I. Textbooks: Readings are best done before the day they are assigned. Available at the bookstore.

“A History of Western Society: From Antiquity to 1500” by McKay, Hill & Buckler. Labeled MHB for readings.

Penguin Custom Editions: The Western World listed for H113 and under Ms. TammyJo Eckhart; the cover has a Medusa head on it. Labeled Penguin for readings.

II. Course Description:

This course will introduce you to the major historical issues, events, and people in the ancient and medieval worlds that are the foundation of modern Western Civilization. We will very briefly touch upon the cradles of civilization in Egypt and the Near East before spending several weeks on the Greece and Rome, where Western Civilization truly has its birth. Then we will turn primarily to Europe and examine how the medieval world continued ancient traditions, created new cultures, and helped shape the modern world. There are no exams in this course, only a series of papers and in-class room exercises.

III. Course Objectives:

No course that covers such a long period of time can possibly be detailed; instead we will focus on several of the “Principles of Undergraduate Learning” (see www.jaguars.iupui.edu/gened/gnedprin.htm). This course has several objectives. First, you will get a basic understanding of the major developments in Western Civilization. Secondly, you will see how history is studied and written. Third, you will then apply what you see to your own research and writing. Fourth, you will help others become better at communicating their own research and ideas via editorial meetings. Finally, this course will hopefully make you eager to study specific historical periods, events, or issues in greater detail.

IV. Basic Course Format:

Class meetings are twice weekly for seventy-five (75) minutes per meeting. Within these sixty minutes, there will be traditional lecture and discussion. You need to read the assigned readings before our class meeting so that you are best prepared to understand lecture and participate in discussion. Since the classroom we are in does not have a great deal of technology available for us, I will be using Oncourse to add visual and textual examples – check Oncourse regularly. On three occasions we will spend time assisting each other with the paper assignments; the day a paper is due, we will not have lecture.

V. Course Policies:

Read this syllabus and keep it where you can easily find it. This is my contract with you – if you stay in this class, you are accepting my policies, the course design, and agree to help all of us achieve the course objectives. Quizzes must be taken at the time they are given unless you have a documented emergency; quizzes given for such emergencies will not be the same as those given in class. Papers are due the day listed in the schedule. Only under extreme and documented circumstances will a late paper be accepted. Paper Help Days cannot be made up – if you miss for whatever reason, you receive a 0 for that grade. Please be on time to class and plan to stay for the entire class; entering late or leaving early will be distraction for all of us and hinder the achievement of the course objectives; be quiet if you cannot avoid being late or leaving early.

VI. Course Work and Student Evaluation:

Grading Scale:

100-97 = A+	96-94 = A	93-90 = A-
89-87 = B+	86-84 = B	83-80 = B-
79-77 = C+	76-74 = C	73-70 = C-
69-67 = D+	66-64 = D	63-60 = D-
59 and below = F

Short Chapter Quizzes: Each assigned chapter of reading in the MHB will have one (1) short quiz that is taken the day the chapter is listed on the schedule – there are 10 chapters and 10 quizzes. This will be given right at the beginning of that class meeting. Answers to the quizzes will be listed on the Oncourse site for this course at the end of the week it was given. Make-up quizzes will completely different from those given in class. Each one is worth 3% or a total of 30% of the course grade.

Short Papers: Three (3) short (3-5 pages long) papers will be assigned that require students to apply the lecture and textbook information to the interpretation of the primary sources in the course’s Penguin custom edition book. Details about each paper will be handed out the week before they are do. Each day late will result in the final paper grade being reduced by one full letter grade (10 points). Each is worth 10% or a total of 30% of the course grade

Paper Help Days: On three (3) occasions, students will need to bring in one copy of the rough draft of that week’s assigned short paper plus an ink pen (not black or blue ink). This will allow you to share your drafts with other students and work out any problems or confusions before it is due the class meeting. Grades for this work will be based on the seriousness of the rough draft and the quality of editing on another’s work. Worth 5% each or a total 15% of the final course grade.

Final Paper: This is a take-home final exam that is not cumulative in nature. This must be typed and written as per instructions (given in class on December 4, 2003). It is due during our scheduled final exam time. No late final papers will be accepted. Worth 25% of the course’s grade.

Attendance: Acceptable excuses to miss assignments or make-up work must be documented and presented for approval. Acceptable excuses may include doctor’s visits, legal responsibilities, death of a relative, care for illness of a child or spouse – each must be documented.

Plagiarism: When you are assigned the first paper, you will also receive guidelines on how to avoid plagiarism; keep that information for the duration of this course. This course will follow the standards of Indiana University/Purdue University in Indianapolis for plagiarism. See www.jaguars.iupui.edu/studcode/stucode.htm for details.

Break Down of Graded Work:

Chapter Quizzes = 30%

Paper Help Days = 15%

Short Papers = 30%

Final Paper = 25%

VII. Course Schedule:

Week 1: Welcome to H113

August 21: Introduction to the course

Week 2: Before there was Western Civilization

August 26: Read chapter 1 MHB

August 28: Read chapter 2 MHB & Penguin pp. 72-75.

Week 3: Ancient Greece

September 2: Read chapter 3 MHB

September 4: Read Penguin pp. 3-17, 42-63

Week 4: Hellenistic World

September 9: Read chapter 4 MHB

September 11: Read Penguin pp. 1-2, 18-41, 64-71; 1^st Paper Assigned

Week 5: First Short Paper Week

September 16: Paper Help Day

September 18: 1^st Short Paper Due.

Week 6: Roman Republic

September 23: Read chapter 5 MHB

September 25: Read Penguin pp. 83-86, 98-99, 102-116, 147-150

Week 7: A Roman World

September 30: Read chapter 6 MHB

October 2: Read Penguin pp. 79-82, 87-95, 100-101, 117-142, 151-165

Week 8: Late Antiquity

October 7: Read chapter 7 MHB

October 9: Read Penguin pp. 76-78, 142-146, 166-172, 179-189

Week 9: Second Short Paper Week

October 14: Paper Help Day

October 16: 2^nd Short Paper Due; Midterm point

Week 10: Early Middle Ages

October 21: Read chapter 8 MHB

October 23: Read Penguin pp. 207-219, 239-256

Week 11: The Spark Returns to Europe

October 28: Read chapter 9 MHB

October 30: Read Penguin pp.

Week 12: High Middle Ages I

November 4: Read chapter 10 MHB

November 6: Read Penguin pp. 223-238, 262-273, 282-292, 298-302

Week 13: 3^rd Short Paper Week

November 11: Paper Help Day

November 13: 3^rd Short Paper Due

Week 14: High Middle Ages II

November 18: Read chapter 11 MHB

November 20: Read Penguin pp. 220-222, 257-281, 293-297

Week 15: Era of Crises

November 25: Read chapter 12 MHB

November 27: No Class – Thanksgiving Break

Week 16: Looking Back and Looking Forward

December 2: Review your notes

December 4: Final Paper Assignment handed out

Final Paper Due: Tuesday, December 9, 2003, 10:30am in this room.