DE Individualized Learning

Distance Education Programs INDIVIDUALIZED LEARNING COURSE SYLLABUS HIST141: Western Civilization I (3) Course length: 15 weeks Last revised: 6 October 2003

Course Materials:

Mortimer Chambers, Barbara Hanawalt, Theodore K. Rabb, Isser Woloch & Raymond Grew, The Western Experience, 8^th Edition, (McGraw Hill, 2002), ISBN 0-07-24237-0, with Online Learning Center and Power Web supplement

Merry E. Wiesner, Julius R. Ruff, William Bruce Wheeler, Discovering the Western Past: A Look at the Evidence, Vol. I to1789, 4^th edition. (Houghton Mifflin, 2000)  ISBN 0-395-97613-8

Course Description:

(Fulfills the historical or international perspective requirement) A survey of the history of western civilization from Antiquity through the Reformation. The political, social and intellectual developments that formed the values and institutions of the western world are examined.

Course Goals/Objectives:

After completing this course you should be able to

• broadly outline key ideas and movements, as well as identify personalities and events that have shaped western civilization.

• place these in a proper chronological framework

• demonstrate understanding of the importance of these ideas, events and people in the development of western society.

Our secondary goal is to promote writing skill and to introduce you to the concepts of source analysis and documentation of sources.

Course Introduction:

This class will look intensively into the development of Western Civilization from the dawn of man through the Reformation (roughly 1600 C.) Among the many subjects we will address are the development of the first forerunners of western civilization in Egypt and Mesopotamia; the classical civilizations of Greece and Rome; the development of the Medieval world; and the first signs of the modern world in the Renaissance and Reformation. We will emphasize continuing traditions in the fields of government, philosophy and religion, and examine the evolution of the arts, technology and warfare.

The course is accompanied by the following five modules:

      1. What is History?

      2. The Ancient World: Roots of Western Civilization

      3. The Classical Age

      4. The Middle Ages

     5. Renaissance, Reformation and the Dawn of the Modern Age

**Grading Information and Criteria:

Grades will be determined as follows:

Assignment  #1- 10%

Assignment  #2- 10%

Assignment  #3- 10%

Assignment  #4- 10%

Assignment  #5- 10%

Assignment  #6- 10%

Final -                 40%

The grading scale, based on 100 points, is:
 

A	=	90–100 points
B	=	80–89 points
C	=	70–79 points
D	=	60–69 points
F	=	0–59 points

.

The comprehensive final exam must be proctored and will each constitute 40% of your final grade for this course.  The final examination will consist of a combination of short and long essays (a long essay should take approximately one hour to complete thoroughly) as determined by the instructor.  The final examination will not include any multiple choice, true/false, fill in the blanks or similar testing formats. 

Students and faculty recognize that the grade the instructor gives is a professional judgment of the quality of the student's submitted work and that grades are based on shared assumptions and expectations.

At the most basic level, we expect that assignments will be submitted to the instructor on time. Submitted assignments are to be clearly focused and organized, with a discernible thesis statement. Generalizations and conclusions are to be adequately supported, and, when appropriate, research documentation is to be well integrated and effectively presented. A formal writing style is required, along with proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

It's also important that students and faculty have shared expectations regarding the grading of assignments. The following broad definitions are based on the suggestions of the UMUC Information Literacy and Writing  Assessment Task Force and offer general criteria for grading.

The grade of A reflects excellence. The paper offers a well-focused and organized discussion appropriate to the instructor's assignment, reflects critical use of relevant materials, and demonstrates effective and formal writing requirements. Research papers must demonstrate outstanding efforts to identify varied pertinent sources, to employ those materials critically in the text of the papers, and to provide error-free citations of those resources.

The grade of B represents an effort beyond satisfactory and indicates the paper was completed in an appropriate and competent manner, and, in general, demonstrates a strong attempt at original and critical analysis, writing, and research. The paper may contain a number of minor errors of grammar or citation, and its thesis or its conclusions may be undeveloped or too weakly supported.

The grade of C indicates that the paper was done in a satisfactory or appropriate fashion, and represents the average work expected for university courses. The presentation is organized around a central idea with arguments supported by relevant examples. The paper is structured into correctly written paragraphs and sentences. Although fulfilling the assignment, the C paper may exhibit one or more weaknesses, including, but not limited to, errors of punctuation and grammar, imprecise or incorrect word use, inaccurate or uncritical use of materials, occasional inconsistency of organization or development, and lack of direct relevance of the selected research materials to the topic.

