H113 History of
Western Civilization 1
C415 MW 2:30 -
3:45
Instructor: Natalia Lozovsky
Office: CA-504C E-Mail: nlozovsk@iupui.edu |
Phone: 317-278-8199 Office Hours: M 9:15-10:30, W
1:00-2:15 p.m., a.b.a |
This course will introduce you to the civilization of
the Western world, from its beginnings in the Near East to the sixteenth
century. We will focus on the continuity and changes in economic, social,
political, and intellectual developments that shaped Western civilizations and contributed
to the making of the modern world. Our goals will be: 1) to understand the main
trends that have formed the origins of many of our own ideas, values, and
institutions; 2) to develop analytical approach to the problems of history; 3)
to train students in critical reading and interpretation of primary sources.
Required
Texts
1. G.E. Coffin and others, Western
Civilizations: Their History and Their Culture. Vol. I. 14th. ed.
2. M. E. Wiesner and others, Discovering
the Western Past. Vol. I. 4th. ed.
3. The Song of Roland. Trans.
by G. Burgess.
These texts are available in the
bookstore.
Requirements
and Grading
·
You are expected to do
all assigned reading for the week before the first class of the week.
·
Please note that some
changes and additions may be made to the assignments given below. YOU ARE
RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS REGARDING CHANGES OF SCHEDULE, SPECIFIC
READINGS, ETC.
·
Regular attendance is mandatory
and it is crucial for your success in this class. Attendance will be taken, and
more than three unexcused absences will negatively affect your grade. Your
active participation in discussions will help me make decisions on the
borderline cases.
·
Plagiarism and cheating
will be punished in accordance with university policy as outlined in the School
of Liberal Arts Bulletin.
·
You must offer 6 units
of work to complete the requirements of this class. If more than 5 units are
completed, the final grade will be based on the best 5 units of work and not on
the average. Depending on your grade, you may choose to take only part of final
exam (for instance, submit the take-home essay for 1 unit of credit or take the
in-class test for 2 units of credit). If you wish to improve your grade, you
may take the entire final exam for 3 units of credit.
|
Unit value |
Assignment |
|
2 units |
2 Quizzes |
|
2 units |
Mid-term exam |
|
3 units |
Final exam. |
|
1 unit |
Attendance and participation |
Exams and Quizzes
·
There will be two
20-minute quizzes, given at the end of the class, each worth 1 unit. Since the
grading system leaves you room for maneuver, there will be no make-up quizzes.
·
Your final exam will
have a take-home component, a 2-3 pages cumulative essay due on the day of the
in-class exam, which will analyze one of the topics we cover in this course. I
will address this in detail later. There will be no make-up exams without a
medical excuse.
The
Final Examination is on Wednesday,
December 11, 1:00-3:00 p.m.
|
Week 1 Aug 21 |
Introduction. |
|
Week 2 Aug 26-28 |
The Ancient Near East. Greece: early history. Coffin,
pp. 6-79. Discussion: Code of Hammurabi. |
|
|
|
|
Week 3 Sep 2
Sep 4 |
Labor Day No Classes
Early Greece: Homer; polis. Coffin, pp. 118-135. |
|
Week 4 Sep 9 Sep 11 |
Classical Greece. Coffin, pp. 135-161. Discussion: Wiesner,
Ch. 2. Alexander the Great; Hellenism. Coffin, 161-181. Quiz. |
|
|
|
|
Week 5 Sep 16-18 |
Early Rome; Roman Republic and its fall. Coffin,
pp. 184-201. |
|
Week 6 Sep 23-25 |
Roman Empire. Roman culture. Coffin, pp. 201--227. Discussion:
Wiesner, Ch. 3. |
|
Week 7 Sep 30-Oct 2 |
The period of transition: Christianity; the fall of
Rome. Coffin, pp. 227-50. |
|
Week 8 Oct 7-9 |
Discussion: Wiesner, Ch. 4. Byzantium; Islam. Coffin,
pp. 250--283. |
|
Week 9 Oct 14 Oct 16 |
Midterm
exam The Early Middle Ages. Coffin, pp. 283-299. Discussion:
Wiesner, Ch. 5. |
|
Week 10 Oct 21-23 |
The High Middle Ages: Changing Economy and Society;
Crusades. Coffin, pp. 275-343. Discussion: The Song of Roland. |
|
Week 11 Oct
28-30 |
Changes in Religion and Culture. Coffin,
pp. 346-381. Discussion: Wiesner, Ch. 7. |
|
Week 12 Nov 4-8 |
Later Middle Ages: The Black Death; Wars; Social
Problems. Coffin, 384-395. |
|
Week 13 Nov 11-13 Nov 13 |
Late Medieval Religion and Culture. Coffin, pp. 395-406. Discussion: Wiesner, Ch. 9. Quiz |
|
Week 14 Nov 18-20 |
Renaissance society and culture. Coffin, pp. 406-456. Discussion: Wiesner; Ch. 10. |
|
Week 15 Nov 25 Nov 27-Dec 1
|
Byzantium, Russia, and the West. Coffin, pp. 407-411. No classes Thanksgiving Holiday
|
|
Week 16 Dec 2-4 |
Reformation. Coffin, pp. 457-500. Discussion: Wiesner, Ch. 12. |
|
Week 17 Dec 9 |
Conclusion and review. |