Royal Mask, 16th
              c. Benin History 112

World Civilization Post
1500
Taipei 101
              Tower

Dr. Doug Campbell, docampbell@nvcc.edu

Office Hours in LC-320: Mondays and Wednesdays, 10-11am, 12:30-1:00 pm; Tuesdays and Thursdays 3-4 pm
Office Hours via Zoom Appointment: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1pm-3pm, Thursday, 6-7pm
Please e
mail me at least 24 hours in advance to schedule an appointment if you need to consult during office hours.

Note: This is a "Hybrid" online class, which means that half of the class sessions will be conducted on Tuesday evenings at 7 pm through a synchronous Zoom session, while the other half will feature asynchronous online activities such as online documentary viewings and discussion board posts which can be completed at any point before the specified due date.



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

Welcome to History 112

This is class about the past 500 years of humanity's existence, and 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: Surveys the history of Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas from approximately 1500 CE through the present.  Lecture 3 hours per week. 3 credits. This is a Passport Transfer course. 

General Course Purpose:  HIS 112 surveys the general history of the world from approximately 1500 CE through the present and allows students to reach a basic understanding of the characteristic features of the world’s early historical development. Students will learn about important political, economic, social, intellectual, cultural and religious changes that shaped the world in this period of time. Connections and comparisons of human societies are made across space and time. 

Course Prerequisite/Corequisite:  None 

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

Written Communication
• Express an understanding of forces that foster global connections among places, persons, groups, and/or knowledge systems through written activities. 

Critical Thinking
• Explain human and social experiences and activities from multiple perspectives from 1500 CE through the present.
• Compare and contrast multiple perspectives or theories on global processes and systems throughout time. 
• Describe how global relations impact individual lives and the lives of others over time.
• Develop multiple historic literacies by analyzing primary sources of various kinds (texts, images, music) and using these sources as evidence to support interpretation of historical events.  

The Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries: Suggested Context Trans-Oceanic and Trans-Continental Trade (ex. the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, Indian Ocean trade, Eurasian trade), Overseas Empires and Land-based Empires (ex. Spain, the Ottoman Empire, the Qing dynasty, Muscovy), The rise of the nation-state, Columbian Exchange, European Intellectual Movement
• Identify the causes of the rise of modern states.
• Analyze the development and impact of culture, economics, politics, society, technology, and religious and philosophical ideas.
• Compare and contrast global and trans-oceanic connections.
• Analyze complex primary and secondary sources.
• Identify trans-global systems.  

The Long Eighteenth Century: Suggested Context The Enlightenment, The Age of Revolutions (ex. Latin America, Haiti, USA, France), Nationalism and national identities (ex. France, Latin America, North America, the Caribbean), The Qing Dynasty, 
• Identify the causes of the rise of modern states.
• Analyze the development and impact of culture, economics, politics, society, technology, and religious and philosophical ideas.
• Compare and contrast global and trans-oceanic connections.
• Analyze complex primary and secondary sources.
• Examine the origins of nationalism and national identities. 

The Nineteenth Century: Suggested Context The Race to Industrialization (ex. Europe, Asia, Latin America), Imperialism and Neo-Imperialism, Nationalism and national identities (ex. Italian and German unification), Resistance to Colonialism 
• Analyze the development and impact of culture, economics, politics, society, technology, and religious and philosophical ideas.
• Compare and contrast global and trans-oceanic connections.
• Analyze complex primary and secondary sources.
• Examine the causes of and impact of industrialization and imperialism.
• Examine the continuation and growth of nationalism and national identities. 

The Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries: Suggested Context The World Wars, The Cold War, Anti-colonial movements (ex. India, China, Pan-Africanism, Latin America), Decolonization (ex. in Africa and Asia), Globalization 
• Analyze the development and impact of culture, economics, politics, society, technology, and religious and philosophical ideas.
• Compare and contrast global and trans-oceanic connections.
• Analyze complex primary and secondary sources.
• Examine movements of decolonization, liberation movements and resistance to imperialism. 