The grade of D indicates that the paper may have a poorly defined topic or thesis, lack clear focus or organization, and contain unsupported generalizations or conclusions. Research support is inadequate, not clearly relevant, or improperly documented. A less-than-minimal research effort is evident. The paper may also suffer from numerous or major formal writing errors.

The grade of F indicates that the paper is not clearly relevant to the assignment, and that its topic and thesis are poorly focused or defined. The paper may display inadequate organization or development, unsupported generalizations, and nonstandard formal features (including language usage, sentence structure, paragraphing, and so on). Research support is absent, inadequate, or irrelevant to the assignment.

**Other Information

** Project Descriptions

Self Evaluation

There is a self evaluation section at the end of each module. You should do this as you end the module to make sure you have absorbed the material in that module and the accompanying readings. It is especially important to master the chronological exercises in each module.  Though the final exam will not take the same form as these exercises, if you are able to master each of the self evaluation sections, you will have the information you need to successfully complete the final.

Writing Assignments

 While the reading assignments will provide you the information you need, at the same time the six short writing assignments will help you develop the skills you need to use this information effectively on the final.  Try to use each one to improve your skills in formulating an essay- organizing your thoughts, developing a central theme and expressing your ideas clearly in writing. 

These are the reflection essay topics.  These assignments are intended to highlight the main points of discussion in the reading and to give you a chance to obtain feedback from your instructor about important course material on a regular basis.  Each essay should be submitted in accordance to the directions you received with your course materials.

Assignment 1  Write and 800-1200 word essay on the following subject. The first writing assignment should be submitted at the end of week two.

Many historians assert that all civilizations are the product of geography. In what two geographic areas did the first two forerunners of western civilization appear? What were the geographic conditions like in these places?  What role did water control play the development of civilization in each? Did these two early civilizations have anything else in common? In what ways were they different? To what do you attribute these differences?

Assignment 2  Write an 800-1200 word essay on the following subject The second writing assignment should be submitted at the end of week four.

Discuss the culture of Golden Age Athens. How did its politics, arts, literature and philosophy all affect one another? What common themes and approaches did the giants of classical Greek literature and philosophy address? Feel free to cite documents in Discovering  the Western Past in support of your arguments. Why do you think this cultural outburst occurred in Athens of the fifth century?

Assignment 3 Write an 800-1200 word essay on the following subject. The third writing assignment should be submitted at the end of week six.

Briefly describe the culture of the Roman Empire in the first century CE. What elements were common throughout the empire? In what ways had the emperors promoted the development of a unified culture? What were the common entertainments of the day? What was the environment of the city like in this period?  What new religious forces began to affect the culture of the Roman empire in the second century CE? How did migration also change the cultural makeup of the empire in the second century CE?    

Assignment 4 Write an 800-1200 word essay on the following subject. The fourth writing assignment should be submitted at the end of week eight.

Discuss the rise of the Carolingian family to power in Western Europe. Do you think the rise of the Carolingian dynasty owed anything to the emergence of Islam? In what ways did the Carolingians respond to the challenge of Islam?  What institutions, new and old, did the Carolingians ally with during their rise? How did Charlemagne hope to govern the empire he created? Why was Charlemagne’s attempt to revive the western Empire unsuccessful? What has been the most important legacy of this empire?

Assignment 5  Write an 800-1200 word essay on the following subject. The fifth writing assignment should be submitted at the end of week eleven .

How did the disasters of the Fourteenth century challenge basic assumptions upon which High Medieval society was built? Try to link each crisis with specific elements of the High Medieval civilization. How did these disasters affect attitudes towards religion and the church? How did these disasters affect the arts and literature? Was there any positive impact from these human tragedies?

Assignment 6  Write an 800-1200 word essay on the following subject. The sixth writing assignment should be submitted at the end of week thirteen.

How did the Renaissance help fuel the demand for Reform of the Church. What were the main criticisms of the Roman church offered by Luther and other early reformers? How did reformation thinkers spread their ideas to the people? What does this tell you about rising literacy in early modern society? What was the long range impact of the reformation on western religious ideas?

