COURSE SYLLABUS
COURSE TITLE: WORLD CIVILIZATIONS I (CRN 22981)
COURSE NUMBER: HIS 1163 (Seal Hall 115) SECTION PO2
WEDNESDAY 1:00-2:15PM 6TH PERIOD/HYRBID
INSTRUCTOR: Mr. James P. Walsh
OFFICE: Seal Hall-Office R
OFFICE TELEPHONE: (601) 403-1231
E-MAIL: JWALSH@PRCC.EDU
OFFICE HOURS: Office hours are posted next to my door at Office R.
COLLEGE MISSION STATEMENT:
Pearl River Community College is a public institution committed to providing quality educational opportunities for all who seek them.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES:
1. Upon completion of the course, the student should be able to identify and explain the significance of the major people, places, events, and ideas that gave shape to human experience around the globe from prehistory to the 16th Century.
2. The student will differentiate between the most salient interpretive eras of human history before1500, such as Ancient Greece, Imperial Rome, and the rise of Christianity.
3. The student will appraise and assess the use of historical themes, such as political, military, socio-economic, religious, intellectual-cultural, and other varieties of history interpretation.
REQUIRED TEXTS:
Lockard, Craig A. World: Volume 1--To 1500 (Boston: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, 2011).
Elaine Pagels and Karen L. King Reading Judas: The Gospel of Judas and the Shaping of Christianity
(You will need Scantron sheets for each in-class quiz, midterm, and the final exam. They are available at the bookstore.)
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES:
The immense complexity of the human experience is based in its earliest years and centuries. Developing over eons from nomadic, to hunter/gatherer, to sedentary agriculture, and finally urbanization, humanity has created an immense quilt of cultures, religions, societies, and political structures. In the first decade of the new millennium (and especially after the events of 9/11/01), it is important to nurture an expansive world-view of the human experience. In 1942, Republican leader and Hoosier Wendell Wilkie described a planet that was becoming “One World.” It is incumbent upon us to understand, appreciate, and honor the origins, values, beliefs, and faiths of the inhabitants of this One World. Thus, the successful student—and citizen—will develop an excellent grasp of the material by honing and perfecting analytical skills, reading and writing fundamentals, and the integral processes of critical thinking.
EXAMS AND QUIZZES AND READING EXERCISES:
2 Mid-Term Exams (100 points each) 200 Points 50% Semester Grade
1 Final Exam (100 points) 100 Points 25% Semester Grade
4 In-Class Quizzes (10 points each) 40 Points 10% Semester Grade
2 Learning Lab Quizzes (10 points each) 20 Points 5% Semester Grade
1 Writing Assignment (40 points) 50 Points 10% Semester Grade 400 Total Points
GRADING SCALE:
90 to 100 A Excellent 360 – 400 Total Points
80 to 89 B Good 320 – 359 Total Points
70 to 79 C Average 280 – 319 Total Points
60 to 69 D Poor 240 – 279 Total Points
59 and Below F Failure 239 and Below
MAKE UPS:
The student MUST present a valid excuse to make up a missed mid-term exam. In addition, the student MUST make up a missed mid-term exam within one week of the date of the exam. There are no make ups for final exams. Further, there are no make ups for missed in-class & Learning Lab quizzes—they will count as one of your dropped grades. It is the student’s responsibility to stay current on assigned work and exercises. If a student is involved in such extra-curricular activities as athletics, the band, chorus, etc., it is the student’s responsibility to see the instructor BEFORE you miss to make arrangements to take quizzes and exams early or as make ups. Exceptions will not be made for anyone who does not communicate with the instructor in a mature and conscientious manner.
ATTENDANCE:
Students are allowed to miss twice the number of class sessions as the class meets in a week. Students are therefore allowed two absences during the course of the term. If a student does miss three or more classes, a “cut out” form will be sent to the Academic Dean’s office and the student will be dropped from the class roll and receive an F for the course. A student who is more than fifteen minutes late after the official start time of the class will be considered officially absent from class. If a student is involved in such extra-curricular activities as athletics, the band, chorus, etc., it is the student’s responsibility to see the instructor BEFORE you miss class to make sure your absences are correct and up to date. If the student does not communicate in a mature and conscientious manner, the student may indeed be cut out of class because of poor attendance.
TARDINESS:
To be successful in this class, you need to be diligent in your attendance and promptness. Tardy students miss important material, and even more importantly, disrupt the instructor and other students. Three tardies will count as one absence. Students who leave the classroom before dismissal will be charged with a tardy.
QUIZZES:
There will be six in-class quizzes based on lecture material and four Learning Lab quizzes based on chapters from the textbook. All quizzes and exercises are multiple-choice. I will drop your four lowest quiz scores. The dates for the in-class quizzes are indicated in bold on the syllabus. The dates for the Learning Lab quizzes are not on the syllabus; they will be announced in class. If a student takes an in-class quiz at the beginning of class and then leaves the class, he or she will receive a zero for that quiz and an absence for that day. Bring a Scantron sheet to each in-class quiz day.
