Monday, January 16, 2012

Spring 2012 - Week 1.1


Course Syllabus

Bunker Hill Community College       
HIS-111 World Civilization I
T/H 2:30 - 3:45, Room: D211                                     
Spring Semester, 2012
Class inclusive dates 1/23/2012 – 5/13/2012

Instructor Information:
·         Dr. Cora T. Miller
·         E-mail: ctmiller@bhcc.mass.edu
·         Text/Call: 508-243-0778

Required Course Materials:
  • The Essential World History, Vol.  I: to 1800, 6th edition.  William J. Duiker and Jackson J. Spielvogel
Thompson/Wadsworth, 2011.
  • Access to online resource materials such as: 


Course Description
This course examines similarities and differences among major world civilizations before the modern era.  Topics include traditions of governance, art, religion and philosophy, technology, family structure, and everyday life.

Course Goals and Objectives
The first instructional objective for this course is to expose the student to a wide variety of factors that contribute to a culture such as: politics, religion, art, and traditions. In addition, this course aims to use these factors to compare and contrast early world cultures and their ensuing development.  Finally, this course focuses on the development of the student in primary sources exposure, critical thinking skills, and geographical awareness.

Grading Policies


·         The final grade for this course will be determined by the following assessment grades :
·         The official BHCC grading scale appropriate this course is as follows:

Assessment
Percentage
Points
Discussions of Primary Sources

E-Portfolio
       10

       30
Map Quizzes (4)
       20
Exams (4)
       40
                                        Total
100%




Letter Grade
Numerical Equivalent
Grade
Points
A
94-100
4.00
A-
90-93
3.67
B+
87-89
3.33
B
83-86
3.00
B-
80-82
2.67
C+
77-79
2.33
C
70-76
2.00
D
60-69
1.00
F
59 or less
0.00



I
Incomplete
W
Withdrawn




Course Participation & Communication Policies

As ongoing collaboration and dialogue are essential for effective course delivery, it is important that students participate regularly. Those who do not participate regularly according to the guidelines outlined may receive no credit for participation.



1.    Students are responsible for all changes made to the syllabus. Changes are not anticipated or common however, they will be made at the discretion of the Instructor as needed to effectively manage the course progress.  All changes will be communicated via e-mail to students’ BHCC accounts.



2.    At the start of the course, students should make sure that they are familiar with the use of BHCC email.  This is especially important as students are required to use their BHCC email for all formal written communication with the instructor. 



3.    The instructor will respond to all student emails within 24 - 48 hours (or every 2 days, not including weekends). Email should be used for individual, personal items, issues and questions only. 



4. Feedback (and grades) on assignments, projects, activities and quizzes will occur within 72-96 hours  

    (or 3-4 days, not including weekends).  Missing grades should be brought to the attention of the

    instructor right away.


Teaching Procedures:  This class will consist primarily of lectures, a variety of audio-visual presentations, and classroom discussions of primary sources and cultural threads. 



Attendance Policy: The instructor will take attendance at each class.  Participation in class discussions is 10% of a student’s grade. Students not participating in class discussions or being absent from them will receive a zero for that discussion. Students are requested to contact the instructor when they will miss a class.  Students are responsible for getting class notes and any materials for classes they have missed.



Procedure for Evaluating Performance:  Assignments will be evaluated on the basis of:

  • Completeness: Are all requirements of the assignment fulfilled?
  • Quality of work:  Is the assignment well-written using full sentences (written by the student) with complete ideas that demonstrate a good understanding of the material?
  • Documentation: What are your sources?  Are they original or second-hand? Have any reference materials used for the assignment been documented using APA or MLA style format?
  • Timeliness: Has the assignment been handed in on time?  Potentially LATE assignments must be discussed with the instructor via e-mail BEFORE the due date.



