HISTORY 115: WORLD HISTORY to 1500
Fall 2013 On Line
Dr. John F. DeFelice
Associate Professor of History
College of Arts and Sciences
University of Maine at Presque Isle
Contact Information:
Phone 768-9438 (O) E-Mail: john.defelice@umpi.edu
Please check Blackboard regularly for lectures and messages
Subject and Goal:
The course provides an overview of global history from the Neolithic Revolution to
around 1500. We will cover a wide geographical area and a long chronology, but this course is not
taught to just make you memorize facts. It will help you engage the past. It is a question-asking
course, where you involve yourself in the analysis of historical data, look for patterns and
relationships in the civilizations we survey, and develop for yourself a meaning for the past. There
are five major objectives for this course. It should leave you with a knowledge of the
1. Common patterns of world history.
2. Distinguishing characteristics of the some of the world’s major civilizations.
2. Points of contacts and cultural exchange among some of these civilizations.
3. Historical foundations of some modern cultural traditions.
4. The work of historical inquiry, analysis, and critical thinking.
The Academic Foundation:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Textbook readings provide background information to the course.
Lectures focus on one or two aspects of the topic under study.
Weekly Essay Assignment tests your ability to use what you have learned
Quizzes assess your mastery of the textbook material
The Discussion Board: helps you connect with the professor and your fellow students
as you interpret historical documents and other material
Book to Purchase:
Please note. It is required that you purchase the book for this course. This is a
lecture, reading, and discussion course. You need to purchase the textbook complete
the assignments to participate in this course.
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Bentley, Ziegler, and Streets-Salter, Traditions and Encounters: A Brief Global History.
Vol. 1 3rd Ed. McGraw Hill, 2014. ISBN 9780077412050
Course Requirements
Lectures and Chapter Readings
I have assigned one or two chapters from Traditions and Encounter Brief Edition in each
module. Each chapter has a lecture on PowerPoint loaded onto Blackboard for you to
view to under “Course Documents" I suggest you read each chapter before you view the
PowerPoint slides.
Please Note: In previous versions of this course I also used to have video lectures. But
after interviewing students in several classes, I found that they were rarely used. Students
felt that they took online courses to avoid lecture formats and that lectures took too much
time. This new format I am using follows models of many successful online courses. As a
result, this fall there are no video lectures.
The Discussion Board
The heart of any online course is the discussion board. This is where we interact with
each other, share our comments and explore the building blocks of historical
investigation. We do that by answering questions about primary sources. Primary
sources are those which are written by contemporary witnesses of historical events or
participants in historical events. They are the raw materials of history. Secondary
sources are the result of historical investigations using a collection of primary sources.
An example is your textbook. Another would be a historical book or monograph that
focuses on a more specialized topic, such as Shirer's famous The Rise and Fall of the
Third Reich or the even more specialized book, Browning's Ordinary Men: Reserve
Police Battalion 101and the Final solution.
So what do you do with the Discussion Board? There are two tasks! Both earn
participation points
Post an answer: to a question on one of our assigned sources. There are one or two each
week. Provide a 30-40 word original answer to each question. This earns you up to 20
participation points per original post.
Post a response: to another student's answer. Add to their answer, show another side of
the issue, maybe you can even provide a comment and a web link to an interesting
source. Choose ONE or TWO of our weekly primary source readings. You can respond
to the response as well and have a conversation. For responses, you can earn up to 10
points per response. You can respond to my comments as well.
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Grade value: How many participation points do you need? For this course, to earn An
"A" for the participation you need a minimum of 450 participation points. That easily
translates to one or two original posts of your own and few responses each week.
Extra Credit: How do you earn extra credit? Post most! As your grade rises above 350
points, extra credit rises as well. This can make up for some missed quizzes or quizzes
with low scores.
Timing is everything! You must post each week between Monday and Sunday on each
module! After 10:00 PM Sunday (unless otherwise indicated) the message board is
permanently closed. Then you have to move to the material for the next module.
