Course: Hon Humanities 1
Section #: HUM-2113-104
Call #: 12326
Days: TR Times: 10:00-11:20 am
16-Wk start: 18 Aug 2014
16-Wk end: 14 Dec 2014
Course Delivery Method: Classroom/Trad
Course format: Lecture/Discussion
Classroom: MC 316
Instructor: Dr. Alexa Larson-Thorisch
Office Ph: (918) 595-7138
Office: MC 512
MC 512 Office Hrs: Mon & Tues: 1- 3:15 pm
Email: alexa.larson-thorisch@tulsacc.edu
Wed & Thurs: 1:00 - 3:00 pm
TO CONTACT DIVISION OFFICES:
Division: Liberal Arts
Office: MC-505
Ph: 918-595-7118
LA Assoc. Dean Michael Hammer
Ph: 918-595-7117
Honors Program Office: MC523
Ph: 918-595-7378
TO CONTACT ACADEMIC & CAMPUS SERVICES:
Director: George Black
Ph: 918- 595-7153
Office: MC-1008
Client Services (for general help)
Ph: 918-595-2000
TCC Switchboard
Ph: 918-595-7000
Humanities I Catalog Description
An interdisciplinary survey designed to strengthen students’ fundamental grasp of people’s ideas, discoveries, beliefs,
and creative achievements. Focus areas include mythology, cosmology, philosophy, religion, architecture, sculpture,
drama, history, literature, music, and painting. Lec 3 hours. No Lab.
COURSE PREREQUISITES: na
NEXT COURSE(S) IN SEQUENCE: na
REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS (available @ TCC-Metro bookstore or the vendor of your choice)
- Matthews, Roy T., Platt, F. Dewitt, and Noble, Thomas E. X., Experience Humanities, 8th ed. [previously: The
Western Humanities, 7th ed.] Vol. II (New York: McGraw-Hill, c2014). All textbook chapters should be read in full
according to the course schedule below. This title is abbreviated in your syllabus and on your course site as: EH.
Additional Supplies & Readings, Required or Recommended:
- Goldberg, Nude Sculpture: 5000 Years, c2000, Intro essays (req. eReading_see Bb “Syllabus_Rubrics_eReadings”)
- Schatz, Hollywood Genres, c1981, pp. 45 - 48 (req. eReading_see Bb “Syllabus_Rubrics_eReadings” folder)
- one TCC Examination Green Book (available in any TCC bookstore for ca. $ 00.30)
- a small flash drive (recommended)
Course Objectives and Methodology:
Upon successful completion of this course students will be able to think, speak, and write critically about cultural
history. For a detailed explanation of methodology and how to apply it to specific course content, see the following
sections of your textbook: Experience Humanities: “Why Study Cultural History” (pp. xviii-xxii) and “A Humanities
Primer: How to Understand the Arts” (pp. xxiv-xxxi).
Fall 2014 Course Schedule
Week 1
Tues 19 Aug
Recommended
Reading →→
Tulsa Community College
Course organization, assignments, touchstones
- Using TCC-Blackboard : Gradebook, Disc Board Forums, etc.
- Prometheus / “Wilson” (Tom Hanks, Castaway, 2000) c/c Odyssey
- Introduction: Why Study Cultural History (pp. xviii-xxii)
- DB_F1_Introductions_due asap!
Thurs 21 Aug
EH Ch 1 Prehistory and the Rise of Civilization in the Near East and Egypt
- Prehistory: Chauvet, Willendorf
- Mesopotamia & Egypt
- The Epic of Gilgamesh
- Hammurabi Code
Week 2
Tues 26 Aug
Recommended
Reading →→
EH Ch 2 The Aegean: The Minoans, the Mycenaeans, and the Greeks of the
Archaic Age
- A Humanities Primer: How to Understand the Arts (xxii-xxxi)
Larson-Thorisch / Hon Hum 2113_FA 2014_12326 _104
Week 3
Thurs 28 Aug
Cont. EH Ch. 2: ancient mythology
-handouts; no specific WH reading
J1_Stories_LeGuin_opens; due by 11:59 pm 9 Nov_end Wk 12
Tues 02 Sept
Cont. EH Ch 2: Homer, Iliad
- Troy (2004, Wolfgang Petersen, Dir. selected segments)
Cont. EH Ch 2: Homer, Odyssey
- Odyssey (1997, Andrei Konchalovsky, Dir. selected segments)
Thurs 04 Sept
Week 4
Tues 09 Sept
Thurs 11 Sept
Cont. Homer_Odyssey as needed; Start Ch 3 Classical Greece
EH Ch 3 Classical Greece: The Hellenic Age
DB_F2_Stanford Ency of Philosophy (discuss in class; closes with Wk 7)
- Sophocles, Oedipus the King (start viewing, Don Taylor, dir; c1986)
Week 5
Tues 16 Sept
EH Ch 3 cont. Oedipus, end viewing & discussion (120m 1986)
- Aristotle, Poetics
- architecture_Greek theaters
EH Ch 3 cont.
