Trinity Western University
HISTORY 111: HISTORY OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION I
Prerequisites: None Credit: 3 Semester Hours
COURSE DESCRIPTION
A survey of Western civilization beginning with ancient Greece and ending with its modern expression in the Western
world. The development and decline of democracies; relationships between the poor and the wealthy, between men and
women; changes in the nature of the family; the resolution of social tensions and conflict.
This is designed to be a completely on-line course, accessible through the MyCourses section of the TWU website. You
do not need to go onto the TWU campus at any point in order to participate. You will need to have access to a universityquality library to do research, but otherwise you can take this course from anywhere in the world.
All of the assigned reading is available online. Textbook readings will be supplemented by primary source reading
assignments, all of which are accessible through this website. (Information on the textbook and an explanation of
primary sources are listed below).
COURSE OBJECTIVES
A. Students will gain a clearer perspective on the nature of history and the tools of the discipline. In terms of research,
students in History 111 will:
 develop stronger research strategies which can be applied in multi-disciplinary work.
 gain greater facility with the use of various search engines to find useful research materials: various library
catalogues, periodical databases, and various Internet search engines.
 differentiate between primary and secondary sources in historical research.
 distinguish between archival materials, library materials, and electronic materials for use in historical research.
 apply style-sheet guidelines in the production of a bibliography and footnotes.
 select appropriate sources for research in a particular topic and to defend the choice of those materials.
B. Students will also develop a working knowledge of the main trends and events in European history. This will include
learning about:
 the role the individual played in historical events;
 the nature of government, political power and human rights;
 people’s understanding of the divine;
 people’s relationship to each other and to property;
 the roles of women and men;
 the coming of Christianity to Europe.
C. Students will also practice the use of historical methodology and analysis. By working extensively with primary and
secondary sources, students will continue to improve their research, writing, and analytical thinking skills and will
improve their ability to write succinct essays with a clearly-defined argument and abundant evidence.
REQUIRED TEXT
John P. McKay, Bennett D. Hill, John Buckler, Clare Haru Crowston, Merry E. Wiesner-Hanks,
and Joe Perry, A History of Western Society, Volume 1: From Antiquity to Enlightenment, 10th
Edition.
http://www.coursesmart.com/9780312640590?__professorview=false&__instructor=2492164&_
_instructorinstitution=Trinity+Western+University&__instructorcourse=HIST+111&__instructo
rterm=Summer+2011a
This is an etext that you must purchase online by following the link above. This is required
reading for this course. Please note that there are significant differences between this and other
editions of this textbook, and therefore older editions may not be used.
If you would prefer not to use an etext, a print version of this textbook is available from the TWU bookstore or from
online booksellers like Amazon.
In addition to the required text (referred to in the syllabus as HWS), we will be reading a number of primary sources
available online, accessible through the class website. (The difference between a primary source and a secondary source
is explained in the first assigned reading “Using Historical Sources”)
COURSE ACTIVITIES and REQUIREMENTS
Please carefully read through the course activities and requirements described below. If you have any questions after
reading the description, please post them in the General Questions Forum on the class website, as it is likely that others
will have the same question.
Note: It is your responsibility for knowing the due dates and having assignments submitted promptly. Because of
the abbreviated time frame for this course, due dates are adhered to strictly. Please refer to specific assignments
for further information on due dates. If you wish to request an extension, it is your responsibility to contact the
instructor prior to the assignment due date. Students must keep a copy of any work that is submitted.
Discussion Forum Participation (20%)
This course is divided into fourteen units, with each unit corresponding to a chapter in the textbook A History of Western
Society (abbreviated HWS). In addition to the textbook, there are other assigned readings for every unit that are electronic
documents posted as blue hyperlinks on the main course website under the heading "Reading and Assignment Schedule."
The class discussions for each unit are based on the assigned reading.
For each unit, students are to submit responses to discussion questions posted by the instructor in an online forum
specific for each unit, as well as read and respond to the discussion question responses submitted by other students.
Students should interact with other forum responses just as if they would talk to each other in a small classroom
discussion. Each student is required to submit or "post" at least two forum responses for each unit. These forum posts
must be substantive, not simply one-sentence responses. The two forum discussion responses for each unit are to be
roughly 400 – 450 words in total; they may be divided into two responses of 200 – 225 words each or one longer
response of approximately 300 words and a shorter one between 100 – 150 words. Please note that the instructor will
typically provide more than two discussion questions for each unit and students do not have to submit response for all of
the questions.
The goal is not merely to submit the required number of words; the goal is to answer the questions and engage in
dialogue with one another. Forum responses will be graded for quality rather than mere quantity. I am looking for
thoughtful engagement of the text and assigned primary-source readings both in your response to the instructor's
questions as well as in your to other students' responses.