On Line Quizzes:
While there is no final or midterm exam, there is an essay quiz for each chapter.
Where Are the Quizzes? Good question! Go to our course on Blackboard. Click on
"Essay Quizzes" You'll find the quizzes arranged according to chapter. You’ll find
instructions and an example.
Essay Quiz: Each chapter has question that covers some of the chapter material as well.
You provide an answer and submit it via Blackboard. This is not an essay! It's a short
answer of around 150 words to make sure you understand one of the key concepts of each
chapter. Each essay quiz is worth up to 10 points (for a possible total of 180 points). It
must be submitted before the due date (Sunday 10:00 PM of each week. After that the
quiz is automatically closed and you will earn a “0”.
GRADE VALUES
Essay Quizzes
(180 points)
60%
Discussion Board (Participation)
(450 points)
40%
Total
100%
Learning Objectives
5a. Students will understand and appreciate the diversity and interrelationship of
cultures locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally.
5c. Students will demonstrate linguistic skills and cultural knowledge.
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CLASS SCHEDULE
MODULE 01
Sept 03-Sept 08
Reading and Lecture Assignment:
Traditions and Encounters
Chapter One: The Foundations of Complex Societies
PowerPoint Lecture
Chapter One Essay Quiz (due Sunday Sept 08 10:00 PM)
Discussion Board Question: Module One
All page numbers are from Traditions and Encounters
Read "The Flood Story from Gilgamesh" (p. 17)
Discussion Question: Discuss the similarities and differences between this flood story
and the story of Noah's flood in the Hebrew Bible. This is in Genesis chapters 69. Explain possible reasons why these two accounts are similar.
MODULE 02
Sept 9-Sept 15
Reading and Lecture Assignment:
Traditions and Encounters
Chapter Two: Early African Societies and the Bantu Migrations
PowerPoint Lecture
Chapter Two Essay Quiz (due Sunday Sept 15 10:00 PM)
Discussion Board Question: Module Two
All page numbers are from Traditions and Encounters
Read "Harkhuf's Expedition to Nubia" (p. 32)
Discussion Question: How does this reading show Egyptian interest in Nubia? How did
they gain knowledge of their southern neighbor? And what exactly are pygmies and
where do they come from in Africa
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MODULE 03
Sept 16-Sept 22
Reading and Lecture Assignment:
Traditions and Encounters
Chapter Three: Early Societies in South and East Asia
Chapter Four: Early Societies in the Americas and Oceania
PowerPoint Lectures
Chapters Three and Four Essay Quizzes (due Sunday Sept 22 10:00 PM)
Discussion Board Question: Module Three
All page numbers are from Traditions and Encounters
Read "The Rig Veda on the Origin of the Castes" (p. 51)
Discussion Question: How does the division of the four varnas [brahmin (priest),
kshatriya (warrior), vaishya (merchant), and shudra (cultivator)] from Purushra reflect
their relative functions is society?
Read "The Popol Vuh" on the Creation of Human Beings" (p. 70)
Discussion Question: Discuss the extent to which this account of human creation reflects
the influence on Mayan society of both agriculture and the untamed natural world. Do
some research: Why is the jaguar so prominent in Mesoamerican religion?
MODULE 04
Sept 23-Sept 29
Reading and Lecture Assignment:
Traditions and Encounters
Chapter Five: The Empires of Persia
PowerPoint Lecture
Chapter Five Essay Quiz (due Sunday Sept 29 10:00 PM)
Discussion Board Question: Module Four
All page numbers are from Traditions and Encounters
Read "Zarathustra on Good and Evil" (p. 95)
Discussion Question: What assumptions does Zarathustra make about human nature and
the capacity of human beings to make morally good choices out of their own free will?
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Look up how souls are judged on the Chinvat Bridge after death. How does it compare to
Christianity and its judgment?
