History 86 Fall
Professor Kathleen Addison addisoke@piercecollege.edu
; Kathleen.addison@csun.edu
Voicemail for emergencies only: 818-389-7915
Time Immemorial to 1500
History…[is] here set down that the deeds of men may not be forgotten…
--Herotodus
The philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways; the point, however, is to change it.
--Karl Marx
Come senators and congressmen, please heed the call, don’t stand in the doorway, don’t block up the hall; for he that gets hurt could be he who has stalled; the battle outside is ragin’; will soon shake your windows and rattle your walls, for the times, they are a changin’
-- Bob Dylan
This course in World Civilization is designed to be a broad-based survey course from the time of man’s earliest settlements to the world's transition in the wake of the fall of the
Western Roman Empire. Throughout the journey of our course, we will have not only vast amounts of time, but vast expanses of cultures, events and types of history to discuss. Yet, you will perhaps find it surprising that the problems we encounter as we study these people of times long past, are easily identifiable as problems similar or identical to ones we face in society today. If, as the saying goes, those who do not learn the lessons of the past (i.e., history) are doomed to repeat it, does this mean that we as a society are without hope? I would argue rather that perhaps we need to learn to better recognize the roots of these issues and that doing so through the study of history will not only help you graduate from college, but will allow you a tool of better understanding the world around you today by knowing how and why we got here.
An Approach to the Class: My philosophy on the study of history is that at its most basic, history is about how things change and why . We are left with pieces of a puzzle
(largely in the form of records or documents from the past) that can show us how other people lived, and why they changed in response to certain factors within their respective societies. Within that context, my approach to teaching history is to emphasize "the big picture" -- I will very rarely ask you to know the exact date (there are some important ones that you will need to know and I will tell you those), but knowing the approximate location in time is important. It is far more important to me that you gain an understanding of the events, actions, ideas and people . Also, because of the compacted nature of the summer course, I will be approaching things both thematically and

geographically, which may require you to consider ideas across a larger perspective than a per-chapter basis. For this reason, it is really crucial to not fall behind in your reading.
Grades:
3 exams 20% each (40% total course); will drop lowest score
4 take-home assignment @ 5% each (20% total) (study guides for exam preparation)
1 final exam, 20% (not dropped)
Participation, quizzes 5%
Paper on readings: 15% MANDATORY
The grades are calculated as A = 90% or above; B 80-89%; C = 70-79%; etc. There is no grade curve.
There is no extra credit.
Exams: The exam format is your choice of an essay or multiple choice format; you will see both options at the time of the exam and choose. I strongly suggest the essay. One of your exams MUST be an essay or face a 10% drop for one exam score.
Participation: You are expected to be an informed discussant in class in order to receive participation credit. Your attendance does NOT constitute participation; you cannot participate if you are not here, but sitting in a chair breathing is not active work for most of us. You can be wrong in a discussion and that is
OK, but you have to be working from an informed basis, meaning that you’ve done the reading and been paying attention in lecture.
Your paper is a mandatory part of the class, and does not represent just a segment of your grade. Lastly,
I cannot accept late work and still turn it around in time for you to benefit from it. Be prepared! (even if you were not a boy scout!)
Academic Honesty: You are required to do original work of your own research. Cutting and pasting from an online source does not constitute your own research. You may not share assignments or copy them from a friend, even if you work on them together. (Study groups are a great method of preparing, but not if it excludes your own work process). If you take material from a source in your assignments, CITE IT. My expectation as you take apart primary sources is that you have read them and analyzed their significance and context yourself. Wikipedia is unreliable as a source because it is open to altering information and ultimately you are responsible for what you turn in. Use reliable, accredited resources of information, do it honestly, and prepare your own expertise. Any deviation from the university’s code of academic standards on cheating and/or plagiarism will be grounds for failure of the class, disciplinary action with the
Dean of Instruction, including but not limited to the possibility of 1) Fail not subject to repeat (meaning you cannot complete your major); 2) the possibility of suspension and/or expulsion; 3) notation on your transcript; and 4) suspension or revocation of your financial aid. Cheating on a test or an assignment is not worth the repercussions, and you should not risk it all for a stupid reason.
Textbook : Your textbook is Von Sivers et al Patterns of World Civilizations, with sources, vol 1, second edition, from Oxford Press. We will use the sources, so please be sure to read those in your weekly work.
I will post occasional supplemental works on the Moodle site.
Additionally, as we will incorporate religion as a major component of this course in relationship to its impact on developing and maintaining societies, both as an institution and a belief, you should be prepared to read from at least two of the following sacred texts: The Rig Veda and Upanishads (Hinduism); the
Avesta (Zoroastrianism); Tao Te Ching (Taoism); [Buddhism handouts]; Hebrew ("Old") Testament
(Judaism); Greek ("New") Testament (Christianity).
You will also be reading certain primary texts (or translations, rather) which I will provide to you in online reference on our class site.

