3 Lecture Hours/week
3 credits
Zero-Textbook Cost
Instructor Name: Samuel Finesurrey
E-mail: [email protected] 

 

Course Description

A History of the World Part I – Antiquity to 1500

This is a survey of the history of human civilization from the end of the Stone Age to 1500 CE. The course examines human evolution from the earliest agrarian societies to the distinctive features of ancient and medieval cultures and governments. Particular attention is paid to the traditions, achievements, and ways of life in several regional and global military, political, and cultural centers. Moments of contact between cultures will be lifted up as civilizations exchanged materials, goods, illnesses, religions, and most significantly ideas. The course ends roughly around 1500, on the eve of tremendous changes and the emergence of a truly unprecedented global network of trade and communication. 

Prerequisites/corequisites:

N/A

Learning Outcomes

Appraise major historical events and trace connections between watershed moments overtime and across the globe that shaped the present.

Evaluate varied historical perspectives and significant moments. They will be able to analyze why different peoples think, govern themselves, fight, and interact with each other the ways they do.

Explain patterns and divergences between varied societies and the movements, advancements, conflicts, and struggles that shaped historical and modern experiences.

Analyze and critique different types of historical sources including written texts, art, artifacts, and architecture

Utilize their critical thinking, writing, and rhetorical skills to construct evidence-based arguments about history.

Suggested Course Textbooks:

Kordas, A., Lynch, R. J., Nelson, B., & Tatlock, J. (2023). World History Volume 1, to 1500. OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/world-history-volume-1/pages/1-introduction

Kordas, A., Lynch, R. J., Nelson, B., & Tatlock, J. (2023). World History Volume 2, from 1400. OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/world-history-volume-2/pages/1-introduction

Grading:

Course Assignments and Grading

A+	4.0	97-100%
A	4.0	93-96.9%
A-	3.7	90-92.9%
B+	3.3	87-89.9%
B	3.0	83-86.9%
B-	2.7	80-82.9%
C+	2.3	77-79.9%
C	2.0	73-76.9%
C-	1.7	70-72.9%
D+	1.3	67-69.9%
D (passing)	1.0	60-66.9%
F	0	0-59.9%
NC*	Not calculated	0-59.9%

Participation, Attendance & Punctuality	15%
Weekly Assignments	25%
Debate Assignment	10%
Oral History Project	30%
Final Exam	20%

Assignments

Oral History Project (30%):

Oral History (10%): You will interview a peer or elder about how they learned about a series of historic events discussed in the class.

Transcript (5%): You must edit your oral history transcript to prepare it for consumption by your classmates.

Final Project (15%): You will have access to each other’s’ testimonies to write about how a historic event is taught and make an argument about what that says about who we celebrate in history and why. You will present your findings to the class in a five minute presentation.

Your final paper/presentation must have…  

1. A research question you are answering. Make sure it’s a question the interviewees can answer.
2. A clear thesis that answers the research question you are posing. The thesis should identify a pattern in the experiences documented through this oral history project.
3. At least three body paragraphs with each having a clear topic sentence followed by at least three quotes from the oral histories collected by you and your peers that will be used as evidence.  

Rubric for Signiture Assignment:

Oral History (100 Points)

Criteria	Exemplary (90-100 pts)	Proficient (75-89 pts)	Developing (60-74 pts)	Needs Improvement (0-59 pts)
Preparation	Thoughtful, relevant questions prepared.	Relevant questions with minor gaps.	Basic or incomplete questions.	No preparation or off-topic questions.
Interview Execution	Showed active listening and asked important and timely follow-up questions	Showed some active listening and at times asked timely follow-up questions	Limited or shallow listening displayed.	Poorly conducted or incomplete interview.
Ethics	Clear consent obtained, respectful process.	Minor lapses in ethical considerations.	Inconsistent attention to ethics.	No consent or unethical process.

Transcript (50 Points)

Criteria	Exemplary (45-50 pts)	Proficient (35-44 pts)	Developing (25-34 pts)	Needs Improvement (0-24 pts)
Accuracy	Complete and highly accurate perfectly following the instructions laid out in the assignment.	Mostly accurate with minor errors or a failure to fully follow the instructions laid out in the assignment.	Noticeable errors or omissions.	Inaccurate or incomplete.
Clarity	Well-organized, easy to read.	Clear but with minor formatting issues.	Lacks clarity or formatting.	Disorganized and unclear.
Relevance	Focused on key historical details.	Some irrelevant details included.	Key points missing or unclear.	Off-topic or irrelevant.

