WORLD CIVILIZATIONS II (c.1500 CE - Present)
CIV 202
Fall 2012
COURSE SYLLABUS
Instructor
Dr. Zackery M.
Heern, PhD
Email: zheern@murraystate.edu
Phone: 270-809-6585
Office
Hours: MWF 9:30-11:30, Tuesday 10:00-12:00
Office:
Faculty Hall 6B #4
Note: This syllabus is subject to
change at the instructor’s discretion. It is the responsibility of each student
to note any changes. All
changes will be posted on Blackboard.
Course
Description
An interdisciplinary survey of the history of world civilizations
from the fifteenth century to the present. The course will follow a
chronological outline, and within this framework will focus on traditions,
change, and diversity in the evolution of gender relations, power systems,
religion, technology, and warfare. Prerequisites: ENG 101 and 102.
Purpose
To provide Murray State students with
an introduction to world history and help them develop the characteristics of
the Murray State graduate.
Course
Objectives
Upon
completion of this course, students will have had the opportunity to:
A.
Engage in mature, independent, and
creative thought and express that thought effectively in oral and written
communication;
B.
Apply sound standards of information
gathering, analysis, and evaluation to reach logical decisions;
C.
Understand the roles and applications
of science and technology in the solution of the problems of a changing world;
D.
Demonstrate a critical understanding
of the world’s historical, literary, philosophical, and artistic traditions;
E.
Understand the dynamics of cultural
diversity, of competing economic and political systems, and of complex moral
and ethical issues.
Course
Requirements
Reading
assignments
Students
will read roughly 50-100 pages each week. Please read the assigned materials
prior to coming to class. There are two textbooks assigned for this course,
which are available in the bookstore. Additional assigned readings will be
available on Blackboard. See the “Course Schedule” below for the reading
assignment schedule. The Crossroads and
Cultures textbook will give you a broad overview of the course content and Sources of Crossroads and Cultures is
composed of primary source documents. My lectures will follow the same general
outline as the textbook. However,
lectures will include different information and perspectives than the texts. We
will have class discussions especially on the primary source readings.
Required Textbooks
Smith, Bonnie, G., et al., Crossroads and Cultures: A History of the World’s Peoples, Vol. 2, Boston:
Bedford St. Martin’s, 2012.
Smith, Bonnie, G., et al., Sources of Crossroads and
Cultures: A History of the World’s Peoples, Vol. 2, Boston: Bedford St.
Martin’s, 2012.
Blackboard
Blackboard
will be used extensively for this class. I will post announcements regarding
changes in the syllabus and class schedule on Blackboard. I will also post your
grades on Blackboard. Please check it regularly.
Assignments
- Primary Source Analysis. 2,000-3,000 words, roughly 5-8 pages double-spaced. See the “Course Schedule” below for the due date. The grade for your paper will be derived according to the “Grading Scale,” which is on Blackboard. Also, before you begin writing, please study the following document on Blackboard: “Writing Tips.” Your paper must include and/or illustrate the following: 1. a thesis statement, 2. clarity of argument 3. critical thinking, 4. organization and interpretation of historical information and arguments, and 6. ANALYSIS. You will not do will on this assignment if your analysis is not up to par. Your paper must be typed, in twelve point Arial or New York Times font. Upload your paper to “Safe Assign” in Blackboard and turn in a hard copy to me.
- Exams. We will have two midterm exams and a final. A study guide will be posted on Blackboard for each exam approximately one week before the exam date. See the “Course Schedule” for exam dates. Each exam will test your overall knowledge of course content and will primarily be composed of essay questions. Content will be taken from both the textbooks and lectures. We will discuss the exams further in class.
- Quizzes. There will be a quiz nearly every other week on the lectures and readings with a total of 5 quizzes. It will not be possible to make up quizzes – even in the event of illness. However, I will drop your lowest quiz score. We will discuss quizzes in more detail in class.
- Class participation and Attendance. In addition to the research paper, exams and quizzes, students will also receive a participation grade. Participation in this class requires you to be physically present in class. If a student is absent for five or more classes, his/her final grade will automatically be dropped by a full letter grade. Ten or more absences will result in an automatic E for the final grade. Students will lose participation points for texting or improper use of technology in the classroom.
It is important that students come to
class prepared, which includes reading the texts and
reviewing your notes. It will be extremely difficult for you to participate in
class discussions if you have not done the reading.
Please add your perspective to the
discussion. The purpose of class discussions is for us to have a dialogue that
is enlightening. I believe that the spark of truth can come from the clashing
of opinions, as long as it is done in a respectful manner. So, my hope is that
we can be open, honest, and respectful. This means that we can be free to
express our ideas and beliefs without attacking others. Similar to exams and
papers, your participation in class will be graded on academic merit. At the
same time, class discussions are a place for us to freely talk about the
exciting and interesting content of this course.
