Pharoah History 101

Western Civilization to 1600
Northern Virginia
Community College

Hybrid Course
Greek Helmet

Dr. Doug Campbell, Office: LC- 320
Office Hours
docampbell@nvcc.edu

The best way to get in touch with me outside of class is through email, which I check several times a day during business hours. If you need to meet with me in person, making an appointment is always a good idea, even if you want to meet during my office hours. While I am usually in my office during office hours, sometimes I may briefly be away from desk to make copies, check my departmental mail, meet with colleagues, etc.  Making an appointment is the most effective way to ensure you won't have to wait.

Welcome
Themes
Readings
Grading and Due Dates
Expectations
Description of Course Elements
Course Schedule

Welcome to History 101

You just happen to be lucky enough to have enrolled in a class on the history of western civilization.  Seriously. History is enormously interesting, and I love teaching it.   If I do my job correctly, you will love learning about it.  And of course, not only is history fascinating, but it's also valuable in an intellectual sense.  Learning about how people lived in the past can help broaden your horizons, making your outlook less parochial and more cosmopolitan.  It's sort of like traveling to a foreign country without the discomfort of a long, uncomfortable plane ride. History, of course, can also inform your understanding of the present by showing you the deeper roots of problems and trends in the contemporary world.  And finally, a well-taught history course is chock full of practice in all sorts of useful skills that employers are interested in, such as critical thinking, analyzing documents, and crafting well-written arguments based on evidence.  So history can be interesting, can enrich your intellectual life, and make you more money.  What could be more awesome?


One thing to keep in mind with this course, however, is the fact 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 opportunites 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

Surveys the general history of the Western world from about 3000 BCE to 1600 CE and allows students to
reach a basic understanding of the characteristic features of the Western world'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 from earliest times.


Course objectives

Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to:

Course Prerequisites: None

NOTE: This is a hybrid course, so approximately 50% of your work will involve online materials and activities.  This means you must have convenient, regular access to an internet-enabled device to successfully complete this course, and you should plan on spending at least as much time completing online viewing assignments and discussion board conversations as you do on the "in person" parts of the class.
Themes

Our primary goal is to investigate what it means to be human by looking at what humans were like in the past. To that end, this class is going to use several themes as "lenses" through which to examine the human past.  The themes are:


Religion: What is religion? What role does it play in human societies? Is religion an essential part of being human?

Government: What are the origins of human governments?  What are the various forms that government has taken over the centuries? Which forms work best? Which are worst?

Gender: Are different social roles for men and women essential or arbitrary? How have human opinions on gender, marriage, and sexuality changed over time?

Social Class: Are inequalities in wealth and power inherent, appropriate parts of human life or evils to be overcome? On what basis should wealth and power be allocated?

There are of course plenty of other lenses through which to look at the past, but these are a good start and should give plenty of interesting questions to examine for one class.

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.  You will especially need to make sure to complete all of the readings labeled as "Primary Sources" in the schedule for a given week before you come to class that week, because we will usually be discussing those.

It doesn't matter whether you choose to complete the readings using an internet-enabled electronic device or you prefer to print them out and read them the old fashioned way. No matter how you do it though, you should consider all of your readings carefully. Taking notes on them, marking  the most important passages, and jotting down any questions you might have is highly encouraged.

Grading and Due Dates

Your overall grade for the class will consist of the following elements.  Any student who misses more than 2 consecuative weeks of class without notifying the instructor with a valid and documented excuse may be administratively withdrawn from the course by the professor.  Any student who fails to complete more than one of the required assignments may be administratively withdrawn from the course by the professor.  No work for the course will be accepted after Dec. 15-- No exceptions!

Scores will be posted on Blackboard, 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.

Course Element Points Due Date
Attendance and Participation 100 Points Every Class
Discussion Board Posts 200 Points
 (At least 8 at 25 points a piece; The Introduction Post is required.
Posts beyond the required 8 will earn extra credit)
See Course Schedule
Hammurabi Paper (2 pages) 100 Points September 7
Plato and Deuteronomy Paper (2 pages) 100 Points October 7
Online Midterm Exam 50 Points October 21
Source Criticism Paper  (2 pages) 100 Points Proposed sources due as part of the Prospective Bibliography for the Research Paper: Oct. 14
Finished Paper: November 4
Book Review (2 pages) 100 Points Proposed source due as part of the Prospective Bibliography for the Research Paper: Oct. 14
Finished Paper: November 18
Research Paper (4 pages) 200 Points Topic Proposal: September 14
Prospective Bibliography: October 14
Thesis Statement Draft: November 18
Finished Research Paper: December 9
Online Final Exam 50 Points December 14




Grading Scale

Points
Final Course Grade
900-1000 A
800-899 B
700-799 C
600-699 D
599 and Below F

NOTE: The Grade Center in the course's Blackboard page may indicate that your point total is "out of" a certain number of points, or that your grade is equivalent to a certain percentage. Please pay no attention to any of that!  The only thing that matters in determining your grade for the class is the total number of points you have earned in comparison to the grading scale listed above.

