History 151: World History I
Class Introduction Audio
Summer 2013 Syllabus
How the course works (for Smartphones)
Instructor: Patrick M Patterson
Course Description
History 151: World Civilizations I: This course is a survey of human history from the earliest times to about 1500 CE.
Contacting the Instructor
Name: Pat Patterson
Phone: (808) 845-9417
e-mail: Through laulima, or at ppatters@hawaii.edu
Office Hours: TBA
Office Location: Building 7, room 617
Transfer of Credit
This course transfers to all UH System campuses. At those campuses participating in the System Foundations Agreement, this course transfers with a Foundations/Global A designation.
Student Learning Outcomes
In this course, you will learn, and be able to demonstrate the ability to:
1. Demonstrate cause/effect relationships in history.
2. Summarize key ideas in history, including major world philosophies, religions, and political theories and systems.
3. Demonstrate an ability to compare and contrast historical experiences across cultures and time.
4. Describe and define major historical events, ideas, places, people, and other items.
5. Demonstrate understanding of the historical roots of current events.
6. Write an effective historical argument.
Textbooks: McKay, Buckler, et al, Understanding World Societies, Vol. I: To 1600 ISBN 978-1-4576-1873-4
Assignments and Examinations
Assignments and Examinations |
|
Assignment |
Grade Value |
Pre-unit quizzes |
25% |
Discussions |
25% |
Midterm Exam |
25% |
Final Exam |
25% |
Total possible |
100% |
Assignment and Exam Specifics
Knowledge Surveys:
This semester I will ask you to complete a total of four surveys. There will be 2 "knowledge surveys," which will be on a web-based software called Survey Monkey. The knowledge surveys will occur once at the beginning of the semester, and once at the end of coursework. There will also be a Distance Education survey. This survey will also be on Survey Monkey at the end of the semester. The last will be a class evaluation. This will be on a UH software system called ecafe. I will give you five extra credit points for completing each of these four surveys. To prove that you have completed the surveys, please send me an e-mail that quotes at least one of the questions that the survey asked you.
Pre-unit Quizzes:
You will be required to take a quiz at the beginning of each unit. You may use the textbook to assist you. The quiz will be challenging. Each quiz is designed to accomplish three goals. First, it will give me a sense of how well you have understood the unit. This will help to adjust the discussion and other parts of the unit to maximize learning. Second, you will get a sense of what you need to know about the unit in order to do well on quizzes and exams. Third, it will prepare you to participate meaningfully in the discussion portion of the unit.
Discussions:
The discussion for each unit is where you will extend your knowledge of history by applying historical analysis and reasoning skills to the content that you have learned in the textbook. In each unit you will be asked to answer a question about the content. Your answer should be analytical. It should bring evidence into the discussion. You are required to participate in the discussion. For each discussion entry you will earn up to 5 points for a total possible of 20 points per unit. The more you write, and the better the quality, the better your grade.
Midterm Exams:
There is one midterm exam in the course. The questions for the midterm will be rooted in the content and analysis from your unit quizzes and discussions. You will be asked to demonstrate an understanding of history terms, and to answer questions that require you to analyze historical events in a world historical context. If you do not take the exam on the scheduled dates, you may only make it up if you have a valid medical excuse. Exams are scheduled well ahead of time. It is your responsibility be present for the exam.
For all late exams, regardless of the reason, a grade penalty equivalent to one full grade level for each week the exam is late will be exacted. (The first week begins on the day immediately after the day the exam is due. So, if an exam is scheduled for Monday through Sunday, and you are given a make-up exam, and take it on the Monday immediately after the exam was due, your penalty is to lose one grade level - if you earned a B, it will be recorde as a C, for example).
The midterm exam is not a proctored exam. You will be able to take it at home on your computer. I will ask you to agree to an honor pledge. This is to be sure that you follow exam rules, and that you do not use a proxy to take the exam for you. Violation of the honor pledge is reason for a failing grade in the course.
Final Exam:
There will be a final exam in the course. The questions for the final exam will be rooted in the content and analysis from your unit quizzes and discussions. You will be asked to demonstrate an understanding of history terms, and to answer questions that require you to analyze historical events in a world historical context. If you do not take the exam on the scheduled day, you may only make it up if you have a valid medical excuse. Exams are scheduled well ahead of time. It is your responsibility be present for the exam.