Major Topics to be Included: 
The Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries
The Long Eighteenth Century 
The Nineteenth Century
The Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries


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.  For most students, the opt out deadline will be February 6.  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.  No work for the course will be accepted after May 12 -- no exceptions!

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.

Course Element Points Due Date
Attendance and Participation 10% Every Class Session
First Video Movie Review
5%
1st Part of the Semester
Second Video Movie Review
5%
2nd Part of the Semester
Third Video Movie Review
5%
3rd Part of the Semester
Eight Discussion Board Reaction Posts
5%
Variable
Book Review (2 pages) 10% Source Proposal due March 2
Finished Review due April 6
Annotated_Bibliography, Part 1
Annotated_Bibliography, Part 2 
20% Part 1 due April 20
Part 2 due April 27
Research Project
20% Topic Proposal Due February 23
Finished Project Due May 4
Project Interview no later than May 12
Exams 20% Midterm Exam Due March 30
Final Exam Due May 11

Grading Scale

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


Expectations


You will need access to the internet and word processing software for this class.  You should be familiar with using Canvas (the College's learning management system) in order to submit assignments and view your grades, and you should regularly check announcements posted to the course Canvas page and your NOVA email account, which are the only ways I have of getting in touch with you outside of class.

Guidelines for Conduct During Class Meetings


You are responsible for being present and attentive during class. Late arrival to class may result in being marked as absent for the class session.

Disruptive Behavior: Please be considerate. Disruptive behavior will not be tolerated.  Private conversations during lecture or class discussions 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.

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.

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.

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 the professor if you would like prior notification of lectures containing discussions of the effecting topics. 

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.


Guidelines for Written Work


Formatting: 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
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.

Late Work Major assignments 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.



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:


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 two 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.  Please note that you should definitely not come to class if you suspect you may have an infectious illness. Let me know and I can excuse the absence-- thanks!

Preparedness: You should make sure that you have completed the assigned readings and any required assignments BEFORE you log into the class meeting that week. 

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.

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.


Video Movie Reviews and Short Reaction Posts

In addition to the class sessions, every week students will be asked to view various historical movies, and to participate in a series of online discussion boards. You must complete at least 3 in-depth long movie review  (one for each of the three parts of the semester), and 8 shorter discussion board reaction posts responding to your classmates reviews.

Video Movie Reviews:
Filmmakers have mined historical events for inspiration, developed deeper insight into those specific time periods, and examined the personal stories present in all historical causation.  The goal of these assignments is to assess the historical accuracy of a some of theses movies, how these films compare with the primary source documents we examine in class, and the material presented in the textbook.  For each of the 3 parts of the semester, you will have to select a movie from the list provided and record a 5-8 minute video review which will be posted on the relevant discussion board.

Your review should contain the following analysis:

I do not expect you to know all of the relevant historical nuances of a movie, therefore you will have to consult outside sources and resources in order to complete this assignment.  You need to have at least three sources, not including the movie itself.  Make sure to list the sources alongside your video review on the discussion board.  Try to keep you speak as natural and conversational as possible. To not just read robotically off of a written script. Do not plagiarize or use A.I. to generate your review. 


Short Movie Reaction Posts:


If you are not reviewing a movie for that particular week, you still need to watch one of the movies listed for that week. You should also watch all of your classmates' video reviews posted to the appropriate Canvas Discussion board for that week and then to reply to one of the video movie reviess with a 100-150 word post (1-2 paragraphs) comparing and/or contrasting their interpretation with the movie you selected (only one student reply per hybrid movie assignment is necessary).
Your response should provide the following analysis:

The movies available to watch this semester are listed below, along with the services on which they were available at the beginning of the semester. Unfortunately sometimes availability changes without notice, so make sure to double check the availability of the movie well in advance. You may also propose a movie that you think would be a good choice for reviewing-- send the professor a message explaining the alternate movie you propose to review, which you think it's relevant to that week's topic, and how it is available (ie, which streaming service, etc.)