Expectations


Guidelines for Conduct During Class Meetings


Disruptive Behavior
: Please be considerate. Disruptive behavior will not be tolerated.  Private conversations during lecture or class discussions, ringing mobile phones, texting, sleeping, or walking into class late or out of class early all distract and disturb your instructor and your classmates, and will count against your participation grade.  Repeated instances of rude behavior may result your removal from the classroom.   If you have a question or a comment on the course material, please raise your hand to be recognized in order to share it with the class.


Electronic Devices: The use of electronic devices is permitted in classes only with the approval of the professor, and with the understanding that such devices are to be used only for class-related purposes.  Class is not the time to browse the internet, send or read email, use social media or game. Electronic devices may be stored by the professor at his discretion at the front of the room for the duration of the class meeting if it seems like they are becoming an obstacle to student learning.

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 campus police immediately.

Make-Ups: For exam sessions, make-ups will not be given other than in the case of a genuine emergency with appropriate documentation (ie, emergency room documents, court summons, etc.)  Missing class due to not feeling well, not being able to get a ride, having to work, and the like are not genuine emergencies. Please plan ahead!

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.

College Closings: If the College is closed because of inclement weather or some other emergency on a day on which class normally meets, I may substitute some sort of online assignment for that particular class session. It is the your responsibility to check the course's Blackboard page and your College email account in a timely manner in order to receive information on the substitute assignment and when it is due.


Guidelines for Written Work


Formatting: Papers should be double spaced, using 12 point Times New Roman font and one inch margins.  All papers must be word processed and submitted through Blackboard as files in .doc, .odt, .pdf, or .rtf format (No .pages format submissions, please! Click here for instructions on submitting assignments).  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:

        NVCC Loudoun's Writing Center       
        Patrick Rael, "Avoid Common Mistakes In Your History Paper"
        Steven Kreis, "Writing the Short Essay"



Citations:  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 this video on "Inserting Chicago Style Footnotes and Endnotes Using Microsoft Word"  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).  You bibliography page does not count toward the page length of your assignment.

Plagiarism:  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 (No exceptions!!!).   Particularly flagrant instances of cheating or multiple instances of plagiarism will result in a grade of "F" for the course. Procedures for disciplinary measures and appeals are outlined in the NOVA Student Handbook.

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 SafeAssign software.

Late Work: Late papers and projects will be accepted for one week after the due date with a one letter grade penalty. After one week, late papers and projects will no longer be accepted.  Late discussion board posts or exams will not be accepted at all.


Guidelines for E-Mail Communication


The easiest way to contact me outside of class is through e-mail.  In order to receive a response to your message, however, your e-mail must contain the following elements, which are all part of the basic etiquette for professional correspondence:


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.

Description of Course Elements


Attendance and Participation


Attendance Policy: Given the fact that participation is part of your grade, your attendance is expected at every class meeting.  You are allowed one unexcused absence for the semester.  You will only receive credit for attending a class session if you are present when I take roll at the beginning of class.  More than one absence without a valid excuse will affect your grade for the course.  Students who miss more than 2 consecutive weeks of class without notifying the instructor with a valid and documented excuse may be administratively withdrawn from the course.

Preparedness: You should make sure that you have completed the assigned readings and any required assignments BEFORE you walk into the first class meeting that week, especially the readings labelled as "Primary Sources."  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 through the use of any appropriate electronic device (NOTE: Smartphone screens are too small to really be useful for this purpose-- use a laptop or a tablet).

Participation: A portion of your grade will be determined by the degree to which you participate in the class discussions on the discussion readings (see Course Schedule).  You should come to class each session having completed all the required readings and ready to discuss them.  I reserve the right to give unannounced  quizzes on any reading material for the week.  Please make sure to adhere to the guidelines for class conduct. Behavior which distracts me and your classmates will count against your participation grade.


Discussion Board Posts


Over the course of the semester, you should complete at least 8 short discussion board posts and responses, which are worth 25 points each. If you choose to complete more than the required 6 postings, you will receive extra credit for each extra one you complete.  Late discussion board posts  are not accepted.

There are complete descriptions of each of the discussion prompts in the Course Schedule, but each should be about half a page long, should present a main argument or thesis which addresses the question(s) posed by the prompts, should support that argument with evidence, and should be written in grammatical and stylistically correct English.  Your post must make it clear that you have watched the assigned video. Generally, you are also asked to respond to at least two of your classmates' posts within 24 hours of the due date for the initial post.  Your responses should contain some sort of substantial comment ot follow up question relevant to the post in question (Simply responding "I agree!", "Me too", and the like do not count as substantial responses). Please follow the guidelines for written work in this class
.