For all late exams, regardless of the reason, a grade penalty equivalent to one full grade level for each week the exam is late will be exacted. (The first week begins on the day immediately after the day the exam is due. So, if an exam is scheduled for Monday through Sunday, and you are given a make-up exam, and take it on the Monday immediately after the exam was due, your penalty is to lose one grade level - if you earned a B, it will be recorde as a C, for example).
The final exam will be a proctored exam. You must come in to a UH testing center to take the exam. If you are not in the State of Hawaii, or have a documented disability that makes it impossible for you to use a UH testing center, then you may use an outside proctor for your exam. You are responsible for finding this proctor. A proctor must have an e-mail address that is separate from your own. Proctors may not be close friends or relatives of the student taking the exam (a manager, superior officer, local librarian, or local college testing center will all work fine). I must be able to contact this person easily, and they must be willing to a) sit with you during the entire exam period and b) attest to me that you did follow the rules, and that you were in fact the person taking the exam.
Students with Disabilities Statement
Students in this class who need accommodations for a disability should submit documentation and requests to the Services for Students with Disabilities Office (SSD) in Bldg. 2, Room 108A. Phone 845-9282 voice/text or 845-9272 voice/text for more information. If you have already registered your requests with SSD this semester, please contact the instructor and be prepared to provide a current verification letter from SSD. (rev. 3-29-2004)
Student Conduct Code
Students in this class will be expected to follow the HCC and UH student conduct code (http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/policies/scc.pdf)
SAFE Zone
This virtual classroom is a Safe Zone. You may disagree with other students or the instructor, but you are required to listen/read with respect and to address others' ideas seriously and respectfully. We can have a debate without intimidation or anger. Disruption, intimidation, or other forms of physical, verbal, or digital abuse or harassment will result in expulsion from the class temporarily or permanently and will have a negative impact on grades up to and including a failing grade for assignments and/or the course as a whole.
Late Assignments and exams
Late assignments will not be accepted. Discussions and knowledge surveys may not be turned in late for any reason. Personal injury or illness, the illness, injury, or even loss of loved ones is tragic, and I sympathize and have experienced those things myself. These are not reasons to delay coursework. You may turn any assignment in early for one of these reasons. You may choose to miss an assignment for these or other reasons, and those choices are yours to make. However, turning them in late is not an option in this course.
Exams may be made up, according to the policy noted above in the section on assignments and exams. Make-ups may only occur with a valid medical excuse. Make-up exams will be different from exams taken by the rest of the class during the exam week. For each week an exam is late, one grade level will be taken from the score (the first week, and first grade level drop, begins on the day after the exam is due) regardless of the reason for taking the exam late.
Plagiarism (Copying)
Plagiarism will not be tolerated in this class. If you do not know what plagiarism is, be sure to learn. I will be checking every paper and every discussion post for plagiarism. Any use of the words, or the ideas of another person without giving credit to them is plagiarism. Further, any re-use of your own or another student's work, turned in for another class or another assignment, is also plagiarism. According to the UH Student Conduct Code, any instance of plagiarism is grounds for expulsion.
My policy is very simple. If you plagiarize once, you fail the assignment on which plagiarism was found. There is no appeal and no credit. If you plagiarize twice, you fail the course, and the Administration will be notified. I don't bend on this.
DON'T PLAGIARIZE!
Cheating on Exams and Quizzes
DON'T CHEAT!
Any student who is found to be cheating will fail the course, and the administration will be notified. According to the UH Code of Student Conduct:
"Cheating includes, but is not limited to, giving or receiving unauthorized assistance during an examination; obtaining or distributing unauthorized information about an examination before it is given; using inappropriate or unallowable sources of information during an examination; falsifying data in experiments or other research; altering the record of any grade; altering answers after an examination has been submitted; falsifying any official University record; or misrepresenting the facts in order to obtain exemptions from course requirements."
Keeping Records of Your Work
Keep all assignments you turn in for class. If the instructor requires copies in order to verify grades, you must be able to provide them. This is the responsibility of the student, as well as the instructor, and helps to avoid the problems that can occur in the event of unintentional loss of data.
