History is an attempt to understand the stories of the past.  We must not ignore dates and facts, but interpretations define the way we view the world around us.


Course Information:

Course:

Western Civilizations I

Section:

Hist 101 

Semester:

Spring 2019

Date/Time:

Tuesday / Thursday

Location:

 LC 309

Instructor:                                                                                                Questions:

Name:

John (Kinch) Kincheloe

                                 
What is this Course?

Email:

jkincheloe@nvcc.edu


What do I need to do?

Phone

(703)948-7571


How do I do assignments?

Office Location:

HEC 316-A                                 


What are the course rules?

   Website:

kinchteach.com



Office Hours:  Listed on Home page (link)


Course Schedule:   WC1schedule


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What is this Course?

Themes:

- Although often falsely depicted as a linear and inevitable march of increasingly complex cultures, Western Civilization can better be classified as an amalgamation of hundreds of different civilizations interacting and learning from one another. 

 

- This course will examine numerous Western Civilizations to better comprehend how nomadic, agricultural, African, European, Middle Eastern, pagan, Muslim, Jewish, and Christian societies contributed to the development of present day Western Civilization.  In the process you just might gain a better understanding of the complexity of the various cultures in this age of increasing globalization.

 

-The course focuses on a single phrase: “Religion is the Opiate of the Masses.”  (Karl Marx)  You will be asked to assess the meaning and accuracy of this phrase as we play out the complicated history of the Western World.  

 

By the end of the semester you should:

-Develop your own understanding of “Modern Western Civilization” and how the numerous civilizations of the western world contributed to such a society.

-Organize your own ideas on the relationship of early civilizations to present day cultures throughout the Western World.

-Be able to devise original arguments about historical trends and events and prove them using both primary and secondary information.

 

Course Description and Objectives:  Stuff the college makes me include:

Course Description

Surveys the general history of the Western world from about 3000 BCE to 1600 CE and allows students to reach a basic understanding of the characteristic features of the Western world's early historical development in that span of time. Students will learn about some of the important political, economic, social, intellectual, cultural and religious changes that shaped the development of the West from earliest times.

Objectives

- Establish a chronology of historical events in the Western world before 1600 CE. 

- Explain the changing geopolitical structures of the Western world up until 1600 CE. 

- Define the importance of key individuals and developments in Western civilization before 1600 CE.

- Identify the social, economic and political forces at work in the evolution of early and medieval Western history.

- Recognize and describe the significance of some of the cultural achievements of ancient and medieval Western civilization.

- Analyze complex historical sources and materials and reach conclusions based on interpretations of those materials. 

 

Recommended Co-requisites or Pre-requisites:

There are no pre-requisites, but this is a writing intensive course so an introductory English course is highly recommended.

 

Course Textbooks:

-Textbook to purchase/rent=    - Western Civilizations Vol. 1  Cole, Symes, Coffin & Stacey (4th or 3rd Brief Edition)

-Three additional  books  =  -"Epic of Gilgamesh": (Online or hard copy)
                                                 -  Icelandic Saga
(PDF link here)    
                                                 -"Canterbury Tales"
   (Online or hard copy)
-Additional online materials listed on the course schedule. 

-Tip= Use nightlight or nightshift screen setting to make reading online easier.  (How to turn off Blue Light-click here)


Lecture /  Textbook Review Materials (links) 

-Textbook Study Guide= Western Civ.
-Lecture Review Materials:    WC1 Chapter Terms         WC1 Powerpoint1            WC1 Powerpoint2   


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Spring 2019  His 101 Course Schedule



 

 

Class Date

 

Topic:

Face-to-Face Meeting

 

Group

Presentation

(Vid- Video)

(Dis- Discussion)

 

Reading / Assignments

(to be completed before the class)

Tuesday- Read textbook & take quiz / Thursday- Read primary sources/paper's  due



Week 1

(Jan. 15 & 17)


Intro, What is Civilization?



Introduction Assignment



Week 2

(Jan. 22 & 24)


Mesopotamia & Egypt
 3500 - 539 B.C.E


Read Textbook Ch.  1 all  /   Read Primary Sources

                     -Take Quiz 1
-Hymn to Aten 
-A Poem Attributed to Zoroaster 

     



Week 3

(Jan. 29 & 31)


An Ancient Maritime World



 

Read Textbook Ch.  2 all  /  Read Primary Sources

-Take Quiz 2

Read = Epic of Gilgamesh (book)

-Noah and the Flood (Genesis 6-8) 
-Book of Jonah



Week 4
(Feb. 5 & 7)


The Idea of Classical Greece
 
776 - 338 B.C.E


==Paper 1 due==

9:30am

Group 1 -Dis

11am
Group 1 - Dis / 6- Video

Read Textbook Ch. 3  all   /   Read Primary Sources

-Take Quiz 3



Week 5

(Feb. 12 & 14)


Hellenistic Civilization & Alexander
359 - 31 B.C.E.