Assignment Due Date
Introduction DIscussion Board Post
August 24
"Guns, Germs, and Steel" Discussion Board Post August 31
"Life and Death on the Nile" Discussion Board Post September 14
Biblical Archaeology DIscussion Board Post September 21
Greek Democracy Discussion Board Post September 28
Julius Caesar Discussion Board Post October 12
New Testament Discussion Board Post October 26
Medieval Lives Discussion Board Post November 16
Conquest Discussion Board Post December 7
Reflective Discussion Board Post December 14



Hammurabi Document Analysis Paper


Read the Code of Hammurabi, and then write a paper at least two double-spaced pages long which answers the following question: "What does this document tell us about attitudes toward gender and social class in ancient Babylon?"  

You should make sure to refer to or quote specific examples from the document in order to support your arguments, and to cite them using Chicago-format footnotes.  


Please follow the guidelines for written work in this class.
 See this rubric for a more detailed description of how you will be graded.



Plato and Deuteronomy Comparative Analysis Paper



Read the Excerpts from the Book of Deuteronomy (5, 9, 12-13, 21-22)  and Plato's Euthyphro, and then write a paper at least two double-spaced pages long which answers the following question: "According to Socrates in Euthyphro, what is the nature of piety (ie, holiness, religious ethics) ?  What do you think Socrates would have to say about the vision of religious ethics in the Book of Deuteronomy?  In what ways did Greek philosophy and ancient Jewish monotheism seem to have approached religious ethics differently?"  Make sure especially to reference the famous Euthyphro Dilemma: "Is the pious loved by the gods because it is pious, or is it pious because it is loved by the gods?”  

You should make sure to refer to or quote specific examples from the documents in order to support your arguments, and to cite them using Chicago-format footnotes.  

Please follow the guidelines for written work in this class.
 See this rubric for a more detailed description of how you will be graded.


Source Criticism Paper


You should select a website dealing with the topic you are using for your Reseach Paper and compare it with an article on the same basic subject  from a history-focused scholarly journal (see below for more detailed information on how to find a scholarly journal article).
Websites should contain orignal content, and cannot be primary source documents, encyclopedia/Wikipedia articles, or reprints of articles published elsewhere. These two sources must be approved by the professor before you can proceed any further with this assignment.  Your proposed sources for the Source Criticism Paper should be uploaded as part of the Prospective Bibliography for the Research Paper using this form. Make sure to check the professor's feedback on your Prospective Bibliography to see if your sources were approved, or if you need to resubmit the form.

Once your sources are approved, you should read them and then, in a paper at least two double-spaced pages long, write a comparative analysis addressing the following main question:  "Which of these two sources would be most useful to scholar researching this topic?"  
Your analysis also ought to consider the following secondary questions:

You should mention the title of the website and the title of the article, the name of the journal, and the name of the author of the scholarly journal article in the introduction of your paper. You should also include the full bibliographic citations for each in a bibliography page.

Please follow the guidelines for written work in this class.  
You do not need to include footnotes for this assignment unless you quote either of your two sources directly, or you consult some source other than the sources you are analyzing. See this rubric for a more detailed description of how you will be graded.


How To Find A Scholarly Journal Article:

A scholarly journal is a periodical which contains research-based articles and reviews by established scholars in a given field.  These sorts of journals are geared towards a professional or academic audience, and are intended to serve as an intellectual resource rather than to earn a profit for the publisher.  In order to have an article published in a scholarly journal, an author must submit it to the editorial board of the journal first.  The editors then will have the prospective article reviewed by other scholars in the field.  Only an article which passes through this process of evaluation by recognized experts ("peer review") can be published in a scholarly journal.  All scholarly journal articles meticulously document their sources of information and contain ample foot or endnotes.  While some scholarly journals make some or all of their content available on the web, a genuine scholarly journal is also always published in paper form so it can become part of the collections of research-oriented libraries.  Consult the NOVA Library's page on scholarly journal articles for more information on what distinguishes a scholarly journal from other sorts of periodicals.

Just a few examples of some of the most prominent scholarly journals dealing with ancient or medieval history include The American Historical ReviewThe Journal of Ancient History, The Journal of Roman Studies, Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Studies, Classical Antiquity, Clio, The Medieval Review, Speculum: A Journal of Medieval Studies, Renaissance Quarterly, The Journal of Medieval and Early Modern Studies, and Past and Present (This is not a complete list-- there are many, many more!).  Please note that magazines like History TodayNational Geographic Magazine, and American History certainly contain interesting material, they are intended for a popular audience rather than a professional academic one, and hence do not qualify as scholarly journals.

