HISTORY 127: WORLD CIVILIZATIONS II
Spring 2012
Course Information
Item 7114 HIST& 127 A, MTWTh, 1:00-2:05P, HHL 121
Instructor Information
Dr. Anita Fisher, History Professor
Office: FHL 221
Office hours: Mon & Wed, 2:15-3:15; Tues & Thurs 11:00-12:00; and by appointment
Office phone & voicemail: 360-992-2199
Email: afisher@clark.edu (Do not use to submit assignments.)
Required Text
McKay, et al, A History of World Societies, 8th Edition, 2009
Macmillan Publishers Limited.
Online Study Resources
Online location of primary sources and online study guides for
each chapter, plus research and reference aids. This is a free
website developed by the textbook publisher for student study:
bedfordstmartins.com/mckayworld
Optional Source
My lecture notes may be accessed and downloaded from my
website: web.clark.edu/afisher. Copies of other pertinent
materials are also available at this site. Some information may be
on Moodle.
In-class Handouts
Each student will receive a one-page outline that gives the main points for each lecture. These are most
helpful for studying for the quizzes and exams. If you are absent on the day they are handed out, extra
copies are in the top drawer of the filing cabinet in the classroom. Handout copies will also be given of
the study guides, and other ancillary material.
Important Dates
Choice of Script Person due ................................................... Monday, April 16
Response Paper 1 due ............................................................. Wednesday, April 25
Draft of Script Assignment due .............................................. Monday, April 30
Midterm Exam ........................................................................ Week of May 14
Response Paper 2 due ............................................................. Wednesday, May 23
Memorial Day Holiday – no class .......................................... Monday, May 28
Last day to withdraw from the course .................................... Friday, June 1
Final Script Assignment due ................................................... Wednesday, June 6
Last day of regular class / Review for Final ........................... Thursday, June 14
Final Exam .............................................................................. Wednesday, June 20, 1:00-2:50p
N.B. Please read this syllabus regularly to ensure you
are in compliance with the requirements of this course.
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Course Description
Scope
History 127 is the second term of a 3-quarter sequence on World Civilizations. We will be covering the
Fall of Roman Empire in West, the Early or Dark Middle Ages, the High and Late Middle Ages, the
Renaissance, the Reformation and reactions to it, European Overseas Exploration and Settlement, Meso
American and African cultures, medieval and early modern India, China, Mongols, and Japan.
Format
The instructional methods are lectures, class and small group discussions, PowerPoint presentations,
pertinent music, costumes, and hands-on artifacts or replications.
Philosophy
We study history to find out how people, acted, what they thought and felt, and how their acts and
thoughts continue to influence us. Students will see how historians use written records and artifacts to
reconstruct what happened in the past.
College-wide Abilities, General Education and Background Needs
In History 127, teaches all six college-wide abilities both directly and indirectly. History 127 may be
used to fulfill the distributive requirements in social science and history majors may use the class as a
suitable background course for upper division work. It also provides helpful back-ground for literature,
art, philosophy, law, music, sociology, and religion majors as well as for students of the other social
sciences. History 127 particularly emphasizes critical thinking, using modern research tools to access
historical information and communication of written ideas, and global awareness.
Student Learning Objectives
Students who have completed History 127 should be able to:
 Identify and give the historical significance of events and personalities, plus the political,
intellectual, economic, philosophical and religious ideas of the medieval and early modern periods.
 Research a limited historical question, using conventional and electronic indexes, original and
secondary sources, and present their research in writing in the format used by historians.
 Draw a connection between societies of different regions and time frames, supporting their
generalizations with factual material drawn from the historical record.
 Recognize and analyze the difference between primary and secondary sources of historical
information.
 Demonstrate their understanding of the influence of geography on world history.
 Recognize and analyze the impact of events and ideas from the past on world events in their own
and other societies throughout history.
