HCC
NW
Town & Country Square
H
HIISST
T22332211 –– W
Woorrlldd H
Hiissttoorryy II
Mission Statement
The Houston Community College System is an open-admission, public institution of higher education
offering academic preparation, and lifelong learning opportunities that prepare individuals in our diverse
communities for life and work in an increasingly international and technological society. The Northwest
History Department will provide an environment conducive to learning and encourages academic
excellence. Furthermore, the History faculty will encourage the development of the following
competencies: Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening, Critical Thinking, and Computer Literacy.
Description & Goals
This class is an in-depth, intensive examination of the founding and development of major world
civilizations from when dirt was new to around 1500. Major themes to be covered include the
development of social, economic, governmental, and religious institutions within, between, and among
major world civilizations through the lens of ancient and medieval travelers. Throughout, emphasis will
be placed on techniques of historical reasoning, analysis and college-level writing and thus the goals of
this course are to help you enhance your critical thinking skills, become better writers, improve your
computer literacy, and have a better understanding of history-specific research techniques, facilities, and
databases.
ADA Statement
HCC-Northwest is committed to removing barriers that prohibit students with disabilities from achieving
their educational objectives. Any student who has an impairment that substantially limits a major life
activity, has a history of, or is regarded as having such a disability, is eligible for reasonable
accommodations. This includes students with learning disabilities, those who are physically challenged
because of disease or an accident, those with mental illness, and those with a myriad of other
circumstances. Specific procedures have been established to enable students with a documented disability
to request modifications or accommodations which would allow them equal access to the college. Dr.
Nancy Russell is the college’s ADA Counselor and she may be reached at 713-718-5708. Or, you may
contact Judy Sutton, judy.sutton@hccs.edu, tel: (713) 718-5667, fax: (713) 718-5650 or tty: (713) 7185697, or visit the website at http://nwc.hccs.edu/services/counseling/accommodations/index.html for more
information.
Course Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, you will need to identify key events, people, institutions, and
trends in the history of the major world cultures prior to 1500; Describe the critical interactions among the
major world cultures prior to 1500; Explain the role of economic, political and cultural factories in the
development of human society; Compare and contrast the development of each major world cultures prior
to 1500 with the development of the others; and, Assess the impact of the historical development on
contemporary issues.
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11.
12.
Politics: How were people governed and what were the relationships
between the governed and the government?
Ideas: How did intellectual history develop? How were intellectual
ideas transmitted from civilization to civilization?
Economics: Examine the various economic systems from their
inceptions.
Gender: What were the roles, duties, obligations, and significances
of the family, children, men, and women in world civilizations?
Society: How did class manifest itself? What was the significance of
class on world civilizations?
Culture: Examine the particular cultures of the major world
civilizations, how they changed over time, and how cultures were spread
from civilization to civilization.
Religion: Examine the creation, development, and maturation of the
world's great religions to include Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism,
Christianity, and Islam. How have these religions (tenets and actions)
impacted history?
Environment: How have the ebbing and flowing of history impacted
the environment and how has the environment impacted history?
Migration: People have moved from one place to another, sometimes
peacefully and sometimes violently, thus we need to examine not only the
reasons behind migration but also the impact on the indigenous
populations; cultural conflict; it is called "contact zones" in world
historiography.
Science: Examine the developments in science; compare and contrast
scientific developments and usages among various civilizations.
Technology: Examine the developments in technology; How has
technology impacted civilizations? Compare and contrast technological
developments and usages among various civilizations
Individuals: History is more than trends or groups. History is
people and thus specific people must always be examined from the great
leaders and thinkers to the average person affected by the great leaders
and thinkers. People's actual words, whenever possible, must be examined
and analyzed, as opposed to talking about specific people.
“EVERYONE WANTS TO GO TO HEAVEN, BUT NO BODY WANTS TO DIE.”
