CONTACT INFORMATION
Dr. Diana Laulainen-Schein E-mail: laul0005@netscape.net
Web Site
http://www.oocities.org/britishisleshistory/
Please feel free to come in and talk with me about any course-related questions or problems you may have. If your schedule conflicts with my office hours, we can arrange an appointment at another time. Feel free to drop in just to chat or to bring suggestions about how we can make our discussion meetings more interesting. .
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
This course meets four times each week. In addition to three lectures per week, students attend one recitation meeting per week. Attendance for all lectures and for all meetings of the recitation section in which you are enrolled is
mandatory.
If you expect to miss class for any reason, you must notify me as early as possible via E-mail. Do not call me and do not approach me in person with your excuse. By sending me and E-mail, you are providing a written documentation of you absence. For sporting conflicts and religious observances, you must notify me no later than the second recitation meeting, so that arrangements may be made accordingly. (See the university policy on religious observances at the end of this syllabus.) For medical emergencies, notify me before the class meeting if at all possible. Because attendance is required, failure to notify me of any absences before class meetings will have a direct negative impact on your course grade. Your over all grade for recitation will be downgraded one grade for each recitation you miss without my approval.
There will be two examinations, one at midquarter and one at the end of the quarter (Wednesday, December 9, 10:30-12:30 pm). Examinations will be primarily essay with a few brief identifications. The final examination will primarily test material studied after the midquarter.
You are expected to do all reading assigned for a given week by the time your recitation section meets. There are weekly discussion assignments, based on assigned readings, and you are expected to come to class prepared to discuss those topics. I reserve the right to alter the discussion assignments and make them formal written assignments should I find that the majority of students are coming to class unprepared.
The purpose of discussion if to provide a place for you to talk about the major themes of the course, particularly and most importantly how they relate to the documents. As such, most of the discussion section time will be devoted to in-depth discussions of the documents. Discussion is not a place to go over the lectures, although I will be happy to answer clarification questions at the beginning of each discussion section.
In order to do well in any course, you must keep up with the readings and assignments. Late assignments will be penalized on half letter grade for each day that they are late. Papers are late if they are not turned in at the beginning of recitation on the day that they are due. Exceptions will be considered only in the case of a verified illness. You must contact me before the paper is due to discuss getting an extension.
Intentionally or unintentionally representing another's work as your own is plagiarism. This includes failure to provide a citation for any passages taken directly from a text and for any ideas drawn from the text. If you are uncertain about plagiarism, contact me and we will discuss it in depth. Also see the University Policy Statement at the end of this syllabus.
GRADING
Your grade will be apportioned as follows: 25% Midterm examination
50% Final examination
12.5% Written assignments
12.5% Attendance, class participation, and in-class workI use the following grading scale:
A.....94 or above
A-...90-93
B+...87-89
B.....83-84
B-....83-80C+....79-77
C......76-74
C-.....73-70
D+....69-67
D.......66-64
F........below 64Work of "A" quality demonstrates a mastery of the information and interpretations found in readings, lectures, and discussion section. Work at this level is always characterized by the student's independent assessment and evaluation of the material. Written work at this level is well written, clear, grammatically correct, and proofread. Work of "B" quality usually demonstrates a sound understanding of the material but does not thoroughly analyze all of the information. Work at the "C" level demonstrates a working knowledge of the material and a minimum of interpretation. Sloppy proofreading and grammatical errors often marks "C" level or below writing. Work at a “D” level meets some of the requirements and is worthy of credit.
As a general rule, incompletes are not allowed in this course. Students who have a conflict with the final examination (which is scheduled for Wednesday, December 9, from 10:30-12:30 pm) must notify me well in advance to make arrangements to take the examination at another time during examination week.
UNIVERSITY POLICIES
On the last page of this syllabus, you will find a list of University and CLA policies that apply to all students enrolled in this course. I urge all of you to read these policies carefully. You are responsible for knowing and understanding these policies. If you do not understand or have questions about any of these policies, it is your responsibility to discuss them with me early in the semester. This is particularly true for the policies on plagiarism and scholastic dishonesty. If you do not understand what plagiarism means and what constitutes scholastic dishonesty, or if you think you understand but are not 100% sure, come talk to me now. Failure to abide by the rules set forth in the policies on plagiarism and scholastic dishonesty will lead to appropriate grade action, up to and including failure in the course, as well as reporting of all incidents to the relevant University committees; these committees may decide to take further action on their own.
As noted above, you are responsible for notifying me of any religious conflicts with this course at the start of the quarter. If you have any preexisting conditions that may affect your performance in this course (dyslexia, ADD/ADHD, vision or hearing impairments, acute shyness, etc.), it is your responsibility (and to your benefit) to speak with me early in the quarter about your situation so we can take appropriate measures to minimize the impact on your course performance.