Not too terribly long ago, the only place one could go to access a scholarly journal was an academic library.  These days, however, many journals allow readers to access their contents online. The best place to start is JSTOR, a service which provides the full text of articles from several hundred different scholarly journals.  You can use JSTOR for free by accessing it through the NVCC Library's site.  

You can access JSTOR from the NOVA library's homepage.  Go to http://www.nvcc.edu/library/

Click on the "Articles" tab;
then click "Databases by Subject";
the click "History (HIS)";
then click "JSTOR" and login with the same id you would use to access My NOVA.

Once in JSTOR, you should select the "advanced search" option, scroll down to "Narrow by Item Type" and click the "Articles" box, and then scroll down again to "Narrow by discipline and/or publication title:" and click the "History" box.

Then plug in your search topic and see what comes up.

You also might want to consult the Research Guide for this class prepared by the College research librarians.




Book Review Paper


You should select a scholarly monograph (ie, a book written on a specialized topic by a recognized scholar) dealing with the topic you are using for your Reseach Paper.  This book cannot be an encyclopedia, a sourcebook, a children's book, or a collection of essays or historical documents.  The book you have chosen must be approved by the professor before you can proceed any further with this assignment.   Your proposed scholarly monograph should be uploaded as part of the Prospective Bibliography for the Research Paper using this form. Make sure to check the professor's feedback on your Prospective Bibliography to see if your scholarly monograph was approved, or if you need to resubmit the form.

Once your scholarly monograph is approved, you should read it and then, in a paper at least two double-spaced pages long, write book review addressing the following main question:  "How useful would this book be to scholar researching this topic?"  
Your analysis also ought to consider the following secondary questions:

Please note that you should definitely not comment on whether you found the book entertaining or boring.  I certainly hope you enjoyed the book, but whether you did or not is not actually relevant to a consideration of how useful the author's work might be to scholars and researchers.

The title of your paper should be the full bibliographic citation of the book you are reviewing (author, title, publisher, year, pages) in Chicago format. See the following links for more infromation on how to write a scholarly book review.

How to Write a History Book Review
Writing a Book Review

To find an appropriate scholarly mongraph, I would recommend that you consult the NOVA library's website.  You can easily order any book from any NOVA campus' library and have it delivered to the campus of your choice.  There are also quite a few books available as e-books as well.As a NOVA student you have borrowing privileges at GMU’s libraries. To check items out you must have a valid NOVACard and a copy of your registration for the current semester. For more information, visit the GMU Circulation webpage.  Visit the GMU Library website to search for titles.  You also might want to consult the Research Guide for this class prepared by the College research librarians.

Please follow the guidelines for written work in this class.  
You do not need to include footnotes for this assignment unless you quote the book directly, or you consult some other source. See this rubric for a more detailed description of how you will be graded.


Research Paper


As the capstone of your work in the course, you will complete a Research Paper which is at least 4 double-spaced pages long, and which draws together all of the skills you have acquired over the course of the semester.  

Research Question:

 Your paper should attempt to answer a specific question relevent to the subject matter of the coursewhich deals with one or more of the themes of the course (religion, government, gender, and social class) and discuss how it/they have changed over time.  

The themes themselves are too broad to be the focus or your paper, so your topic should narrow the focus down in some way (For example, the topic, "What was religion in Western Civilization like?" is too broad).  On the other hand, I would like you to pick a topic that allows you to examine changes over a considerable span of time and across several different historical societies. Here are some sample research questions as examples.  You are free to pick one of these or suggest your own.  As a reminder, you will also have to pick two of the ancient or medieval societies listed below to examine for the question.

In addition to selecting a research question, your paper should also deal with at least two of the following ancient or medieval societies:

Proposed paper topics should be sent to the professor by June 13.  Any topic changes later in the semester must likewise be approved by the professor.
 
Sources:

 In terms of evidence, you should feel free to draw from sources you have already considered for your other course work.  At a minimum, however, your paper must refer to and correctly cite:

Here are a few links to online collections that include primary source documents:


You should make sure to refer to or quote specific examples from the sources in order to support your arguments, and to cite them using Chicago-format footnotes.  Please follow the guidelines for written work in this class.  See this rubric for a more detailed description of how you will be graded.