Explanation of Assignments: 

          Map Quizzes (20%):  There will be 4 map quizzes: Mesopotamia/Near East, China, Greece, Africa

Exams (40):  Four exams will be given on course material.

Classroom Discussions (10%):  Discussion of Primary Sources: Select one from an online

 resource, write talking points to hand in, contribute to class discussion on discussion days.

E-Portfolio (30%) :  During the first week of class, you will be trained by staff at TLTiC (Room: E-230) in the setup and use of an E-Portfolio.  I have provided a template for you to use for

 HIS-111.  Below you will find a detailed explanation of the parts of the E-Portfolio that you will complete during this course.

























                          Your E-Portfolio



Description:  At BHCC, E-Portfolios provide vehicles for students to track their journeys through college by sharing their accomplishments and reflecting on their learning in ways that are both personally and publicly meaningful. Beginning in the Learning Community Seminar for First Year Students and continuing in other courses throughout their college careers, BHCC students construct electronic portfolios in which they display and reflect on written, visual, audio, and other work they create as part of their college experience.  In this course, HIS-111, your

E-Portfolio will serve as a medium for you to build your insights into ancient history.



Find it online: Go to BHCC homepage, under column labeled “Featured links”, click “Digication”




Training for E-Portfolio: 1st week of class during class time in E-230.



Evaluation of E-Portfolio:  Your E-Portfolio will be evaluated three times in the semester.  Specific due dates are posted in the next section.  A rubric (next page) will be used to assign points for each evaluation.  The E-Portfolio makes up 30% of your total grade.



E-Portfolio topics , deliverables and due dates:



E-Portfolio Topic
Deliverable
Due Date(s) for Evaluation:
“About Me”
Write a paragraph about yourself as a student at BHCC. Then describe one or two of your favorite battles, historical figures, cities, or any other aspect of ancient history from the period we are studying. Include a picture of yourself or pictures from your favorite things/people in history.
February 9, 2012
“Media Gallery”
Add four media pieces for each civilization we cover, add a brief comment on why you chose each piece.  Choose from: pictures, links to websites, musical pieces, video clips.
1st half of course: Mesopotamia, Egypt, Indus Valley.

2nd half of the course: China, Greece, Rome, Africa.


March 11, 2012


May 1, 2012
“Critical Thinking”
Write at least one paragraph but not more than two responding to a critical thinking question posed for each culture. 1st half of course: Mesopotamia, Egypt, Indus Valley.

2nd half of the course: China, Greece, Rome, Africa.

March 11, 2012


May 1, 2012
“Threads Across Cultures”
Choose one topic to explore across the cultures we study in this course. Select a very basic topic such as: religion, military, food, dress, architecture. For each culture, write at least one paragraph about your chosen topic.  Add a picture if you can to illustrate. 1st half of course: Mesopotamia, Egypt, Indus Valley.

2nd half of the course: China, Greece, Rome, Africa.



March 11, 2012


May 1, 2012
Project
Your assignment is to choose a focused topic, such as one famous battle, one aspect of a historic figure's life, or a famous piece of literature or architecture from ancient history. Create a PowerPoint presentation of 6-8 slides that, at minimum, answer the following questions:
1.    What period of history and geographic location is your selection from?
2.    Why did you choose it? What about your topic is meaningful to you?                                 
3.    What are the highlights of your selection, in a nutshell?
4.    Discuss a few aspects of your selection that you want other people to remember.
5.    What contribution did you selection make to the culture in which it is found?
6.    What contribution did your selection make to the world?


This presentation is to be loaded into your portfolio by Sunday, May 6, 2012.


                                                                                                           

Rubric Used for Evaluation of All E-Portfolio Assignments



This is a Grading Form that will be used for grading E-Portfolio assignments for this course.

