these students should submit the request 24 hours or later after enrolling in at least one class. Allow up to 7 business days for the request to be approved.

Accommodations are provided for in-person, online, and remote/synchronous (Zoom) learning. To get started, review NOVA’s Accommodation and Accessibility Services website. Following a meeting with a counselor, you will be issued a Memorandum of Accommodation (MOA). You must provide your MOA to your professors, testing proctor, and/or tutoring center in order to receive your accommodations. You may provide your MOA any time during the semester; however, accommodations are not retroactive. You may email your MOA or provide me with a printed copy. I will send you an email to acknowledge receipt. If I have any questions or if there is anything about your accommodations you wish to explain, we will schedule a meeting outside of class for that purpose. Please remind me of any special arrangements that must be made in advance of tests and assessments. If you need a sign language interpreter, or if you need live captions for your Zoom class, send an email to interpreters@nvcc.edu.

Buy Books with Excess Financial Aid

If your anticipated financial aid is more than what you owe for the semester, you may use your excess aid to purchase books, supplies, or even a laptop through the NOVA Bookstore. Book purchases must occur during the provided disbursement dates every semester. Note that this excess financial aid can only be used to purchase course books (physical and digital) and supplies at the NOVA Bookstore, not from other vendors. Two disbursement periods are available during the fall and spring semesters. Any holds on a student's account regarding a debt to the College must be resolved prior to using financial aid at the bookstore.

Career Services

The College is committed to providing career services to all students as part of the comprehensive educational journey. Career Services assists students with exploring, developing and setting goals related to each student’s unique educational and academic needs. These services include career assessments, occupational information, goal setting, planning and employment resources. You can request an appointment with a career counselor.

Closing Information

NOVA announces campus and college closings on the NOVA homepage. You can also receive notification by cell phone or email if you register for NOVA Alert. Also review NOVA’s guidance on emergency closings, delayed openings, and continuation of instruction.

If a course is canceled due to a weather event or other unforeseen situation, check the course Canvas site or NOVA email as soon as possible for instructions and assignments to avoid falling behind in coursework. You are expected to be up to date with all assignments the next time the class meets.

Communication

Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC) faculty, staff, and administrators communicate with students through their official NVCC email accounts ( ______@nvcc.edu). Students are likewise required to use their VCCS email accounts (__________@email.vccs.edu) to communicate with instructors and other college personnel. Students should check their email accounts regularly.

Course Drop/Withdrawal Policy

Please note these important deadlines related to your enrollment in a course:

• Students may drop courses through NOVAConnect until the last day to drop with a tuition refund (census date). Students who drop a class during this period will receive a full refund.

• Requests to change your grade status to audit must also be completed before the last day to drop with a tuition refund (census date).

• Students who do not attend at least one class meeting or participate in an online learning class by the last day to drop with a tuition refund (census date) may be administratively withdrawn from the class. This means that there will be no record of the class or any letter grade on the student’s transcript. The student’s tuition will not be refunded.

• The Last Day to Withdraw is the last day to withdraw from classes without a grade penalty. Students will receive a grade of W. Students may withdraw from a course through NOVAConnect. The student’s tuition will not be refunded. Withdrawing from a course after the census date and before the withdrawal date will result in a “W” grade appearing on your transcript.

To identify these important dates for your courses, please visit the College Academic Calendar and scroll down to the specific session for your course. Please note that any drops or withdrawals from a course may impact financial aid, International Student status, or military benefits. Students with questions should check with the appropriate offices.

COVID-19 Updates

COVID-19 information and updates can be found on the Stay Safe with Ace webpage.

Financial Stability and Advocacy Centers

The Financial Stability and Advocacy Centers provide assistance to students who are experiencing financial hardships that might prevent the students’ academic success. The personnel at the Financial Stability and Advocacy Centers work with students to identify college or community services available. For more information, please visit the Financial Stability and Advocacy Centers webpage, or contact the office by calling 703.323.3450 or emailing financialstability@nvcc.edu.

FREE Tutoring

NOVA’s Tutoring Centers offer free in-person and virtual tutoring to all NOVA Nighthawks. Students can drop by any one of campus Tutoring Centers for walk-in services, or set up an appointment for tutoring. To request an appointment for one-on-one tutoring, either in-person or via Zoom, log in to myNOVA to select EAB Navigate. For more information and for Tutoring Center locations, visit www.nvcc.edu/tutoring. In addition, Tutor.com is an online tutoring service that Northern Virginia Community College offers that is free to all students. Tutor.com provides tutoring in a variety of subjects, many of which are available 24/7. To access Tutor.com, click on the Tutor.com: 24/7 Online Tutoring link located in your course on the navigation menu.

Office of Wellness and Mental Health

During your time at NOVA, you may experience challenges including struggles with academics, finances, or your personal well-being. NOVA has support resources available. Please contact the Office of Wellness and Mental Health if you are seeking resources and support, or if you are worried about a friend or classmate.

Prerequisite Verification Statement

As noted in the Course Prerequisites Policy, some courses have prerequisite or corequisite requirements that are established to foster a student’s success in the course. Students may not enroll in a course for which they do not meet the prerequisites by the time the course begins or for which they do not simultaneously enroll in any corequisite. Students may be administratively dropped from any course for which they have not met the prerequisite. If a course has a prerequisite, it is the responsibility of the student to ensure completion of this pre-requisite course first. Any student needing assistance in determining prerequisite or corequisite requirements can reach out to their faculty member or Campus Academic Division office for support.

Remote Student Support Services

If you need academic assistance or need college services but cannot make it to campus, please review NOVA’s Remote Student Support Services to receive virtual assistance. Services provided include enrollment services, advising, tutoring, and financial aid assistance.

TITLE IX

Title IX is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in educational programs, activities, admission, and employment. Complaints of sex-based discrimination, sexual violence, domestic violence, dating violence, and sexual or gender-based harassment are governed by the Title IX Policy. For more information or to make a report, visit the Office of Title IX.

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