Most of the movies and documentaries are located in the following locations. I have tried to select resources which are available free of charge, but this was not always possible. You can rent or purchase the movies from some of the places listed below, as well.  Some streaming services offer student discounts:  you’re a student, use the discount!
I am not asking you, nor do I want you, to download illegal or pirated copies of the movies. If necessary, in-person NOVA Library at Loudoun – some single copies of some of the movies are available to be checked out for in-library use.

Sign-up sheets for each part of the semester will be provided for students to select movies. No more than 3 students may review each movie and movie selection is available on a first come, first served basis.

These movies are a very mixed bag, ranging from shallow propaganda to some of the best films in the history of cinema. WARNING: Some of the them contain outmoded racist, sexist, and homophobic views. Some of them contain frank depictions of sexual assault, bigotry, oppression, war, murder, and genocide. Please make sure to do a quick internet search about the contents of these films if they depict situations you would find traumatic to view, and avoid watching those particular movies. It is your responsibility to check in advance to avoid content which you find objectionable.


List of Movies for the Semester

First Part of the Semester
Video Movie Review Post Due Date Short Reaction Post Due Date
(only if you did not sign up for a review this week)
Week 2 Movies (Pre-Modern Empires):

Seven Samurai (1954, dir. Akira Kurosawa, available free on Kanopy with a MyNOVA login)
Taj Mahal (1963, dir. M. Sadiq, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZUChE_wFJE-- Hindi without subtitles, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-dhjqigdRU, russian dubbed with subtitles)
Elizabeth (1998, dir. Shekhar Kapur, rent or buy online)
God of War (2017, dir. Gordon Chan, available free on Tubi)
The Turks Are Coming: Sword of Justice (2020, dir. Kamil Ayden, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_YD4I6FVCk)
February 13
February 15
Week 3 Movies (Conquest of the Western Hemisphere)

Aguirre, The Wrath of God (1972, dir. Werner Herzog, available free on Tubi)
Dispute in Valladolid (1992, dir. Jean-Daniel Verhaeghe,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOCDdikVRSo)
Apocalypto (2006, dir. Mel Gibson, available free on Tubi)
The Revenant (2015, dir. Alejandro G. Iραrritu, available on Max)
Prey (2022, dir. Dan Trachtenberg, available on Hulu)
February 20
February 21
Week 4 Movies (The Slave Trade and the Atlantic World)

The Black Swan (1942, dir. Henry King, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wflu6wgzCSc)
Sankofa (1993, dir. Haile Gerima, available on Netflix)
Amistad (1997, dir. Steven Spielberg, available on Amazon Prime and Sling TV)
12 Years A Slave (2013, dir. Steve McQueen, available free on FilmsOnDemand with a MyNOVA login)
Vazante (2017, dir. Daniela Thomas, available free on Tubi)

February 27
February 28
Week 5 Movies (Enlightenment and Revolutions)
Danton (1983, dir Andrzej Wajda, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpnT4xBr8-I)
Amadeus (1984, dir. Milos Forman, rent or buy online)
Quills (2000, dir. Philip Kaufman, available free on FilmsOnDemand with a MyNOVA login)
Master & Commander (2003, dir. Peter Weir, available free on FilmsOnDemand with a MyNOVA login)
Toussaint Louverture (2012, dir. Philippe Niang, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gau8RGiT5Do)
March 6
March 7


Second Part of the Semester
Video Movie Review Due Date Short Reaction Post Due Date
(only if you did not sign up for a review this week)
Week 6 Movies (Industrialization)

Modern Times (1934, dir. Charlie Chaplin, available free on Kanopy with a MyNOVA login)
Germinal (1993, dir. Claude Berry, available free on Tubi)
The Young Marx (2017, dir. Raoul Peck, available free on Freevee )
Peterloo (2018, dir. Mike Leigh, available free on Freevee and Amazon Prime)
March 13
March 14
Week 7 Movies (Neo-Imperialism)

Clive of India (1935, dir. Richard Boleslawski, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gUkBja_S6E)
Lawrence of Arabia (1962, dir. David Lean, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9boARnzvG8)
The Man Who Would Be King (1975, dir. John Huston, available free on Tubi)
Zulu Dawn (1979, dir. Douglas Hickox, available free on Tubi)
Amigo (2011, dir. John Sayles, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6eBb9K4CH0)