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Since this is designed to be a discussion, the two required posts per unit do not have to be a direct response to the
discussion questions posted by the instructor. Someone always has to go first, of course, and submit the first response,
but you should also at times wait and read what others have posted prior to making your response, and then either
respond to the question provided by the instructor or else respond to another person's post. Sometimes a response to what
another person has written can open up another way of thinking and advance a discussion or take it to a different
dimension, just as a new idea would if we were sitting around a table talking in person. I will be concerned if people are
consistently only responding to other submissions and not taking any initiative to post a first response. If this becomes an
issue I will contact the individual privately. I will monitor the forums and make comments as needed, and often with
provide some concluding remarks after a forum has closed. For the most part, though, the Teaching Assistant for this
course, Lydia Wytenbroek, will be interacting with you in the discussion forums.
Due dates: Forum posts are only to be submitted within the time scheduled for each particular unit. Please do not post to
forums in advance of the class schedule, as this eliminates the possibility of creating a dialogue with other members
of the class. At least one of the forum posts must be made prior to midnight on the first day we begin a new unit, as this
will allow others to read and respond to your post.
The forums for each unit will be closed at midnight (Pacific Standard Time) on the date we complete a unit. I will not
issue a grade for late discussion question responses.
Grading: Forum discussion responses will be graded as outstanding, good, satisfactory or not satisfactory. If students
demonstrate that they have read the text and/or the relevant primary source document(s), and have answered the basic
question, they get a "satisfactory" grade (in terms of a letter grade, this would be the equivalent of a "C+"). If they have
worked harder and pushed the question beyond the basics, showing more effort and therefore more insight, the grade will
be "good" (equivalent of a "B"). For responses that go even beyond this in terms of effort, insight, and consideration of
the responses of other students, the grade will be "outstanding" (equivalent of an "A"). If I have deemed a forum
response "not satisfactory" (letter grade equivalent of a "D") I will contact the student individually to let them know why
and make suggestions on how to improve their responses in the future. Late posts will not receive a grade.
Team Presentation on Film in History (15%)
Within the first few days, the class will be divided into five teams, assigned a film from the list below and work together
via email or by posting messages to each other on the film presentation forum to prepare a written presentation for the
rest of the class. (Please note that you do not need to be on campus for this, as it is a written presentation).
This presentation is to be submitted prior to midnight on the first day of that particular unit. Due dates for each
team presentation are noted on the main class website.
The presentation, to be posted on the specified film presentation forum, should be approximately 1000 words (roughly 4
typed, double-spaced pages) and must include the following components:
a) 200 word summary of the major story line(s) in the movie.
b) 250 - 300 word analysis of what the film did well. This is essentially an assessment of the historical accuracy of the
film.
c) 250 - 300 word analysis of where the film was weak or anachronistic (did people act or speak ideas or thoughts that
were unlikely for that period of time?)
d) 250 word conclusion evaluating the film overall. This needs to be done from an historical perspective. I’m not
particularly interested in whether you thought the special effects of blood spurting from open wounds etc. were fantastic
or whether the film was romantic and the actors were “hot.” I want your team to assess the value of the film as an
historical tale.
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e) proper citation of research materials used must be included as endnotes. (Information on how to properly format
footnotes and endnotes can be found in the Annotated Bibliography and Research Essay Instructions posted on the class
website).
f) in addition to posting your presentation to the specified forum, please have one member of your team submit your final
presentation to the Assignment Dropbox on the main course website. A grade will not be given for this project if this
last step is not completed.
Grading: The team presentation will be graded as outstanding, good, satisfactory, or not satisfactory, in the same way as
the forum discussion responses, with the same letter grade equivalents (see above).
Note: This is one of the major research projects in the course. It requires you to find secondary and primary-source
materials in order to evaluate each film and prepare the presentation. The extent of research is not as much as that
expected for your major research paper, but the research materials your team uses are to include at least two books, two
scholarly articles, two film reviews, and two primary sources, in addition to the primary sources posted on the class
website for that unit (the first assigned reading, Using Historical Sources explains the difference between Primary and
Secondary sources). Therefore, in order to focus your research and to make more efficient use of your research time, I
strongly suggest that you select a topic for your major research essay that is closely related to the time period or topic of
the movie your group presents. This does not mean that your paper must be on exactly the same topic as the film, but the
time periods should be approximately the same so that your research in a particular era can be used for both projects. (I
have more information about this on the page entitled Choosing an Essay Topic on the class website).