Final Project (150 Points)

Criteria	Exemplary (135-150 pts)	Proficient (110-134 pts)	Developing (90-109 pts)	Needs Improvement (0-89 pts)
Research Question	Clear, insightful, and answerable.	Clear but lacks depth or focus.	Vague or overly broad.	Missing or irrelevant.
Thesis Statement	Strong, clear, that lays out the big points of the essay and identifies a pattern that connects the points.	Laid out some of the key points and etched a somewhat clear conception of a pattern.	Vague or loosely connected to research.	Missing or unrelated.
Evidence & Analysis	Three body paragraphs/key points with strong topic sentences/statements, integrated quotes, and thoughtful analysis.	Some gaps in quotes or analysis but mostly effective.	Missing quotes or weak analysis.	Lacks structure, quotes, or analysis.
Organization & Clarity	Well-organized with logical flow and clear language.	Minor lapses in organization or clarity.	Disorganized or unclear in places.	Poorly organized or difficult to follow.
Presentation	Engaging, clear, and concise.	Clear but less engaging or overlong.	Lacks clarity or focus.	Incomplete or unclear.

 

Weekly Assignments (25%):

Nearly every week there will be a set of graded assignments due on Sunday nights. You will submit your notes and answer a set of questions based on the assigned materials. 

Participation, Attendance & Punctuality (15%):

You are expected to participate in in-class assignments working with primary sources and class discussions showing active listening and critical thinking.

Debate Assignment (10%):

Students will read arguments made by historians and contemporary actors about various topics over the course of the semester including what defines a “civilization”, the nature of empire, and positions on various historical conflicts and movements. This assignment will culminate in every student participating in 1 of 4 debates. 

Final Exam (20%):

You will have an open note final exam covering material from the entire course.

Weekly Schedule

Week	Topic	What’s Due	Readings
Week #1	Class 1: Intro to A History of the World Part One   Class 2: When does human history begin?	In-class assignment working with primary sources
Week #2	Class 3: The Agricultural Revolution    Class 4: Ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Nubians	Notes and short quiz on readings/video.   In-class assignment working with primary sources	Chapter 3: Early Civilizations and Urban Societies, 4.2: Egypt’s New Kingdom   Crash Course: Ancient Civilizations
Week #3	Class 5: Introduction to Oral History Project & Debate Prep    Class 6: Eastern Civilizations Ancient China Japan & the Southeast	Notes and short quiz on readings/video.   In-class assignment working with primary sources	Chapter 5.1: Ancient China, 5.3 Korea, Japan, and Southeast Asia
Week #4	Class 7: Ancient Asia: The Steppes and Ancient India    Class 8: The Persian World	Notes and short quiz on readings/video.   In-class assignment working with primary sources	Chapter 5.2: The Steppes, 5.4 Vedic India and the Fall of the Maurya Empire
Week  #5	Class 9: The Hellenic and Roman Empires    Class 10: Debate One – Which ancient empires or civilizations influenced in our modern lives?	Notes and short quiz on readings/video.   Debaters for debate one must be prepared with key points and arguments.	Chapter 7.2 Slavery in the Roman Empire, 7.3 The Roman Economy: Trade, Taxes, and Conquest, 7.4 Religion in the Roman Empire, 7.5 The Regions of Rome   Crash Course: The Roman Empire
Week #6	Class 11: Populating the Americas    Class 12: The Great Empires of the Americas	Notes and short quiz on readings/video.   In-class assignment working with primary sources	Chapter 8: The Americas in Ancient Times
Week #7	Class 13: Debate Two – How should we mark first contact between Columbus and native cultures of the Americas?    Class 14: Ancient Africa	Notes and short quiz on readings/video.   Debaters for debate one must be prepared with key points and arguments. In-class assignment working with primary sources	Chapter 9: Africa in Ancient Times   Chapter 15 States and Societies in Sub-Saharan Africa
Week #8	Class 15: The Rise of Islam    Class 16: Finalizing Oral History Project	Notes and short quiz on readings/video.   Debaters for debate two must be prepared with key points and arguments.	Chapter 11 The Rise of Islam    Crash Course: Islam and the Quran
Week #9	Class 17: After Rome Fell    Class 18: Editing a Transcript	Notes and short quiz on readings/video.   Oral History Due   In-class assignment working with primary sources	Chapter 13.1, 13.2, 13.3 & 13.4   Crash Course: Fall of Rome
Week #10	Class 19: Debate Three – How does identity work between groups in the ancient world?    Class 20: Connecting East and West – Indian Ocean Trade and Silk Road	Notes and short quiz on readings/video.   Debaters for debate three must be prepared with key points and arguments.   In-class assignment working with primary sources	Chapter 12, 14.1
Week #11	Class 21: Introduction to Final Project    Class 22: The Mongols	Notes and short quiz on readings/video.   Oral History Transcript Due   In-class assignment working with primary sources	Chapter 14.2 – 14.4, 16 & 17.1   Crash Course: The Mongols
Week #12	Class 23: A Global World is Born & Final Exam Review    Class 24: Debate Four – Is a globalized world a good thing?	Oral History Final Project is Due   Debaters for debate four must be prepared with key points and arguments.   In-class assignment working with primary sources
	Last day of Class
	Final Exams