EUH 3122 (section 0001)
Medieval Society and Civilization
Comm. 115 Instructor: Dr. Peter L. Larson
MWF 9:30-10:20 a.m. Office: Colbourn Hall 537
Fall 2009 History Dept. Office Phone: 407-823-2225
Credit: 3 units (3,0) Email:
Office Hours: M 2-3:00 & WF 2-4:00 p.m.,
& by appointment
Course home page: http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~plarson/EUH3122_09.htm
Course Description and Objectives
I. To explore the history of the European Middle Ages, with a strong emphasis on the basic political history of the period: major events, dates, and personages, as well as relevant geography. While this will form the core of the course, we will also examine other aspects of history, including religion, art, architecture, and social and cultural trends. We will approach these histories through a variety of primary sources, from histories, letters, and laws to art, architecture, and artifacts.
II. To consider the ways in which professional historians analyze and construct medieval history, from the interpretation of sources to the use of analytical frameworks.
Required Texts
The following textbooks are required, and may be purchased from the Bookstore.
· Barbara Rosenwein, A Short History of the Middle Ages, 2009 ed. (U of Toronto Press)
ISBN 9781442601048
· Barbara Rosenwein, Reading the Middle Ages (Broadview or UTP) ISBN 9781551116936.
· St. Benedict’s Rule for Monasteries (Liturgical Press), ISBN 9780814606445.
· Njal’s Saga (Penguin, 2002) ISBN 978014044769.
Note, an older translation (1861) is available at: http://omacl.org/Njal/
· Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy, vol. I: Inferno, trans. by Mark Musa. (Penguin)
ISBN 9780142437220.
Other versions of these texts are acceptable but will take some adaptation.
Course Assignments
§ Conduct in the Course 10%
§ Essay 10%
§ Film Critique 10%
§ In-class Exams (2) 45%
§ Final Exam 25%
Important note for majors regarding Portfolios: All History majors are required to turn in a portfolio during the semester they intend to graduate. This portfolio should contain 8-12 examples (the originals not copies) of graded, written work (research papers, book reviews, essay exams, etc.) from History classes. For more information on History graduation requirements see http://www.cah.ucf.edu/history/undergraduate_degreereq.php
Grading
So that there is no confusion, here are the criteria that I use when assigning letter grades on assignments, and for your final grade. Note that I am under no obligation to round up your grade.
93.00 to 100 = A 87.00 to 89.99 = B+ 59.99 and below = F
90.00 to 92.99 = A- 83.00 to 86.99 = B
80.00 to 82.99 = B-
etc. for Cs and Ds
Conduct, Participation, and Attendance
I expect you to act professionally - to attend all classes, to complete required readings and analyze them before class, and to participate actively. Cell phones, pagers, and beepers must be off during class, and taping of lectures is forbidden without my express permission. All lecture notes and powerpoints are for your personal use only; they cannot be sold or distributed.
I expect participation in class. Students who participate actively in discussion do better on papers and exams. If you fail to participate at all this will be reflected in your Conduct grade.
Attendance Policy: You are permitted three unexcused absences. Beginning with the fourth absence, you will lose 1 point per absence from the points allotted for Conduct in the course; these points will be deducted after I have calculated your Conduct grade. Excessive tardiness will be treated as unexcused absences.
For an absence to be excused, I must have written proof that your absence was beyond your control, e.g. a copy of a court summons, a note from your boss that you were called in unexpectedly, and so forth. For illnesses, I require a doctor’s note explaining that you were under care and unable to attend class. I do not need to know specifics; you may black out any diagnosis, cause, or personal information. Please note: failure to find parking, self-diagnosis, breakup with your boy/girlfriend, etc., are not excused absences. If you miss class, whether the absence is excused or not, you are responsible for what you missed. For notes, see one of your classmates, and then talk to me if you have any questions.
Assignments
Essay: A short (3 to 5 page) paper answering an assigned topic (to be announced).
Film Critique : The past is a very popular subject with Hollywood. We will watch at least one film in class, and you will write a 3 to 5 page critical review and analysis of that film.
Exams: There will be two in-class examinations and a longer final examination (170 minutes). The final will have some cumulative questions, including the essays.
Extra Credit: I do not offer individual extra-credit assignments. Complete the assigned work.
