Prof. Jesus Cantu Medel, M.Ed.
HUMA 2323: Emphasis Mesoamerican Cultures: Olmec,
Teotihuacan, Toltec, Maya and Mexica
16 Weeks Calendar
(1.10.13 ver.; Medel)
Note: This syllabus is meant as a guide and is subject to change at the discretion of the
instructor. If there are any changes made, the student will be notified in a timely manner.
HUMA 2323 – World Cultures
Instructor: Jesus Cantu Medel, M.Ed. CRN:67084 Fall 2013
Office Phone Number: 713.231.4037
(Tues., 5:30pm-8:30pm)
Email Address: chano6_@hotmail.com
jesus.medel@hccs.edu
Office Hours: By appointment
Text: Coe, Michael and Koontz, Rex – Mexico. Fifth Edition, Thames Hudson, 2002.
Gomez-Cano. G. The Return to Coatlicue: Goddesses and Warladies in Mexican
Folklore- XLibris, 2010.
COURSE PURPOSE
The study of various indigenous communities of the Americas, their antecedents, cultural
behavior, linguistic variation and economic, social, political and religious institutions
utilizing major research stemming from cultural anthropology, archeology, linguistics,
and ethnology. The major focus is on Mesoamerican Cultures
DESCRIPTION OF COURSE CONTENT
Students will gain an understanding of the origins, contributions and adaptation
mechanisms of Mesoamerican cultures to historical forces including the European
conquest and colonization. Through inquiry into specific works of archaeology,
philosophy, cultural anthropology, literature, art, music, film, historical narratives, and
dance, students will gain an understanding of themes that will encourage them to interpret
their life, society, and culture. Students will be exposed to classical indigenous
languages, works of literature and art and find cultural themes that are relevant to the
indigenous experience. They will acquire research and presentation skills as they prepare
oral presentations, written assignments, personal narratives, etc.
SCANS Skills:
Texas Colleges must demonstrate that the Basic Intellectual Core Competencies are
incorporated into all Core courses. This course addresses the competencies in the
following ways:
Prof. Jesus Cantu Medel, M.Ed.
Reading: The Textbook, alternative web sites, and the readers will provide the basis for
Section Exams, Chapter Essays, and the Final Exam.
Writing: Students will write all responses to their selected Chapter Essays, and will
conduct most communication with the instructor through the typewritten word. Students
will write two historical research papers and answer essay questions.
Critical Thinking: Many of the Chapter Essays and essay questions on the Final Exam
will contain questions and problems that will require higher-level, "critical" thinking
skills to solve successfully.
Computer Literacy: Web-based courses such as this one require significant computer
literacy from the students, who must be proficient at navigating the web, sending and
receiving Email, participating in threaded discussions, and using online testing
procedures.
MAS 3395 STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. Describe representative themes and developments in specific Mesoamerican
cultures
2. Interpret representative terms, works, and figures
3. Compare and contrast representative terms, works, figures and artists
4. Evaluate cultural creations
.
GRADING: 90-100 points= A 80-89 points= B 70-79 points= C
60-69 points= D Under 60 points= F
ASSIGNMENTS:
Homework Folder: 20%
Midterm test: 20%
Annotated Bibliography: 20%
Power Point Presentation: 20%
Final Test: 20%
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS: Receiving a W in a course may affect the status of
your student Visa. Once a W is given for the course, it will not be changed to an F
because of the visa consideration. Since January 1, 2003, International Students are
restricted in the number of distance education courses that they may take during each
semester. ONLY ONE online/distance education class may be counted towards the
enrollment requirement for International Students per semester. Please contact the
International Student Office at 713-718-8520 if you have any questions about your visa
status and other transfer issues.
Student Course Reinstatement Policy: Students have a responsibility to arrange payment
for their classes when they register, either through cash, credit card, financial aid, or the
installment plan. Faculty members have a responsibility to check their class rolls
regularly, especially during the early weeks of a term, and reconcile the official class roll
to ensure that no one is attending class whose name does not appear on the rolls. Students
who are dropped from their courses for non-payment of tuition and fees, who request
reinstatement after the official date of record (OE date), can be reinstated by making
payment in full and paying an additional $75 per course reinstatement fee. A student
Prof. Jesus Cantu Medel, M.Ed.
requesting reinstatement should present the registrar with a completed Enrollment
Authorization Form with the signature of the instructor, the department chair, or the dean,
who should verify that the student has been regularly attending class. Students who are
reinstated are responsible for all course policies and procedures, including attendance
requirements. A dean may waive the reinstatement fee upon determination that the
student was dropped because of a college error. The dean should note the nature of the
error in a memo to the registrar with the appropriate documentation.