It is worth mentioning in this troubled time of our society that we are a part of the global community, and that all cultures and traditions which we will study are to be treated equally with respect. Part of the experience of education at a university is the exposure to ideas dissimilar than your own. I do not require you to adopt or convert to them, or even that they necessarily challenge your own culture or tradition, but I do require you to treat your classmates with traditions different than your own with the same degree of respect and consideration you expect. I hope that you will be enriched in your study of cultures and civilizations other than your own.
A Nice Word About Grades: Your success in this class will depend on your work. It is very important that you stay current with the reading and that you come to class regularly, take notes and be an active learner.
I will trust you to come to class in a responsible fashion, and that you will make up your reading and notes from a classmate if you don't. It is incumbent upon you to do your assignments and study in a manner that provides you adequate coverage for the tests. As we have a lot of material to cover, it is impossible to cover every aspect of every chapter. You will be expected to “fill the gaps” by reading both the textbook and the primary sources for factual data to enhance the theme of the lecture. Finally, it is incumbent on you to EARN THE GRADE YOU NEED. I do not “give” grades, I assign them based on your scores. These numbers are not a negotiating point. Your grade is derived mathematically, and while I expect that you will of course “try hard,” you are graded on success, not effort.
GENERAL RULES:
--No makeup exams will be given.
--The final exam may only be taken on the date and time scheduled
--Disputes about grades: I request that you wait 24 hours to dispute a grade, and then put into writing your specific disagreement with the grade in question. Your reason for requesting a grade re-evaluation must stem from a calculation error or a disagreement on content with an outline of why you believe the grade was in error. I will then re-evaluate and my determination at that point will be final. Your dispute of the course grade must be made within ten days of the posting of grades (i.e., I must turn in grades by December
15, you will submit your dispute no later than December 25); disputes of grades will not be considered after this date. By remaining in the class after the first week, you indicate your acceptance of these terms.
Incompletes will be granted only in the most extenuating, medically or otherwise documentable circumstances.
Email: Of necessity, we will do a significant amount of communication via email. Please understand, however, that I, like you, require downtime and that funny thing called “sleep.” I might not get back to you immediately if you email me at 3 am before a test. Please use reasonable judgment and turnaround time for sending and receiving responses. If you haven’t heard from me within 48 hours, it may be that the email sorted into my spam box, please try again.
Please identify yourself in your emails FULLY, including what class you’re in. “This is Mike, a student in your history class” doesn’t help.
Please understand that if I answer you with a one-line, quick response, I am not being rude, but am trying to get the most done that I can. If your question is more complex, we may have to discuss it in office hours.
Student Learning Outcomes
Student Learning Objectives: As part of the GE Pathways, the following SLOs are defined by the college and will be tested during the semester:
Student Learning Outcomes
1. Students will be able to define globalization and key concepts related to globalizing trends.

4.
2. Students will be able to identify and analyze the political, economic, socio-cultural and historical underpinnings of globalization.
3. Students will be able to identify and analyze the diverse consequences of globalization including its impacts on culture, identity, media, markets, nation- states, and the environment.
Students will be able identify and analyze how globalization affects and is affected by one’s own life
SLO’s: These are “student learning objectives/outcomes” and will be assessed by department mandate. You will be tested on ONE of the following broad goals within your first two exams.
1.
Students will be able to evaluate the significance of geography and identify important persons as they relate to the major trends in the history of world civilization.
2.
Students will develop an understanding of cultural and global diversity and be able to assess the impact of the major intellectual, religious, political, and cultural events of world civilizations.
3.
Students will be able to develop critical thinking skills by learning how to analyze, evaluate, and interpret the historical evidence of primary sources.
Exiting the class: If you decide this is not the class for you, I don’t mind, but please take care of the paperwork yourself. If you are on the roster at the end of the term, you will receive a grade.
Accommodations: If you are registered with the Office for Students with Disabilities, please let me know
ASAP so that I may incorporate whatever reasonable accommodations are able to be made to help you succeed. If you require extra time for testing, a note taker, etc, please let me know how I may be of assistance.
CLASS SCHEDULE:
Schedule of Lectures (please bring your books to class): NB: These dates subject to change.
Week 1: Intro, procedures, what is history, pre-history, what is civilization? Chap 1 Importance of Geographic Conditioning : River
Valleys chap 2
Week 2: Mesopotamia and the near East . Who makes the Law?
Egypt; What is religion, and how does it work within civilization?
Assyria as inheritors of Fertile Crescent region
Week 3: Early China: Xia, Shang, Qin Empires.
The Non-Western World: Indus River Civilizations; read chaps 3-4

Week 4: . What is religion part II
The Age of Empires: Greece, Persia Empires
Part I: : Chap 7
What is Philosophy, and how is this different than religion? Socrates
WEEK 5:
Week 11
Week 12:
Week 13:
Week 14:
Week 15:
EXAM #1 COVERS CHAPS 1-4, 7
Submit Assignment #1
Week 6:
Week 7:
Americas and Africa: Geographic isolation? Chap 5-6
Asia and Indian Unification
Read: Chaps 7-8
Week 8: EXAM #2 AND ASSIGNMENT #2 COVERING CHAPTERS 5-8. Prompts for papers posted online.
Week 9:
Confluence of civilizations:
The Rise of Islamic Civilization,
Conflict within the West – Chap 10
Week 10: Medieval Europe: Dark Ages to Crusades
Chaps 11
China and India and Mongols, oh my! Chap 12
Exam 3 covers chaps 10-12,
Subsaharan Africa (come back to chap 8), Americas. Great Traditions.
Paper due. Chap 14, 15
Renaissance Europe and the Age of Discovery.
Maritime Empires
FINAL Exam: N o alternate times for the final can be accommodated, please plan accordingly.