The relevant due dates and point worth of the various elements of the Research Paper are as follows:

Research Paper Element Description Points Due Date
Topic Proposal You should fill out and submit this form describing the research question which you would like to examine, which theme(s) you will be examining, and the two ancient or medieval societies on which your paper will focus. 5 Points Sept. 14
Prospective Bibliography You should fill out and submit this form, which includes a list of all of the sources which you intend to use in your paper.  40 Points Oct. 14
Thesis Statement Draft You should submit a draft of your thesis statement for the paper.  The statement should clearly and specifically state the main argument(s) which you intend to make in your research paper. Your thesis draft does not need to be any longer than a single sentence, but itmust be submitted at least 48 hours before your Finished Research Paper in order to receive credit. 5 Points Nov.16
Finished Research Paper You should submit a final draft of at least 4 double-spaced pages which advances a clear main argument regarding your topic, and which supports that topic with specific evidence drawn from the primary and secondary sources listed in your bibliography. 150 Points Nov. 30


Exams


There are two exams for this course which are each worth 50 points and which will be taken online outside of class.  The Midterm Exam deals with material from the first half of the course and the Final Exam deals with material from the second half.  Each exam will feature a 10 item Map Quiz and 20 multiple choice questions, and an essay.  You will have 120 minutes to complete each exam

For the Map Quiz, you will be given a list of ten locations from the following list and asked to place them on a blank map of the Western World.

Baghdad Nile River Sumer Constantipole Athens Sparta
Aachen Florence Rome Greece Mediterranean Sea Alexandria
Carthage Jerusalem Babylon Persepolis Danube River France
Black Sea
Mecca Italy London Judea Spain
Arabia Rhine River Norway Paris Vienna Scotland
Volga River Spain Hungary Tunisia Medina Russia
         

You are allowed to use your notes for these exams.  Any books, articles, or online materials you use for the essay MUST be appropriately cited, however.

Good Luck


Course Schedule

Week 1
In Person August 23:


"Why Bother Studying History?"
Secondary Sources to Read Before Class:  Kreis, "The Proper Attitude;" "Why Study History?;"Taking Notes in Class; "
Damen, "
History and What-Really-Happened."

On Cognitive Biases: Confirmation Bias, The Backfire Effect (This contains salty language.  Feel free to read the classroom version if you prefer to avoid that), The Texas Sharpshooter Fallacy, The Dunning-Kruger Effect.

Online this Week:
Required Introduction Discussion Post, Due by 11:59pm,  Aug. 24 You should post an introduction on the appropriate class discussion board.  
  • Your introduction should include a brief description of your background, interests outside of class, and how the course will help you to achieve your goals in life.
  • You should also pick the one of the cognitive biases described in the readings for Week 1 and discuss why think you are particularly susceptible to it.
  • Then you should also read all of the postings by your classmates and respond to at least 2 of them.  
Students who do not complete this assignment may be withdrawn from the course.



Week 2
In Person August 30:


"The Neolithic Era"
Primary Sources to Read Before Class: Look at some of the Paleolithic art from Chauvet Cave;
Secondary Sources to Read Before Class:  "Kreis, "What is Civilization?;"
Damen, "The Indo-Europeans and Historical Linguistics;"

Online this Week:
Videos to Watch: "The Agricultural Revolution: Crash Course World History #1, (2012, 11:00 min.)"
"Guns, Germs, and Steel: Out of Eden, (2004, 54:19 min., requires MyNOVA login to view). "
Guns, Germs, and Steel Discussion Post, Due by 11:59 pm, August 31. Write a post of at least 100 words answering the following questions.  "According to Jared Diamond in 'Guns, Germs, and Steel: Out of Eden,' what factors best explain the greater prosperity of the Fertle Crescent in comparison to New Guinea? Do you find his argument convincing?  How is the topic relevant to a discussion of the origins of Western Civilization?" and post it to the appropriate class discussion board.  Your post must make it clear that you have watched the assigned video. Then you should also read all of the postings by your classmates and respond to at least 2 of them in some substantial way.


Week 3
In Person September 6:
"The Rise of 'Civilization'"
Primary Sources to Read Before Class: The Code of Hammurabi (c. 1754);
Secondary Sources to Read Before Class:  Damen, "The Origins and Invention of Writing," "The ABG's of History," "Women and Historical Biography; "

Online this Week:
Videos to Watch: "Rethinking Civilization - Crash Course World History 201, (2014, 13:42 min.)"
Mesopotamia: Crash Course World History #3, (2014, 12:06 min.)"
"Ancient Egypt: Crash Course World History #4, (2014, 11:55 min.)"
Assignments to Complete:
Hammurabi Paper on The Code of Hammurabi due by 11:59 pm, September 7



Week 4
In Person September 13:
"The Ancient Near East"
Primary Sources to Read Before Class: Penitential Prayer to Every God;
"The Flood Story" from The Epic of Gilgamesh

Secondary Sources to Read Before Class:  Kreis, ""Ancient Western Asia and the Civilization of Mesopotamia;" "Egyptian Civilization;"