The Assignment Papers

All papers must be fully documented with properly cited sources.  The only acceptable notation system for this paper is the endnote system.  Do not place notes at the bottom of the page or in parentheses inside the text (MLA).  The citations in your paper must be numbered one up (do not repeat numbers) and correspond to the list of numbers in the section of the paper entitled “Endnotes.”  You must cite the appropriate required works and all outside sources often and where they are relevant to the thesis and main points of your paper.  Good scholarship in this area will help your grade.  Lack of citations to the sources you used will lower your grade. 

Besides the directions in this syllabus, there are other resources you have to help you write a better term paper.  By consulting the style and documentation form found in Turabian's A Style Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, you may find useful ideas for your paper.  It is a required textbook for the course, and you should always have a copy at your side. You should also have a copy of the UMUC Guide to Writing and Research. This is available online at the UMUC Writing Center. The Writing Center is a good source of both information and advice about writing.

 Academic Policies

[Specific policies and/or URLs for UMUC policies will be provided]

**Course Schedule:

Date	Module	Assignment(s)	Due Date
Week 1	1	Read Chambers, pp. xxi-xxxxii
Week 2	2	Read Chambers, pp. 2-35 Read Wiesner, pp. 1-19 Submit Assignment # 1
Week 3	2	Read Chambers, pp. 37-71
Week 4	3	Read Chambers, pp. 74 –101 Read Wiesner, pp. 20-42 Submit assignment # 2
Week 5	3	Read Chambers, pp. 103-135 Read Wiesner, pp. 43-65
Week 6	3	Read, Chambers, pp. 137-175 Read Wiesner, pp. 98-124 Submit assignment # 3
Week 7	4	Read Chambers, pp. 177- 245
Week 8	4	Read Chambers, pp. 247-287 Read Wiesner, pp. 125-149 Submit assignment  # 4
Week 9	4	Read Chambers, pp. 290-359 Read Wiesner, pp. 150-198
Week 10	4	Read Chambers, pp. 362- 399 Read Wiesner, pp. 199-224 Submit assignment # 5
Week 11	5	Read Chambers, pp. 402-433 Read Wiesner, pp. 225-247
Week 12	5	Read Chambers, pp. 435-471 Read Wiesner, pp. 285-308 Submit assignment # 6
Week 13	5	Read Chambers, pp. 474-548 Read Wiesner, pp. 248-284
Week 14	5	Read Chambers, pp. 474-511  Read Wiesner, pp. 309-345
Week 15		Final exam

 Additional Information

Week 1- An Introduction to the Study of History

Read Chambers, pp. xxi-xxxxii and module 1

The readings for this week are designed to introduce you to some basic concepts in history and establish the definition of what we mean by the term Western civilization. You should read module one thoroughly, and do the self-assessment section at the end to check yourself for comprehension. It is especially important to come away from this lesson with an understanding of the material historians work with, and an appreciation of the many different approaches to history and their implications for interpreting the meaning of historical events.     

Week 2- The Ancient Middle East

Read Chambers, pp. 2-35

Read Wiesner, pp. 1-19

module two

Submit Assignment # 1

The main focus of this lesson is the early civilizations of Mesopotamia and the Nile valley. One broad theme to keep in mind is the similarities and differences between these two cultures. It is a good idea to keep your mind focused on what factors might have brought about these differences.  You should also consider the various cultures such as the Phoenicians, Hebrew, and Assyrians that were elaborated from these two traditions. How much of what you see in them is derived from the source civilizations? Another theme to keep in mind it the role of migration and its importance in western history as a vehicle for promoting cultural innovation. Finally, it is important to finish this lesson with an appreciation for the contributions of early middle eastern societies to western religious thought.   Remember to submit the written assignment at the end of the week!

Week 3- Archaic Greece

Read Chambers, pp. 37-71

module two

Week three considers the early development of Greek society. In the first seven pages of the readings, you should also review the section of module two titled  “The Trojan War?”. The readings will help you put the material in its proper context. The readings on early Greek society and the Polis are especially important, as they discuss what will become the buildings blocs of classical thought. As such, they are important in helping you understand the context of next week’s lesson. Finally, you should review the section module two titled “East vs. West in 500 BC” before you read the text selection on the Persian wars, as it will give you some background on this conflict.     