Writing Assignments: For all writing assignments please double space, use Times New Roman or
Arial with 12 point font and default margins. If you would like assistance with
writing please meet with me. You can also get help from the Writing Center. They will edit your paper free of
charge. Be sure to consult the two documents that I have posted on
Blackboard before you begin writing: “Writing Tips” and “Grading Scale.” The
grade for your paper will be derived according to the “Grading Scale.”
Grading Procedure
Papers
and exams will be graded according to the letter-grade scale (A through E) based
on your percentage of total points received on each assignment:
- Primary Source Analysis 200
- Exam 1 150
- Exam 2 150
- Final Exam 200
- Four Quizzes (50 points each) 200
- Class Participation 100
Total
Possible Points: 1,000
Missing an
exam or paper deadline
If
you miss an exam or paper deadline without prior excuse an E will be recorded.
If you fall sick and are unable to notify the instructor, a doctor’s
attestation is required.
Extra Credit
You
may earn up to 10 extra credit points in this class by attending an academic
lecture on campus or sharing a news article with the class related to the
content of this course. In order to receive credit, you must write a summary
and critique (roughly 200 words) of the lecture, film, or article. Each
submission is worth 5 points. Extra credit is due no later than week 13.
Cheating
Murray
State University prohibits cheating, which includes plagiarism. If a student is
charged with academic dishonesty, an E may be recorded as the final grade and the
University may take further action. Please see below for more information on
Academic Honesty.
Meeting
I
will be available to meet with you regularly. Please come to my office hours as
often as you would like. It is my job to help you succeed in this class as well
as your educational career. I am ready and eager to help you. You can contact me
in the following ways:
- Office Hours: I will be in my office (FH 6B #4) on MWF 9:30-11:30, Tuesday 10:00-12:00
- Email: I check my email at least 100 times a day and will respond to you as quickly as possible. Feel free to email me at zheern@murraystate.edu.
- Phone: 270-809-6585. If you are unable to come to office hours please call me. Since this is my office phone, I can only answer it when I am in my office. If I do not answer, please leave a message and I will call you back. This is a landline, which does not receive text messages.
Ensuring
that you have a positive learning experience
If
you want to be successful in this class it is not sufficient just to do the readings, submit papers, and take
exams. Although everyone has different study habits, you should plan on
devoting about 10 hours a week to
this class. Taking notes on both lectures and readings will help
to ensure that you digest the course material. For the best result, your notes
should include important content that you come across as well as your reaction
to the author’s or instructor’s argument – this will help you develop a
counter-argument or explore why you agree.
Just
because this is a lower division course, does not mean it will be easy. It
explores ideas, concepts, and problems with which you might not be familiar.
Therefore, you will want to develop conceptual, methodological, and practical
methods of understanding the material. Even if you are already fairly knowledgeable
about World History, you will want to pay close attention to the perspectives
and themes that we will cover.
It
is possible that even though you are working hard, some confusion and
disorientation may remain. Therefore, keeping up with the readings and
participating in the lectures and discussions will be vital. It will allow you the
chance to see how your peers interpret the course material, share your
perspective, and ask questions. Feel free to ask any question. You can ask
anything from “why does Murray State University require me to take this class?”
to “when is the next exam?”
ACADEMIC HONESTY POLICY
Murray State University takes
seriously its moral and educational obligation to maintain high standards of
academic honesty and ethical behavior. Instructors are expected to evaluate
students’ academic achievements accurately, as well as ascertain that work
submitted by students is authentic and the result of their own efforts, and
consistent with established academic standards. Students are obligated to
respect and abide by the basic standards of personal and professional
integrity.
Violations of Academic Honesty
include:
Cheating -
Intentionally using or attempting to use unauthorized information such as
books, notes, study aids, or other electronic, online, or digital devices in
any academic exercise; as well as unauthorized communication of information by
any means to or from others during any academic exercise.
Fabrication and Falsification -
Intentional alteration or invention of any information or citation in an
academic exercise. Falsification involves changing information whereas
fabrication involves inventing or counterfeiting information.
Multiple Submission - The
submission of substantial portions of the same academic work, including oral
reports, for credit more than once without authorization from the instructor.
Plagiarism -
Intentionally or knowingly representing the words, ideas, creative work, or
data of someone else as one’s own in any academic exercise, without due and
proper acknowledgement.
