Course Title:  History of Western Civilization II

Course Number:  H114

Section Number:  C404

Semester: Fall 2003

Meeting times & Place: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 9:30-10:45am, in CA 221

Instructor: TammyJo Eckhart

Office Hours: 1:30-3pm Tuesdays, CA-201

Email: teckhart@indiana.edu

Phone number: 278-9023

Pre-requisites: None

 

 

V.  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 H114 and under Ms. TammyJo Eckhart; it has a whole lot of guys in togas on it.  Labeled Penguin for readings.

 

I.  Course Description:

This course will introduce you to the major historical issues, events, and people in Western Civilization from the early modern period until the twentieth century.  We will very briefly touch upon the Renaissance then spend considerable time on the developments of the modern state, religious questions, intellectual struggles, changing political and human rights issues, as well as increasing interconnectedness of all of the earth’s peoples.  Because we are covering 500 years of very dense history, there is a great deal of reading to be done outside of the lectures.  There are no exams in this course, only a series of papers and in-class room exercises.

 

II.  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.

 

III.  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.

 

IV.  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 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 = 60%

            Final Paper = 25%

 

VI.  Course Schedule: 

Week 1: Welcome

August 21: Introduction to the course

Week 2: The Renaissance

August 26: Read MHB chapter 13

August 28: Read Penguin pp. 57-62, 67-75, 79-82

Week 3: Religious Changes

September 2: Read MHB chapters 14 & 15

September 4: Read Penguin pp. 36-56, 63-66, 99-103

Week 4: First Short Paper Week

September 9: Paper Help Day

September 11: 1st Short Paper Due.

Week 5: Evolutions of Governments and Minds

September 16: Read MHB chapters 16 & 18

September 18: Read Penguin pp. 1-35, 76-78, 89-98,104-140, 155-163, 170-176

Week 6: Claiming the Rest of the World

September 23: Read MHB chapters 19 & 20

September 25: Read Penguin pp. 83-88, 148-154, 206-213, 247-252, 281-292

Week 7: Revolutions of a Political Nature

September 30: Read MHB chapters 21 & 23

October 2: Read Penguin pp. 141-147, 181-185, 188-199, 214-227, 235-240, 271-276, 330-335, 356-369, 375-378

Week 8: Second Short Paper Week

October 7: Paper Help Day

October 9: 2nd Short Paper Due.

Week 9: Revolutions of the Personal Nature

October 14: Read MHB chapters 22 & 24

October 16: Read Penguin pp. 164-169, 177-180, 186-187, 200-205, 241-246, 252-270,293-299, 313-315 Midterm of course

Week 10: Eyes on Others

October 21: Read MHB chapters 25 &26

October 23: Read Penguin pp. 228-234, 277-280, 300-308, 343-347, 398-403

Week 11: World War I

October 28: Read MHB Chapter 27

October 30: Read Penguin pp. 370-374, 383-390

Week 12: 3rd Short Paper Week

November 4: Paper Help Day

November 6: 3rd Short Paper Due.

Week 13: The Interwar Years

November 11: Read MHB chapter 28

November 13: Read Penguin pp. 316-329, 336-342, 348-355,

Week 14: World War II

November 18: Read MHB chapter 29

November 20: Read Penguin pp. 379-382, 411-422

Week 15: Our Modern Western World

November 25: Read MHB chapter 30 & Penguin pp. 391-397, 404-410

November 27: No Class – Thanksgiving Break

Week 16: What is the West Like Today?

December 2: Read MHB chapter 31

December 4: Final Paper Assignment Handed out

 

Final Paper Due: Tuesday, December 9, 2003, 1:00pm in this room.