Week 4- The Golden Age of Athens and Classical Greece

Read Chambers, pp. 74 –101

Read Wiesner, pp. 20-42

module 3

Submit assignment # 2

The culture of Athens in the fifth century BCE is usually considered the root source of western classical thought. It is vital to gain an understanding of  it here, as western civilization will return to the themes first developed by the ancient Greeks frequently. Many of the ideas first introduced here will still be central to intellectual activity at the end of this course. The readings in Discovering the Western Past this week will introduce you to some of these ideas in the ancient Greek’s own words. The remainder of the readings will cover the physical expansion of the Greek cultural zone through the conquests of Alexander the Great, and the effect of prolonged contact with the east on Greek culture. Remember to submit the written assignment at the end of the week!

Week 5- Rome: From Republic to Empire

Read Chambers, pp. 103-135

Read Wiesner, pp. 43-65

module 3

This lesson will consider the rise of Rome form a small city-state to an empire dominating the western world. One central topic to consider here is the constitution of Rome, which has been nearly as important in western political ideas as Greek thought has been in the western intellectual heritage. To gain a better understanding of the Roman constitution, read the section of module three focused on it. One exercise you might want to try here is to outline the Roman government in a diagram form. Both the text readings and module three proceed to examine the political, social and cultural that resulted from Rome’s conquests. You should consider how  cumulative effect of expansion eventually eroded the republican ideals of Rome and paved the way for its transition into an imperial form of government. Finally, the reading in Discovering the Western Past, illustrate the tremendous material rewards of empire, whatever its social and political costs. It also provides an excellent transition into week six.

Week 6- The Later Roman Empire

Read, Chambers, pp. 137-175

Read Wiesner, pp. 98-124

module 3

Submit assignment # 3

The spread of the Christian faith and the migration of Germanic populations into the Roman empire significantly altered the nature of that empire. Module three introduces you to the German culture, while the reading in Discovering the Western Past illustrates one area in which these changes are apparent, and shows you how they came about.  It is important to keep in mind the fact that these cultural changes were coming at the same time the Christian faith was spreading throughout the empire, bringing with it a new set of values. One important theme to look for throughout this lesson is how the Roman emperors attempted to adapt to these changes, and how much success they enjoyed. Remember to submit the written assignment at the end of the week! 

Week 7- The Post Roman World

Read Chambers, pp. 177-245

module 4

This lesson demonstrates the tripartite division of the medieval world by considering the Byzantine empire and the rise of Islam. The latter event is vital to the development of the western world, as it presented a challenge the west was forced to match. For this reason it is important take in the essential elements of Islamic civilization described in the text. The module also reminds us of the lingering influence of the Roman world, and various attempts to recreate it. The role of the Roman church in filling the gap of leadership caused by the demise of the Roman empire in the west is the central theme of this lesson. Be sure to get a firm understanding of how St. Augustine’s thought supported the church’s claims to authority this week, as this is the key to understanding the mind set of the medieval west. In some ways the hardest thing for the modern mind to grasp about the medieval world is the centrality of religion in that society, and this lesson lays the groundwork for understanding that. Another important task this week is getting a firm grasp on the complex chronology of events from roughly 500 CE to 800 CE. While going about this, you might give some thought to the question of whether the term “the Dark Ages” appropriately describes this period.

Week 8- The Medieval World

Read Chambers, pp. 247- 287

module 4

Read Wiesner, pp. 125-149

Submit assignment  # 4

The readings in Discovering the Western Past use original documents to show you the problems of state building in the middle ages. Be sure to relate this material to the readings in the main text, as together they provide an excellent picture of politics in the middle ages.  The other important theme to look for in this lesson is the expansionist nature of medieval society. Here you will want to lean heavily on the section of the module titled “A Frontier Society”.  In considering this section, you should look for themes that seem to be part of the continuing frontier tradition of the western world, including religious and financial motives, western military practices and the western attitude towards other societies.

Week 9- High Medieval Civilization

Read Chambers, pp. 290- 359

Module 4

Read Wiesner, pp. 150-198

One of the longer sets of readings, this lesson is designed to familiarize you with the society of the middle ages at its peak. Two sets of readings in Discovering the Western Past introduce you to elements of intellectual and economic life, and the module shows how the Gothic Cathedral sums up many traits of the society in architectural form. The central theme to look for is how religious faith combined with economic expansion to bring about the full maturation of the medieval style culture, both in the arts and intellectual pursuits.   