List of films: 1. Troy (2004); 2. Gladiator (2000); 3. Kingdom of Heaven (2005); 4. The Messenger: The Story of Joan
of Arc (1999); 5. Luther (2004).
All students are to watch at least three of these five movies. They are all available at commercial video rental outlets, and
many of them are also available at the TWU Library and the Fraser Valley Regional Library.
Presentation teams will be determined in the first few days of class
Responses to Team Presentation on Film in History (5%)
After the team presentation has been posted, the rest of the class (those students who did not contribute to the
presentation) are to post a 200 - 250 word response for two of the team presentations. This response is to include your
own assessment of the film plus an evaluation of the team presentation. Responses must be based in part on the assigned
primary sources for that particular unit as well as the textbook. It is your choice which two of the team presentations you
respond to. Please note that these responses are in addition to, and do not take the place of the regular forum discussion
responses, which are required for each unit.
In total, each student is to watch and review three films. One will be the film for your team presentation. The other two
films will be for your responses to the team presentations.
The responses will be graded as outstanding, good, satisfactory, or not satisfactory, in the same way as the forum
discussion responses (see above).
Research Essay (30%)
This is a multi-part assignment. Full instructions can be found at the Annotated Bibliography and Research Essay
Instructions posted on the class website.
First, choose an essay topic and submit your proposed essay topic to the Assignment Dropbox.
Second, prepare an Annotated Bibliography (10%)
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Third, write a Research Essay (20%)
Please note: All parts of this assignment must be completed. Research Essays will not be accepted if an Annotated
Bibliography has not been submitted in advance. All assignments are to be submitted to the specified Assignment
Dropbox on the main class website.
Final Exam (30%)
The final exam will be posted online. You do not need to be on the TWU campus to take the exam, as it will be
completely online. The exam will be a comprehensive examination of all the course material, but it will be open book.
The first part will consist of multiple-choice questions. The second part will consist of identifying key terms:
movements, ideas or individuals, and describe their historical significance. The third part of the exam will be two short
essays in response to a choice of essay questions. There are a total of 2 ½ hours allotted to complete the final exam,
however each of the three sections may be taken separately and over two days, if desired. More thorough instructions on
the final exam will be posted on the class website approximately a week before the exam date. Please do not make travel
plans or any other conflicting plans at exam time as it is not possible to offer alternative exam dates.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
As Christian scholars pursuing higher education, academic integrity is a core value of the entire TWU community.
Students are invited into this scholarly culture and required to abide by the principles of sound academic scholarship at
TWU. This includes, but is not limited to, avoiding all forms of plagiarism and cheating in scholarly work. TWU has a
strict policy on plagiarism. Learning what constitutes plagiarism and avoiding it is the student's responsibility. An
excellent resource describing plagiarism and how to avoid it has been prepared by TWU Librarian William Badke and is
freely available for download from: http://www.acts.twu.ca/lbr/plagiarism.ppt
COMMUNICATION
If you are having difficulties with any of the assignments, please contact me before the assignment due date. If
there is a valid reason why you cannot complete an assignment before it is due (such as an illness that requires
hospitalization or a death in the immediate family), I would be happy to discuss it with you before the assignment
due date. Note: Computer problems are never an acceptable excuse for late assignments.
If you have specific questions about certain aspects of the course, chances are that others will have the same question, so
please post these questions on the “General questions forum” located on the class website.
DETERMINATION OF FINAL GRADE
5% Response to Team Presentations
10% Annotated Bibliography
15% Team Presentation on Film in History
20% Forum Discussion Participation
20% Research Essay
30% Final Exam
All grading will be based on the following equivalents:
A+ 100-95; A 94-90; A- 89-85; B+ 84-80; B 79-75; B- 74-70; C+ 69-65; C 64-60; C- 59-55; D+ 54-53; D 52-51; D- 50;
F below 50.
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Letter Grade
A
B
C
D
F
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Quality Characteristics
Outstanding, excellent work; exceptional performance with strong evidence of original
thinking, good organization, meticulous concern for documented evidence, and obvious capacity
to analyze, synthesize, evaluate, discern, justify, and elaborate; frequent evidence of both verbal
eloquence and perceptive insight in written expression; excellent problem-solving ability in
scientific or mathematical contexts with virtually no computational errors; demonstrated
masterful grasp of subject matter and its implications. Gives evidence of an extensive and
detailed knowledge base. (Note: The A+ grade is reserved for very rare students of exceptional
intellectual prowess and accomplishment, especially in lower level courses.)
Good, competent work; laudable performance with evidence of some original thinking, careful
organization; satisfactory critical and analytical capacity; reasonably error-free expository written
expression, with clear, focused thesis and well-supported, documented, relevant arguments; good
problem-solving ability, with few computational or conceptual errors in scientific subjects;
reasonably good grasp of subject matter but an occasional lack of depth of discernment; evidence
of reasonable familiarity with course subject matter, both concepts and key issues. Exhibits a
serious, responsible engagement with the course content.