MODULE 05
Sept 30-Oct 06
Reading and Lecture Assignment:
Traditions and Encounters
Chapter Six: The Unification of China
PowerPoint Lecture
Chapter Six Essay Quiz (due Sunday Oct 06 10:00 PM)
Discussion Board Question: Module Five
All page numbers are from Traditions and Encounters
Read "Confucius on Good Government" (p. 102)
Discussion: Compare Confucius understanding of moral virtue to that of Zarathustra's
concept of morality (pp. 93-94 and 100-102 for more information)
MODULE 06
Oct 07-Oct 13
Reading and Lecture Assignment:
Traditions and Encounters
Chapter Seven: State, Society, and the Quest for Salvation in India
PowerPoint Lectures
Chapters Seven Essay Quiz (due Sunday Oct 13 10:00 PM)
Discussion Board Question: Module Six
All page numbers are from Traditions and Encounters
Read "The Teachings of the Buddha" (p. 129)
Discussion: Consider the teachings of the Buddha in comparison to popular Hinduism as
it was expressed in the Bagavad Gita (see pp 128-130). How did the lessons of the
Buddha differ from those of the Bagavad Gita, especially regarding the advisability of
involving oneself on the affairs of day to day life?
MODULE 07
Oct 14-Oct 20
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Reading and Lecture Assignment:
Traditions and Encounters
Chapter Eight: Mediterranean Society under the Greeks and Romans
Chapter Nine: Cross-Cultural Exchanges on the Silk Roads
PowerPoint Lecture
Chapters Eight and Nine Essay Quizzes (due Sunday Oct 20 10:00 PM)
Discussion Board Question: Module Seven
All page numbers are from Traditions and Encounters
Read "Arrian on the Character of Alexander of Macedon" (p. 141)
Discussion: On the basis of Arrian’s characterization, do you think Alexander had strong
potential to become an effective governor as well as a talented conqueror?
AND
Read "St. Cyprian on Epidemic Disease in the Roman Empire" (p. 165)
Discussion: To what extent do you think St. Cyprian was effective in his efforts to bring
inherited Christian teachings to bear on the unprecedented conditions he and his
followers faced?
MODULE 08
Oct 21-Oct 27
Reading and Lecture Assignment:
Traditions and Encounters
Chapter Ten: The Christian Commonwealth of Byzantium
PowerPoint Lecture
Chapter Ten Essay Quiz (due Sunday Oct 27 10:00 PM)
Discussion Board Question: Module Eight
All page numbers are from Traditions and Encounters
Read "The Wealth and Commerce of Constantinople" (p. 187)
Discussion: How is it possible to account for the prosperity that Benjamin of Tudela
found in Constantinople?
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MODULE 09
Oct 28-Nov 3
Reading and Lecture Assignment:
Traditions and Encounters
Chapter Eleven: The Expansive Role of Islam
PowerPoint Lecture
Chapter Eleven Essay Quiz (due Sunday Nov 3 10:00 PM)
Discussion Board Question: Module Nine
All page numbers are from Traditions and Encounters
Read "The Quran on Allah and his Expectations of Human Kind" (p. 201)
Discussion: Compare the Quran's teachings on the relationship between Allah and human
beings with the views of Zoroastrians, Jews, and Christians discussed in earlier chapters.
How do you find this material? Use the index of your textbook!
MODULE 10
Nov 04-Nov 10
Reading and Lecture Assignment:
Traditions and Encounters
Chapter Twelve: The Resurgence of Empire in East Asia
PowerPoint Lecture
Chapter Twelve Essay Quiz (due Sunday Nov 10 10:00 PM)
Discussion Board Question: Module Ten
All page numbers are from Traditions and Encounters
Read "The Arab Merchant Suleiman on Business Practices in Tang China" (p. 224)
Discussion: In what ways might Chinese policies have encouraged business and trade
during the Tang dynasty?
