Western Civilization
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| Professor T. Mills Kelly Robinson Hall B377a 703-993-2152 tkelly7@gmu.edu http://chnm.gmu.edu/history/faculty/kelly/ |
Office Hours M 1-3 or by appointment |
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My sections: http://chnm.gmu.edu/history/faculty/kelly/wciv/sp06syl.htm Departmental course website: http://chnm.gmu.edu/courses/westernciv/ Professor Thompson's syllabus: http://mason.gmu.edu/~kthomps4/201-MT2-s06/
In this course we will investigate the events and issues in Western civilization from the advent of that civilization before the Common Era (C.E.) to the Second World War. Because that leaves us with more than two thousand years of history to investigate in only 14 weeks, our approach will be highly selective.
Unlike other history courses you may have taken, this course does not survey these events in a strict linear progression. We will not be memorizing lots of names and dates. Instead, we will take a thematic approach that focuses on a number of the most important developments during the two plus millennia we will cover. Our main organizing theme throughout the semester will be the ways that something that came to be known as science (previously philosophy, magic, etc.) developed and had an impact on society as a whole.
Right from the start of the semester we will also concentrate our attention on how historians think, analyze and write about the pastÑin other words, on what historians do and how they do it. After that, we will devote two or more weeks to five different topics. Each of these segments includes a mixture of readings, discussion, and analysis of primary sources and what historians have written about those sources. As you will see, we will attack those topics in an interesting and, I hope, enjoyable way.
By the end of the semester you will know a lot more than you do now about the history of the West and you will be able to apply that knowledge to not only the events of modern European history, but also to many other areas of scholarly investigation. I am sorry to say that you will not have an encyclopedic knowledge of the names, dates, battles, treaties, kings, queens, artists, and philosophers in modern European history. If memorization of these pieces of information is what you crave, you'll be better off in another section of this course.
Important note on Linked Course: This course is linked with your English 201 class. Several of the assignments you complete for this course will also be handed in to Professor Thompson in English 201. Each of us grades these assignments according to our own expectations and requirements; so don't be surprised if you receive different grades for the same assignment from two different professors.
Weekly Pattern of Activity
Each two-week segment will follow the same general pattern. You will have assigned readings, both from secondary and primary sources, and you are expected to do these readings before class. In addition to doing the readings before class, you will also be expected to post a response to the questions for the week in our class weblog (blog)Ñmore on this below. Our class sessions will be devoted to discussions of the questions posted in the blog and other issues that arise along the way. This means that if you have not done the necessary preparation before class (reading, blog posting), you won't have much (if anything) to contribute to class. If you can't contribute, your class participation grade will suffer and since it is a large part of your final grade for the semester, the consequences of not coming to class prepared are significant.
In addition to the in-class collaborative work that we do, the class blog will become an important venue for our collaborative learning. If you already have your own blog, let me know and I will link you up to the class blog. If you don't know what a weblog is, have no fear. We will be spending our second class session (January 30) in a computer lab (room to be determined) and so you will have time to learn about weblogs and how to use them. It takes about 30 minutes to figure out what to do and then, like riding a bicycle, you need no more instruction.
Assignments
This class has a number of assignments, some of which will be familiar, some of which will not. Every student must complete all assigned work in the class. Failure to complete all assigned work will result in a failing grade for the course, not just the assignment. No kidding.
Your main work product this semester will be a history scrapbook.
What does this mean? The scrapbook you will create will be the place where you collect all of your work this semester. I have a separate handout on the scrapbook itself (attached to this syllabus). Yours must be turned in three times during the semesterÑMarch 1, April 5, and May 1. I will give you interim grades on your work up to that point following the first two submissions and a final grade after the last submission.
Included in the scrapbook will be such things as primary sources you have located and written about, essays on the four books we are reading, a personal history, your blog entries, a longer research essay drawn from a packet of sources you will be using on the Jack the Ripper case in nineteenth century London, and anything else you think it should contain. See the handout for more details.
Why am I assigning a scrapbook? Over the years the number one complaint I get from students is that they do not receive enough of a holistic assessment of their work in a course. The scrapbook you create will be the vehicle for just such an assessment. It will also give you the opportunity to see the course as a whole, rather than as a series of disconnected assignmentsÑas too many courses often seem to be.