Objective/
Criteria
Performance Indicators
Exceeds Expectations
Meets Expectations
Needs Improvement
Does Not Meet Expectations
Completeness/
Timing
(10 points)
Contains all required components plus additional features for information/interest.  Contribution is posted by deadline.
(8 points)
Contains all required components. Contribution is posted by deadline.
(6 points)
Does not contain all required components. Contribution is posted late.
(0 points)
Does not contain any required components.
Quality of Contribution
(10 points)
Contribution is well-written, edited, and thoughtful, showing care in preparation.
(8 points)
Contribution is brief, but descriptive, with few to no editing errors.
(6 points)
Contribution is very brief with editing errors.
(0 points)
Contribution is not posted.
Preparation
(10 points)
Demonstrates thorough preparation; references assigned readings
(8 points)
Logic of response indicates reference to assigned readings
(6 points)
Little evidence of reference to readings
(0 points)
No evidence of reference to readings
Relevance/
continuity
(10 points)
Consistently contributes information of high relevancy to the course; builds upon or challenges the ideas presented in the course.
(8 points)
Contributes information of good relevancy to the course; usually builds upon the ideas presented in the course.
(6 points)
Contributes information of relevancy to the course; occasionally builds upon ideas presented in the course.
(0 points)
Frequently contributes information not related to the course; no evidence of using ideas presented in course.
Contribution to learning
(10 points)
Offers substantive ideas or insights that contribute to understanding the culture; integrates course concepts.
(8 points)
Adds somewhat to understanding the culture; integrates course concepts somewhat.
(6 points)
Adds little to the understanding of the culture; integrates a few course concepts.
(0 points)
Adds nothing to the understanding of the culture; integrates no course concepts.



Assignment & Test Schedule:

(Evaluations/tests/quizzes highlighted)



Week 1 Begins Jan. 23      

·         Introduction to the course

·         E-Portfolio Training

·         New Topic: Early Man – read text pp.2-8.

         

Week 2 Begins Jan. 29     

·         New Topic: Mesopotamia – read text pp. 8-14

·         View: PPP Mesopotamia - 20 slides

·         Explore:  Mesopotamia at The British Museum: http://www.mesopotamia.co.uk/menu.html

·         Map: Ancient Near East (p. 9 in text)

·         Primary Source: Creation of the Pickax by Enlil: http://www.piney.com/BabPickax.html

·         E-Portfolio: Work on Media Gallery, Thread, & Critical Thinking Question for this civilization.





Week 3 Begins Feb. 5        

·         Continued Topic Mesopotamia – complete discussions

·         E-Portfolio: Assignment due:  “About Me” by Feb. 9th



Week 4 Begins Feb. 12      

·         New Topic: Ancient Egypt – read text pp. 12 -19.

·         View: PPP Egypt - 20 slides

·         Test: Map Quiz 1


·         Primary Source: Status of Women in Ancient Egyptian Society: http://web.archive.org/web/19970630114400/http://www.library.nwu.edu/class/history/B94/B94women.html

·         E-Portfolio: Work on Media Gallery, Thread, & Critical Thinking Question for this civilization.





Week 5 Begins Feb. 19

·         New Topic: New Centers of Civilization – read text pp. 19 - 28

·         View: PPP New Centers of Civilization - 15 slides

·         Primary Source:  Cyrus the Great (Persian): The Decree of Return for the Jews  http://www.fordham.edu/Halsall/ancient/539cyrus1.asp

·         Explore:  Dedication Inscription on the Ishtar Gate (Assyrian) http://www.kchanson.com/ANCDOCS/meso/ishtarins.html





Week 6 Begins Feb 29

·         New Topic: Ancient India – read text pp. 29 - 51

·         View: PPP Egypt - 27 slides

·         Explore:  History of Ancient India: http://www.harappa.com/har/har0.html

·         Primary Source: The Laws of Manu http://www.mircea-eliade.com/from-primitives-to-zen/057.html

·         E-Portfolio: Work on Media Gallery, Thread, & Critical Thinking Question for this civilization.