March 27

March 28
Week 8 Movies (Culture & Identity in the Early 20th Century)

All Quiet on the Western Front (1930, dir. Lewis Milestone, available free on Tubi)
Viva Zapato (1952, dir. Elia Kazan, available free on FilmsOnDemand with a MyNOVA login)
Paths of Glory (1957, dir. Stanley Kubrick, available free on Tubi)
Fiddler on the Roof (1971, dir. Norman Jewison, available free on Tubi)
The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014, dir. Wes Anderson, available free on FilmsOnDemand with a MyNOVA login)
Dance of the 41 (2020, dir. David Pablos, available on Netflix)
April 3
April4
Week 9 Movies (Communist Revolutions)

Battleship Potemkin (1923, dir. Sergei Eisentstein, available free on Kanopy with a MyNOVA login)
Dr. Zhivago (1965, dir. David Lean, available free on Tubi)
The Killing Fields (1984, dir. Roland Joffι, available free on Swank Digital Campus with a MyNOVA login)
The Last Emperor (1987, dir Bernardo Bertolucci, available on Max)
Mao's Last Dancer (2009, dir. Bruce Beresford, available free on Tubi)
The Death of Stalin (2017, dir. Armando Iannucci, available free on Pluto)
April10 April11

Third Part of the Semester
Video Movie Review Due Date Short Reaction Post Due Date
(only if you did not sign up for a review this week)
Week 10 Movies (World War II)

Children of Hiroshima (1952, dir. Kaneto Shindo, available free on Tubi)
The Pianist (2002, dir. Roman Polanski, available free on Tubi)
Downfall (2004, dir. Oliver Hirschbiegel, available free on Tubi)
Letters From Iwo Jima (2006, dir. Clint Eastwood, rent or buy online)
Pan’s Labyrinth (2006, dir. Guillermo del Toro, free on Tubi)
The Imitation Game (2014, dir. Morten Tyldum, available on Tubi and Netflix)
April17 April18
Week 11 Movies (Decolonization)

The Battle of Algiers (1967, dir. Gillo Pontecorvo, available on Max)
Touki Bouki (1973, dir. Djibril Diop Mambιty, available free on Kanopy with a MyNOVA login)
Indochine (1992, dir. Rιgis Wargnier, rent or buy online)
Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002, dir. Phillip Noyce, available free on Swank Digital Campus with a MyNOVA login)
The Motorcycle Diaries (2004, dir. Walter Salles, Amazon Prime)
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013, dir. Justin Chadwick, rent or buy online)
April 24
April 25
Week 12 Movies (The Cold War)

The Third Man (1949, dir. Carol Reed, available free on Tubi)
Dr. Strangelove (1964, dir. Stanley Kubrick, rent or buy online)
Fail Safe (1964, dir. Sidney Lumet, available free on Swank Digital Campus with a MyNOVA login)
Threads (1984, dir. Mick Jackson, available free on Tubi)
Atomic Blonde (2017, dir. David Leitch,  available free on Tubi)
May 1
May 2
Week 13 Movies (Millennial Tensions)

El Norte (1983, dir. Gregory Nava, available free on Pluto TV)
Do The Right Thing (1989, dir. Spike Lee, available free on Swank Digital Campus with a MyNOVA login)
Office Space (1999, dir. Mike Judge, available on Hulu)
Hotel Rwanda (2004, dir. Terry George, available free on Tubi)
Omar (2013, dir. Hany Abu-Assad, available free on Tubi)
Parasite (2017, dir. Bong Joon-Ho, available on Max)

May 8
May 9



Research Project


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) Since this is a world history class, I would like your focus to extend beyond the history of the United States. This means no topic which solely deal with US history. You can, however, have a topic which ends up comparing US history with the history of some other region-- for example you could work on a topic which highlights the parallels between segregation in the US South with the Apartheid system in South Africa.