-Peter Tosh
PLAGIARISM & CHEATING
There is no greater academic sin than plagiarism. Plagiarism is a form of cheating. In the case of
plagiarism or other forms of cheating, you will receive an F in the course. Please read the information
under “Academic Honesty” in my Learning Web site (see address below) and email your completed
plagiarism assignment to me as a Word (.doc) attachment with the with your name (First and Last), the
class (Hit 1302 MWF) and the words “Plagiarism Assignment” all in the Subject Line of the email no
later than 10pm on Friday, September 1st. Completion of this assignment will result in one (1) point being
added to your total points at the end of the semester. This will be the only form of “extra credit” and
please do ask for an extension (see my LATE POLICY below). Even if you do submit the assignment on
time, you are still required to submit your completed assignment to me in class before I will grade any of
your work.
DROP POLICY
You are responsible for dropping this course. If you do not wish to receive a grade then you must drop the
class before the college’s drop date. “Students who repeat a course three or more times may soon face
significant tuition/fee increases at HCC and other Texas public colleges and universities. If you are
considering course withdrawal because you are not earning passing grades, confer with your
instructor/counselor as early as possible about your study habits, reading and writing homework, testtaking skills, attendance, course participation, and opportunities for tutoring or other assistance that might
be available.”
CONTACT
Instructor:
Office:
Office Hours:
J. Ross-Nazzal, Ph.D.
AD1B; 713-718-5818
MWF 10 -11; TuTh 9-10; or, by appointment
I will read and respond to my email during my office hours.
Email:
james.rossnazzal@hccs.edu
Web page:
http://learning.nwc.hccs.edu/members/james.rossnazzal
Required Books:
Duiker, William et al. World History, 5th edition, Combined Edition (Thompson
Wadsworth) ISBN 0495050121
Schlesinger, Roger et al. Global Passages, Volume I (Houghton Mifflin)
0618067957
Dunn, Ross. The Adventures of Ibn Battuta (University of California Press) ISBN
0520067436
Latham, Roger. The Travels of Marco Polo (Penguin Group) 0140440577
Gibb, H.A.R. (ed). The Damascus Chronicles of the Crusades (Dover) 0486425193
Recommended book: Storey, William. Writing History: A Guide for Students (Oxford University Press)
ISBN 0195166094
“FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION.” – Gene Kranz
Attendance. Life is too short to repeat in lecture what is available to you in the textbooks, thus relentless
attendance is required. If you miss a few hours you truly miss a lot because the lectures are tightly
integrated. In other words, you will have a harder time understanding later lectures if you miss the earlier
ones, which means that you will have a difficult time doing well (i.e., passing). While I lecture, you need
to take copious and meaningful notes. Please do not just jot down the few words that appear on the
PowerPoint slides as those are merely the most generalized outline and I place them there usually to keep
me on track. You should take good notes during the lectures because you will need the information I put
out in class to successful (i.e., pass) complete various assignments such as the Travelogue, the Research
Paper, and the Debate.
Participation. Participation is required. You must come to class prepared to engage your classmates and
myself in meaningful analytic discussion of the readings. If any holidays, parties, work, vacations, family
obligations, legal entanglements, or secular or religious responsibilities prevent you from completing the
work when it is due, please do not take this class as I do not negotiate assignments or due dates nor do I
give Incompletes.
No Cell Phones. I will not interrupt the class by answering, text-messaging, or otherwise checking my
cell phone and thus neither will you. Please turn off all phones, pagers, Blackberries, PDAs, or anything
that could buzz, click, chirp, carry a tune, make a noise, or otherwise interrupt the class.
GRADING There are several different types of graded assignments this semester and to include a
Travelogue (20%), a Research Paper (20%), a Debate (20%), Writing Assignments (20%), and a Cultural
Presentation (20%).
Travelogue: As we traverse the various continents I want you to keep a hand-written (NOT typed)
travelogue as if you were actually visiting these places that we are reading about and discussing in class.
Buy yourself a small or thin spiral notebook (something that will not permit adding pages) and write your
name and the word “Travelogue” on the cover. Each week, using evidence from the books, lectures,
handouts, and videos, I want you to identify whatever you find as interesting, important, odd, weird, neat,
or any other relative adjective in these ancient and medieval societies and explain what in your modern,
hip-and-happening, fast-paced, non-stop, twenty-first century life is similar to what happened seemingly
so long ago in continents far, far away. I will collect and grade your notebooks will be collected two times
during the semester (after Chapter 6 and at the end of the semester). Each will be worth 100 points and
thus you will need to write something meaningful and substantial for each chapter using evidence from all
required sources. This assignment is worth 200 points total, 20% of your final grade.