HCC Policy Statements:
ADA: Students with Disabilities - any student with a documented disability, (i.e.
physical, learning, psychiatric, visual, hearing, etc) who needs to arrange reasonable
accommodations must contact the disability services office at the respective college at the
beginning of each semester. Faculty are authorized to provide only the accommodations
requested by the disability services office. The counselor for Southeast College can be
reached at 713 718-7218. Special Accommodations: Students with disability need to
bring a letter from the counseling office to request special testing time and required
accommodations.
3-peaters: HCC Course Withdrawal Policy Beginning Fall 2007, the State of Texas imposes penalties on students who drop courses
excessively. Students are limited to no more than SIX total course withdrawals
throughout their educational career at a Texas public college or university.
To help you avoid having to drop/withdraw from any class, contact your DE professor
regarding your academic performance. You may also want to contact your DE counselor
to learn about helpful HCC resources (e.g. online tutoring, child care, financial aid, job
placement, etc.). HCC has instituted an Early Alert process by which your professor may
“alert” you and DE counselors that you might fail a class because of excessive absences
and/or poor academic performance.
Students should check HCC’s Academic Calendar by Term for drop/withdrawal dates
and deadlines.
If a student decides to drop or withdraw from a class upon careful review of other
options, the student can drop online prior to the deadline through their HCC Student
Service Center:
https://hccsaweb.hccs.edu:8080/psp/csprd/?cmd=login&languageCd=ENG
Classes of other duration (mini-term, flex-entry, 8-weeks, etc.) may have different final
withdrawal deadlines. Please contact the HCC Registrar’s Office at 713.718.8500 to
determine mini-term class withdrawal deadlines.
Withdrawal Deadline: It is your responsibility to withdraw officially from a class and
prevent an “F” from appearing on your transcript. When considering withdrawal from a
course, remember that:
• No grade is given and your transcript reflects no record of the course if you withdraw
before the Official Date of Record.
• A “W” (indicating withdrawal) appears on your transcript if you drop a course after the
Official Date of Record and before the final deadline.
•
The final deadline to drop the course is ______ by 4:30pm
Attendance:
Prof. Jesus Cantu Medel, M.Ed.
Good attendance is a condition to do well in your courses. Assignments are explained in
class. If a student is absent, it is his/her responsibility to get information from other
classmates about the class lecture. Only absences, which are the result of medical or
catastrophical conditions, will be excused. Students with more than 3 hours of unexcused
absences will be recommended for withdrawal
Academic Honesty: academic dishonesty which includes plagiarism, which means using
research papers that are not written by the students, copying from sources without
referencing them, etc. Please refer to the Student Handbook 2003-2004, p. 9-11. A grade
of F will be given to students who plagiarize or cheat.
The teacher deserves the right to modify this syllabus during the semester.
EXPLANATION OF ASSIGNMENTS
Homework Folder: Each week you will do a summary of the assigned chapters by
writing the headings and then summarizing each section. These summaries will be
placed in your homework folder. In addition, you must provide a summary of each of
the films shown in class. Write at the top of the page, the title and film producer’s name
and a one-page summary. Include all the extra point activities in your homework folder.
Research Project: Choose a topic; get it approved by the instructor.
Annotated Bibliography: Locate 8 sources in the library. Summarize each by writing
one full page. Place the title on the top APA style. An example will be provided in class.
You need a total of 8 full pages to get a full 100.
Class Presentation: Make a PowerPoint presentation summarizing your research
project. It should have pictures, video clips (optional), and or music (optional), foods
(optional) or other cultural samples. A demonstration will be given in class. Subjects
must be approved by the instructor.
Midterm test: A multiple choice exam will be given during midterm
Final test: A multiple choice exam will be given during midterm
WEEK 1 – INTRODUCTION TO THE COURSE
 Introduction to the course – Requirements, explanation of assignments
 Concepts. The Field of Humanities - Archaeology, Art Expressions, Cultural
Studies, Music, Literature, Philosophy, Religion, Classical Languages
 Methods: Archeology, anthropology, social sciences, the Feminist Critical
Discourse Analysis
HW: Read Chapter 1 in Cano: The Search for Aztlan: Methods, Sources and Setting.
Read in Coe and Koontz, Chapter 1, Introduction, pp. 9-17
WEEK 2 – INTRODUCTION TO MESOAMERICA


Time Table
Archeological Periods - The Archaic Period –Preclassic, Classic, and PostClassic
Periods
Sources: Codices of Mesoamerica
Religious
Prof. Jesus Cantu Medel, M.Ed.
Social
Economic
Geographical
 Geographical areas: Definition of Mesoamerica
Film: Cities of Ancient Mexico
HW: Read Chapter 2 in Cano: Ancient Traces/Modern Steps: Gender Relations
Theory in Archeology
WEEK 3 – MATRIARCHIES IN MESOAMERICA – The Cult of the Goddess
 Gender misrepresentations in archeology
Tlatilco, Cuicuilco, and Chalcatzingo.