2) You should investigate a topic which largely falls sometime between the years 1500 and 2000. The period before 1500 is beyond the scope of the class, and the period after 2000 is too modern for us to have an appropriately historical perspective on. 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.



Step 1: Topic Proposal (Due February 23)

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 “How did the Haitian Revolution of the 1790s change life for former slaves?” “Why did the samurai class in Japan abandon its traditional privileges during the Meiji Restoration?” or “How successful was the gay liberation movement of the 1960s in securing rights for the LGBTQ community in Britain, Germany, and the USA?”)

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.

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:


Things to submit through Canvas:


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.

Step 3: Find a scholarly journal article related to your topic and read it. (Due April 6)

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

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 modern world history include The American Historical ReviewThe Journal of World History,The Journal of African History, Modern Asian Studies, The Journal of Near Eastern Studies, The Journal of Latin American Studies, The Journal of Modern History, Central European History, The Russian Review, French Historical Studies, Historische Zeitschrift, Journal of British Studies, and Victorian Studies (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.  Log into My NOVA and then go to http://www.nvcc.edu/library/

Click on "Research Databases by Subject";
the click "History (HIS)";
then click "JSTOR"

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.


Step 4: Write Part 1 of your Annotated Bibliography. (Due April 13)

An annotated bibliography is an organized list of sources. It differs from a straightforward bibliography in that each reference is followed by a paragraph describing the source. Part 1 of your Annotated Bibliography should include at least 5 Primary Sources (either online or in print) related to your Research Project topic.  For primary sources, you should be looking for documents which were originally written during the time period you are trying to study by people who directly experienced the events in question. While architectural or archaeological remains certainly do qualify as primary sources which can be used by scholars to reconstruct the past, they are problematic for an assignment like this. Written documents from the past should be your focus!

Annotations should include a complete, Chicago-style bibliographic citation for the source, followed by a brief paragraph (about 100 words) long discussing the following information:


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):



Step 5: Write Part 2 of your Annotated Bibliography. (Due April 20)

An annotated bibliography is an organized list of sources. It differs from a straightforward bibliography in that each reference is followed by a paragraph describing the source. Part 2 of your Annotated Bibliography should include at least 5 scholarly secondary sources related to your Research Project topic written some time during the past 50 years by a historian or other scholar. These 5 sources will include the scholarly monograph which you found for Step 2 and the scholarly journal article you found for Step 3. The other sources can be books, journal articles, essays, or websites, but they should be high quality scholarly material.

Annotations should include a complete, Chicago-style bibliographic citation for the source, followed by a brief paragraph (about 100 words) long discussing the following information:

  • 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.

Step 6: Come up with a main argument for your Research Project. (Due April 27)

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 workers in England during the Industrial Revolution,” a much stronger main argument would be “The competitive pressures placed on factory owners by early capitalism in 19th century England to maximize profits meant that most industrial workers experienced long hours, dangerous working conditions, inadequate wages and low job security.” Likewise, instead of asserting that “The Haitian Revolution occurred because or variety social, economic, and cultural factors,” it would be better to argue ‘The Haitian Revolution occurred because of a combination of the influence of Enlightenment ideas, the desperation of slaves due to their brutal material situation, and the dissatisfaction of free people of color in Saint-Domingue.”

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.


Step 7: Craft and submit your finished Research Project. (Due May 4)
 
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.

Step 7: Project Interview. (No later than May 12)

The last element which will determine your actual grade for the project is an interview with me, which can be conducted either online through Zoom, or in person in my office (An appointment for this must be scheduled in advance). 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. Examples of the sorts of questions you might be asked are:


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.


Exams



There are two unproctored exams for this course which are to be completed at home and submitted through Canvas. You can use any notes, course readers, or other resources you wish as long as you cite them (simply listing the bibliographic information or web address at the end of the question is sufficient-- no need to include footnotes). All of your responses should be in your own words rather than quoted from other sources. If you use any additional sources without citing them, you will not receive any points for the exam.