Full details of the assignments will be posted on the class website.
Turn-it-in.com Requirement
You are required to submit the Essay and Film Critique to Turn-it-in.com, an automated system which instructors can use to quickly and easily compare each student's assignment with billions of web sites, as well as an enormous database of student papers that grows with each submission. You will be expected to submit all assignments in both hard copy and electronic format. After the assignment is processed, as an instructor I receive a report from turnitin.com that states if and how another author’s work was used in the assignment. For a more detailed look at this process, visit http://www.turnitin.com.
Exam Make-up Policy
A make-up exam will be permitted only with acceptable written proof of absence. For in-class exams, the timing of the makeup exam is at the convenience of the instructor, who will take into consideration the reason(s) for the absence to provide a fair testing opportunity. For the final exam, due to the deadlines for submitting grades, arranging a makeup exam is difficult and you should contact the instructor immediately.
Tardiness to exams: I will allow students who are late to class to take the exam, although extra time will not necessarily be provided. If you are late, please enter the classroom and take your seat as quietly as possible.
General Writing Assignment Policies
Spelling, grammar, and style count; for help, consult the online Style Guide and Grading Criteria. Most errors can be avoided by using both a spell and grammar checker, and by setting them to “formal”.
Late Papers: All papers must be submitted to Turnitin.com by the beginning of class; this provides a time stamp. A hardcopy of your paper is due in class; however, because things do happen, you have until the end of my office hours to submit the hardcopy as long as you attend the class at which the paper is due. After the Turnitin.com cutoff, you have seven full days (that includes the weekend) to turn in the paper with a 10 point penalty (one full letter grade). After that, papers will be accepted until the last day of class, but the grade will be halved (e.g., an 88 becomes a 44). If you had an excused absence, the due date is the class when you return.
Extensions for papers are at my discretion and generally must be sought at least 48 hours before the paper is due. I will require documentation for most extensions. Do not put a paper off until the last minute; due dates are published in the syllabus, so plan accordingly.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the presentation (consciously or unconsciously) of someone else’s words or ideas as your own, whether you paraphrase another scholar’s words too closely or you cut-and-paste or purchase an entire paper on the internet. Plagiarism is not limited to published works; it includes other students’ papers and web sites. You may quote works by others when proper reference is given, but under no circumstances should you incorporate someone else’s work into your own without proper citation. If you refer to someone else’s idea, even if it is not a direct quote, you must cite that information; unreferenced paraphrasing is plagiarism.
Plagiarism is a serious offence. Plagiarism, and cheating of any kind on any assignment, will result in a 0 for that assignment (and may, depending on the severity of the case, lead to an "F" for the entire course) and may be subject to appropriate referral to the Office of Student Conduct for further action. See the UCF Golden Rule for further information. I will assume for this course that you will adhere to the academic creed of this University and will maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. If you have any questions or concerns, please see me or the University Writing Center.
Office Hours
You can find me in my office during my stated office hours, or you can set up an appointment. The best way to contact me, home or office, is by email, though it may take up to two days for me to get back to you.
Disability Statement
The University of Central Florida is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for all persons with disabilities. This syllabus is available in alternate formats upon request. Students with disabilities who need accommodations in this course must contact me at the beginning of the semester to discuss needed accommodations. No accommodations will be provided until the student has met with the professor to request accommodations. Students who need accommodations must be registered with Student Disability Services, Student Resource Center Room 132, phone (407) 823-2371, TTY/TDD only phone (407) 823-2116, before requesting accommodations from the professor.
Finally…
Communication is key. If there is anything that may affect your performance in class or on the assignments, let me know!! I am willing to be flexible and offer help, but I can only do so if you ask me before something is due; coming to me after the fact, without any documentation, will not change anything.
Schedule of Classes
Note: The readings under a class should be completed for that class.
The assignments in Rosenwein, Reading the Middle Ages are keyed to the reading #, not the page.
Readings from the Internet do not need to be printed, but be prepared to discuss them.