Research Paper: You will write a paper, using the Dunn, Latham, and Gibb books, comparing and
contrasting how cultures viewed the “Other.” The paper will be, at a minimum, five pages, double-spaced,
in Time New Roman, 12 font. You will use the Chicago Manual of Style for citations, and thus the Storey
text will be exceptionally valuable for your successful completion of this assignment. Grammar, spelling,
organization, analysis, and content all contribute to the grade, so be sure to proofread before submitting.
You need to use formal writing (no slang, contractions, or colloquialisms, for example). Make sure to use
the spell and grammar check programs before submitting your assignments to the class. You cannot
receive a passing grade unless you adhere to all of the assignment’s requirements. The paper is worth 200
points, 20% of your final grade. Your thesis and outline is worth fifty (50) points. Your first draft is worth
fifty (50) points and, your final draft is worth 100 points. You will submit each part of the assignment to
me as a Word (.doc) attachment at my HCC email address; See below for specific due dates.
“BLAME IS EASIER TO GIVE THAN RECEIVE.” – Anon.
Debate: Marco Polo’s seminal work is an accurate depiction of Chinese society, or is it? I will place you
into either the pro or con side of this thesis and you will work, as a group, in developing your evidence
and arguments to support your side of this historical argument. The debate will take place when you are
scheduled to take the final exam. The debate is worth 200 points, 20% of your final grade.
Cultural Assignment: You will attend one non-US cultural production (for example theatre, music,
dance, a festival, parade, art exhibit, movie, et cetera) this semester. There are plenty of free events on
campus and throughout the community so do not feel that you have to spend money. Draft a three-page
(minimum) response/critique/description to the cultural event. Grammar, spelling, organization, analysis,
and content all contribute to the grade, so be sure to proofread before submitting. You need to use formal
writing (no slang, contractions, or colloquialisms, for example). Make sure to use the spell and grammar
check programs before submitting your assignments to the class. You cannot receive a passing grade
unless you adhere to all of the assignment’s requirements. Attach a cover sheet that has your name, the
date and title of the event, as well as the location of the event. None of the information on the cover sheet
will be found on the response/critique/description. Half of the points will come from your written report
and the other half will come from your ten-minute oral report to the class. You will give your oral reports
during the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. Each part is worth 100 points and thus this assessment is worth
200 points or 20% of your final grade.
Writing Assignments. Throughout the semester you will be assigned with responding to questions that
are designed to help you in completing your Research Paper. Each assignment will be, at a minimum, two
pages in length (Times New Roman, 12 font, double-spaced). Please attach a cover page that contains
your name, the name of the assignment, and the date. None of the information on the cover sheet will be
found on any of the other pages and nothing but your responses will be found on the other pages.
Remember – two pages is the MINIMUM. The questions for this assignment are located in your class
section of my Learning Website. See the cleverly-named folder “Writing Assignments.” Grammar,
spelling, organization, analysis, and content all contribute to the grade, so be sure to proofread before
submitting. You need to use formal writing (no slang, contractions, or colloquialisms, for example). Make
sure to use the spell and grammar check programs before submitting your assignments to the class. You
cannot receive a passing grade unless you adhere to all of the assignment’s requirements. Each
submission is worth 50 points. This assignment is worth 200 points, 20% of your final grade.
Late Work. I do not accept late work. Please do not ask me to accept work that is late. Do not allow
anyone or anything to prevent you from arriving to class on time with your completed assignment
ready to hand in to me.
Missed Assignments. I do not offer make-up assignments. Please do not ask me if you may take a
make-up exam or “do anything else” to take the place of any missed assessments. Do not allow
anyone or anything to prevent you from taking in-class assessments.