SCHEDULE OF READING AND WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS
Written responses should be typed, double-spaced, with 1-inch margins and in 10- or 12-point font (i.e., do not shrink or expand font size or margins to meet length requirements). I do own a pica measure and a ruler; don’t make me use them on your paper. All rules of written English still apply; unless otherwise specified, I expect responses to be mechanically well-written and proofread carefully, and responses that do not meet these criteria will receive lower grades accordingly.
As a reminder, all work done for this class is subject to the rules laid forth in the Scholastic Dishonesty and Plagiarism policies listed on the last page of this syllabus. Although students are free to discuss assignments with each other outside of class, each student is responsible for writing his or her own papers. Moreover, all references to facts, ideas, opinions, etc. that come from lectures, the course readings, or any other sources should be cited appropriately.
Week 1 (September 28-October 2) Roman & Anglo-Saxon England
Time Period: Prehistory-1066Readings: Textbook pp. 1-67
For Discussion: What does a historian do?Week 2 (October 5-9) Norman Britain
Time Period: 1066-1170Readings: Textbook pp. 68-88; Documents 1-10
For Discussion: (1) When reading your documents, always ask yourself the following questions. Who wrote this? What were this person's attitudes? What was his or her role in this event? What was his or her point of view? Can you detect any biases in the writing? Why did this person write in the way that he or she did? Why was this written? What can we learn through reading this document? How might the information we receive be distorted? Also consider why each document was selected to be included in your document reader.(2) Examine the portions of the Bayeux tapestry in both your textbook and the documents book (the whole tapestry can be viewed on the web; link to it from the Documents Page at the course web site). Next, write about what can be ascertained about one aspect of the Norman conquest. Examples include: Architecture, clothing, superstition, warfare, and social conditions. Defend your answer by citing material from your reading.
Week 3 (October 12-16) The Angevins & the Age of Barons
Time Period: 1100-1215Readings: Textbook pp. 89-123; Documents 11-19
For Discussion: (1) Read the excerpt from the Domesday book carefully and write about what can be ascertained about life in early Norman Herefordshire. How does the picture you receive from this excerpt compare with your overall view of Britain in the early Norman period as presented in the text and the other documents?(2) Was the Norman conquest a good thing or a bad thing for England? Make a list of pros and cons. For an further information and visual aids about the conquest, visit the sites listed on the English History on the Web page.
(3) Choose one broad category of people, (for example, women, peasants, nobility, clergy, guild member) and consider how the rights outlined in the Magna Carta would or would not affect their daily lives. Also consider what rights could have been included to benefit the group you have selected but which are not present in the Magna Carta.
The Domesday book and the Magna Carta are also available on the web and can be accessed from the Documents Page as well.
Week 4 (October 19-23) The Early Middle Ages
Time Period: 1215-1307Readings: Textbook pp. 148-161; Documents 20-23
Assignment Due: Annotated Bibliography
For Discussion: (1) Many of the documents center around questions of rights and responsibilities. Summarize and analyze the rights and responsibilities presented in one of the following documents (14, 17, 18, 21, 22, 23). In your analyses, consider the source of the demands and their possible motivations.(2) Remembering the documents you have read in the first 3 weeks and reading through the documents for this week, think about the kinds of things that were valued in during the Norman period. Then write make a list of the values and specific references to the documents that supports your conclusions. What one or two values do you think were considered most important. Again, defend your choices with specific references from the documents.
After reading the Statute of Rhudlan, you may want to check out the Wales on the Web site for further information on Wales.
Week 5 (October 26-30) Peasant Life in the Middle Ages
Time Period: 11215-1307Readings: Textbook pp. 124-148; Documents 26; 31-32
Assignment: Bring in two essay questions and 10 possible identifications for examination preparation.
For Discussion: Summarize each document and determine its main point. How do these documents fit into the large themes of the course?
REMINDER: Midquarter examination, November 2, during lecture.
Week 6 (November 2-6) War and Crisis
Period: 1307-1399Readings: Textbook pp. 162-191; Documents 24-25; 27-29; 32-36
For Discussion: Your readings for today include excerpts from three late-fourteenth-century literary works: The Canterbury Tales, Piers the Plowman, and the Gest of Robyn Hode. After reading all three introductions and excerpts, choose one of the three to analyze. Consider the following: what this literary work can teach us about the society from which it came. What can we learn about social customs? religion? politics? economics? social conditions? social institutions? relationships between men and women? relationships between members of different social or economic classes? tensions which exist in that society? How "typical" of everyday life do you think the portrait your work paints really is? Does it show you only one segment of society, or a cross-section? Where do you think the work's author is positioned in this society? (Think about the author's biases; to which group[s] does he seem sympathetic or antagonistic, and why?) How valuable do you think this work ultimately is as a means for learning about this culture? (Think here not only in terms of what we can learn from it, but also about what we can't learn, or what is perhaps too distorted for us to learn accurately.) How reliable do you think it is, compared with the other documents assigned for this week and to your previous readings in this course?Be sure to check out the information available about the Hundred Years War by visiting some of the sites listed on the English History on the Web page. If you haven't already done it, be sure to check out the Scotland on the Web site this week as you consider the Declaration of Abroath.
