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:

Summer 2019

Date/Time:

Mon/Wed. 9:00am-12:45pm

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


What is a Hybrid Course?

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 land based cultures, Western Civilization can better be classified as an amalgamation of hundreds of different civilizations interacting and learning from one another across a series of waterways that connect the ancient world. 

 - 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 two main themes: Culture as a construction of Maritime relationships and the phrase: “Religion is the Opiate of the Masses.”  (Karl Marx)  You will be asked to assess the meaning of these two themes as we play out the complicated history of the Western World. 

 

By the end of the semester you should:

-Develop your own understanding of the importance of water and Maritime interaction in the ancient world 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=                        - Western Civilizations Vol. 1  Cole, Symes, Coffin & Stacey (4th or 3rd Brief Edition)

-Additional online materials will be made available via the Course Schedule


Lecture /  Textbook Review Materials (links) 

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


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What do I need to do?

Summer 2019  His 101 Course Schedule  (May 20-June 30)

 

 

Due Date      (9:00am on date below)

 

Topic:


 

Readings
Textbook
Primary Sources


 

Group

Presentation

(Vid-Research Video)

(Dis-Discussion)

 

Assignments



Week 1

(Mon. May 20)



Intro, What is Civilization?


Read Textbook Ch.  1 all




Introduction Assignment


(Wed. May 22)



Mesopotamia & Egypt


Read Textbook Ch. 2 all

-Book of Jonah

 



-Take Quiz 1 & 2



Week 2
(Mon. May 27)


NO CLASS





(Wed. May 29)


The Idea of Classical Greece

1150-480 B.C.E

Read Textbook Ch. 3  all

-Herodotus: On the Kings of Sparta,
-Aristotle: Lacedaemonian Constitution,
-Aristotle: The Polis, from Politics
-Thucydides: Pericles' Funeral Oration



-Take Quiz 3

Week 3

(Mon. June 3)


Hellenistic Civilization & Alexander 359-200 B.C.E.

Read Textbook Ch. 4  all

-Women, by Semonides of Amorgos

-Artemisia at Salamis, 480 BCE
-Herodotus: Hellenes & Phoenicians, 


Group 1 – Dis




-Take Quiz 4



 


(Wed. June 5)


ROME 
7
53B.C.E.–305 B.C.E.


Read Textbook Ch. 5  all

-Roman law, The Twelve Tables=

-Slavery in the Roman Republic

-Women's Life in Greece and Rome

-Life of an upper class man -


Group  2 –
Dis

Group  6 - Vid



-Take Quiz 5



Week 4   

(Mon. June 10)


                Roman Culture                        


Read Textbook Ch. 6 all

-Grandeur of Rome
-Luxury of the Rich in Rome:




-Take Quiz 6


 

(Wed. June 12)




 
Christianity and  Byzantine Rome
        0-350 C.E.

Read Textbook Ch. 7 all

-On the Resurrection, by Justin Martyr

-The Didache,

--Mathew 4:18-22
--Luke 5:1-11
--Mathew 14:22-34 t

Group 3  - Dis
Group 5  - Vid


-Take Quiz 7




Week 5

(Mon. June 17)


The Islamic World


Read Textbook Ch.  8 all

=THE PROPHET'S LAST SERMON 
-SUNNAH excerpts
-THE KORAN: "THE WOMEN" 



Group  4 - Dis
Group  1 - Vid


-Take Quiz 8




(Wed. June 19)


Middle Ages:
   Rise of Early Europe
         1000-1300


Read Textbook Ch. 9  all

-Saga of Eric the Red  

(Read in its entirety)

-Petrarch on the Plague
-Florentine Chronicle


Group  2 - Vid


-Take Quiz 9

==Paper 3 due==


Week 6


(Mon. June 24)


Middle Ages:
Christian 
Church and Era of Crisis        1300-1500

 

Read Textbook Ch. 10 & 11 all

-Pope Innocent III.  -Summons...1215-  -Pope Innocent III - Letters on Papal Policy

-Emperor Henry IV Concerning a Truce...

 Group 5  - Dis
Group 3  - Vid


-Take Quiz 10-11








(Wed. June 26)

 
  The Reformation, Age of Discovery, & The Renaissance
1350-1550

 

Read Textbook Ch. 12 & 13 all

-Martin Luther: Letter to the Archbishop of Mainz, 1517 -Calvin: Letter to the King [on the Clergy]

-Columbus Letter to Spain (1494)  
  -Vasco da Gama, (1497-1498)


Group 6 - Dis
Group 4 - Vid


-Take Quizzes 12 & 13







(Fri. June 28)

9:00 am










==Cumulative Paper Due==
(on syllabus below)

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

 

Grading Policy:

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

 Assessment

Percentage

 

Group discussion lead

10

 

Group Video

10

 

Chapter quizzes

10

 

In class Participation

20

Grading Scale

 

2 - 3 page papers

30

A

90-100

Cumulative Essay

20

B

80-89

   


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 be assigned in week 2 of the semester.         

§  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.

§  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 will write a 1 page typed summary before the next class.

 


              o   Chapter quizzes Each quiz is due before the dues date and time  the unit in which the corresponding chapter is assigned.

 

 

o   Participation & Quizzes

§  Based on attendance and active engagement in daily discussions.

 

o   3- 2pg. argumentative papers

o   Utilizing readings from primary sources, and the textbook.

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


o   Final     

1 Cumulative essay - 3-4 pg (1000 words) typed essay question (on syllabus)


            Final Cumulative Question

 Over the course of the semester you have examined the relationships of the greater maritime world as it relates to religion, culture, society, and government across four thousand years of western history.   What is the role of the sea 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 5) =    Digital History Project- check it out here.

                   Take a look and talk to Kinch if you are interested. 
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How do I do assignments?

Tree Preservation

This is a paperless course. 

- All additional readings, assignments, and course materials can be found here on my website kinchteach.com

-All assignments and quizzes need to be submitted in Canvas.

-All feedback will be given through Canvas.

-To access Canvas = 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 and all Hybrid activities 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.


Grading/Feedback

HW, Hybrid Assignments, and presentations will be graded and posted within a week of their due date. 

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.

Due to the fact that there are only 11 in person meetings... attendance is MANDATORY.  Missing more than one class (or 3 hours of class across the term) will result in a grade of "F" for the course.


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.       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 "Turnitin" software.


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  =

Click here   OR  Refer to the "NOVA Policies" tab on CANVAS Course page for:

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

 

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

Procedures and items to be aware of (click here)


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