Grade Scale: Percentage
Points
100-90
1000-900
89-80
899-800
79-70
799-700
69-60
699-600
Grade
A
B
C
D
“IF ALL ELSE FAILS, FOLLOW DIRECTIONS.” – My dad
Extra Credit. Do not ask for extra credit. Complete all work in accordance with the specifications. Hand
in the assignments when they are due. Thus, you will not need “extra” credit. Nevertheless, I do offer the
opportunity to learn more about world history in exchange for additional credit. You cannot, however, do
the additional work in lieu of the required work. In other words, I will not accept “extra work” in place of
a graded assignment that you failed to complete. The additional credit is only for those of you who
complete all of your required work. In fact, I will not even grade these assignments until after the official
withdrawal day. Please see my website for the specifics of this opportunity (under “World History
Project”).
Grades. The grade of A reflects excellence. The A work 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. 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. A work is handed in on time.
The grade of B represents an effort beyond satisfactory and indicates the work was completed in an
appropriate and competent manner and, in general, demonstrates a strong attempt at original and critical
analysis, writing, and research. The B 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. B work is handed in on
time.
The grade of C indicates that the work was done in a satisfactory or appropriate fashion and represents the
average work expected for university courses. In order to obtain a C grade, your work must adhere to all
of the assignment’s requirements. The work is organized around a central idea with arguments supported
by relevant examples. The work is structured into correctly written paragraphs and sentences. Although
fulfilling the assignment, the C work 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. C work is handed in on time.
The grade of D indicates that the work 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 work may
also suffer from numerous or major formal writing errors.
The grade of F indicates that the work is not clearly relevant to the assignment and that its topic and thesis
are poorly focused or defined. The work may display inadequate organization or development,
unsupported generalizations, and nonstandard formal features (including language usage, sentence
structure, paragraphing, and so on). Research support (citations) is absent, inadequate, or irrelevant to the
assignment.
A Final Thought on Grades – Getting good grades is easy. All you have to do is to keep up with the
readings, “attend” class with a tenacity of purpose, take full and complete notes as you read, review your
notes on a daily basis, and put forth your most concerted efforts on all class assignments. No one has
more control over your grades than yourselves. You will do well (i.e., pass) if you decided that studying is
what is important and if you take the necessary steps to do well. What is most important to you? If it is
not this class in particular and your education in general then you need to consider your options.
Ultimately, you are responsible. If any holidays, parties, work, vacations, family obligations, legal
concerns, or secular or religious responsibilities prevent you from completing the work when it is due,
please do not take this class as I do not negotiate assignments or due dates nor do I give Incompletes.
Week of
Aug 28
Topic/Assignment
In the Beginning . .
Read/Due
Duiker, Ch. 1
Schlessinger, Ch. 1
Sep 04
Ancient India
Duiker, Ch. 2
Schlessinger, Ch. 2
Sep 11
Ancient China
Duiker, Ch. 3
Schlessinger, Ch. 3
Writing Assignment #1 (Thu)
Sep 18
It’s All Greek To Me
Duiker, Ch. 4
Schlessinger, Ch. 4 & 8
Sep 25
Romans
Duiker, Ch. 5
Schlessinger, Ch. 4
Writing Assignment #2 (Thu)
((No Class Th due to lengthy assignment)
Oct 02
The Americas
Duiker, Ch. 6
Schlessinger, Ch. 6
Research Paper – Thesis/Outline (Thu)
Travelogue Due (Thu)
Oct 09
Islam
Duiker, Ch. 7
Schlessinger, Ch. 10
Writing Assignment #3 (Thu)
Oct 16
Africa
Duiker, Ch. 8
Schlessinger, Ch. 7
Oct 23
Southern Asia
Duiker, Ch. 9
Schlessinger, Ch. 9
Writing Assignment #4 (Thu)
((No Class Th due to lengthy assignment)
Oct 30
Medieval China
Duiker, Ch. 10
Schlessinger, Ch. 13
Research Paper - First Draft (Thu)
Nov 06
Asian Rimlands
Duiker, Ch. 11
Schlessinger, Ch. 12
Nov 13
Medieval Europe
Duiker, Ch. 12-13
((No Class Th due to cultural asgmt))
Nov 20
Cultural Presentations
Hand in your typed Cultural Reports
Nov 27
Islamic Empires
Duiker, Ch. 14-15
Schlessinger, Ch. 11 and 12
Travelogue Due
Dec 04
When World’s Collide
Schlessinger, Ch. 14
Research Paper – Final Draft (Thu)
Dec XX
Debate
Marco Polo