Effort and Assigning Grades
Grades in this course will be assigned based on performance only. The instructor has no way to measure how long you studied, or how hard you may have tried.
If you wish to dispute a grade, you may do so. Understand that disputes will be adjudicated based on the grading rubric for the assignment, and references to effort and time spent will have no effect. Appeals to need of a grade for GPA reasons, or need to pass in order to graduate also will have no merit in adjudicating grading disputes.
Class Schedule:
Unit 1 (May 28 & 29, 2013)
The Earliest Human Societies to 2500 BCE (Chapter 1)
Assignment 1:
A. Read your textbook, Chapter 1.
B. Take the quiz (you may use your textbook while you take this quiz).
C. View "The Bones of Turkana" on the earliest humans.
Bones of Turkana- Video
D. Do the work on understanding dating systems and play the Radioactive Dating Game
This is a game about how archaeologists use radioactive isotopes to date artifacts they find as they go about digging and understanding a site. Your assignment is to view the site, understand how radioactive dating (carbon-14 and Uranium-238) is used to find date ranges for objects. Then discuss what you found, and the process you went through to find it, on the class discussion site. (Discussions and Private Messages, in the menu bar to the right)
Next visit the virtual archaeological site for the vessel Uluburun in the Mediterannean Sea and answer the challenges questions (yes, all ten of them). Then post your answers on the discussion board in Laulima (Discussions and Private Messages, in the left-hand menu bar).
So a total of one quiz, and two discussions is due for this first unit. Both must be finished by Sunday, June 2 at 11:59 PM).
Unit 2 (May 29 & 30)
The Rise of the State in Southwest Asia and the Nile Valley 3200-500 BCE (Ch. 2)
Assignment 2: The Rise of States - Managing an early civilization
A. Read your textbook, Chapter 2. Listen to the audio mini-lecture: "From Farming to Cities." This will not replace your reading of the textbook, it will just give you a general context to help you along.
B. Take the quiz (you may use your textbook while you take this quiz).
C. Play the Hammurabi Game.In the discussion area, explain your best and worst strategy. Let us know if you made it to the 10-year goal. This is a simple game. Based on this game and the textbook, what do you think were the primary concerns of people in early civilizations? Why do you think so? What other problems besides food production, population control, and land control do you think might have had major impacts on these early states? How did they control (or try to control) those variables (give examples)? Answer these questions in the class discussion (Discussions and Private Messages, in the left-hand menu bar).
So a total of one quiz, and one discussion is due for this second unit. Both parts of the assignment must be finished by Sunday, June 2, at 11:59 PM).
Unit 3 (May 31-June 2)
The Foundation of Indian Society to 300 CE (Ch. 3)
A. Read your textbook, Chapter 3.
B. Take the quiz (you may use your textbook while you take this quiz).
C. Watch the series of clips from Michael Woods'The Story of India
- The Story of India Part 1
- The Story of India Part 2
- The Story of India Part 3
- The Story of India Part 4
In the Discussion and Private Messages tool, I will break you into 5-person discussion groups. Each discussion group will create a series of threaded discussion posts with each other. One of you will give a David Letterman-style top-ten list of the most relevant points in this video (it can be funny, serious, or both, but must address the historical content of the video, and not the fashions, nor should it make jokes about culture, race, etc...). Another member of your group will act as a kind of Ann Landers, writing an answer to an advice question related to the content of the chapter (same rules apply)that another member writes. A fourth member will be a spoiler, someone who must play devil's advocate, arguing against the choices of the last three (not ridiculing or insulting - using evidence and ideas from the chapter to point out weaknesses.). Finally, the fifth member we'll call "Oscar" as in the Academy Awards statue. Oscar's job will be to give the award for the best post this week, and explain why.
So a total of one quiz, and one group discussion is due for this second unit. Both parts of the assignment must be finished by Sunday, June 2, at 11:59 PM).
