Syllabus

History 231: Origins of the Contemporary World

Spring 2009

Professor Edward Hanlon

Monday, Wednesday: Periods 2 & 5

Office 4321N; Phone 237-8851

Office Hours: Mondays, 11:00 to 12:00 & by appointment.

Course Description:

This course is a survey of the histories, politics, societies, religions, and philosophies in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas from about 6000 B.C.E. to 1650 C.E. The semester will begin with the discovery of agriculture and the development of the first agrarian civilizations and end with the European exploration and expansion over the Earth.

The first part of the course will explore the development of the first agrarian civilization in the river valleys of Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, and China. During this exploration we will discover how settled agriculture freed people and resources for purposes such as manufacturing, trade, development of religion, politics, war, and writing. Additionally, discussion of religious and philosophical development will compose an important part of the beginning of the course.

The second part will look at developed empires such as the Roman Empire and the empire of Han China to clearly illustrate how humans attempt to solve problems of war, social problems, and rulership. During the latter part of the course we will see how other civilizations built upon the foundations of the ancients. The Islamic World, Tang China, and the nations of Europe will be especially discussed.

One of the main objectives of this course is to offer a non-Eurocentric approach to the history of the world. This means that Europe and the west will not be at the center of the course. Cultures and societies that developed in Africa, Asia, and the Americas will be looked at for their own contributions to the world at large, and not in the context of their contact with the west.

Procedure:

• Lectures on major themes.
• Class discussion on the day's topic.
• Group work on selected subjects.
• Films on art, civilization, culture, and related matters.

Course Objectives:

• To provide an understanding of the roots and development of the world's values and morals.
• To increase knowledge and understanding of Ancient History in general, and key historical events in particular.
• To increase student's ability to evaluate ideas and arguments critically, to weigh historical evidence, and to draw conclusions.
• To improve student's ability to communicate ideas and arguments concisely, accurately, and informatively orally and in writing.

Testing:

There will be a mid-term exam and a final. Additionally, several quizzes will be given over the course of the semester.

There will be no make-up tests or quizzes given.

Midterm Examination. The midterm covers first portion of the course. I will provide you with more details later. In order to complete the midterm, you must have a good grasp of World geography. A firm grasp of geography is essential to understanding history. Be sure you are able to identify from a map all of the major empires studied up to the midterm exam. You can use any reputable atlas to learn this. Here are some web sites:

http://www.lib.utexas.edu/Libs/PCL/Map_collection

http://research.umbc.edu/~roswell/mipage.html

Final Examination. The Final will be cumulative covering the entire course. I expect you to integrate information into cohesive arguments, and demonstrate that you have achieved the course objectives stated above. You must be familiar with geography in order to take the final exam.

Class Participation. You must contribute to the class discussions and remain engaged in lectures, films, and presentations. Do not simply sit in class and take notes. Those who sleep in class will receive a poor participation grade. In addition, I will use this portion to evaluate your contribution to the class at other times, your attendance, cooperation, and your dedication to excellence.

Attendance:

Attendance is Mandatory!  After four absences the professor will be obliged to lower the students' final grade by one-third of a letter grade. For each absence after the fourth, the students' grade will be lowered by one-third letter grade. Two lateness's equals one absence.

Text:

Craig, Graham, et al. The Heritage of World Civilizations. Volume I, 8th Edition. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 2008.

Readings :

You must complete these! I cannot stress enough the importance of accomplishing the readings before class meets. In many instances, we will spend a   portion of the period discussing readings; you cannot participate effectively if you are not prepared. I will not permit those students who choose not to prepare for class to participate with those who do prepare (to benefit, so to speak, from work they have not done).

(1) In some instances, the course schedule tells you to scan a particular selection, or visit a particular web site. In these cases, I would like you to be aware of the content and the subject matter, but do not require you to read these as closely as you would your texts. In other instances, the reading schedule lists optional items. These are there for you to look at if you like.

(2) Bring your text to class with you each day they are assigned. I want you to have these available because I will often refer to portions of them and in some instances we will read from them. Bring the other books when there are readings assigned. For selections off the web, in some cases I've directed you to bring in a printed copy for reference.

(3) Plan you readings ahead. Work ahead and come to class prepared. Some days have a heavy reading load and others have a light load. The key is to stay current and not fall behind!

(4) If you anticipate or have trouble with the readings, either understanding them or keeping up with them, let me know so that I can work with you.

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Schedule

Final Exams: 

Period 2: 20 May 2009, 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.

Period 5: 18 May 2009, 12:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m.

Class Materials

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