·         Review: Exam 1 Pre-test handed out

         

           





Week 7 Begins March 4

·         Continue Topic: Ancient India

·         Explore: Sama Veda – The Origin of Music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0uOPZIABUw&feature=related

·         Test:  Exam 1: Pre-history to Ancient India

·         E-Portfolio: First Evaluation for Mesopotamia, Egypt & India on March 11  (50 Pts).

         

             

Week 8 Begins March 11 – SPRING BREAK – no classes



         

Week 9 Begins March 18

·         New Topic: Ancient China – read text pp. 53 - 77

·         View: PPP China - 27 slides

·         Map #2: China

·         Explore:  History of Ancient China at the British Museum: http://www.ancientchina.co.uk/menu.html

·         Primary Source: The Analects of Confucius - http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/core9/phalsall/texts/analects.html

·         E-Portfolio: Work on Media Gallery, Thread, & Critical Thinking Question for this civilization.

         

           

Week 10 Begins March 25

·         New Topic: Ancient Greece to Archaic Greece– read text pp. 79 - 87

·         View: PPP Greece1 - 22 slides

·         Explore:  History of Ancient Greece at the British Museum: http://www.ancientgreece.co.uk/

·         Primary Source: Documents on Greek Slavery: http://www.fordham.edu/Halsall/ancient/greek-slaves.asp

·         Test: Map Quiz 2 - China

·         Map #3: Ancient Greece

·         E-Portfolio: Work on Media Gallery, Thread, & Critical Thinking Question for this civilization.

         



Week 11 Begins April 1     

·         Continued Topic: Classical Greece to Alexander – read text pp. 87 – 103.

·         View: PPP Greece2 – 20 slides

·         Test: Map Quiz#3 - Ancient Greece

·         Review: Exam 2 Pre-test handed out

·         E-Portfolio: Work on Media Gallery, Thread, & Critical Thinking Question for this civilization.

         



Week 12 Begins April 8

·         New Topic: Early Rome to the Founding of the Republic– read text pp. 105 - 112

·         View: PPP Early Rome - Republic - 20 slides

·         Explore:  Ancient Rome at the British Museum: http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/cultures/europe/ancient_rome.aspx

·         Primary Source: Livy: The Roman Way of Declaring War: http://www.fordham.edu/Halsall/ancient/650livy1-34.asp

·         E-Portfolio: Work on Media Gallery, Thread, & Critical Thinking Question for this civilization.

·         Test #3: China & Greece



         

                    

Week 13 Begins April 15

·         Continued Topic: Fall of the Republic to Collapse of the Empire – read text pp. 112 - 122

·         View: PPP Fall of Republic to Origins of Christianity - 14 slides

·         E-Portfolio: Work on Media Gallery, Thread, & Critical Thinking Question for this civilization.





Week 14 Begins April 22

·         New Topic: Rise of Islam and Spread into Africa – read text pp. 157 – 164; pp. 183 -190

·         View: PPP Rise of Islam & Spread into Africa - 12 slides

·         Map #4: Africa

·         Explore:  Ibn Battuta Explores Asia and Africa: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/1354-ibnbattuta.asp

·         Primary Source: Ancient Accounts of Arabia: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/arabia1.asp

·         E-Portfolio: Work on Media Gallery, Thread, & Critical Thinking Question for this civilization.





Week 15 Begins April 29

·         Continued Topic: Ancient Africa – read text pp. 191- 205

·         View: PPP Africa – 20 slides

·         Test: Map Quiz#4 – Early Africa

·         Review: Exam 4 Pre-test handed out

·         E-Portfolio: Second Evaluation for China, Greece, Rome, Africa on May 1  (50 Pts).



Week 16 Begins May 6

·         Continued Topic: Ancient Africa

·         Portfolio discussions

·         Test #4: Rome, Christianity, Islam & Africa

·         E-Portfolio: Third Evaluation for Presentation on May 6  (50 Pts).