EXAMS:
There will be two mid-term (or “hour’) exams. They are fill-in-the-blank, multiple-choice, true-false, and essay. The student MUST present a valid excuse to make up a missed mid-term exam. In addition, the student MUST make up a missed mid-term exam within one week of the date of the exam. The final will be comprehensive and completely objective. Bring a Scantron sheet to each mid-term exam and the final.
WRITING ASSIGNMENT:
There will be one short writing assignment due about ten weeks into the semester. The required length will be 4 to 5 pages. The assignment will consist of a series of responses to the Pagels and King book. Students who plagiarize on this assignment will lose all forty points PLUS an additional letter grade of their final grade. Information about the assignment (and plagiarism) will be handed out as the semester progresses.
EXTRA CREDIT:
There will be one opportunity for extra credit in this course. Upon completion of the extra credit assignment, I will replace your lowest grade of any in-class or Learning Lab quiz you have taken with a 100%. I will make details regarding extra credit available later in the semester.
LECTURE MATERIAL:
Because of the “survey” nature of the course, the main emphasis is on lecture and lecture material, thus consistent attendance is of paramount importance. Tape recorders are allowed, but check with the instructor first. Students are NOT allowed to use laptops to take notes during class. “Study buddies” and fill-in note takers, however, are highly recommended.
INTERNET SOURCES:
This section of World Civilizations I is a “blended” or Hybrid class. Usually, what this will entail is one lecture session per week and an additional Internet resource or brief exercise. I will hand out assignments, Web sites, etc., each week as the semester progresses.
EMAILS & OFFICE HOURS:
Office hours for instructors at two-year colleges are almost always much greater than those for instructors at four-year institutions. Please take advantage of these office hours as much as possible. Beyond office hours and interpersonal contact, the most efficient way to stay in touch is through emails. All PRCC students have free email accounts. When emailing the instructor, identify yourself with your full name and what class you are enrolled in. Allow the instructor at least 24 hours to respond.
ADA INFORMATION:
If you have a disability that qualifies under the Americans With Disabilities Act and you require accommodations, you should contact Ms. Moody at 601-403-1060 (tmoody@prcc.edu) for information on appropriate policies and procedures.
“ENLIGHTENED SELF-INTEREST”:
There are any number of things that the student can do (and not do) to get the grades that he or she thinks they deserve. Some are listed below.
1.) Do not miss class. Come to class on time. Take notes. Prepare. Be ready to learn.
2.) Take advantage of PRCC’s very generous office hours.
3.) Do not get up in the middle of class. Use the restroom before class.
4.) Do not talk while the instructor is speaking.
5.) Do not sleep in class. You must be mentally present, as well as physically. After being warned, if you sleep in any future class you will be counted absent for that entire class period.
6.) Do not study for another course in this class. If you continue to do so after being warned, I will give you a zero on your previous quiz score in the grade book and count you absent for the day.
7.) Do not use a laptop during the lecture portion of the class.
8.) Do not text during class. If you continue to text after being warned, I will give you a zero on your previous quiz score in the grade book and count you absent for the day. Cell phones are not permitted to be seen at any time during the class period.
9.) Do not listen to iPods, MP3 players & all other sundry and nefarious listening devices. If you continue to do so after being warned, I will give you a zero on your previous quiz score in the grade book and count you absent for the day.
10.) If a student persists in talking, sleeping, studying, or texting in class (Numbers 3 through 9 above), I will subtract points, add absences, and ask for a personal conference with the student. If the problem persists, I will inform Dr. Breerwood to remove you from my class.
LECTURE AND CLASS SCHEDULE:
Week 1 1/11 Class Introduction-Syllabus
Evolution, Prehistory & Mesopotamia
Friday 1/13 Last Day to Drop and Add Classes
Week 2 1/18 Egypt, Palestine, & Persia
Monday 1/16--MLK Day--Classes do not meet.
Week 3 1/25 Egypt, Palestine, & Persia
In-Class Quiz I
Week 4 2/1 Ancient India
Week 5 2/8 Ancient China
In-Class Quiz II
Week 6 2/15 Greece: Hellenic & Hellenistic Cultures
Week 7 2/22 Sparta and Imperial Athens
In-Class Quiz III
Week 8 2/29 Rome: Origins, Legacies, & Christianity
Week 9 3/7 Exam I
Week 10 3/14 Republican and Imperial Rome
Book Response due by Noon Friday 3/16
Week 11 3/19-3/23 Spring Break
Week 12 3/30 Rome and the Rise of Christianity
In-Class Quiz IV
Week 13 4/4 Exam II
Good Friday 4/6—Classes Do Not Meet
Week 14 4/11 Islam
Africa: Christian Axum & Islamic Sudan
Monday 4/9—Last day to withdraw with guaranteed W
New Orleans Trip—Friday 4/13
Week 15 4/18 Axum and Sub-Sahara Africa
Pre-Columbian Meso-America
In-Class Quiz V
Good Friday & Easter Break 4/21, 4/22 & 4/25
Week 16 4/25 Medieval Europe
In-Class Quiz VI
Week 17 5/2 Medieval Europe—The Gothic—Black Death
FINAL EXAM THURSDAY 5/10 8:00-9:50AM SEAL HALL ROOM 115
