HISTORY 105 – TV
WORLD CIVILIZATIONS I
SYLLABUS
FALL 2003
INSTRUCTOR:
SHERRI WEST
LINCROFT, MAN 117b
General Information
Brookdale Community College is special in that it offers a variety of student assistance programs to make your learning experience more successful. Among these are learning assistants who are available to tutor students and to answer questions about the course when the instructor is not available. There are also writing and reading labs, available upon appointment, to aid students in preparing assignments. These and other support services will be discussed in more detail at the orientation session.
Students are encouraged to read the college catalog and the schedule published by the Registrar's Office. These contain college policies about fees, dates, reimbursements and credit information. They are the contract between the student and the administration.
Telecourse Information
An orientation session will be held on Wednesday, September 10th at 7:30 PM in the Student Life Center, Navesink Room. Attendance is mandatory. Course schedules will be available and course requirements will be explained. Lines of communication will be set up between students and the instructor.
The instructor for the course is Sherri West (732) 224-2410. You may reach her during the semester in the following ways:
1. Email
The use of email is required in this course. You have been assigned a web-based email address, which can be accessed through any computer. Assignments will be submitted through email and contact with the professor will be maintained through email as well.
Sherri West- MAN 117b email:
History Department Division Mailbox – MAN 111
Brookdale Community College Phone: (732) 224-2410
765 Newman Springs Road Fax #: (732) 224-2182
Lincroft, NJ 07738
Website: http://www.brookdale.cc.nj.us/fac/history/sher.html
2. Office and Appointments
Prof. West’s office is in MAN 117b. A schedule of office hours will be given at the orientation session, and you are encouraged to make appointments to discuss assignments or other aspects of the course. The History Department office is located in the first floor of the MAN building. Prof. West’s mailbox is located in the Social Science Division office, MAN 111.
3. Learning Assistant/Student Assistants
The History Learning Assistant is Karen Sieben. If you are unable to reach Prof. West, Ms. Sieben is available to answer your questions, take assignments and relay messages. You may reach her by telephone at 224-2533 (Email: ). Information on Student Assistants will be provided at orientation.
Course Information
The World Civilization course is divided into two parts. Part 1, The Ancient World, covers the agriculture evolution, the rise of civilizations, and the development of the world religion (Topics 1-7). Part II, The Middle Millennium, discusses some of the leading traditional civilizations in China and Europe, the rise of Islam, and the expansion of Europe (Topics 8-13). The Course Calendar provides a schedule indicating the date that each topic will be covered, readings assignments and due dates for written work.
A variety of resources are available to help you master the information in this course. They are as follows:
1. Textbook
Traditions & Encounters 2nd Edition, by Jerry Bentley & Herbert Ziegler. The readings that you will be assigned each week are designed to enable you to complete the writing assignments that will be required, as well as to provide you with the additional background that will supplement the viewing of the videotapes. See the Study Suggestions in this guide for tips on how to get the most out of the text readings.
Online Support The Publisher of this textbook, McGraw Hill, has a useful website for this textbook with a Student Study Guide online. Please use it! The website is www.mhhe.com/bentley2 (There is also a PowerWeb feature that will be used for extra-credit).
The book does not match the video package exactly. There will be weeks where the book will not perfectly complement the video.
2. Readings Book
Readings in Global History, Volume 1, Anthony Snyder and Sherri West, eds., provides additional readings which will be assigned along with your text assignments. These readings are intended to clarify the main themes discussed in a particular week, to provide additional background information, or to provoke you to think about the topic in a different way. You can purchase this book in the College Book Store.
3. Videotapes
There are thirteen half-hour videotapes, with one shown each week, that are designed to introduce you to the broad sweep of human history in a dramatic way. While each videotape can no more than provide an overview of the important events and developments, it serves as a constant reminder of the cultural interactions that had far-reaching impact on the history of a particular period, with lasting repercussions into the present day. These tapes should be viewed as an important complement to the text and other reading.