MODULE 11
Nov 11-Nov 17
Reading and Lecture Assignment:
Traditions and Encounters
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Chapter Thirteen: Indian and the Indian Ocean Basin
Chapter Fourteen: Nomadic Empires and Eurasian Integration
PowerPoint Lecture
Chapters Thirteen and Fourteen Essay Quizzes (due Sunday Nov 17 10:00 PM)
Discussion Board Question: Module Eleven
All page numbers are from Traditions and Encounters
Read "Cosmos Indicopleustes on Trade in Southern India" (p. 240)
Discussion: Find Ceylon on the map on p. 251. Why did Ceylon become such an
important location for Indian Ocean trade? Even if Ceylon produced few goods (and they
did), how could they profit?
AND
Read "Marco Polo on Mongol Military Tactics" (p. 260)
Discussion: In what ways do the military practices described by Marco Polo reflect the
influence of the steppe environment on the Mongols? What is a "steppe environment"?
Do some research. How would the Mongols later adapt to different terrain and walled
cities?
MODULE 12
Nov 18-Nov 24
Reading and Lecture Assignment:
Traditions and Encounters
Chapter Fifteen: States and Societies of Sub-Saharan Africa
PowerPoint Lecture
Chapter Fifteen Essay Quiz (due Sunday Nov 24 10:00 PM)
Discussion Board Question: Module Twelve
All page numbers are from Traditions and Encounters
Read "Ibn Battuta on Muslim Society at Mogadishu" (p. 283)
Discussion: From Ibn Battuta's report, how could you characterize the role of hospitality
on the Swahili coast? Can you think of reasons why Ibn Battuta perhaps rated special
treatment?
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MODULE 13
Nov 25-Dec 01
Reading and Lecture Assignment:
Traditions and Encounters
Chapter Sixteen: Christian Western Europe during the Middle Ages
PowerPoint Lecture
Chapter Sixteen Essay Quiz (due Sunday Dec 01 10:00 PM)
Discussion Board Question: Module Thirteen
All page numbers are from Traditions and Encounters
Read "Francesco Balducci Pegolotti on Trade between Europe and China" (p. 294)
Discussion: On the basis of Pegolotti’s report, how could you characterize the various
commercial, financial, and economic risks faced by European merchants traveling to
China and trading there?
MODULE 14
Dec 02- Dec 08
Reading and Lecture Assignment:
Chapter Seventeen: Worlds Apart: The Americas and Oceania
Traditions and Encounters
PowerPoint Lecture
Chapter Seventeen Essay Quiz (due Sunday Dec 08 10:00 PM)
Discussion Board Question: Module Fourteen
All page numbers are from Traditions and Encounters
Read "Mo'ikeha's Migration from Tahiti to Hawai`i" (p. 321)
Discussion: How would you characterize the political, social, and cultural significance of
two-way voyaging between Tahiti and Hawai`i?
MODULE 15
Dec 09-Dec 15
Reading and Lecture Assignment:
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Traditions and Encounters
Chapter Eighteen: Reaching Out: Cross Cultural Interactions
PowerPoint Lecture
Chapter Eighteen Essay Quiz (due Sunday Dec 15 10:00 PM)
Discussion Board Question: Module Fifteen
All page numbers are from Traditions and Encounters
Read "John of Montecorvino on his mission to China" (p. 330)
Discussion: How did John of Montecorvino seem to regard the khan and his Chinese
subjects? What were his primary methods of trying to convert the people of Khanbaliq?
Does his tone sound hopeful about the eventual success of his Christian mission in
China? Why or why not?
Statement of Commitment
As a member of the university, I pledge to
Pursue academic excellence,
Support open inquiry and civil expression,
Listen respectfully to the viewpoints of others,
Participate responsibly in the life of the community,
Conserve and enhance the beauty of the campus, and
Help members of the university realize their potential.
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