Scrapbooks will be evaluated according to a series of criteria detailed in the separate handout. Special Features of the Course
In addition to the scrapbook, as part of the course link with English 201 you will be expected to attend five Cinema and Supper film screenings, a trip to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in late April (tentatively April 22 before lunch), and one performance at the Center for the Arts drawn from the list provided below. A limited number of tickets for each of these performances are available free to full time students (part time students receive a discount), but you must plan ahead if you want to get one of the free tickets. The free tickets become available two weeks in advance, so you should mark your calendar two weeks before the one you plan to attend and then get the tickets. GMU students may pick up two tickets, so this is a great opportunity to take a friend. Be sure to save your ticket stub as proof that you attended. Assigned Course Materials
For this course you need to purchase:
Natalie Zemon Davis, The Return of Martin Guerre David Sobel, Galileo's Daughter Robert Louis Stevenson, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Michael Kater, Doctors Under Hitler
Optional (don't buy them until after the first class):
Any of the Western Civilization textbooks available in the University Bookstore Western Civilization video lectures
Grading
As mentioned already above, in addition to being a full participant in the class, you must complete all of the course assignments. Note: Anyone who fails to complete all of the assignments for this course will receive a failing grade for the course!
Grades for this course will be calculated as follows:
Extra Credit Opportunities: There will be at least two extra credit opportunities this semester that I will detail in class. Late work will be accepted. However, for each day the scrapbook is late, one-half of a letter grade will be deducted from your final grade for that portion of the total grade in the course. In other words, a scrapbook that would have received an A-, but was two days late, would receive a B- instead. No matter how late your work is, it must be handed in, even if it has already reached the ÒFÓ level. Similarly, you must write a weekly entry into the class weblog on time. Class Participation
In this course you will have many opportunities to participate in class discussions, either via the traditional method of speaking up in class or via the online activities. The more you have to say (and the more cogent your comments and questions), the better your grade for class participation will be. Also, I can all but guarantee that if you participate in discussions, you will find that you learn much more than you would have otherwise. No matter what, you must participate one way or the other if you expect a satisfying grade for this portion of the course.
Course Policies (please read them all)
Attendance: Because this course covers several thousand years in just one semester, attendance is absolutely necessary if you want to keep up and grasp the essential points that I am making. The University mandates that attendance cannot be required, but because a significant portion of your grade is predicated on your participation in the discussions that take place in class (or online) if you are not in class you cannot participate effectively. As a result, if you fail to attend class, your participation grade will certainly suffer.
ADA: Any student who requires special arrangements in order to meet course requirements should contact me to make necessary accommodations (before February 7 please). Students should present appropriate verification from the Disability Resource Center.
Medical and Other Excuses: Every semester someone is forced to miss either an examination or the due date for an assignment either as the result of an illness or a family emergency. If you find yourself in this situation, fairness to all students in the class requires the proper documentation, without which your excuses will not be accepted. If you need to know more about this process consult me as soon as the emergency is taken care of.
Plagiarism and Cheating: In my courses all students are responsible for adhering to a certain standard of behavior when it comes to honesty and plagiarism. I expect each individual to adhere to these standards so that every member of the class knows that his or her work is being held to an equal standard. If one student cheats, all students in the class suffer. Even worse, however, is the fact that the student who cheats is hurting him or herself. When you are cheating, you are not learning and the reason you are here is to learn.
In addition to my own high expectations when it comes to academic honesty, the University also expects students to demonstrate a high code of personal honor when it comes to academic work. Please read the George Mason University Honor Code. If you have any questions about what is expected of you in this regard. Penalties for academic dishonesty are severe, including, but not limited to failing the assignment, failing the course, many hours of community service, suspension or even expulsion from the University. If I have reason to believe you have cheated or plagiarized another person's work, I will discuss this matter with you. If I am not satisfied that no cheating or plagiarism has occurred, your case will be referred to the Honor Committee. If you have any questions about these policies, please come talk to me in my office.
Also, it is worth passing along to you the fact that I use two different software packages to scan the Internet for papers purchased online or for text copied from websites. Three of the past four semesters this software has resulted in one or more of my students facing an honor hearing, all of whom were convicted and punished by the University. Cheating and plagiarism are not a game and the academic and personal consequences that stem from such actions can be very severe here at George Mason, and will follow you (on your transcript) for the rest of your professional life.