Adequate, reasonably satisfactory work; fair performance but infrequent evidence of original
thinking or the capacity to analyze, synthesize, or evaluate course material; undue reliance on
rote memory; difficulty in applying knowledge in unfamiliar contexts; limited problem-solving
ability in scientific subjects; fairly clear but quite uninspiring written expression with occasional
problems in mechanics or syntax; weak in provision of documented, illustrative, or descriptive
evidence; satisfactory grasp of basic elements of the course but frequent lapses in detailed
understanding. Satisfies the minimum requirements of the course.
Minimally acceptable work; relatively weak performance with little evidence of original
thinking or ability to analyze or synthesize course material; nominal or weak problem-solving
ability in scientific subjects; written expression frequently exhibits difficulty in articulating a
central thesis or sustaining a coherent argument; ideas are trite or juvenile, without discernible
development. Shows inadequate grasp of some basic elements of the course.
Inadequate work; poor performance that indicates a lack of understanding or misunderstanding
of essential subject matter; seems easily distracted by the irrelevant; written expression is poorly
organized, often incoherent, and rife with mechanical and diction errors. Shows little evidence of
even basic competency in the course content or skills.
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READING and ASSIGNMENT SCHEDULE
Unit 1: Origins
Reading: History of Western Society (HWS) chapter 1
Using Historical Sources
Time and History
The Law Code of Hammurabi
A Hymn to the Sky-God Enlil
Egyptian Religious Beliefs and the Book of the Dead
Note: All of the readings other than the textbook are accessible on the class website.
Unit 2: Small Kingdoms and Mighty Empires
Reading: HWS chapter 2
The First King of the Israelites
Unit 3: Classical Greece
Reading: HWS chapter 3
Book XXII of the Iliad
Team presentation on Troy
Unit 4: The Hellenistic World
Reading: HWS chapter 4
Plutarch, The Life of Alexander
Alexander the Great’s Habits
Alexander’s Place in History
Unit 5: Rise of Rome
Reading: HWS chapter 5
The Battle of Ecnomus
The Battle of Cannae
Hannibal’s Defeat at Zama
Please post your proposed topic to the assignment dropbox.
Unit 6: Pax Romana
Reading: HWS chapter 6
Ignatius of Antioch, Letter to the Romans
St. Perpetua, The Passion of Sts. Perpetua and Felicity
Reflections on the Last Good Emperor
From the Age of Gold to the Age of Rust
Team presentation on The Gladiator.
Unit 7: Late Antiquity
Reading: HWS chapter 7
Procopius, Alaric’s Sack of Rome
Procopius, On Justinian
The Rule of St. Benedict (excerpts)
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Unit 8: Europe in the Early Middle Ages
Reading: HWS chapter 8
Einhard’s Life of Charlemagne
What Happened at Charlemagne’s Coronation?
Charlemagne, Letter to Baugaulf of Fulda, ca. 780-800
Unit 9: State and Church in the High Middle Ages
Reading: HWS chapter 9
Urban II's Sermon on the First Crusade
Bernard of Clairvaux on Christian Knighthood
Criticism of the Second Crusade
Negotiations between Richard the Lionheart and Saladin
Team presentation on The Kingdom of Heaven.
Unit 10: Changing Life of the People in the High Middle Ages
Reading: HWS chapter 10
Christine de Pizan: Noblewomen and household management
Peter of Blois: Letter to Queen Eleanor
William of St. Thierry: Description of Clairvaux
The burial of St. Gregory of Nicopolis
Unit 11: Creativity and Challenges of Medieval Cities
Reading: HWS chapter 11
Reginald of Durham: Life of St. Goderic
St. Thomas Aquinas: On the Existence of God
The Conversion of Peter Waldo
Unit 12: Crisis of the Later Middle Ages
Reading: HWS chapter 12
The Famine of 1315
Jean de Venette, On the Plague
Joan of Arc’s Letter to Charles VII
Joan of Arc, Letter to the King of England
The Trial of Joan of Arc
Team presentation on The Messenger.
Unit 13: European Society in the Age of the Renaissance
Reading: HWS chapter 13
Vergerius, The New Education
Castiglione, A Manual for a Gentleman
Laura Cereta, Against the Ornamentation of Women
Unit 14: Reformations and Religious Wars
Reading: HWS chapter 14
Luther’s “Tower Experience”
Luther: On the Freedom of the Christian
Team presentation on Luther.
Final Exam
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