Week 1
M 24th Aug. Introduction; The Late Roman Empire
W 26th Roman Christianity
Short History: pp. 21-32
Reading the Middle Ages: Chapter 1, #s 3, 5, 6
F 28th Special Class: Survey
Week 2
M 31st The Late Antique World
Short History: pp. 32-40
Reading the Middle Ages: Chapter 1, #s 7, 8
W 2nd Sept. Fall of the Roman Empire
Short History: pp. 40-54
F 4th Monasticism - Complete St. Benedict’s Rule
Reading the Middle Ages: Chapter 1, #s 10-13
Week 3
M 7th Labor Day - No Class Today
W 9th Byzantium & Islam
Short History: pp. 54-75
Reading the Middle Ages: Chapter 2, #s 1-10
F 11th Clovis & the Franks Essay due
Short History: pp. 75-87
Reading the Middle Ages: Chapter 1, #s 14-17
Week4
M 14th The Anglo-Saxons I: Conquest
Short History: pp. 87-99
W 16th The Anglo-Saxons II: Conversion & the Northumbrian Golden Age
Reading the Middle Ages: Chapter 2, #s 11-12, 15
F 18th Byzantium, Islam, and Al’Andalus
Short History: pp. 101-117, 139-145
Reading the Middle Ages: Chapter 3, #s 12-14
Week 5
M 21st The Rise of the Carolingians
Short History: pp. 118-119
Reading the Middle Ages: Chapter 3, #s1-4
W 23rd Charlemagne, part I
Short History: pp. 119-123
Reading the Middle Ages: Chapter 3, # 15-17
F 25th Charlemagne, part II
Short History: pp. 123-136
Reading the Middle Ages: Chapter 3, #s 18-19
Week 6
M 28th Exam #1
W 30th The Creation of France and Germany
Reading the Middle Ages: Chapter 3, # 19
F 2nd Oct. The Vikings
Short History: pp. 145-147, 152-155
Reading the Middle Ages: Chapter 4, #s 11, 18
Week 7
M 5th Discussion: Viking Society - Complete Njal’s Saga
W 7th Al’Andalus: Muslim Spain
F 9th The Agricultural Revolution; Towns & Fiefs
Short History: pp. 156-161
Reading the Middle Ages: Chapter 4, #s 3-6, Chapter 5, #s 1-5
Week 8
M 12th Late Saxon England, Ottonian Germany, & Byzantium
Short History: pp. 161-172
Reading the Middle Ages: Chapter 4, #s 15-17
W 14th The Reform of the Church; The Investiture Controversy
Short History: pp. 187-193
Reading the Middle Ages: Chapter 5, #s 4-5
Dictatus Papae: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/g7-dictpap.html
F 16th The Expansion of Europe; the First Crusade; Withdrawal Deadline
Short History: pp. 147-151, 177-182, 193-199
Reading the Middle Ages: Chapter 5, #s 6-13
Week 9
M 19th The Twelfth-century Renaissance
Short History: pp. 190-217
Reading the Middle Ages: Chapter 5, #s 14-15, 19
W 21st The Twelfth-century Renaissance II
Reading the Middle Ages: Chapter 5, #16
Abelard, History of My Calamities
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/abelard-sel.html
F 23rd Further Crusades and the Crusader States
Short History: pp. 219-223
Reading the Middle Ages: Chapter 6, #’s 1-4, 18-22
Usama ibn Munqidh, Memoirs: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/usamah2.html
A Hostile View of the Crusades: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/1147critic.html
Week 10
M 26th Development of the State
Short History: pp. 223-251
Reading the Middle Ages: Chapter 6, #s 5-17
Magna Carta: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/mcarta.html
W 28th Heresy & Reform
Short History: pp. 252-261
Reading the Middle Ages: Chapter 6, #s 23-29, Chapter 7, #s 10-12
The Conversion of Peter Waldo: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/waldo1.html
Rule of the Franciscan Order: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/stfran-rule.html
Bernard Gui, Inquisitorial Techniques:
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/heresy2.html
F 30th Rise and Fall of the medieval papacy
Short History: pp. 280-285
Boniface VIII, Clericis Laicos: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/b8-clericos.html
Boniface VIII, Unam Sanctam: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/b8-unam.html
also available in Reading the Middle Ages Chapter 7, #s 15-17
Week 11
M 2nd Nov. Film: Name of the Rose (1986)
W 4th Film: Name of the Rose
F 6th Nov. Film: Name of the Rose
Week 12
M 9th Later Crusades & the Fall of the Latin East
Cologne Chronicle: The Children’s Crusade
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/1212pueri.html