- Sophocles, Antigone (no reading; compressed viewing, 120m;1984)
- focus on civil disobedience
Thurs 18 Sept
Week 6
Tues 23 Sept
EH Ch 4 The Hellenistic World & summarizing
- Greek architecture_temples_three orders
- music: Greek ideas, incl. Plato c/c August Rush segments; c/c Langston Hughes,
“Rhythms of the World”
Thurs 25 Sept
Week 7
Week 8
Tues 30 Oct
Q#1_pt1 WH Ch 1- 4 Obj Qs (Key Terms, Multiple Choice, T/T, Firsts)
Q#1_pt2 WH Ch 1- 4 adv. prep ID’s & Essay Qs_PPT prompts_ grn bk req.
Thurs 02 Oct
EH Ch 5 Classical Rome: From Republic to Empire
Etruscans and Greeks, arches; the Pantheon; “the aqueduct”; the Colosseum;
Roman values; Virgil, Aeneid; “founding stories” → Am. Western)
Tues 07 Oct
Cont. EH Ch5; start Ch6 Judaism and the Rise of Christianity, focus on Judaism
- A History of God, “Judaism” seg.(ca. 50m, 2001; Karen Armstrong)
- Abraham and Isaac; the book of Job; the book of Genesis
DB_F3_religionfacts.com (discuss in class; closes with Wk 10)
EH Ch 6 Judaism and the Rise of Christianity, focus on Christianity
- cont. A History of God, Christianity seg. (ca. 25m, 2001; Armstrong)
- early Christian art; early Christian symbols; Calf Bearer
Thurs 09 Oct
Week 9
Week 10
- Alexander the Great; Herodotus (“father of history”)
EH Cont. Ch 4 The Hellenistic World & summarizing
- Penn and Teller, Behind the Scenes vol. 2: “Sculpture”
- sculpture_Egyptian to Greek
- Goldberg “Introductions” to Nude Sculpture: 5000 Years (req. eReading)
Tues 14 Oct
Thurs 16 Oct
Cont. EH Ch 6 & start EH Ch 7 Late Antiquity: The Transformation of the
Roman Empire and the Triumph of Christianity
-Hagia Sophia; Old St. Peter’s Basilica; Constantine; Christian art (mosaics,
sarcophagi)
Tues 21 Oct
Ch 8 The Heirs to the Roman Empire: Byzantium and the West in the Early
2
Larson-Thorisch / Hon Hum 2113_FA 2014_12326 _104
Week 11
Thurs 23 Oct
Middle Ages (two days)
- Charlemagne_Holy Roman Empire
- Beowulf _ Anglo-Saxon sound sample;
- monophony_Gregorian chant_sound sample
- architecture
Tues 28 Oct
Q#2_pt1 : WH Ch 5-8
Q#2_pt2 : WH Ch 5-8
Thurs 30 Oct
Week 12
Tues 04 Nov
Thurs 06 Nov
Week 13
Tues 11 Nov
Assessment
Journal opens
Thurs 13 Nov
Week 14
Tues 18 Nov
Thurs 20 Nov
Week 15
Tues 25 Nov
Thurs 27 Nov
Week 16
Tues 02 Dec
Thurs 04 Dec
Week 17
Obj Qs (Key Terms, Multiple Choice, T/F, Firsts)
Essay questions_PPT based (green book)
EH Ch 9 The Rise of Islam, 622 - 1520
- end A History of God, “Islam” seg. and concl. (ca. 24m, 2001; Armstrong)
- the kaaba, pilgrimage, call to prayer_sound sample, the shahadah (confession
of faith); architecture & connections to the West
EH Ch 10 The High Middle Ages, 1000 – 1300
- Feudalism, Vikings, Medieval Christianity
- The Crusades (c1995, w. Terry Jones, prtl screening of pt. 1 of 4)
- anti-Semitism; c/c Shakespeare, Merchant of Venice seg. (re: Crusades)
EH Cont. Ch 10
- Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy
Cont. EH Ch 10
- music, architecture, art
- Hildegard of Bingen, Scivias and musical compositions
- music c/c’s
DB_F4_music_sacred_secular (discuss in class; closes with Wk 15)
EH Ch 11 The Late Middle Ages: Crisis and Recovery, 1300 - 1500
- general characteristics, conflicts, ordeals;-technology (printing press)
- music c/c’s
Cont. EH Ch 11: focus on church architecture
DB_F5_architecture_Roth (discuss in class; closes with Wk 16)
Cont. EH Ch 11: focus on Chaucer
- Boccaccio, The Decameron
- Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales_Middle Eng. sound sample
Field Trip: Philbrook Museum docent tour or Cathedral Square walk, with
church visits, depending on your section. You may attend either or both.
