History112 040L World Civilizations Post 1500 TTh 9-10:45 am LR-0256 Spring 2026

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

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

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.

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

• “Day In The Life” Video: You will craft a video in which you depict three different people from the same basic time and place in history. These can either be real people from history (for example Moctezuma, Hernan Cortes, and La Malinche) or fictional characters representing different types of people (for example a factory worker, a factory owner, and a police officer from Victorian Britain). Your portrayal should focus on what the daily lives of these people were like, and what that reveals about the particular place and time which they inhabit. Your video should be at least 15 minutes long, and publicly viewable.

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

• Digital Exhibit: You will craft a website which curates an exhibit of at least 5 specific artifacts or objects from the same basic time and place in history. These can be tools, weapons, jewelry, clothing, religious objects, works of art, or any other physical remnant of a paste human society. The finished digital exhibit which presents several photos of each artifact, as well as a written description of who made it (if known), when and how it was made, how it was used, and what it reveals about the society in question. Please note that while each of these artifacts will technically be a primary source, you will also need to supplement your discussion of the objects curated with at least five written primary sources from the same time and place in which the artifacts were produced. Your website should be at least 1000 words long over 5 distinct pages, and should be publicly viewable.

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

For the video projects, the finished project should be posted to a public video hosting site such as YouTube or vimeo. For the website projects, there as plenty of free web-hosting options such as Google sites,
Blogger, Wix, Weebly, WordPress, or TravelDiaries.

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?)

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

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

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

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

You should submit the full bibliographic citation for the book which you have chosen, including the author’s name, the title, the publisher, the year of publication, and the total number of pages, in order to get it approved. Make sure to check my feedback in order to make sure the book you have picked will work before moving on to any of the other steps. (Due February 22)

You should upload a picture of you with the book. If you’re reading an e-book version, your photo should be of you with your ebook reader or laptop with the text of the book clearly visible on the screen. (Due March 8)

You should upload a picture of a page of the book with the author’s main argument highlighted or circled (Obviously you shouldn't physically mark a library book-- simply take a picture and use Paint or some other similar program to indicate the argument in the photo). (Due March 15)

Finally, you should write a 1-2 page double-spaced review of the book in which you discuss the scholarly credentials and background of the book’s author, the author’s main argument (note that this is not simply what the book is about; rather, what is the author trying to say about the subject?), briefly summarize what the various sections/chapters of the book deal with, describe the specific sources of evidence used by the author to support that main argument (Are they secondary sources? Primary sources? If so, what sorts of documents are they? Personal correspondence? Memoirs? Court documents? Laws?), and provide your overall assessment of how useful the book is to someone interested in its subject matter. Your title should just be the complete bibliographic citation for the book. in Chicago format. Any citations for quotations or specific information from the book or other sources on the author's background should be in the form of correctly formatted Chicago-style footnotes. You cannot turn in a book review unless you have had the book approved by me in advance. (Due March 22)

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

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

• The Avalon Project: Documents in Law, History, and Diplomacy.
• Cambridge Digital Library.
• Hanover Historical Texts Collection.
• Finding World History Sources.
• The Women's Library at LSC.
• The Modern History Sourcebook.
• The African History Sourcebook.
• The East Asian History Sourcebook.
• The Indian History Sourcebook.
• The Islamic History Sourcebook.
• The Jewish History Sourcebook.
• The Women's History Sourcebook.
• The Victorian Web.
• Women in World History
• German History in Documents and Images.
• Marxists Internet Library.
• Asia For Educators (Primary Sources on China, Japan, Korea, South Asia, and South East Asia)
• 17 Moments in Soviet History.

• 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?

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

•         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?

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

•         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?

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

Students are responsible for knowing and following College policies, and they should be aware of the Student Resources available to them. The following are highlights of information that students should be aware of as they begin a course.

Academic Integrity Policy

Accommodations and Accessibility Services

Career Services

Closing Information

Communication

Course Drop/Withdrawal Policy

Enrollment Cancellation

Financial Stability and Advocacy Centers

Forms to Request Services and Assistance
• Accommodations and Accessibility Services: Request for Alternate Format

• Course grade appeal

• Enrollment Services: Course Repeat Request

• Enrollment Services: Enrollment with Permission

• Financial Aid: Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Appeal Form

• Parking Services: Vehicle Registration Form

• Student Grievance Forms • Veteran Enrollment Request Form (VERF)

Important Dates

Winter Session and Spring 2026 Important Dates

Winter Session and Spring 2026 Breaks & Holidays

Libraries

NOVA All Access

Office of Wellness and Mental Health

Prerequisite Verification Statement

Remote Student Support Services

Student Rights and Responsibilities

Student Integrity and Conduct

Student Ombuds Services (SOS)

TITLE IX

Tutoring

Academic Integrity Policy

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

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

NOVA Faculty may choose to use tools such as Turnitin to detect and flag instances of plagiarism in academic writing.

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

Accommodations and Accessibility Services

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

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

Your ability to fully participate in this course matters. If you experience any difficulty accessing course content, activities, or technology, please contact me as soon as possible so that we can address the issue together. Accessibility is a shared responsibility, and your feedback helps ensure that all students have access to learning

Career Services

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

Closing Information

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

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

Communication

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

Course Drop/Withdrawal Policy

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

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

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

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

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

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

Enrollment Cancellation

• Students who do not make payment arrangements for their courses will be dropped.
• Students dropped for nonpayment cannot be enrolled in a course after the Last Day to Add/Drop, even if they have attended the class and completed coursework. Only students who were dropped due to college error are eligible for late enrollment (enrollment after the Last Day to Add/Drop).
• See https://www.nvcc.edu/admissions/tuition/payment/index.html for Payment Options.