 Matriarchies and Patriarchies
Film: The Alphabet vs. the Goddess
HW: Read Coe and Koontz: Chapter 5, pp. 101 – The Classic Period – Teotihuacan
Read Cano, Chapter 3: The Nurturing Goddesses, Female Archers, and Abducted
Princesses, pp. 74 – 89.
WEEK 4 – THE RISE OF MILITARISM IN THE BASIN OF MEXICO
 The Classic Period – Rise of great civilizations: Teotihuacan
 The Chichimec Attacks
 Agricultural Religious Concepts
 Lunar vs. Solar cults
 The Women Warrior Legends
 Pyramid of Cholula, Early Zapotec Culture
Film: Monte Alban
HW: Read In Coe and Koontz: Chapter 8: The Post Classic Period. pp. 151-172
WEEK 5 – MESOAMERICAN RELIGIOUS PRACTICES
 The Rise of Tula Archeology and Mythology
 Chichimec Attacks
 Gods and Goddesses
 Myths
 Ceremonies
 Sacrifices
Film: The Popol Vuh
HW: Read information about the Maya on Internet
WEEK 6 – THE MAYA
 Mayan Society
 Mayan Religion
 chiefdoms
Film: The Popol Vuh
Dawn of the Maya
Prof. Jesus Cantu Medel, M.Ed.
HW: Read in Cano: Chapter 4: Warladies, Healers, and Priestesses in the Pilgrimage to
Aztlan
WEEK 7 – THE AZTEC PILGRIMAGE
 The Codex Boturini
 Additional codices
 The Aztec Pilgrimage
Film: Native Land
HW: (For 2 weeks) Read Coe and Koontz, Chapter 10: The Aztecs in 1519, pp. 190-203
Read Cano, Chapter 5: Patriarchy in Mexico-Tenochtitlan
WEEK 8 – AZTEC SOCIETY
 Sources: Hernan Cortes, Bernal Diaz del Castillo, Fray Diego de Duran
 Dynasties
 Economic organization
 Political organization
 Social and Gender Roles
Film: The Templo Mayor of Tenochtitlan
HW: Continue readings. Bring both books to class
WEEK 9 – PREPARATION FOR THE MIDTERM
 Study guide
 Film: The Return to Aztlan
WEEK 10 – Explanation of the Research Project
MIDTERM
 Annotated Bibliography
 PP Presentation
 Visit to the library
HW: Begin the Annotated Bibliography project. Read in Gomez-Cano, Chapter 6: The
Nurturing Goddesses
WEEK 11- Aztec Cosmovision
 Mesoamerican gods and goddesses
Film: Moctezuma: Aztec Ruler
HW: Work on your Annotated Bibliography
WEEK 12 – Aztec Literature

Major literary genres:
o Hymns, songs, legends, conundrums, etc.
o Nahuatl philosophy and language
Film: Mexican Pyramids
HW: Finish the Annotated Bibliography
Read Coe and Koontz: Epilogue, pp. 225 – 232
Prof. Jesus Cantu Medel, M.Ed.
WEEK 13 – The Fall of Mexico-Tenochtitlan
 ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY IS DUE
 The arrival of the Spanish
 Massacre in Cholula
 Meeting of Hernan Cortes and Moctezuma
 The house arrest of Moctezuma and royal family
 The attack
 The Noche Triste
 The Fall of Tenochtitlan
 The aftermath
Film: Mexico and the Spanish Conquest
HW: Read in Gomez-Cano, Chapter 7 – Virgenes, etc. pp. 195-221
WEEK 14 –



Goddesses in Colonial Folklore
Religious Syncretism
Virgins and Saints
Catrinas and Lloronas
Film: La Ofrenda
HW: Finish your research project
WEEK 15 – PRESENTATIONS ARE DUE
HW: Complete the Study Guide
WEEK 16: Final exam
Prof. Jesus Cantu Medel, M.Ed.
RESEARCH PROJECT
Possible topics:
A description of any indigenous groups of the Americas is accepted
Aztec Dances
Interpretation of Aztec Calendars
Indigenous Populations in Houston
Indigenous Mesoamerican goddesses/gods
Aztec, Olmec, Toltec Literature or music
Any of the indigenous languages of Mesoamerica
Aztecs in modern societies
Ceremonial Maya dances
Maya Population in Houston
La Malinche/Malintzin
Hernan Cortes or other conquistadors
The Myth of Quetzalcoatl or other deity
Study of any of the Pyramids
Any archeological site
Pre-Hispanic art and architecture
The position of Women in pre-Hispanic society
Others as approved by the instructor