Perspectives:
World 1500 to 1800
Professor: Xin Zhang
Office: CA 503P
Office Hours: by
appointment
Office
Phone: (317) 274-4898
This course is a survey of the World History
between 1500 and present. A background knowledge of World Civilization from the
origins to A.D. 1500, is desirable, but not absolutely necessary. The purpose of this course is to encourage an
appreciation for different culture in the global context and to acquaint
students with significant historical events that made an impact on mankind.
Further, this course is designed to
encourage the development of IUPUI’s
Principles of Undergraduate Learning in the following ways: Communication and Quantitative Skills are
developed through writing a researched paper and taking essay exams enabling
the student to develop skills targeted at expressing ideas and facts in a
variety of written formats, understanding and interpreting texts, and applying
these ideas in order to answer questions.
Critical Thinking: By reading
text, doing research, and listening to lecture the student gains the ability to
take information from a variety of sources, combine and synthesize sources in
order to use this knowledge to evaluate and understand different
perspectives. Understanding Society and
Culture: By studying the world history,
the student is exposed to a variety of diverse cultural perspectives and
required to evaluate history within a different culture perspective of not only
time but place. This ability will assist
the student in understanding complex cultural questions in today’s world.
Students taking the course are
required to take two written exams, a midterm and a final, and to write one
term paper on a subject related to the World.
The midterm exam is scheduled for _____, and the final exam for______. The final exam will include only the
materials covered since midterm.
Paper Assignment:
The paper will be ten pages long and use at least two books as reference
material. These books should be history
books, not textbooks, and on the subject of your paper. You may use additional books to help fill in
material as necessary. Additional
material can come from texts or web pages.
Cautionary note: web sites must
be of sufficient academic quality that they are reliable for research
purposes. If you have a question about a
site, have it checked first by the instructor.
Papers will be graded on content and
quality of research, but also on grammar and punctuation. All papers should have a well-developed
introduction and conclusion. Any papers
turned in with inadequate editing will receive a lower grade. Papers meeting the minimum requirements will
receive an average grade: C.
The papers can be on any topic of
interest so long as the subject meets the following guidelines: the main area of research must be before the
year 1950, although conclusion may take you past 1950. Any papers that fall outside these guidelines
will be returned ungraded. I will be happy to discuss any paper topics
prior to your beginning your research. You shall include footnotes and a
bibliography.
The course will primarily be
lecture. Slide presentations, video
displaying and student discussion will supplement the format.
Attendance Policy: An
attendance sheet will be passed around at each lecture. You may miss 4 lectures
without any excuses needed. Any
subsequent absences will result in the loss of a letter grade. Be no
later than 10 minutes to class, you will be counted absent after 10 minutes.
You will also be marked absent if you should leave class early. It is your responsibility to make sure you
sign the attendance sheet. It is our
only record of your presence. Later
protests that you were in class on a given day but failed to sign in will not
result in a forgiveness of the missing class.
It is imperative that you sign the attendance sheet each day!
Assessment Methods: Midterm Exam (30%), term paper (40%), final
exam (30%).
Required
William
J. Duiker & Jackson J. Spielvogel
World History: Since 1500
William
J. Duiker & Jackson J. Spielvogel (Prepared by
Donna Van Raaphorst)
World History: Since 1500 (Student Work Book)
Course
Requirements:
1) Regular class attendance (missing no
more than four lectures for day-time classes and two nights for evening
classes).
2) Two written exams: each exam will include only the materials
covered since the previous one.
3) One paper: on the topic chosen by the
students themselves. The papers may at
least two books as references. Copying
from textbooks is not allowed.
The length of term paper: 5-10 doublespaced, typewritten pages. Using a computer for wordprocessing
is encouraged. The following is the
guideline for the term paper:
1)choose two (or more) books for
reference
2)summarize the arguments of the
authors
3)use some facts from the
book to back up your argument
4)conduct your analysis
5)10-15 double-spaced and typewritten pages in
length
6)include footnotes and a
bibliography
Due date: one week before the final exam.
Assessment Methods: Midterm Exam (30%), term paper (40%), and
final exam (30%).
Lectures
& Readings
1-2. CHAPTER 16
Document,
"Digging the Evidence," "Understanding Cultural
Transformation."
3-5. CHAPTER
17: THE GREAT EUROPEAN DISCOVERIES: 1480-1550
Document, "Looking Twice at the Same Person,"
"Louis XIV and Divine Right Monarchy."
6-8. CHAPTER
18 THE WORLD
BEYOND
Document, "Philosophies of History," "The
Great Muslim Empires."
9-11
CHAPTER
19 East World World
Document,
"Developing the Skills of Interdisciplinary History" 12-13.
CHAPTER
20
Document, "The Difficult Art of Biography," "Czatherine II and Enlightened Despotism."
14-15
CHAPTER
21 THE
DEMOCRATIC AND INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION:
1776-1850
Document, "The Influence of Ideas in History,"
"Imperialism and Racism."
"The Power of Numbers," "The Industrial
Revolution."
Policy concerning
plagiarism
Plagiarism
is the offering of the work of someone else as one's own. Honesty requires that any ideas or materials
taken from another source from either written or oral use must be fully
acknowledged. The language or ideas
taken from another may range from isolated formulas, sentences, or paragraphs
to entire articles copies from books, periodicals, speeches, or the writings of
other students. The offering of
materials assembled or collected by others in the form of projects or
collections without acknowledgment is also considered plagiarism. Any student who fails to give credit for
ideas or materials taken from another source is guilty of plagiarism.
A
faculty member who has evidence that a students is
guilty of cheating or plagiarism shall initiate the process of determining the
students' guilt or innocence. No penalty
shall be imposed until the student has been informed of the charge and of the
evidence on which it is based and has been given an opportunity to present a
defense. If the
faculty member assesses a penalty within the course and promptly reports and
the case in writing to the dean of the school or comparable head of the
academic unit. The report should included the names of any other students who may be involved
in the incident and recommendations for further action. The dean, in consultation
with the faculty member if the latter so desires, will initiate any further
disciplinary proceeding s and inform the faculty member of any action taken. In every case, a record of the offenses
remains on file in the Office of the Dean.