Week 10- The Decline of the Middle Ages

Read Chambers, pp. 362-399

Read Wiesner, pp. 199-224

module 4

Submit assignment # 5

The central objective of this lesson is to introduce you to the factors that brought about the decline of the middle. The final section of module four provides a broad outline of this phenomena, and the texts readings provide you more substantial detail. In this attempt to document the decline of a civilization, it is important to keep in mind the interplay of these factors. As you consider each crisis of the fourteenth century, think about how it either grew out of, or helped create, the others. The readings in Discovering the Western past this week are designed to illustrate not the view from the top, but how this age of crisis effected attitudes of common people. Remember to submit the written assignment at the end of the week!

Week 11- The Renaissance

Read Chambers, pp. 402-433

Read Wiesner, pp. 225-247

module 5

The most important thing to bring out of this lesson is the concept of humanism, and the main outlines of humanist thought. The readings in Discovering the Western Past will prove especially helpful in understanding these concepts, as they provide contemporary examples of  renaissance thinkers’ own view of humanism. One question you should think about while reading this material is how the humanist attitude of the Renaissance differed from the intellectual system of the middle ages that you studied in the previous five weeks. It is also important to get a firm grasp on chronology this week, since the transition from medieval to renaissance is not marked by a clear break, but gradual evolution. As the opening of module five shows, there is significant chronological overlap between this lesson and week eleven, and it is very important to leave this segment of the order of events in this period. To make sure you have achieved this, be sure to master the chronological exercise in the self-evaluation section of module five.   

Week 12-The Reformation

Read Chambers, pp. 435-471

Read Wiesner, pp. 285-308

module 5

Submit assignment # 6

This week’s readings introduce you to the development of religious diversity in western society. It is important to remember how new and revolutionary the idea of more than one religious denomination within a single society was if you hope to understand the political and social convulsions that accompanied the reformation. One theme you should focus on here is how closely the reformation was entwined with elements of the renaissance. This goes a long way in explaining the tensions between faith and reason, as well as the deep-seated religious passions that often accompanied the reformation.  The chapter in Discovering the Western Past illustrates how new religious ideas were spread in a highly traditional society, and it is worth, in the light of the evidence presented here, to consider how deeply reform really effected society at large.  Remember to submit the written assignment at the end of the week!

Week 13- Expansion and Religious War

Read Chambers, pp. 474-549

Read Wiesner, pp. 248-284

module 5

Once again it is important to consider chronological overlap when considering this lesson, as can be seen that it is necessary to go back in module five and Discovering the Western Past to find the appropriate reading material. Consult the timeline and do the chronological exercise in the “Self Evaluation” section again if you feel confused! Since this lesson begins a discussion of the age of European expansion, you should try to link them in your mind with the traits of a frontier society we saw in the module four reading you did in week nine. What kind of continuing patterns do you see? Another point you should consider as you move into the second half of the chapter in the text is how the establishment of overseas empires affected the balance of power in Europe. The latter section of the readings  discusses the age of Religious wars, but it is important  to decide for yourself exactly how much these wars were motivated by religion as opposed to other factors.    

Week 14- Faith vs. Reason in the Seventeenth Century

Read Chambers, pp. 552-587

Read Wiesner, pp. 309-345

module 5

This final lesson considers how the knowledge and rational thought that came with scientific discovery eventually brought an end to the age of religious wars. Throughout the readings, try to look for links between the evolution of logic and its application to the conflicts of the day. You should consider how the problems of this period helped promote the idea of strong state. In particular, you should try to relate the various elements of the Treaty of Westphalia to the intellectual trends  of the time. The readings in Discovering the Western Past introduce you to one of the results of applying reason to social issues, and you should give some thought to how the social unrest covered here further reinforced the idea of a strong state.

Week 15- Final Exam

The comprehensive final exam must be proctored and will each constitute 40% of your final grade for this course.  The final examination will consist of a combination of short and long essays (a long essay should take approximately one hour to complete thoroughly) as determined by the instructor.  The final examination will not include any multiple choice, true/false, fill in the blanks or similar testing formats.