Thanksgiving Break: no class
Cont. EH Ch 11 The Late Middle Ages , 1300 - 1500
-focus on painting (Cimabue, Giotto, van Eyck)
Q#3_pt1 EH Ch 9-11*_Obj Qs (Key Terms, Multiple Choice, T/F, Firsts)
Q#3_pt2 EH Ch 9-11_ PPT based (green book essays)
Tues, 09 Dec
10 – 11:50 am
MC 316
Req. Final Exam = comprehensive; oral format plus individual essay. You
must take this Exam to pass this class.
- J2_req. assessment_due by 6 pm Fri, 12 Dec 14
Tues, 16 Dec
anticipated deadline for posting final grades
Due dates Legend: Unit 1 = yellow Unit 2 = green Unit 3 = blue
End of Semester = pink
NOTE: “units” are not equally populated with writing assignments. You are responsible for noting due dates.
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Larson-Thorisch / Hon Hum 2113_FA 2014_12326 _104
4
GRADING and ASSIGNMENTS
1. Attendance & participation scores are negatively influenced by routine tardiness, routine early departure, napping
or sleeping, texting, Internet surfing, inattention because you are doing homework, disruptive behavior of any sort, and
more than three (3) full absences. These scores remain level with regular attendance and a neutral classroom presence.
They are positively influenced by active listening and substantive and/or relevant contributions to class discussions, all
of which indicate regular attendance and preparation. You are expected to read assigned textbook chapters within the
timeframe of each Unit, unless we are adjusting the course schedule as a class and Quiz dates change. (This is not
common, but can happen.)
(08 pts = 08%)
2. Discussion Board Forums (1 x 1 pt extra credit; 4 x 2 pts required) =
(08 pts = 08% plus 1 pt ec)
DB_F1_Introductions _extra credit
(01 pt_ec)
For specific due dates, see your syllabus (above),
DB_F2_Standford Ency of Philosophy
(02 pts)
the appropriate column in your
DB_F3_religionfacts.com
(02 pts)
Blackboard Gradebook, or the
DB_F4_music_sacred_secular
(02 pts)
appropriate Forum prompt.
DB_F5_architecture_Roth
(02 pts)
Discussion Board rubric applies
You are expected to contribute one substantial, relevant post to each DB Forum. “Substantial” translates into roughly
150 words. A good, general range to work with is 140 –170 words, with the qualification that you avoid padding to
reach a target word count. Finish your thought(s) before you count your words. Next, edit for standard mechanical
errors (punctuation, word order, sentence structure, spelling, upper and lower cases, etc.). Editing for word choice and
sentence structure may be a little trickier: think about connotations, clarity, and coherence here and try to put yourself
in your reader’s shoes as you edit. Be thoughtful! How well do your words work together? How consistently have
you organized your ideas? “Relevant” translates into content that is on topic, stylistically and thematically appropriate,
and that goes beyond surface observations. If you speak from your own experience or are explaining what you think
and why, use the first person. Since we have usually at least touched on Forum topics in our classroom discussions,
and sometimes have discussed them thoroughly, Discussion Board posts can be an opportunity to reflect on, solidify,
or otherwise refine what was said in class, or cautiously held back. Replies to peer posts are not required, but may be a
way for you to complete a Forum that you find yourself struggling with for some reason or other. As in class, if you
disagree with someone, it is important to mind your manners. Posts of any sort fall that outside the student code of
conduct will not be tolerated. Finally, while due dates may be extended in response to our classroom pace, it is best to
do these assignments in advance of Unit Quizzes, as prompts correspond with textbook chapters and topics.