9:30am
Group 2
-Dis / 4-Video

11am
Group 2 -Dis / 7- Vid

Read Textbook Ch. 4  all   /   Read Primary Sources

   -Take Quiz 4

Alexander the Great Speach =

Babylonian Chronicles 
-
Ptolemy III Chronicle (BCHP 11)
The Diadochi Chronicle


   
Week 6

(Feb. 19 & 21)

ROME 
7
53 - 27 B.C.E.

9:30am
Group 3 -Dis

11am
Group 3 -Dis / 8- Vid

Read Textbook Ch. 5  all   /   Read Primary Sources

-Roman law, The Twelve Tables= 

-Polybius on the Roman Constitution 146 BCE
-The Roman Candidate


Week 7

(Feb. 26 & 28)


            Roman Culture                   
27 B.C.E - 410 C.E
.      

9:30am
Group 4 -Dis / 5- Vid

11am
Group 4 -Dis / 9- Vid

Read Textbook Ch. 5   /   Read Primary Sources

-Take Quiz 5

-Slavery in the Roman Republic
-Women's Life in Greece and Rome

-Life of an upper class ma
n
-Grandeur of Rome

-Luxury of the Rich in Rome



Week 8

(Mar. 5 & 7)


Midterm Exam




Midterm Exam Review sheet

Spring Break


Week 9

(Mar. 19 & 21)


  Christianity and Byzantium        
0 - 325 C.E.
 

9:30am
Group 5
-Dis / 2- Vid

11am
Group 5 -Dis / 10- Vid

Read Textbook Ch. 6 all   /   Read Primary Sources

-Take Quiz 6

-On the Resurrection, by Justin Martyr

-The Didache: The Twelve Apostles To The Nations

-The Gospel of Mary



Week 10

(Mar. 26 & 28)


           Age of Vikings & the Migration Period
                                 400 - 1066

9:30am
x
11am
Group 1- Vid

Read Textbook Ch. 8  all   /   Read Primary Sources

-Take Quiz 8

Read - Saga of Thrond of Gate



Week 11

(Apr.  2 & 4)


The Islamic World
 610 - 1055

9:30am
Group 1 -Dis / 3- Vid

11am
Group 6 -Dis / 2- Vid


Read Textbook Ch. 7 all   /   Read Primary Sources

-Take Quiz 7

-THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD'S LAST SERMON  

-SUNNAH excerpts

-THE KORAN: "THE WOMEN"   




Week 12

(Apr. 9 & 11)


Middle Ages:
         Rise of Early Europe
  800 - 1347



9:30am
Group 2
-Dis

11am
Group 7 -Dis / 3- Vid

Read Textbook Ch. 9  all   /   Read Primary Sources

-Take Quiz 9

 -Pope Innocent III.  -Summons to a Crusade 1215- 

-Pope Innocent III - Letters on Papal Policy-   

-Emperor Henry IV Concerning a Truce of God




Week 13

(Apr. 16 & 18)




Middle Ages:
          Christian 
Church Crisis  309 - 1517
==Paper 2 due==
9:30am
Group 3 -Dis

11am
Group 8 -Dis

Read Textbook Ch. 10-11 all   /   Read Primary Sources

-Take Quiz 10-11

Read = Canterbury Tales (selections listed on Paper 2)

-Petrarch on the Plague
-Florentine Chronicle of Marchionne



Week 14

(Apr. 23 & 25)

 
  The Reformation     
1517 - 1611


9:30am
Group 4 -Dis / 1- Vid

11am
Group 9 -Dis / 4- Vid

Read Textbook Ch. 13 all   /   Read Primary Sources

-Take Quizzes 13

-Martin Luther: Letter to the Archbishop of Mainz, 1517

-Calvin: Letter to the King [on the Clergy]
-Martin Luther: Address to the n Nobility...(1520)




Week 15

(Apr. 30 & May 2)


Age of Discovery &
The Renaissance

1419 - 1610

Cumulative Paper due 
May 2nd before class


9:30am
Group 5 - Dis

11am
Group 10- Dis / 5- Video

Read Textbook Ch. 12 all   /   Read Primary Sources

-Take Quiz 12

-Columbus Letter to the King and Queen of Spain (1494)  
-John Cabot, Voyage to North America (1497) 
-Vasco da Gama, Round Africa to India (1497-1498)



Week 16
(EXAM WEEK)

-Final Exam
=(9:30 class =THR. May 9th= 8:00am)
=(11:00 class = THR. May 9th= 10:00am)

 


 
Final Exam Review sheet(click here)

Note: The instructor has the right to alter or change the course schedule at any time as he/she deems appropriate.