Online this Week:
Videos to Watch: "Thebes, Part 1: Life on the West Bank of the Nile (2009, 26:47 min., requires MyNOVA login to view)"
"Thebes, Part 2: Death on the West Bank of the Nile (2009, 27:24 min., requires MyNOVA login to view) "
Life and Death on the Nile Discussion Post, Due by 11:59 pm, Sept. 14

Write a post of at least 100 words answering the following questions:  "After viewing 'Thebes Parts 1 and 2,' describe at least two interesting things you learned about Egypt which relate to the themes of the class (religion, government, gender and social class).  Why did you find these things intriguing?" and post it to the appropriate class discussion board.  Your post must make it clear that you have watched the assigned video. Then you should also read all of the postings by your classmates and respond to at least 2 of them in some substantial way.
Assignments to Complete:
Topic Proposal for the Research Paper due by 11:59 pm, Sept. 14 using this form.  Make sure to check the professor's feedback on Blackboard to see if your topic has been approved, or if you need to resubmit this assignment.




Week 5
In Person September 20:
"The Origins of Monotheism"
Primary Sources to Read Before Class: Excerpts from The Book of Genesis (1-3, 6-8, 22);
Excerpts from the Book of Deuteronomy (5, 9, 12-13, 21-22).
Secondary Sources to Read Before Class:  Campbell, "Ancient Religion," "Evolution Toward Monotheism, "Israelite Religion;"
Kreis, The Akkadians, Egyptians and the Hebrews."
Damen, "Akhenaten and Monotheism," "The Old Testament and Its Authors."

Online this Week:
Videos to Watch: "Did King David's Empire Exist?: The Bible's Buried Secrets, Part I" (2011, 52:23 min., requires MyNOVA login to view)
"Did God have a Wife?: The Bible's Buried Secrets, Part II" (2011, 51:51 min., requires MyNOVA login to view)
Biblical Archaeology
Discussion Post, Due by
11:59 pm, Sept. 21
Write a post of at least 100 words answering the following questions:  "After viewing 'Did King David's Empire Exist?: The Bible's Buried Secrets, Part I,' how well do the findings of archaeology match the content of the Bible?  Should the Bible be used as a source to study ancient history?  Why or why not?" and post it to the appropriate class discussion board.  Your post must make it clear that you have watched the assigned video. Then you should also read all of the postings by your classmates and respond to at least 2 of them in some substantial way.



Week 6
In Person Septmeber 27:
"Classical Greece"
Primary Sources to Read Before Class: Excerpts from the poetry of Sappho of Lesbos, c. 630 BCE;
Aristotle on the Good Wife  BCE
Secondary Sources to Read Before Class:  Damen, "Archaeology: Troy and Heinrich Schliemann;" 
Kreis, "Homer and the Greek Renaissance, 900-600BC," "The Athenian Origins of Direct Democracy," "Classical Greece, 500-323BC;" " Greek Thought: Socrates, Plato and Aristotle," "From Polis to Cosmopolis: Alexander the Great and the Hellenistic World, 323-30 B.C. "

Kreis,  "Early Roman Civilization, 753-509BC," " Republican Rome, 509-31BC," "Augustus Caesar and the Pax Romana," " A Brief Social History of the Roman Empire," "The Decline and Fall of Rome," "Byzantine Civilization,"
Damen, "Roman Cults and Worship;"  "The Fall of Rome: Facts and Fictions;"  "Architecture: Culture and Space," 

Online this Week:
Videos to Watch: The Greeks: Crucible of Civilization-Part 1, (1999, 45:56 min., requires MyNOVA login to view)
The Greeks: Crucible of Civilization-Part 3, (1999 40:41 min., requires MyNOVA login to view)
Greek Democracy Discussion Post, due by 11:59 pm, Sept. 28

Write a post of at least 100 words answering the following questions: "Based on the circumstances described surrounding the rise of Athenian democracy in 'Crucible of CIvilization, Part 1,' what are some of the advantages of rule by the people as a system of government.  Based on the events described in Part 3, what are some of the advantages and drawbacks of democracy?" and post it to the appropriate class discussion board.  Your post must make it clear that you have watched the assigned video. Then you should also read all of the postings by your classmates and respond to at least 2 of them in some substantial way.



Week 7
In Person October 4:
"Greek Culture and the Hellenistic Era"

"Christianity and Islam"
Primary Sources to Read Before Class: Plato, Euthyphro.  
This is not the easiet source to read.  You might wish to consult this outline, which does a good job of succinctly summarizing some of what is discussed in the dialogue.
Secondary Sources to Read Before Class:  Kreis, " Greek Thought: Socrates, Plato and Aristotle," "From Polis to Cosmopolis: Alexander the Great and the Hellenistic World, 323-30 B.C.,"

Kreis, " Christianity as a Cultural Revolution," "The Church Fathers: St. Jerome and St. Augustine,  "Islamic Civilization;"
Damen, "Early Christianity and the Church,"  "The Nature and Triumph of Islam;"
Campbell, "Early Monotheism;"

Online this Week:
Videos to Watch: The Persians & Greeks: Crash Course World History #5 (2012, 11:38 min.)
Alexander the Great and the Situation ... the Great? Crash Course World History #8 (2012, 11:01 min.)