Also included on the syllabus are library collection videos with VT numbers. These videos are available in the Brookdale Library and are also essential for understanding the material. Combining the viewing of the video programs with thoughtful reading will enhance your overall understanding of the period. See the Study Suggestions for ways to get the most out of watching the videotapes. The video programs are scheduled to be shown at the following times:
Preview Week: September 1-8, 2003
Cablevision of Monmouth (Ch. 70) and Comcast (Ch 21) – Videos begin on September 9, 2003, Tuesday, from 9:00-9:30 AM. Contact the Telecourse Office at 224-2180 if any problems.
Brookdale owns a complete set of the videotapes. You may view or review any segment in the series in the Audiovisual Department of the Library. Contact them for available hours.
Course Requirements
Students will achieve grades of A, B, C, D, or F in the course by accumulating enough points for the grade they are seeking by the end of the semester. The total minimum number of points available during the semester is 300. The minimum number of points required for each grade is:
A=255 points D=165 points
B=225 points F=164 or fewer points
C=195 points
Students taking the course on a Pass/Fail basis need to achieve 195 points to pass the course.
Points are accumulated in the following ways:
1. TESTS (Mandatory)
a. Test, Part I (Topics 1-7) 50 points maximum
b. Test, Part II (Topics 8-13) 50 points maximum
2. TOPIC ESSAYS (Mandatory) - 1-12 points each
Students will select any 10 of 14 topic worksheets and complete the questions. The Worksheet Questions are located in this guide. Worksheets must be submitted via email. Check the Course Calendar for deadline dates for each worksheet, and look under "Study Suggestions" for the proper way to complete the worksheets.
3. QUIZZES (Mandatory) 1-10 points each
Four objective quizzes will be available in the Testing Center. Quiz 1 (Topics 1-3); Quiz 2 (Topic 4-6B); Quiz 3 (Topics 8-13); Quiz 4 (Topics 9 & 11). Check the Course Calendar for deadline dates for each quiz.
4. CLASS PARTICIPATION (Optional) There will be two optional class meetings during the semester. The major purpose of these meetings will be to review material in the Units and to prepare you for the test, which will be given the next week. Students are expected to inform the instructor in advance that they will attend. The dates of the meetings will appear on the Course Calendar (5 points per meeting will be awarded)
5. EXTRA CREDIT (Maximum points - 30) Students may participate in an email bulletin board, or review articles on the PowerWeb. Students may earn additional points, up to 30 points maximum.
Summary of the Point System
Test, Part I 50 points max.
Test, Part II 50 points max
Topic Questions (any 10 - 12 points each) 120 points max
Quizzes (4 @ 10 points each) 40 points max
Class Participation (Optional - 5 pts each) 10 points max
Extra Credit (Optional - 10 points) 30 points max
Total 300 points max.
Incomplete Grade Policy
An "Incomplete" designation is available to students who are unable to complete the requirements for the D grade by the end of the semester. In order to qualify for "Incomplete" the student must:
1. Have already completed 140 points in the course
2. Be able to achieve D in the course, and
3. Have the professor's approval
4. The student must complete an application for "Incomplete" before the end of the semester.
Brookdale Core Competencies
Communication Skills:
1.1 Communicate ideas clearly and effectively in written form.
1.5 Demonstrate effective listening skills.
1.6 Demonstrate effective reading skills.
Critical Thinking, Problem Solving:
2.1 Identify a problem and analyze it.
Historical Perspective:
3.1 Recognize the historical and political development of civilization.
3.2 Understand the influence and impact of historical and political events, ideas and cultures.
Societal Perspective:
6.3 Understand the workings of government
6.4 Think critically about controversial societal issues.
6.5 Understand the relationship between the individual and society.
Information and Technological Literacy:
7.1 Recognize the need for information.
Diversity and Global Perspective:
10.1Develop a global perspective concerning regional and political differences.
10.2 Appreciate diverse cultures and their languages.
10.3Link geography and regions of the world with various cultures.
10.5 Analyze the causes and consequences of their own and other’s prejudicial attitudes and discriminatory actions.
HIST 105 Learning Program
Each student will be given a copy of the Learning Program which contains additional study information, History Department services and policies, and a set of outlines for each topic. The students will find these outlines helpful as a study guide to their assigned reading for the course.