 

What do I need to do?

Grading Policy:

All assignments are graded on a 100 point scale and averaged accordingly to the percentages listed below.

 Assessment

Percentage

 

Group Presentations

15

 

Chapter Quizzes

5

 

In class Participation

20

 



Grading Scale

 

2 - 3 page papers

20

A

90-100

Midterm & Final Exam

20

B

80-89

Cumulative Essay   

20

C

70-79


 

D

60-69

 

 

F

59 and below


Assessments:

o   Group Work

§  You will be assigned a group that you will work with throughout the semester.  

·         Your group will have its own private discussion board and collaboration on BB in week 2 of the semester.         

§  1-Video Group Research Presentations -Click Here = for detailed instructions.

·         Your group will produce a publicly posted five minute research presentation to be shown in the class.

§  2-Discussion lead -Click Here = for detailed instructions.

·Your group will present on and lead a class discussion of the primary sources assigned for your week.
- If the the class does not participate, every member of  the class (not presenting) will write a 1 page typed summaryof each                                                         document, due before the next class.


              o   Chapter quizzes
                     §  Each quiz is due before the start of the first class of the week in which the corresponding chapter is assigned.

 

o   Participation & Quizzes

§  Based on attendance and active engagement in daily discussions.

 

o   2- 3pg. argumentative papers

o   Utilizing readings from primary sources, and the textbook.

o   (All papers should be submitted via attachment on blackboard before class of the assigned due date.)

o   Midterm & Final                     
     §  Consists of 3 parts:  Map, Chronology/Causation, Significance Identifications.

 (Review sheets, containing key terms and map items, will be posted on the course schedule.)

o  Cumulative Essay     

                                §  1 Cumulative essay -3 pg typed essay question (on syllabus)


               Final Cumulative Question

 Over the course of the semester you have examined the relationship of religion to culture, society, and government across four thousand years of western history.   What is the role of religion in history?

(Evidence and Information must be used from across the breadth of the semester and 3 different primary documents to prove your Argument.)

  

Extra Credit Assignments (due by the end of Week 13) =    Digital History Project- check it out here.

                   Take a look and talk to Kinch if you are interested. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

How do I do assignments?

Tree Preservation

This is a paperless course. 

- All additional readings, assignments, submissions, and course materials are on Blackboard.

-All primary source readings are online and accessible through links in the BB “Course Schedule.”

-You will need to check Blackboard acct. weekly for readings and assignments.

-To access Blackboard = Log in to “My NOVA”  https://nvcc.my.vccs.edu/jsp/home.jsp


Guidelines for Written Work 

Formatting: All Papers should be double spaced, using 12 point Calibri font and one inch margins.  All papers must be word processed and submitted through Blackboard as “doc,” “docx,” or “rtf.”      E-mail submissions will not be accepted.  

Style and Grammar: You must present your arguments in clear, concise, and grammatically correct English.  Make sure to proofread and use spell-check. For information on writing papers for this class, make sure to read Kinch’s writing guide (under course documents on BB.)  You also might want to consult the following handy websites:

o       NVCC Loudoun's Writing Center

o       Charlie Evans’ History Writing Center

Citations:  You MUST include a formal citation any time you refer to a specific passage in a text, even if you do not quote the text directly.  The required method for citing sources in this class is Chicago Style formatting for footnote citations.  According to this format, you “Insert Footnote” (under references) and enter the citation information as laid out in this link.

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What are the course rules?

Late Assignments 

-Late papers will be accepted after the due date and time for half credit, as long as they are submitted before the final class period of the term.

-Discussion, Quizzes, Participation, and Presentation assignments will only be accepted during the week they are due.

-All assignments should be stored on a cloud server and submitted online.  Excuses such as “my dog ate my homework” and “my computer crashed” are no longer valid.

Exams and Make-Up Exams

For exam sessions, make-ups will not be given other than in the case of a genuine emergency with appropriate documentation (ie, emergency room documents, court summons, etc.)  Missing class due to "not feeling well," not being able to get a ride, having to work, and the like are not genuine emergencies.


Grading/Feedback

Fresentation / Video feedback will be given in person at the end of class, and the grade will be posted within a couple days. 

Papers and Exams will be graded and posted within two weeks of their due date, in order to give more detailed feedback.

Electronic Devices

Laptops and tablets are encouraged in class, but surfing for non-subject related material during class will not be tolerated.  If seen you will be asked to explain the relevance of what is on your screen and you may be asked to leave the room.  You will be required to engage with your own or provided devices during class discussion.
**Screens under 7 in. are not valid in-class devices
for this course. Phones should be stowed and silenced during class time. If the device is heard, I reserve the right to respond to the call or incoming message.