Course Policies
Classroom Manners
At the beginning of the course I will discuss my expectations for proper college decorum, including late
arrival, all cell phones off, no talking while I am talking or another student is talking, etc. Students will
be separated from friends and given assigned seating if talking becomes a problem. Continued disregard
of classroom manners will result in not being allowed in the classroom for the remainder of the quarter.
Class Participation
Participation in classroom and group discussions is dependent on attendance, on reading the assigned
materials in advance, listening attentively to lectures, and on responsiveness to in-class questions.
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Students who miss examinations or quizzes because of emergencies, must arrange to take them at the
instructor’s convenience. Not all quizzes and exams will be offered as make-ups, and if offered are
allowed only within a 3-day window.
Attendance Policy
Because the textbook is supplemented by lectures and visuals, class attendance is critical for a full
understanding of the course. Attendance will be randomly taken throughout the quarter. Family
emergencies, illnesses, and other situations beyond a student’s control will be taken into account. No credit
for the attendance portion will be given to students if they miss more than four unexcused classes.
Requirements
Readings
Students are responsible for all readings listed on the Schedule of Lectures and Reading Assignments.
Students must read the assigned material before the lecture in which the information will be discussed.
Examinations
There will be two major examinations, a mid-term and final. Examinations are essay questions and
short-answer identifications. Study questions will be handed out at least one week in advance of each
test and a review is given of the material to be covered in each examination. The final examination is
not comprehensive, and may be in an alternate format.
Quizzes
There will be both historical and geographical quizzes. The first quiz is an all-class one, based on short
identifications and their historical significance. This will be followed by a small group quiz, and then
individual ones. This format helps you determine what my expectations are for a good answer and gives
you the appropriate practice for the mid-term and final. You will be given map quizzes only after
receiving a map and study sheet of terms to be learned. Quiz dates will be announced in advance.
Assignments
Script Writing Assignment
One of the best ways to become engaged in history is learning more details about the people of the past.
All students will have a chance to do this by completing the following assignment that will be worth
15% of your grade. This assignment is in lieu of the research project or paper. No digital work will be
accepted—you must print out and submit hard (paper) copies of your work.
1. Choose a real historical or generic person from someplace in the world, except for America, between
the dates 500-1600 for HIST& 127. All students must identify in writing their historic or generic
person by Monday, April 16, during class.
2. Research what this person did and accomplished. Concentrate on the important events that can bring
this person “alive” to your classmates and me.
3. Write a “script” in the first-person point of view, using what you learned about the person you chose.
Completed scripts must be approximately five minutes long, when read aloud. This equals about two
pages typed and double spaced using standard font and margins.
4. Include a bibliography. It must be typed on a separate sheet that is labeled, Bibliography. Any
acknowledgment of where you got the information from must be done in professional historians’
format, which is Turabian/Chicago style. MLA or APA styles will not be accepted. Do not do a
“high school” biography. Parentage, early life, etc., are not N.B. for college-level work.
5. Turn in the script and bibliography to me for review. It must include your full name, the date, your
project description, and your class time. Your script will be then be reviewed. If it is not
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satisfactory, it will be turned back to you for improvements. A printed copy of the first draft of
your script must be turned in by Monday, April 30. No electronic files will be accepted.
6. Five minutes will be allowed to perform the script. Performances will be done on the last day of the
week in which the culture of your person is covered in class lecture/textbook: Thursdays for HIST&
127. Those students who do not want to perform in front of classmates must compose and type an
additional page for the script, making it three printed pages in length, due in class on the same dates
as the performance would have been.
Response to Original Sources or Individual Presentation of a Historical figure
In your textbook, and on the publisher’s website at http://bedfordstmartins.com/mckayworld, or on
the web at http://www.fordham.edu/Halsall/sbook1x.asp, are numerous primary sources. Each
student will write two response papers, or an individual presentation of a historical or generic person
such as a knight, king, monk, or nun, of about 5 minutes in length. These presentations are to be given
on Thursdays in the week that the particular culture is covered. More information and suggestions will
be given in class. Protocol for the response papers are on my web site. This portion will be worth 10%
of your grade.