Financial Stability and Advocacy Centers

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

Forms to Request Services and Assistance

NOVA's Forms Library is where you can access forms frequently used by the College. The forms are available in Portable Document Format (.pdf), Online or Excel. Some of the forms you will find online include:

• Accommodations and Accessibility Services: Request for Alternate Format
• Course grade appeal
• Enrollment Services: Course Repeat Request
• Enrollment Services: Enrollment with Permission
• Financial Aid: Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Appeal Form
• Parking Services: Vehicle Registration Form
• Student Grievance Forms • Veteran Enrollment Request Form (VERF)

You also have the option to Make a Report to the college. Here is the list of reports you can submit:

• Report an academic violation.
• Report a student conduct violation (non-academy integrity).
• Report Sexual Misconduct (Title IX).
• Report a student needed assistance (non-conduct).
• Title IX Pregnant and Parenting Accommodation Request.
• Ombuds Assistance Request.

Important Dates
The academic calendar provides information about important dates and deadlines each semester. Visit this calendar to learn about

• Open registration dates.
• Academic advising dates.
• Registration dates.
• Deadlines to pay tuition fees.
• First and Last day of classes
• Deadline to drop the class with a tuition refund or change classes to audit.
• Deadline to withdraw without grade penalty (W) and no refund.
• Final Exams Schedule.
• Breaks and holidays.
• Financial aid disbursement dates.
• Deadline to apply for graduation.

• NOVA All Access is the default way to obtain your required course materials (physical and/or digital) at NOVA.
• You are automatically enrolled when you register for classes.
• A fee of $22.50 per credit hour is added to your student account. This fee appears along with your tuition and other charges.
• All Access does not apply to Workforce and Professional Development students and contracted dual enrollment students.

• You can opt out each semester, but your decision applies to all your classes that semester.
• You can opt out (or opt back in) only at certain times. Don’t miss your chance to choose what’s right for you.
• If you opt out, the fee will be refunded. If you opt back in, the fee is added again.

If your course uses OER materials (for “open educational resources”) or is “no materials required,” your instructor will let you know the best way to obtain your course materials. You may not be required to purchase textbooks and other materials for this course. We are making this information available so you can make an informed choice about participating in NOVA’s new course materials program, NOVA All Access.

The opt-out windows for All Access are…

• For winter 2025: Nov. 17-Dec. 22
• For spring 2026: Dec. 22 to your earliest census date

To find the specific dates for your session:

• View NOVA’s Academic Calendar
• Check the NOVA Online Calendar

Through the All-Access program, most physical books are rentals. Plan to return your rental books to the campus bookstore at the end of each semester. If you have rental books that you have not returned from a previous semester, please return those as well.

Office of Wellness and Mental Health

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

Prerequisite Verification Statement

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

Remote Student Support Services

If you need academic assistance or need college services but cannot make it to campus, many of our services can be accessed remotely. We can provide assistance from several departments, including the following:

• Academic Advising
• Canvas and Course Resources (guides and tutorials•
  
• Financial Aid
  
• IT Help Desk
  
• Library Support

Student Rights and Responsibilities
The Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities (OSRR) promotes and encourages honesty, integrity, and respect among NOVA students and staff. We accomplish our mission through education, compliance through behavioral standards, and support of individual rights. Our work helps enhance the quality of the NOVA community and equips students with the knowledge, skills, and resources to be successful inside and outside of the classroom.

The Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities (OSRR) comprise the following areas:

Student Integrity and Conduct
Investigate alleged violations of the Student Code of Conduct.

• Adjudication of informal and formal Code of Conduct hearings
• Mediation (settling differences)
• Student development workshops
• Professional development workshop on topics like Conflict Resolution and Classroom Management
• Referrals to resources and services

Student Ombuds Services (SOS)
For students who believe an unfair resolution was made for a formal complaint made to NVCC (i.e., academic concerns, ethical behavior, violation of College policies and/or procedures, business services, financial aid, etc.), SOS will investigate the student’s concern.

• Confidential - students may discuss problems or issues in a confidential manner
• Independent - of any individual/office within NVCC
• Informal - review matters received and make informal inquiries to offer resolution options, make referrals, and mediate disputes.
• Neutral - strives for impartiality, fairness, and objectivity in the treatment of people and the consideration of issues
• Voluntary – it is the student’s responsibility to contact SOS for services

Contact: Dr. Tanneh Kamara Coordinator, Student Ombuds Services (SOS), Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities Phone: 703-530-2834 Email: ombuds@nvcc.edu

TITLE IX

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

Tutoring

NOVA’s Tutoring Centers offer free in-person and virtual tutoring to all NOVA Nighthawks. Students can drop by any one of campus Tutoring Centers for walk-in services or set up an appointment for tutoring. To request an appointment for one-on-one tutoring, either in-person or via Zoom, log in to myNOVA to select EAB Navigate. For more information and for Tutoring Center locations, visit Tutoring & Academic Support. In addition, 24/7 online tutoring (via Brainfuse) is free to all students. To access online tutoring, click on the 24/7 Tutoring link located in your Canvas course in the course navigation menu.