Instructors should outline their
expectations that may go beyond the scope of this policy at the beginning of
each course and identify such expectations and restrictions in the course
syllabus. When an instructor receives evidence, either directly or indirectly,
of academic dishonesty, he or she should investigate the instance. The faculty
member should then take appropriate disciplinary action.
Disciplinary action may include, but
is not limited to the following:
1) Requiring the student(s) to repeat
the exercise or do additional related exercise(s).
2) Lowering the grade or failing the
student(s) on the particular exercise(s) involved.
3) Lowering the grade or failing the
student(s) in the course.
If the disciplinary action results in
the awarding of a grade of E in the course, the student(s) may not drop the
course.
Faculty reserve the right to
invalidate any exercise or other evaluative measures if substantial evidence
exists that the integrity of the exercise has been compromised. Faculty also
reserve the right to document in the course syllabi further academic honesty
policy elements related to the individual disciplines.
A student may appeal the decision of
the faculty member with the department chair in writing within five working
days. Note: If, at any point in this process, the student alleges that actions
have taken place that may be in violation of the Murray State University
Non-Discrimination Statement, this process must be suspended and the matter be
directed to the Office of Equal Opportunity. Any appeal will be forwarded to
the appropriate university committee as determined by the Provost.
STATEMENT OF AFFIRMATIVE ACTION AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
Murray
State University endorses the intent of all federal and state laws created to
prohibit discrimination. Murray State University does not discriminate on the
basis of race, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, religion,
age, veteran status, or disability in employment, admissions, or the provision
of services and provides, upon request, reasonable accommodation including
auxiliary aids and services necessary to afford individuals with disabilities
equal access to participate in all programs and activities. For more
information, contact Director of Equal Opportunity, 103 Wells Hall.
270-809-3155 (voice), 270-809-3361 (TDD).
Tentative Weekly
Schedule
Week
1: Aug. 20 (Classes begin on Aug. 21)
Topic:
Introduction to World History
Readings:
Syllabus
Week
2: Aug. 27 (Last day to add, drop and change to credit)
Topic:
Islamic Middle East
Readings:
See blackboard, Crossroads and Sources, Ch. 15
Week
3: Sept. 3 (No class on Monday – Labor Day)
Topic:
Americas
Readings:
Crossroads and Sources, Ch. 16
Quiz 1 in class Friday Sept. 7
Week
4: Sept. 10
Topic:
Atlantic World
Readings:
Crossroads and Sources Ch. 17
Week
5: Sept. 17
Topic:
Africa and Slave Trade
Readings:
Crossroads and Sources Ch. 18
Week
6: Sept. 24
Topic:
Indian Ocean and South Asia
Readings:
Crossroads and Sources Ch. 19
Quiz 2 in class Friday Sept. 28
Week
7: Oct. 1 (Oct. 4 and 5 No class for fall break)
Topic:
Europe and Mediterranean
Readings:
Crossroads and Sources Ch. 20
Midterm 1 in class Wednesday Oct. 3
Week
8: Oct. 8 (Oct. 12 Midterm grades)
Topic:
East Asia
Readings:
Crossroads and Sources Ch. 21
Week
9: Oct. 15
Topic:
American Colonies
Readings:
Crossroads and Sources Ch. 22
Quiz 3 in class Friday Oct. 19
Week
10: Oct. 22
Topic:
Revolutions
Readings:
Crossroads and Sources Ch. 23
Week
11: Oct. 29
Topic:
Industry
Readings:
Crossroads and Sources Ch. 24
PSA Due on Friday Nov. 2
Week
12: Nov. 5 (Nov. 6 No class for presidential election)
Topic:
Nation States
Readings:
Crossroads and Sources Ch. 25
Quiz 4 in class Friday Nov. 9
Week
13: Nov. 12
Topic:
Imperialism
Readings:
Crossroads and Sources Ch. 26
Midterm
2 in class Friday Nov. 16
Week
14: Nov. 19
Topic:
War, Depression, and the Masses
Readings:
Crossroads and Sources Ch. 27 and 28
Week
15: Nov. 26
Topic:
Decolonization and Cold War
Readings:
Crossroads and Sources Ch. 29
Quiz 5 Friday Nov. 30
Week
16: Dec. 3 (Dec. 7 is last day of class)
Topic:
Globalization
Readings:
Crossroads and Sources Ch. 30 and 31
Finals
Week: Dec. 10-14
Final Exam Schedule:
Exam Date Time of Exam Regular class meeting time
December
10
|
8:00-10:00
|
8:30
MWF
|
December
11
|
10:30-12:30
|
11:30
MWF
|
December
13
|
1:30-3:30
|
1:30 MWF
|