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

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 world from 1500-1900. ALL OF YOUR EXAMPLES MUST BE EVENTS OR DEVELOPMENTS WE DISCUSSED IN CLASS!  No more than three of your examples should be drawn from European or United States history. Each item on your Time Line should be a paragraph long and should contain the following information:

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 (See the exam description in Canvas for the specific sources), and asked to briefly discuss the following elements:


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 world after 1900. ALL OF YOUR EXAMPLES MUST BE EVENTS OR DEVELOPMENTS WE DISCUSSED IN CLASS! No more than three of your examples should be drawn from European or United States history. 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?



Course Schedule


First Part of the Semester

Week 1

Tuesday, February 4:

Introduction
Read through the Course Syllabus

Watch "Is History B.S.?"
 
Read A
llosso and Williford, "Introduction"



Hybrid Activities This Week:

Introduction Post 
Video Introduction Discussion Post Due February 6.
  • Introduces yourself to the rest of the class with a brief description of your background, interests outside of class, and description of how the course will help you to achieve your goals in life.
  • Answers the following questions: "What is your favorite movie dealing with some aspect of world history since 1500 and Why?
  • Then read through your classmates posts and respond in some substantial way to at least two of them.
Assignments to Complete: Read through the entire syllabus, and submit the Syllabus Quiz by 11:59 pm on February 9 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.
Look over the movie list for the first third of the semester, and sign-up for a movie you would like to review using the appropriate sign-up sheet in Canvas (first come, first served).


Week 2

Tuesday, February 11:
Empires or People?- "The History of Great Men" vs. "History From Below"
Discussion Sources: List of Zheng He’s Expeditions (1431); Evliya Ηelebi, Excerpts from The Book of Travels (c. 1630)

Watch Is The History of Great Men B.S.?

Read Allosso and Williford, "Chapter 1: Modern World History Begins in Asia"
Hybrid Activities This Week:
If you're doing a Video Movie Review this week, that is due February 13. If not, your Short Reaction to one of your classmates' reviews is due February 14.




Week 3

Tuesday, February 18:

The Conquest of the Western Hemisphere
Discussion Source: The Mayan Account of the Spanish Conquest in the Chilam Balam (1540-1546); Sor Juana Inιs de la Cruz, Selected Poems (It also will be helpful to read this brief encyclopedia entry for some context on Sor Juana's life)

Read Allosso and Williford, "Chapter 2: Europe and Africa"
Hybrid Activities This Week:

If you're doing a Video Movie Review this week, that is due February 20. If not, your Short Reaction to one of your classmates' reviews is due February 21.
Assignments to Complete: Project Proposal for the Research Project due February 23.  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.
 
Week 4.

Tuesday, February 25:

The Slave Trade and the Atlantic World
Discussion Source: Excerpts from King Afonso of Congo, Letters on the Slave Trade (1526)
Watch Was the Atlantic Slave Trade B.S.?


Read Allosso and Williford, "Chapter 3: The Americas and Columbus"
Hybrid Activities This Week:
If you're doing a Video Movie Review this week, that is due February 27. If not, your Short Reaction to one of your classmates' reviews is due February 28.
Assignments to Complete: Book Proposal for the Book Review due March 2


Week 5

Tuesday, March 4:

Enlightenment and Revolution
Discussion Source: Toussaint Loverture's Saint-Domingue Constitution of 1801

Watch Was The Enlightenment B.S.?
Watch Was The French Revolution B.S.?

Watch Was The Haitian Revolution B.S.?

Read Allosso and Williford, "Chapter 4: Early Globalization and Revolutions"
Hybrid Activities This Week:


If you're doing a Video Movie Review this week, that is due March 6. If not, your Short Reaction to one of your classmates' reviews is due March 7.


Second Part of the Semester


Tuesday, March 11:


Discussion Readings: "The Life of the Industrial Worker in Nineteenth-Century England" (1832), Women Miners in the English Coal Pits (1842).

Watch Was The Industrial Revolution B.S.?


Watch How Can You Tell If A Website Is B.S. Or Not?

Read Allosso and Williford, "Chapter 5: Troubled Nineteenth Century" 
Hybrid Activities This Week:

If you're doing a Video Movie Review this week, that is due March 13. If not, your Short Reaction to one of your classmates' reviews is due March 14.
Assignments to Complete:
Make sure you have the book for your Book Review Paper by March 16. Upload a picture of you with the book using the appropriate link in the course Canvas page.