Unit 4 (June 3 & 4)
China's Classical Age to 221 BCE (Ch. 4)
Assignment 4: The Qin State
A. Read your textbook, Chapter 4.
B. Take the quiz (you may use your textbook while you take this quiz).
C. Watch the video on You Tube about Qin Shihuangdi's tomb. Then, in the same discussion group you had in the last assignment, one of you will be David Letterman. Another will be a conspiracy theorist who believes the tombs were built by aliens - your job is to use evidence to prove it. The third discussant will be an anti-conspiracy theorist whose job it is to take on the aliens theory and disprove it using evidence from Qin history. The fourth member of your discussion will write a will from Qin Shihuangdi himself, explaining why he created this tomb (using historical examples and rejecting the alien theory). The fifth member will again be Oscar, giving out an award for the best post and an explanation of why. The following questions might help you in your work for this unit:
discuss why you think that the Emperor went to such great lengths (i.e. 7,000 terra-cotta soldiers, a 2.3 square kilometer tomb enclosure, etc...) for his burial chamber.
What were the political effects he hoped to achieve?
What might the economic consequences have been?
What specific events and policies in his lifetime (see your textbook) might be useful in figuring out the answers to these questions?
So a total of one quiz, and one discussion is due for this second unit. Both parts of the assignment must be finished by Sunday, June 9, at 11:59 PM).
Unit 5 (June 5 &6)
The Greek Experience 3500-100 BCE (Ch. 5)
Assignment 5: Greek Lives
A. Read your textbook, Chapter 5.
B. Take the quiz (you may use your textbook while you take this quiz).
In this unit, we're going to use our 5-person discussion groups and directly engage the chapter. Whoever is David Letterman will do a top ten points of the chapter. Ann Landers and her/his correspondent will address a major social problem found in the chapter. Our spoiler will attempt, once again, to find the weaknesses in the posts of the others, and Oscar will look for the best (most informative, well-organized, and well-written) post in the bunch and explain why he/she chose that post. Do this in the class discussion (Discussions and Private Messages, in the left-hand menu bar).
So a total of one quiz, and one discussion is due for this second unit. Both parts of the assignment must be finished by Sunday, June 9, at 11:59 PM).
Unit 6 (June 7-9)
The World of Rome 750 BCE to 400 CE (Ch. 6)
Assignment 6: Roman Lives
A. Read your textbook, Chapter 6.
B. Take the quiz (you may use your textbook while you take this quiz).
C. View the video of Rome Reconstructed here. Then view the images from the University of Virginia reconstruction of ancient Rome in this location. Finally, view the tour of Ancient Rome from the Ancient Worlds site (yes, you can play the mystery game, but you don't get credit for that part). The three reconstructions focus on some of the same buildings and landmarks, and some different. Which buildings and landmarks do they all feature? Why do you think these buildings and landmarks are so important that most historical reconstructions of Rome would include them? What happened there, or in what ways are these sites important to Roman history? Use your textbook to find out, then discuss it with all of us on the discussion boards. Answer these questions in the class discussion (Discussions and Private Messages, in the left-hand menu bar).
So a total of one quiz, and one discussion is due for this second unit. Both parts of the assignment must be finished by Sunday, June 9, at 11:59 PM).
Unit 7 (June 10 & 11)
East Asia and the Spread of Buddhism, 221 BCE-800 CE (Ch. 7)
Assignment 7: Tang China
MP3 lecture on Tang China and the Spread of Buddhism
A. Read your textbook, Chapter 7.
B. Take the quiz (you may use your textbook while you take this quiz).
C. Historians use more than just physical remains and artifacts (known as 'material culture') to uncover the past. Most often, we use documents. Primary sources are documents or artifacts created by someone who lived at the time of the events being studied, and had some direct knowledge of those events. A wonderful example of a primary source is the document linked here: excerpts (selected parts) of a document by the first Tang Emperor - Emperor Taizong, on effective government. To help prepare you for the midterm, on which a DBQ, or "Documents Based Question" is likely to appear, your assignment is to read the document closely, then analyze it by answering these questions in your five-person group in the discussion area:
Questions:
1. What solution does the emperor propose to the problem of how to govern a
vast territory?
2. What criteria do you think he employed in deciding that outlying
prefectures should be enfeoffed to relatives? Why relatives?