Assignments to Complete:
Plato and Deuteronomy Paper due by 11:59 pm, October 7.


Week 8
In Person October 11:
"The Roman Republic"
Primary Sources to Read Before Class: Polybius, "An Analysis of the Roman Government (Excerpt from Histories);
Secondary Sources to Read Before Class:  Kreis,  "Early Roman Civilization, 753-509BC," " Republican Rome, 509-31BC,"
Damen, "Roman Cults and Worship;"

Online this Week:
Videos to Watch: The Roman Empire. Or Republic. Or...Which Was It?: Crash Course World History #10 (2012, 12:25 min.)
Rome: Rise of an Empire. 3. Julius Caesar, (2008, 44:50 min., requires MyNOVA login to view)
Julius Caesar Discussion Post, due by 11:59 pm, October 12
Write a post of at least 100 words answering the following questions: "After viewing 'Rome: RIse of an Empire 3. Julius Caesar,' what are the circumstances that allowed Caesar to assume control of the Rome? Do you think he thought he was destroying the Republic or saving it? Are any of these lessons relevant to the modern American republic?" and post it to the appropriate class discussion board.  Your post must make it clear that you have watched the assigned video. Then you should also read all of the postings by your classmates and respond to at least 2 of them in some substantial way.
Assignments to Complete:
Prospective Bibliography for the Research Paper due by 11:59 pm, Oct. 14 using this form. Several of the sources you propose here will also be used for the Source Criticism Paper and the Book Review Paper. Make sure to check the professor's feedback on Blackboard to see if your sources have been approved, or if you need to resubmit this assignment.



Week 9
In Person October 18:
"The Roman Empire"
Primary Sources to Read: Selections from "The Acts of the Divine Augustus."
Secondary Sources to Read:  Kreis, "Augustus Caesar and the Pax Romana," " A Brief Social History of the Roman Empire".

Online this Week:
Videos to Watch: "The Roman Empire in the First Century: Order from Chaos" (2009, 53:06, requires MyNOVA login to view).
Assignments to Complete:

Midterm Exam due by 11:59 pm October 21



Week 10
In Person October 25:
"The Origins of Christianity"
Primary Sources to Read: Excerpts from the Letters of St. Paul
Excerpts from the Gospel According to Luke 
Secondary Sources to Read:  Kreis, " Christianity as a Cultural Revolution," "The Church Fathers: St. Jerome and St. Augustine,"
Damen, "Early Christianity and the Church," 
Campbell, "Early Monotheism;"

Online this Week:
Videos to Watch: From Jesus to Christ, Part 2, (PBS, 1998, 51:09 min.)
From Jesus to Christ, Part 3, (PBS,1998, 51:10 min.)
New Testament Discussion Post,
Due by 11:59 pm, October 26
Write a post of at least 100 words answering the following questions: "After Watching 'From Jesus to Christ, Part 3,' how clear a picture of the life of the historical Jesus can we get from the New Testament documents?  How are these documents useful for understanding Christianity?" and post it to the appropriate class discussion board. Your post must make it clear that you have watched the assigned video. Then you should also read all of the postings by your classmates and respond to at least 2 of them in some substantial way.



Week 11
In Person November 1:
"The Spread of Christianity and the Fall of Rome"
Primary Sources to Read: Excerpts from the Gospel of Thomas;
The Nicene Creed, a.D. 325
Secondary Sources to Read:  Kreis,  "The Decline and Fall of Rome," "Byzantine Civilization;"
Damen, "The Fall of Rome: Facts and Fictions;"  "Architecture: Culture and Space," 

Online this Week:
Videos to Watch: Christianity from Judaism to Constantine: Crash Course World History #11(2012, 11:36 min.)
Fall of The Roman Empire...in the 15th Century: Crash Course World History #12 (2012, 12:43 min.)
Assignments to Complete:
Source Criticism Paper due by 11:59 pm, November 4



Week 12
In Person November 8:
"Islamic Civilization"
Primary Sources to Read: Excerpts from the Qu'ran
Secondary Sources to Read:  Kreis,  "Islamic Civilization;"
Damen, "The Nature and Triumph of Islam;"

Online this Week:
Videos to Watch: Islam, the Quran, and the Five Pillars All Without a Flamewar: Crash Course World History #13 (2012, 12:52 min.)
On The Trail Of World Religions: Islam (Telepool, 1999, 55:44 min., requires MyNOVA login to view)
Assignments to Complete:

Book Review Paper due by 11:59 pm, November 18




Week 13
In Person  November 15:
"The Early Middle Ages"
Primary Sources to Read: Excerpts from Beowulf, c. 11th c. CE
Secondary Sources to Read:  Kreis, "Early Medieval Monasticism," "Charlemagne and the Carolingian Renaissance," "Feudalism and the Feudal Relationship," " European Agrarian Society: Manorialism," "Medieval Society: The Three Orders;"

Online this Week:
Videos to Watch: The Dark Ages...How Dark Were They, Really?: Crash Course World History #14 (2012, 12:07 min.)
Medieval Lives: The Peasant (2004, 29:11 min.)
Medieval Lives: The Monk (2004, 28:51 min.)
Medieval Lives: The Damsel (2004, 29:11 min.)
Medieval Lives: The Knight (2004, 29:09 min.)
Medieval Lives Discussion Post, Due by 11:59 pm, Nov.16 Write a post of at least 100 words answering the following questions:  "After viewing the various 'Medieval Lives' videos, describe at least two interesting things you learned about medieval Europe which relate to the themes of the class (religion, government, gender and social class).  Why did you find these things intriguing?" and post it to the appropriate class discussion board. Your post must make it clear that you have watched the assigned video. Then you should also read all of the postings by your classmates and respond to at least 2 of them in some substantial way.
Assignments to Complete:
Thesis Statement Draft for the Research Paper due by 11:59 pm, Nov. 18.  You should submit a draft of your thesis statement for the paper.  The statement should clearly state the main argument(s) which you intend to make in your research paper. Your thesis draft does not need to be any longer than a single sentence.



No Class November 22 (Thanksgiving)


Week 14
In Person November 29:
"The Crusades and the High Middle Ages"
Primary Sources to Read: Urban II (1088-1099): Speech at Council of Clermont, 1095, Five versions of the Speech;
Geoffrey Chaucer, "Prologue" from The Canterbury Tales
Secondary Sources to Read:  Kreis, "The Medieval World View,"   "The Holy Crusades," "The 12th Century Renaissance,""Heretics, Heresies and the Church" "Aquinas and Dante," "Satan Triumphant: The Black Death,"  "In the Wake of the Black Death."
Damen, "The Crusades and Medieval Christianity;" "Man and Disease: The Black Death."  

Online this Week:
Videos to Watch: The Crusades - Pilgrimage or Holy War?: Crash Course World History #15 (2012, 11:32 min.)
Holy War: The Crusades (2012, 48:11 min., requires MyNOVA login to view)
Assignments to Complete:
Research Paper due by 11:59 pm, December 9.




Week 15
In Person December 6:
"Rebirth"
Primary Sources to Read: Dante Alighieri, Excerpts from The Inferno (1321);
Niccolo Machiavelli,
Excerpts from The Prince (1513)
Secondary Sources to Read:  Kreis, "Renaissance Portraits,"  The Protestant Reformation," "The Impact of Luther and the Radical Reformation," "The Catholic Reformation." "Europe in the Age of Religious Wars, 1560-1715."  

Online this Week:
Videos to Watch: The Renaissance: Was it a Thing? - Crash Course World History #22 (2012, 11:32 min.)
The Renaissance, Reformation, and Beyond: Towards a Modern Europe (1997, 24:52 min., requires MyNOVA login to view)
Columbus, de Gama, and Zheng He! 15th Century Mariners. Crash Course: World History #21 (2012, 10:37 min.)
Guns, Germs, and Steel: Conquest (2004, 54:49 min., requires MyNOVA login to view) 
Conquest Discussion Post, Due by 11:59 pm, Dec. 7 Write a post of at least 100 words answering the following questions.  "According to Jared Diamond in 'Guns, Germs, and Steel: Conquest,' what factors best explain the European conquest of the Americas? Do you find his argument convincing? Why or why not?" and post it to the appropriate class discussion board. Your post must make it clear that you have watched the assigned video. Then you should also read all of the postings by your classmates and respond to at least 2 of them in some substantial way.



Week 16
In Person December 13:
"New Worlds"
Primary Sources to Read: Galileo Galilei, " Letter to the Grand Duchess Christina of Tuscany, 1615."
Secondary Sources to Read:  Kreis, "The Age of Discovery," "The Scientific Revolution, 1543-1600," "The Scientific Revolution, 1600-1642."  

Online this Week:
Reflective Discussion Post, due by 11:59 pm Dec. 14 Describe one thing that you think was helpful about the course, and one thing that you think could be improved.  Then describe one thing that you did well in your work for the class, and one thing about your work that you would like to improve in the future. You are encouraged to respond to your classmates' posts as well.
Assignments to Complete:

Final Exam due by 11:59 pm Dec. 14