HIS 1010-001 Western Civilization I

Western Civilization I

HIS 1010-001 and 104

Prof. Raffaele Florio

Office: KN 3102

Phone: 825-2451

Email. Thehumanitiesprof@yahoo.com

Website. www.oocities.org/thehumanitiesprof

Text. Perry’s Western Civilization: A Brief History, 5^th edition

Course Overview

A study in Western Civilization is a grand undertaking to say the least. It provides us with a basic understanding of how our current civilization has come to be. It allows us to draw connections to our past and hopefully conclusions regarding our future. A true Western Civilization course is far more than just a history course; it includes exposure to many other facets of the humanities, including technology, art, literature, philosophy, ethics, and religion. This course will provide a survey of the major themes while providing an historical framework to hold these themes in place.

As a survey course in Western Civilization, the course has another important task to address. The student should gain insight into the field of history in general. To accomplish this, some work outside of the classroom is required by the students. These assignments are not the “busy work” that they may appear to be at first glance. There is a lesson to be learned in each and the conscientious student should read the syllabus carefully to discern that lesson in order to receive the maximum benefit of each one.

Assignments- All assignments must be turned in on the date they are due. If you are absent I expect to receive the assignment by email on the day it is due. You will lose 5 points for each day it is late unless your absence is excused (e.g. you turned in a note from a physician, etc.).

Primary Source Work-

A major part of an historians work is getting back to the sources. It is very easy to rely upon the work of other historians who have translated, read, and interpreted original documents but it is not the best practice. Secondary sources are very important to historians but in order to draw original theses and support them, it is necessary to refer to the original sources. Each week a primary source document will be provided that deals with a theme in discussion. Students are responsible for reading the document and answering the questions that follow.

Evaluating Secondary Sources-

It is very easy to get inundated with reading when studying history. Secondary sources should be chosen carefully. A good historian can critically inspect a source and determine its usefulness without wasting time. The student’s task is to find an article on a topic that is of interest to him or her in a scholarly journal. The articles can be located on the Academic Search Premier database in the CCRI library. The student must then locate the thesis of the article, three points that substantiate the thesis, and one opposing point that the author alludes to. Finally he or she should critique the effectiveness of the author’s conclusion. Does he or she tie it all together? See Sample.

Research and Writing-

Perhaps the most important role of the historian is to research a topic and report on it in the form of a thesis which answers a particular question about the topic. Each student must find an interesting period in history and read a bit about it. Some questions will undoubtedly arise in the mind of a conscientious student. Jot down the questions and pick one (then get it approved by the instructor). The task will be to answer that question by conducting research on it. Each student must use at least 3 sources to answer the question. The answer to the question will become the thesis of a FIVE PARAGRAPH essay. The essay must have a clear introduction which states the thesis, and it must have a conclusion that sums up the paper. It must also contain 3 supporting paragraphs to substantiate the thesis. An outline of the essay will be submitted a week before the essay is due. The final essay must be submitted with the outline attached to it. Plagiarized research will result in a failing grade (I CHECK!).

Evaluations

There will be one quiz per week. It will consist of terms that come from the reading. If a student misses the quiz without my authorization, IT CANNOT BE MADE UP! I do drop the lowest grade though.

Final Exam-

The Final Exam will be cumulative and it will cover both reading and lectures.

Attendance- You must attend class to be successful. Your attendance will count for a grade which will be averaged in with your others. (For example, if the class is scheduled to meet 15 times and you missed 3 you will receive a 12/15 for you attendance grade which equates to an 80.) If you miss more than 25% of the course you will not receive a passing grade regardless of your overall average.

Grading:

The following will be averaged together: Assignments, Quizzes, Exams, Participation, and Attendance

Basic Rules-

Cell Phones- If you expecting an important phone call, let me know in advance. Otherwise do not answer the phone in class or leave the class to answer it!

All work (except the Final) must be typed.

Make-up work- If I allow a particular assignment to be made up, it must be turned in prior to the exam. I will not accept any assignments between the day of the final and the day grades are due!

Late assignments will only be accepted during the first week after it was originally due unless a previous arrangement was made with me.

Course Outline (subject to change)

Please refer to the course website and print out the appropriate lecture outlines prior to the class

Week 1- Introduction

A What is History? What does an Historian do?

B Origins of Civilization-

Week 2- The Greeks

A The Rise of Greece and the Hellenistic Age

B Greek Thought

*Secondary Source Assignment Due Today*

Week 3- The Romans

A The Roman Republic- and The Roman Empire-