Topic Essays
Select 10, and answer one from each of the selected topics in approx. 2-3 pages – 12 points each.
Topic 1: Human Origins
1. What is Diane Gifford-Gonzalez's argument in the article"Drudge on the Hide"? Do you agree? Why or why not?
3. Examine the map on page 10 of the textbook and go to the interactive version of the map at www.mhhe.com/bentley2ch1maps and describe the migration routes of hominids. What seem to be the earliest and latest continents inhabited?
4. From the video and the readings, what are the important characteristics of hunting and gathering societies?
5. If you were a member of the Kung people (RGH#3), what arguments could you make that your way of life was better than ours today, the “original affluent society?” What disadvantages would you cite?
6. According the article in the RGH entitled “Racial Odyssey”, what is race, and how has it been used to explain human development? What does “accessibility” have to do with human achievement, according to the author of “Races in History?”
Topic 2: The Agricultural Revolution
1. Make a list of the advantages and disadvantages of living in the types of hunting/gathering societies described in the text and video. Then make lists of the advantages and disadvantages of living in early agricultural societies. What was gained and what was lost by the agricultural transition that took place twelve thousand to five thousand years ago?
2. Examine the map on page 24 of the textbook and describe the spread of agriculture. What are the important crops? Does this map support or refute the theory of cultural diffusion? Why or why not?
3. What do the video and text suggest are the reason for the rise of agriculture? Where does agriculture first appear? How does the rise of agriculture transform society?
4. Consider the meaning of bloodletting and human sacrifice to the Mesoamericans. How do these practices make sense in the context of their belief systems? How did their societies evolve to support these beliefs and these practices?
5. How did the geography of America and Oceania contribute to their unique development? What are the similarities is in their patterns of development in spite of the geographical differences?
6. The paucity of written information for these cultures makes for large gaps in our understanding of them. What sorts of information can we obtain about cultures such as these without written texts and what will be never know?
7. You work for a tour company and you are asked to design a tour of Mexico and Guatemala that focuses on early complex societies. Design a tour itinerary (using maps and avoiding much backtracking) that hits the highlights of the early societies in roughly chronological order.
Topic 3: The Birth of Civilization
1. How can the Biblical text of "Genesis" (RGH#5) be interpreted to explain the rise of civilization? What role do women play in the story?
2. What is the "Theory of the Retarding Lead"? Compare it to cultural diffusion as a possible model for historical analysis.
3. The view of Africa has been distorted in the Western mind. Using the RGH and the textbook, explain the "Myth of Africa" (RGH#58) and why Westerners have developed an incorrect view of Africa? Also include RGH #69, “Africa’s Storied Past,” in your discussion, along with text readings.
4. Imagine you are with a group of archaeologists excavating a site of a village in Africa. So far you have found several decorated pieces of pottery, cast copper knives and jewelry, sewing needles and what appears to be the foundation of a wall surrounding the settlement. What can you infer about this culture based on this information? What would be the earliest you can date it?
5. The textbook avoids the term "civilization" opting for the term "complex society" instead. Why? Compare the definition and use of "civilization" in the video to "complex society" in the text. Using specific references from Mesopotamia, describe the different characteristics of civilization.
6. The Code of Hammurabi (RGH#6) is an example of an early law code. Analyze the code and determine what early complex societies were most concerned with protecting and preserving. Give examples of at least five different types of laws in the document and explain why these laws were important to these societies. How do these laws differ from ours today?
Topic 4: The Age of Iron
1. The video narrator discusses the development of iron as one of the turning points in world history. Why, and give specific examples?
2. From the video and readings, why is Darius considered more important as an administrator than as a conqueror? In what ways did Darius promote communication and commerce throughout the empire, and what lasting impact did his achievements have for the Persians?
3. What aspects of Zoroastrianism seem like modern religions? What are the basic teachings of Zoroastrianism? How do you think the teachings of Zarathustra would influence the believers’ behavior and attitudes at the time?
4. The authors refer to the Persian Empire as “cosmopolitan”. What does this mean? In what ways did the rulers promote the cosmopolitanism?