March 17-21, Spring Break-- No Class

Week 6

Tuesday, March 25:

Responses to Industrialization

Discussion Readings: Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, excerpts from The Communist Manifesto  (1848).
Hybrid Activities This Week:

If you're doing a Video Movie Review this week, that is due March 27. If not, your discussion response to one of your classmates' reviews is due March 28.
Assignments to Complete: Midterm Exam due March 30
Upload a picture of a page of the book for your Book Review Paper with the author’s main argument highlighted or circled by March 30.
  


Week 7

TuesdayApril 1:

Neo-Imperialism
Discussion Source: Discussion Source: Bahithat al-Badiya, Excerpts from "A Lecture in the Club of the Umma Party"(1909)
Watch Was The English East India Company B.S.?
Watch Was Imperialism in Congo B.S.?
Watch Was The Meiji Restoration B.S.?

Read
Allosso and Williford, "Chapter 6: Imperialism"

  
Hybrid Activities This Week:
If you're doing a Video Movie Review this week, that is due April 3. If not, your Short Reaction to one of your classmates' reviews is due April 4
Assignments to Complete: Book Review Due April 6


Week 8

Tuesday, April 8:

Empires at War


Watch Was World War I B.S.?
Watch Was The 1918 Influenza B.S.?
 

Read Allosso and Williford, "Chapter 7: The Great War"


Hybrid Activities This Week: If you're doing a Video Movie Review this week, that is due April 10. If not, your Short Reaction to one of your classmates reviews is due April 11.
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 April 13.


Third Part of the Semester

Week 9

Tuesday, April 15:

Communist Revolutions
Discussion Reading: V. I. Lenin, "The April Theses (1917)"

Watch Was The Russian Revolution Of 1917 B.S.?

Read Allosso and Williford, "Chapter 8: Modern Crisis"
Hybrid Activities This Week:

If you're doing a video Movie Review this week, that is due April 17. If not, your Short Reaction to one of your classmates' reviews is due April 18.
Assignments to Complete: Annotated Bibliography Part 1 due April 20


Week 10

Tuesday, April 22:
Fascism

Discussion Reading: Adolf Hitler, Excerpts from Several Speeches (1923, 1930, 1932)

Watch Is Fascism B.S.?

Watch Is Modern Anti-Semitism B.S.?

Read Allosso and Williford, "Chapter  9: World War II"
Hybrid Activities This Week:

If you're doing a Video Movie Review this week, that is due April 24. If not, your Short Reaction to one of your classmates reviews is due April 25.
Assignments to Complete:
Annotated Bibliography Part 2 due April 27

Research Project Main Argument Draft  due April 27



Week 11

Tuesday, April 29:

Decolonization
Discussion Reading: Sarojini Naidu, Excerpts from Several Speeches (1917, 1918, 1946)
 

Read Allosso and Williford, "Chapter 10: Decolonization"

Read Allosso and Williford, "Chapter 11: Cold War"


Hybrid Activities This Week:

If you're doing a Video Movie Review this week, that is due May 1. If not, your Short Reaction to one of your classmates reviews is due May 2.
Assignments to Complete: Research Project due May 4



Week 12



Tuesday May 6, :
The Cold War
Discussion Reading: Excerpts from the Memoir of Rigoberta Menchϊ (1984)

Watch Was the Cold War B.S.?


Watch Was The CIA Coup In Guatemala In 1954 B.S.?

 

Watch Was the End of the Cold War B.S.?

Watch Is Globalization B.S.?

Read Read Allosso and Williford, "Chapter 12: Neoliberal Globalization" and "Chapter 13: Limits to Growth?"

Hybrid Activities This Week:


If you're doing a Video Movie Review this week, that is due May 8. If not, your Short Reaction to one of your classmates' reviews is due May 9.
Assignments to Complete: Final Exam Due May 11

Research Project Interview must be completed no later than May 12.