FYI: A new movie about Elizabeth I hits the theaters on November 6!
Week 7 (November 9-13) The Wars of the Roses
Time Period: 1399-1485Readings: Textbook pp. 193-235; Documents 37-39
For Discussion: Come to class with two discussion question of your choice. Be sure that your questions are open-ended and will promote a discussion. Factual questions and yes-no questions do not foster discussion. Try to relate your questions to material that we have covered in previous weeks and/or to the larger themes of the course. Be sure your questions are written down, since I will collect them.There are many good sites covering the Wars of the Roses on the Web. Some of those sites are linked to The English History on the Web page.
Week 8 (November 16-20) Tudor England and Religious Reform
Time Period: 1485-1558Readings: Textbook pp. 235-289; Documents 40-44
Assignment: Book review due
For Discussion: Get into the mind of Thomas More and consider his reaction to the Reformation Statutes (document 42). Remember you are a devout Catholic serving a sovereign who can (and eventually did) sign your death warrant. Be sure to read document 40 carefully when considering your position. In your discussion, be sure to cite specifically those things who agree or disagree with in the Statutes. Remember to read your textbook!There is a summary of information and some pictures of prominent Tudors located at the course web site. These pages contain the basic information that I expect you to know after taking my course.
Week 9 (November 23-27) The Later Tudors
Time Period: 1558-1603Readings: Textbook pp. 289-328; Documents 45-52
For Discussion: (1) Read Elizabeth’s “Golden Speech” and then construct an argument that details what you believe was Elizabeth’s view of a monarch. What do you think she believed were her rights and responsibilities as Queen? What do you think she believed were the rights and responsibilities of her subjects?(2) Read document 47 and outline in detail the characteristics of this witch and the crimes of which she is accused. Then, using your knowledge about sixteenth-century England, speculate as to why there was a commonly held belief in the existence of witches. Defend your answer.
Week 10 (November 30-December 4) The Early Stuarts
Time Period: 1603-1630Readings: Textbook pp. 329-344; Documents 53-58
Assignment: Bring in a list of at least 10 identifications and two essay questions for examination preparation.
For Discussion: (1) In each of the documents, mark the passage that you think is most significant. Your choice should be one that illustrates one of the major points of the document. Be prepared to defend your choice in class.(2) Next, consider the same category you considered for the Magna Carta discussion (for example, women, peasants, nobility, clergy, guild member) and decide how the rights outlined in the Petition of Right would or would not affect their daily lives. Also consider what rights could have been included to benefit the group you have selected but which are not present in the Petition of Right.
(3) Compare and contrast your conclusions in considering the Magna Carta and the Petition of Right. How are the two documents different? the same?
University and College Policy Statements
All students enrolled in history courses should be aware of the following University and College policies:
Scholastic dishonesty is any act that violates the rights of another student with respect to academic work or that involves misrepresentation of a student's own work. Scholastic dishonesty includes (but is not limited to) cheating on assignments or examinations, plagiarizing misrepresenting as one's own anything done by another, submitting the same or substantially similar papers for more than one course without consent of all instructors concerned, depriving another of necessary course materials, and sabotaging another's work.
On plagiarism
Students are expected to express themselves and to sustain an argument in their own prose. They should not submit written work that does not properly acknowledge transcription or that includes excessive quotation of the works of others. If you want to quote from a published work, you must put the passage in quotation marks and cite the references. If you wish to express what an author is saying in your own words, you should include reference to the author concerned to indicate that the ideas stated are hers/his and not yours. Instructors may impose penalties on students who commit acts of academic dishonesty in their courses. Possible penalties include an F for the course or for the assignment, a lowered grade for the course or assignment, or requiring students to rewrite the assignment. For more information contact the Student Dispute Resolution Center, 102 Johnston Hall, (612) 626-0891.
Reasonable accommodations will be provided for students with physical, sensory, systemic, cognitive, learning, and psychiatric disabilities. Any student with a documented disability who needs to arrange reasonable accommodations must contact the instructor and disability services at the beginning of the quarter. For additional information contact Disability Service, 30 Nicholson Hall, (612) 626-1333.
Sexual harassment is defined as follows: Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitute sexual harassment when (1) submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual's employment or academic advancement, (2) submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment decisions or academic decisions affecting such individual, or (3) such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual's work or academic performance or creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive working or academic environment. Individuals seeking information and guidance in matters involving sexual harassment should contact the Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action, 419 Morrill Hall, (612) 624-9547.
The University of Minnesota is committed to the policy that all persons shall have equal access to its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status or sexual orientation.
The University of Minnesota permits absences from class for participation in religious observances. Students who plan to miss class must: 1. Inform instructors of anticipated absences at the beginning of the quarter; 2. Meet with instructors to reschedule any missed examinations; and 3. Obtain class notes from other students.