Attendance Policy: 

Absences, Late arrival, and leaving early will affect a student’s grade due to the student not being able to participate in class/group discussions. Students missing more than thirty percent of the scheduled classes without an excused absence from the professor will receive ZERO points for the class participation grade. Class absence does not excuse a student from meeting assignment due dates


Academic Dishonesty: 

Academic Dishonesty will not be tolerated.

Students involved in cheating will receive a grade of “0” on the activity during which cheating occurred and particularly flagrant or obviously intentional instances of cheating or plagiarism will result in a grade of "F" for the course.  In addition the student will be reported to the Dean of Students for further disciplinary action.

**Please read the section titled Student Conduct, Rights, and Responsibilities:  F. Academic Dishonesty in the Student Handbook.

 

Academic dishonesty, as a general rule, involves one of the following acts:

1.       Cheating on an examination or quiz; including the giving, receiving, or soliciting of information and the unauthorized use of notes or other materials.

2.       Substituting for another person during an examination or allowing such substitution for one’s self.

3.       Plagiarism - This is the act of appropriating passages from the work of another individual, either word for word or in substance, and representing them as one’s own work. This includes any submission of written work other than one’s own.

-Please note that even copying a sentence or two from another source without citing it is enough to trigger a plagiarism penalty.  Likewise, changing a word here or there from content which you copy is plagiarism.  Your work should be entirely in your own words except for the passages which you quote and appropriately cite. All of your papers for the class will be checked for plagiarism by SafeAssign software.

4.       Collusion with another person in the preparation or editing of assignments submitted for credit, unless such collaboration has been approved in advance by the instructor.

5.       Knowingly furnishing false information to the College; forgery and alteration or use of College documents or instruments of identification with the intent to defraud.

Be aware of the following:

- Internet-enabled devices, dictionaries and/or calculators are prohibited during testing.

- If you need to leave the room during testing, for whatever reason, your test will be collected immediately for grading without any additional time for more work on the test or quiz.

  

Instructor/Student Communications Policy:

The primary means of communication outside the classroom between the Instructor and the student is via Blackboard Announcements and e-mail. Students should check Blackboard and their e-mail daily for any Instructor communications. Failure on the part of the student to check Blackboard and e-mail on a regular basis is not an excuse for missed /late assignments or exams. The Instructor turn-around time to respond to e-mails is 24-to-48 hours Monday through Friday.

Instructors receive a significant number of e-mails from students over the course of the semester. To specifically identify the course in which the student is enrolled, all e-mail from the student must include the course and section number (e.g., ACC211-000) in the Subject of the e-mail.

 

I will email you at the email address on my class list which is your VCCS email address. If you do not check this address frequently, I would recommend you set it up for automatic forwarding to an email address you do check more frequently. When emailing the instructor, always send email from your VCCS email address.

 

Student Professionalism

Please be considerate. Disruptive behavior, on the ground and online, will not be tolerated.  Private conversations during lecture or class discussions, ringing mobile phones, texting, sleeping, or walking into class late or out of class early all distract and disturb your instructor and your classmates, and will count against your participation grade.  Repeated instances of rude behavior will result your removal from the classroom.  

--All students are considered adults and will conduct themselves in a professional manner at all times. Please read the section titled Student Conduct, Rights, and Responsibilities:  B. Student Conduct in the Student Handbook.

 

Weather

WEATHER =Normal Class cancelation due to weather will not affect the course schedule – You are responsible for all readings and assignments regardless of whether we have class on not.

In event of an emergency just regarding this class, check Blackboard for announcements regarding course progress/assignments.

College Policies =

Refer to the "College Policies" tab on Blackboard Course page for:

Academic Integrity Policy / Closing Information (weather) / Communication (e-mail) / Course Drop/Withdrawal Policy /        Disabilities and Accommodations / Emergency Preparedness / Financial Aid / NOVACares

 

Financial Instability

Everyone was trouble at times, but there is help.  If you are struggling please reach out to me, a counselor, or click here https://blogs.nvcc.edu/wssn/


IT Helpdesk

The IT Help Desk provides first-level technical support to all faculty, staff and students of Northern Virginia Community College. Additional details and resources are located at http://www.nvcc.edu/ithd/.

Hours of Operation

Monday - Friday:

8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Saturday:

8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Phone:

703-426-4141

Email:

ithelpdesk@nvcc.edu

Emergencies

Anyone observing an emergency situation should contact the Campus Police Office or the dean of students.

Loudoun Campus

Campus Police:

703-450-2540

Dean of Students:

703-450-2512


------Note: The instructor has the right to alter or change the course and course schedule at any time as he deems appropriate.-------

contact: jkincheloe@nvcc.edu