Methods of Assessment
Essay examinations are evaluated on factual accuracy; support of generalizations with historical detail
drawn from lectures, the text, and the sources; clarity; coherence; and development of ideas. In general,
the answer to an essay question runs to a minimum of one and a half to two pages, handwritten, and is
organized in paragraphs, including an introduction and conclusion. An exam booklet (Blue Book or
Green Book—available in the Bookstore) must be used along with a pen. Identifications involve short
essay answers, in which the student clarifies who, what, where, or when, where applicable, and
indicates why historians place emphasis on the item to be identified, or give its historical significance.
Grading
Grades for the course are determined on the basis of:
Attendance
Quizzes
Mid-term Exam
Final Exam
Script Assignment
Response Papers or Historical Figure Presentation
5%
10%
30%
30%
15%
10%
Grades range as follows: A = 95-100, A- = 90-94, B+ = 87-89, B = 84-86, B- = 80-83, C+ = 77-79, C =
74-76, C- = 70-73, D+ = 67-69, D = 64-66, D- = 60-63, F = under 60.
A “W” is an official withdrawal by the student, and does not require my permission. No withdrawals
will be allowed after the eighth week of the quarter. An “I” for incomplete work is granted at my
discretion before final week. Students must be responsible to drop the class on their own if needed. I do
not automatically drop students.
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Information for Alerts, Closures, Cancelled Classes
Be sure to check the College website www.clark.edu for important information about “Weather Delays and
Closures” and “Classes Today” for any cancelled classes on a day-by-day basis.
ADA Accommodations
If you have emergency medical information which should be shared; or if you require assistance in case the
building should be evacuated; please make an appointment to see me as soon as possible. Any student with
a disability who may require some consideration or assistance in order to fully participate in this class
should contact the Disability Support Services Office at (360) 992-2314 or (360) 992-2835 (TTY) or stop
by PUB 006.
Tentative Course Schedule
Spring 2012
Reading assignments must be read before the class lecture on the subject. Every attempt will be made to
follow the listing of lectures, but there are always unforeseen circumstances that preclude this. Much of the
material will not be covered by a lecture, but you are responsible for the information assigned to you.
Week
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Order of Lectures
Introduction to Course; Pre-quiz – written and visual
Fall of Roman Empire in the West & Beginnings of the Early Middle Ages
Byzantine Empire
The Rise & Spread of Islam
Ancient & Medieval Africa
Kingdom of the Franks & Charlemagne
Vikings & Anglo-Saxons
Medieval Life – Manorialism
The Formation of England & France as Nations with Medieval Castles
Knights & The Crusades
Revival of Trade & Towns
Women in Medieval Towns
The Age of Faith: Romanesque & Gothic Art & Architecture
Beginnings of European Universities
Black Death or Bubonic Plague
Joan of Arc & the 100 Years’ War
Growth & Spread of Medieval India
Growth & Spread of Medieval China
Central Asia – Turks & Mongols
Ancient & Medieval Japan
Medieval Central & South America: Mayas, Aztecs, Incas
Italian Renaissance in Politics & Literature
Italian Renaissance in Art
Northern Renaissance & Renaissance Society
The Protestant Reformation & Why it Occurred – Martin Luther & John Calvin
Reformation Social Changes
English Renaissance & Reformation: Henry VIII & Elizabeth I
Catholic Reformation or Counter-Reformation (if time allows)
Religious Wars & The Witchcraft Craze (if time allows)
Read Text Pages:
178-182
163-171
190-227
228-255
182-187; 188-189
352-355
350-354; 365-368
354-357
362-365; 384-385
368-371
357-362; 372-374
371-372
374-377
377-383
308-323
145-153; 160-161; 327-339
292-308; 324-325
153-159; 339-349
258-291
386-394
394-396
396-399
400-408; 412-413; 422-424
408-410
410-412
413-415
416-421