3. Journals:
Journal 1_Stories_Le Guin
(3 + 3 = 6 pts)
(wks 3 – 12_closes with Wk 12) (3 pts + 2 pt poss. ec)
Journal 2_Required institutional assessment Q
(due by 6 pm Friday of Finals Wk = after your exam ) (3 pts)
Writing Rubric applies
General Instructions: posting to the online Journal is very much like posting to the Discussion Board, with the
difference that Journal posts are private student-instructor exchanges and should also be longer and formatted
formally, with a full header. In essence, these are short expository essays that are best written in MS Word or an
equivalent word processing program. Journal prompts ask you to double-post, once to the online window, with
single spacing, and once as an uploaded file, with double-spacing. Prompts reopen for review purposes sometime
after they have closed to new posts. Feedback may be added to a downloaded document and returned via email
attachment, or it may be delivered directly, via the Journal tool or the Grade book. Time constraints and the
complexity or brevity of feedback per individual assignment are the determining factors here. Be aware that there
are no wrong answers to Journal prompts, as long as you follow instructions and proof-read effectively! In other
words, your base score reflects completion of the assignment.
Larson-Thorisch / Hon Hum 2113_FA 2014_12326 _104
5
For a summary of grading criteria, please refer to the “Writing Rubric” that is part of the “Course Documents” folder
in your Blackboard course site.
4. Two-part Unit Quizzes: (3 x 17) + (3 x 7) = 51_obj + 21_essay = 72.0 pts total = 72.0% of final grade
4.1 Objective Section: Q1_pt1, Q2_pt1, Q3_pt1
(3 x 17 points = 51% of final grade)

Expect a mix of fill-in and matching questions based on Key Terms (Memorize!); brief ID’s (Memorize
“Firsts” and “Legacy” lists!); multiple choice and T/F questions (Read your textbook chapters! Take lecture
and discussion notes!).

Key Terms lists and “Firsts” lists are posted to the Quiz prep folder for each Unit on your Blackboard course
site. We will preview a sample “Firsts” question in class before the Unit 1 Quiz.

Objective quizzes contain 68 questions each plus embedded extra credit questions and follow roughly the same
format. Each question is worth .25 points. After you review your test results, you must return these tests to
your instructor.
(68 x .25 = 17 points, before extra credit)
4.2 In-class Essay Section: Q1_pt2, Q2_pt2, Q3_pt2
(3 x 7 points = 21 points, before extra credit)
Essay questions are supported by images. They draw on your textbook, PPT slides used in classroom lectures and
discussion, and occasionally, on ARTstor use. Point distribution in these tests varies depending on the material
discussed in each Unit, but you can expect a combination of short ID’s and one, possibly two, longer essay questions
per test. This is the “Green book” section of the quizzes. You will keep these tests.
Unit1: Experience Humanities Ch 1 - 4
Q1_pt1_objective Qs
17.00 pts
(max ec = 2)
Q1_pt2_PPT essay Qs
7.00 pts
(possible ec)
24.00 pts + 2+ ec possible
Unit 3: Experience Humanities Ch 9 –11 partial
Q3_pt1_objective Qs
17.00 pts (max ec = 2)
Q3_pt2_PPT essay Qs
7.00 pts (possible ec)
24.00 pts + 2+ ec possible
Unit2: Experience Humanities Ch 5 - 8
Q2_pt1_objective Qs
17.00 pts (max ec = 2)
Q2_pt2_PPT essay Qs
7.00 pts (possible ec)
24.00 pts + 2+ ec possible
5. Required Final Exam (comprehensive): the exam begins with a group exercise and concludes with a summarizing
individual essay. It is image-based and focusses on painting, sculpture, and architecture. We will discuss the exact
Exam format in class toward the end of the semester. Be reminded that you must take this Exam to pass this class.
(1 x 06 = 6 points or 6% of your final grade)
Summary
1 pt = 1 % of your final grade
Attendance and participation = (8 pts)
08%
Required Discussion Board Forums = (8 pts)
08%
Three (3) objective quiz scores (3 x 17 pts) =
51%
Three (3) essay quizzes (3 x 7 pts) =
21%
Journal 1_Story_LeGuin (3pts) =
03%
Journal 2_required institutional assessment (3 pts) =
03%
Req. Final exam (group exercise +essay; (6 pts) =
06%
100%
DB_F1 = 1 point extra credit =
Total possible points calculated in your Grade book =
Final grading scale
100.00 - 89.5 % = A
89.49 - 79.5%
=B
79.49 - 69.50% = C
69.49 - 59.5 % = D
Below 59.5%
01%
101%
Note 1) Any and all use of electronic devices during testing will invoke academic dishonesty policies.