Food, Drink, Tobacco: In my classes drink is permitted, but food and tobacco products of all kinds are prohibited. If you must chew, whether food or tobacco, do it before you arrive or after you leave.
Course Schedule
January 23 Ð Class Introduction
January 30 Ð Investigations
[February 2, film: The Sign of Four]
February 6 Ð Science in the Ancient World Go to the class syllabus and read what you find on the ÒAncient WorldÓ page. All sources for this week and next are posted there for you. Watch Professor Lytton's video lecture.
February 13 Ð Science in the Ancient and Pre-Modern World Go to the class syllabus and read what you find on the ÒAncient WorldÓ page. All sources for this week and next are posted there for you.
[February 16 Ð Film: The Return of Martin Guerre]
February 20 Ð Religion and Magic in Pre-Modern Europe Go to the class syllabus and read what you find on the ÒReligion and MagicÓ page. All sources for this week and next are posted there for you. Read Return of Martin Guerre as well. Watch Professor Miller's lecture.
February 27 Ð Religion and Magic in Pre-Modern Europe
Readings: Finish Return of Martin Guerre and Robert Finlay, ÒThe Refashioning of Martin Guerre,Ó American Historical Review 93/3 (June 1988): 553-571 (available via JSTOR on the GMU Library websiteÑsee ÒdatabasesÓ)
** March 1 Ð Turn in Scrapbook **
[March 2 Ð Film: Forbidden Planet]
March 6 Ð The Scientific Revolution Go to the class syllabus and read what you find on the ÒScientific RevolutionÓ page. All sources for this week and next are posted there for you. Also, read Galileo's Daughter. Watch Professor Holt's lecture.
March 13 Ð No class. Spring Break!
March 20 Ð The Scientific Revolution
Go to the class syllabus and read what you find on the ÒScientific RevolutionÓ page. All sources for this week and next are posted there for you. Also, finish reading Galileo's Daughter.
[March 23 Ð Film: Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde]
March 27 Ð Modern Europe Emerges
Go to the class syllabus and read what you find on the ÒIndustrial SocietyÓ page. All sources for this week and next are posted there for you. Also, read Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde plus assigned sources from the Casebook. Watch Professor Stearns' lecture.
April 3 Ð Industrial Society and its Discontents
Go to the class syllabus and read what you find on the ÒIndustrial SocietyÓ page. All sources for this week and next are posted there for you. Also, read assigned sources from the Casebook.
** April 5 Ð Turn in Scrapbook **
[April 6 Ð Film: Murder by Decree]
April 10 Ð Industrial Society and its Discontents Discussion of Final PaperÑdon't miss this class!
Go to the class syllabus and read what you find on the ÒIndustrial SocietyÓ page. All sources for this week and next are posted there for you. Also, read assigned sources from the Casebook.
April 17 Ð Racial Science
Go to the class syllabus and read what you find on the ÒEugenicsÓ page. All sources for this week and next are posted there for you. Also, read Kater, Doctors Under Hitler. Watch Professor Deshmukh's lecture.
** Draft of Final Paper due **
**April 22 Ð Holocaust Museum Trip **
April 24 Ð Racial Science
Go to the class syllabus and read what you find on the ÒEugenicsÓ page. All sources for this week and next are posted there for you. Also, finish reading Kater, Doctors Under Hitler.
May 1 Ð Last Class!
** Turn in Scrapbook **
On Campus Cultural Events For History 100 Students
January 29 at 7:00 pmKeyboard Conversations with Jeffrey Siegel
February 17 at 8:00 pm and February 19 at 2:00 pm Virginia Opera Ð The Marriage of Figaro
March 10 at 8:00 pm Russian National Orchestra
March 25 at 8:00 pm and March 26 at 2:00 pm Russian National Ballet Ð Swan Lake
April 7 at 8:00 pmVirginia Opera Ð Norma
April 15 at 2:00 pmUte Lemper
April 22 at 8:00 pmFairfax Symphony Orchestra
April 23 at 7:00 pm Keyboard Conversations with Jeffrey Siegel
Plus various performances by GMU ensembles Ð see schedule for details
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| Last updated January 20, 2006 | |||||||||||