3. What are the strengths of this plan?
4. What are the weaknesses?
5. How could the weaknesses of this enfoeffment scheme be addressed while
still putting the plan into practice?
In this week's discussion, the person playing David Letterman will answer at least one these questions directly with a top ten list of his/her own. The Ann Landers pair will answer another by creating a letter and response about it (you'll have to coordinate the choice between the two of you. Our spoiler will have to answer a third question this week directly, rather than spoiling others, and Oscar will choose the best post, and explain why. (Do this in Discussions and Private Messages, in the left-hand menu bar).
So a total of one quiz, and one discussion is due for this second unit. Both parts of the assignment must be finished by Sunday, June 16, at 11:59 PM).
Unit 8 (June 12-16)
Continuity and Change in Europe and Western Asia 200-850 (Ch. 8)
Assignment 8: Byzantine Law and Marriage
A. Read your textbook, Chapter 8.
B. Take the quiz (you may use your textbook while you take this quiz).
C. Read the document here on Byzantine matrimonial law. Then answer the questions below. Be sure to include a quote of the relevant law, and give the number of the law so it can be easily found.
1. Under what conditions can a son choose his own wife? Under what conditions must he accept the choice of his father and family?
2. Can a step brother and a step sister marry according to this law code?
3. Are men and women treated equally by the law when it comes to matters of marriage and adultery?
4. If a man and woman are living together consensually, under Byzantine law, could this be considered a marriage?
5. According to the definition of prostitution given in the law code, does money need to exchange hands for a woman to be considered a prostitute? Can a woman be considered a prostitute if money does change hands and she has sexual relations with only one or wo people that she has chosen for herself?
Once again, in this week's discussion, the person playing David Letterman will answer at least one these questions directly with a top ten list of his/her own. The Ann Landers pair will answer another by creating a letter and response about it (you'll have to coordinate the choice between the two of you. Our spoiler will have to answer a third question this week directly, rather than spoiling others, and Oscar, as always, looks for the best and explains the reasons for the final choice. (Do this in Discussions and Private Messages, in the left-hand menu bar).
So a total of one quiz, and one discussion is due for this second unit. Both parts of the assignment must be finished by Sunday, June 16, at 11:59 PM).
Unit 9 (June 14-16)
The Islamic World, 600-1400 (Ch. 9)
Assignment 9: The Origins of Islam
A. Read your textbook, Chapter 8.
B. Take the quiz (you may use your textbook while you take this quiz).
C. Watch Islam: Empire of Faith, Episode 1 - The Messenger here.
Answer the questions below, on your own. Be sure to cite the film, and give examples to explain your answer. Answer these questions in the class discussion (Discussions and Private Messages, in the left-hand menu bar).
- What were the uses of the Qa’ba?
- What role did trade play in the development of Islam?
- Why was Muhammad known as al Amin (the trusted one)?
- What was the implication of the idea of one God in Islam?
- What was the reason why Islam spread so rapidly?
- What is the importance of verbal expression in Islam?
- Why did believers call themselves “Muslims”?
- What was God’s representation on Earth?
- Why was the Hijra the “True beginning of Islam”?
- How did Islam alter the tribal nature of Arab society?
So a total of one quiz, and one discussion is due for this second unit. Both parts of the assignment must be finished by Sunday, June 16, at 11:59 PM).
Midterm Exam (June 17-21) [Remember that during the midterm, the course still goes on. So don't forget to keep moving ahead!] Study Guide Here.
Unit 10 (June 19)
African Societies and Kingdoms 1000 BCE - 1500 CE (Ch. 10)
Assignment 10: African Societies
A. Read your textbook, Chapter 10.
B. Take the quiz (you may use your textbook while you take this quiz).
C. Play the Africa Challenge, then, in the class discussion (Discussions and Private Messages, in the left-hand menu bar), tell us what questions you had and what you learned. How do these things fit with what you learned in the textbook?
So a total of one quiz, and one discussion is due for this second unit. Both parts of the assignment must be finished by Sunday, June 23, at 11:59 PM).