=F
Larson-Thorisch / Hon Hum 2113_FA 2014_12326 _104
6
Note 2) You may leave the room after a Quiz or Exam has started but you may not return if you do. Leaving is
the equivalent of turning in your work.
Note 3) Make-up Quizzes are not automatic! They will be approved and arranged on a case by case basis as
necessary and may involve capped scores; 83.33% is the standard ceiling. It is usually best to test as close to the
original test date as possible, before any work is returned to or reviewed by students who tested on time. If you are
going to miss or be late for a quiz, communicate with your instructor as soon as possible (= either the day of testing or
before). Use email, voice mail, or both if you are not able to speak with your instructor personally. Delays may result
in “0” scores so take heed!
Note 4) The required final MUST be taken according to the College-wide Final Exam schedule. While you may
test with another section of your course, you may not test alone.
Statement of Understanding. This syllabus constitutes the procedures and rules of the course. By remaining
enrolled in this course, you are tacitly agreeing to accept these procedures and rules. If any of these procedures
and rules are not acceptable to you, it is your responsibility to withdraw from this course in a timely fashion, with
reference to the current academic schedule.
TCC POLICY STATEMENTS:
Course Withdrawal: The deadline to withdraw from a course shall not exceed 3/4 the duration of any class. Contact the
Counseling Office at any TCC campus to initiate withdrawal from a course ('W' grade) or to change from Credit to Audit. Check
the TCC Academic Calendar for deadlines. Students who stop participating in the course and fail to withdraw may receive a
course grade of “F,” which may have financial aid consequences for the student.
COMMUNICATIONS:
Email: All TCC students receive a designated “MyTCC” email address (ex: jane_doe@mail.tulsacc.edu). All communications to
you via Blackboard will be sent to this email address; you may set this account to forward to a preferred email account if you like.
However, to prevent this account from being disabled, please log in to it every two to three weeks.
Inclement Weather: TCC rarely closes. If extreme weather conditions or emergency situations arise, TCC always gives
cancellation notices to radio and television stations and also posts this information @ (www.tulsacc.edu).
GENERAL EDUCATION GOALS: General Education courses at TCC ensure that our graduates gain skills, knowledge, and
abilities that comprise a common foundation for their higher education and a backdrop for their work and personal lives. TCC’s
General Education goals are: Critical Thinking, Effective Communication, Engaged Learning, and Technological Proficiency.
CLASSROOM ETIQUETTE: Open and mutually respectful communication of varied opinions, beliefs, and perspectives during
classroom or online discussion encourages the free exchange of ideas that is essential to higher learning and to the ability to learn
from each other. Use of any electronic device is at the discretion of the instructor; unauthorized use may trigger academic
dishonesty policies.
SYLLABUS CHANGES: Reasonable changes to the course syllabus may be necessary. At the very least, notice of syllabus
changes will be posted to the Blackboard (BB) announcement page.
DISABILITY RESOURCES: it is the policy and practice of Tulsa Community College to create inclusive learning
environments. Accommodations for qualifying students in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act are available. To request accommodations, contact the Education
Access Center (EAC) at eac@tulsacc.edu or call (918) 595-7115 (Voice). Deaf and hard of hearing students may text
(918) 809-1864.
ACADEMIC DISHONESTY: Academic dishonesty (cheating) is defined as the deception of others about one’s own work or
about the work of another. Academic dishonesty or misconduct is not condoned or tolerated at campuses within the Tulsa
Community College system. Tulsa Community College adopts a policy delegating certain forms of authority for disciplinary
Larson-Thorisch / Hon Hum 2113_FA 2014_12326 _104
7
action to the faculty. Such disciplinary actions delegated to the faculty include, but are not limited to, the dismissal of disrespectful
or disorderly students from classes. In the case of academic dishonesty a faculty member may:




Require the student to redo an assignment or test, or require the student to complete a substitute assignment or test;
Record a "zero" for the assignment or test in question;
Recommend to the student that the student withdraw from the class, or administratively withdraw the student from
the class;
Record a grade of "F" for the student at the end of the semester. Faculty may request that disciplinary action be taken
against a student at the administrative level by submitting such a request to the Dean of Student Services.
INSTITUTIONAL STATEMENT: Each student is responsible for being aware of the information contained in the TCC
Catalog, the TCC Student Policies & Resources Handbook, and semester information listed in the class schedule. All information
may be viewed on the TCC website: www.tulsacc.edu