Unit 11 (June 20)
The Americas, 2500 BCE-1500 CE (Ch. 11)
Assignment 11: The Americas
A. Read your textbook, Chapter 11.
B. Take the quiz (you may use your textbook while you take this quiz).
C. Play the Inca Investigation game. In your five-person groups, David Letterman will give a top 10 list of things learned while playing the game. Ann Landers and correspondent will do a letter exchange on a key Inca social problem. The disruptor will critique the game itself. Oscar will choose the best post (and as always, explain why). Do this in Discussions and Private Messages, in the left-hand menu bar.
So a total of one quiz, and one discussion is due for this second unit. Both parts of the assignment must be finished by Sunday, June 23, at 11:59 PM).
Unit 12 (June 21)
Cultural Exchange in Central and Southern Asia to 1400 (Ch. 12)
Assignment 12: Medieval Asia
A. Read your textbook, Chapter 12.
B. Take the quiz (you may use your textbook while you take this quiz).
Play the Medieval Asia Chronology game. Explain what you learned about Medieval Asia by playing the game. How does what you learned fit, or not fit, with what you learned in your reading of Ch. 12 in the textbook? In the five-person groups, David will give a top ten list of Medieval events (they don't all have to come from the game, but some should). Ann Landers and Correspondent will write about a political problem in the Middle Ages in Western Europe. The disruptor will play devil's advocate this week, again finding problems with the posts of David, Ann and Correspondent. Oscar will choose the best post and explain the reasons why. Do this in the Discussions and Private Messages tool, in the left-hand menu bar.
So a total of one quiz, and one discussion is due for this second unit. Both parts of the assignment must be finished by Sunday, June 23, at 11:59 PM).
Unit 13 (June 24 & 25)
States and Cultures in East Asia, 800-1400 (Ch. 13)
Assignment 13: Medieval East Asia
A. Read your textbook, Chapter 13.
B. Take the quiz (you may use your textbook while you take this quiz).
Watch The Dream of the Red Chamber on You tube (all 5 parts of the first episode). This story was written during the Qing Dynasty, but can apply to culture in the Ming as well. What about what you see in the video reflects facts discussied in your reading of Ch. 13 in the textbook? Give specific examples, and refer to the textbook to make your point.
Rotten Tomatoes: David Letterman will give a historic, but humorous, review of the film. (No holds barred - but please stick to critiques of the film, and its portrayal of history. We're not interested in modern Chinese politics here). Ann Landers and Correspondent will choose a character from whose perspective to create a letter and an answer. The Disruptor will provide an alternative review to that of David Letterman. Oscar will tell us which post is best, and why.
So a total of one quiz, and one discussion is due for this second unit. Both parts of the assignment must be finished by Sunday, June 30, at 11:59 PM).
Unit 14 (June 26 & 27)
Europe in the Middle Ages, 800-1450 (Ch. 14)
Assignment 14: Medieval Europe
A. Read your textbook, Chapter 14.
B. Take the quiz (you may use your textbook while you take this quiz).
Play the 1066 game. Who were the three primary belligerents in this conflict? There were more than one winner in the conflict. Can you explain who, and how that can be? How does what you learned fit, or not fit, with what you learned in your reading of Ch. 14 in the textbook?
Answer these questions in the class discussion (Discussions and Private Messages, in the left-hand menu bar).
So a total of one quiz, and one discussion is due for this second unit. Both parts of the assignment must be finished by Sunday, June 30, at 11:59 PM).
Unit 15 June 28-July 1)
Europe in the Renaissance and Reformation (Ch. 15)
Assignment 15: Renaissance Europe
A. Read your textbook, Chapter 15.
B. Take the quiz (you may use your textbook while you take this quiz).
Watch The Medici, Godfathers of the Renaissance: Birth of a Dynasty. Explain why Cosimo was interested in art? How did art help to take and keep power, as opposed to violence, in Renaissance Florence? How does what you learned fit, or not fit, with what you learned in your reading of Ch. 15 in the textbook?
Answer these questions in the class discussion (Discussions and Private Messages, in the left-hand menu bar).
So a total of one quiz, and one discussion is due for this second unit. Both parts of the assignment must be finished by Sunday, June 30, at 11:59 PM).
Unit 16 (July 1 & 2)
Final Exam Review
Final Examination (Proctoring Center) July 1-5 Final Exam Study Guide