History 231-17 (Tues/Thurs, 8:15-9:30); Room 1303N

The Origins of the Contemporary World,

Prehistory to ca. 1550

Spring 2006: Daniel Newsome teaching

Office: 4324N 

Newsome231.17@kleos-clarus.org not functional as of 1/07

 

admin@kleos-clarus.org - Email Daniel Newsome

 

Syllabus

 

Extra Credit Land.

Here is a collection of the available suggested Extra Credit assignments. 

These will be accepted throughout the month of March.

These Extra Credits have been extended through 4/25.  IÕll add more periodically.

 

 

Topic

Date

Day

Assignment*

 Click on links for details

1) Introduction

1/26/06:

Thurs.

Introduction to the class.

2) Doing History

1/31/06:

Tues.

Checklist for things to get and

 your assignment to be done for today, 1/31/06.

3) Making History

2/2/06:

Thurs.

Read Diamond pp. 9-32.

2/2 Assignment

4) Early Environmental

2/7/06:

Tues.

Read Diamond found at the link below.

Homework for 2/7

5) Early Civs. up to 3500 B.C.

2/9/06:

Thurs.

Read Bulliet ch. 1, 1st half;

Homework for 2/9

6) River-Valley Civilizations

2/14/06:

Tues.

Read Bulliet, ch. 1, 2nd half

Homework for 2/14 and 2/16

7) Early Civ.

2/16/06:

Thurs

Diamond and Bulliet readingsÉ

Homework for 2/14 and 2/16

 

2/21/06:

Tues-Mon

No class: Monday schedule

8)          EXAM

2/23/06:

Thurs.

Test

Assignment for 2/23

9) New Civilizations

2/28/06:

Tues.

Read Bulliet Chapter 2

2/28-3/2 Homework

10) Marduk

3/2/06:

Thurs.

2/28-3/2 Homework

11) Mediterranean

3/7/06:

Tues.

 

Assignment for 3/7 and 3/9

12) Herodotus

3/9/06:

Thurs.

Assignment for 3/7 and 3/9

13) Homer

3/14/06:

Tues.

Read Bulliet ch.

Homer reading

Assignment for 3/14 and 3/16

14) Classical Greeks

3/16/06:

Thurs.

Assignment for 3/14 and 3/16

15) The Cosmos

3/21/06:

Tues.

Assignment for 3/21-3/23

16) Plato

3/23/06:

Thurs.

Assignment for 3/21-3/23

17) Women in Rome

3/28/06:

Tues.

Assignment for 3/28-3/30

18) Early Christianity

3/30/06:

Thurs.

Assignment for 3/28-3/30

19) Gnostic Alternatives

4/4/06:

Tues.

Assignment for 4/4-4/6

20) Gospel of Thomas

4/6/06:

Thurs.

Assignment for 4/4-4/6

 

21)         Test

4/11/06:

Tues.

Review Materials for the Test

IÕll put some more things on this page over the weekend.

Fun

4/13/06:

Thurs.

No class. 

Funner

4/18/06:

Tues.

No class

Think about school again.

4/20/06:

Thurs.

No class

22) Islam

4/25/06:

Tues.

Islam: Part I. Bulliet: pp. 229-243

Assignment for 4/25-4/27

23) Islam

4/27/06:

Thurs.

Islam: Part II. Bulliet: pp. 243-252

Assignment for 4/25-4/27

24) East Meets West:

Ouch!

5/2/06:

Tues.

The Crusades: -Christianity vs. Islam- vs. Judaism: ÉorÉ was it all about money and power?

25) Special Readings

5/4/06:

Thurs.

TufailÕs Yaqzan

Lindberg pp. 252-260; Medieval Maps; Cardano excerpts.

26) The Maritime Revolution: up to 1550

5/9/06:

Tues.

Read Bulliet ch. 16

Assignment for 5/9: http://www.kleos-clarus.org/231.5.9.06

27)

5/11/06:

Thurs.

Assignment for 5/11: http://www.kleos-clarus.org/231.5.11.06

28) T.B.A.

5/16/06:

Tues.

Assignment for 5/16: http://www.kleos-clarus.org/231.5.16.06

 

5/18/06:

Thurs.

(Reading Day: Optional review)

http://www.kleos-clarus.org/231.5.18.06

 

5/23/06:

Tues.

8-10:00

Final Exam for History 231-17

From 8:00 am to 10:00 am

 

5/25/06:

 

 

*All assignments are to be completed for the class meeting.

Disclaimer: This is not a static document.  It will be updated each week, so check it regularly.

Texts are listed below.

 

Texts:

       1) The Earth and Its Peoples: A Global History to 1550 (Vol. 1: To 1550), 3rd ed., 2004 or later, by Richard W. Bulliet, et al. [ISBN: 0618427651], (chapters 1-16 of the full text)  Do not get the ÒBrief Edition.Ó

       2) Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies, by Jared Diamond.  Any edition.

 

Here are the Postings IÕve put up in the pastÉ.

 

2/28; Attention: Read these Essay Guidelines for the week of 2/28.

Writing_a_paper_for231_232.doc

 

2/8/06: Attention Students: I have written up the general day to day policies for this class concerning homework and attendance and the like.  Please read this document. 

Solidification_of_Policy.htm

These policies will start next week.

 

 

If you are having problems opening the pdfs in the following pages, it may be a problem with AOL.  Try another browser like Internet Explorer.  If you insist on using AOL, perhaps read this link which may address your problem: http://www.ukings.ca/kings_3442.html

Here is another place with ideas: https://hw.utexas.edu/bur/acrobatProblem.html

 

If you donÕt have a copy of Acrobat Reader with which to view the pdf files, you can download a free copy from www.adobe.com.

 

I have scheduled three exams in total.

The three exams will make up 20% of your final grade.

 

Homework assignments will be collected periodically, so always bring it in.  Overall they will be worth 30% of your final grade.

 

All written assignments must be legible and conform to college-level standards of scholarship. 

The point of writing is to communicate.  Keep this in mind.  Make it interesting and accurate, not just accurate. 

The point of citations is to give credit for the ideas and research of another person and also to help the reader find more information on the topic.  Keep this in mind.  If you do not know how to format a citation, at least give me the information that will get me the to source.  If I cannot find the source cited, the citation has failed. 

 

Attendance-quiz

Attendance will be taken at the beginning of every class in the form of a short Òquiz.Ó  These attendance-quizzes will be based on the readings or other class assignments due for the particular day.  The questions will be easy. These attendance-quizzes are worth 50% of the grade.  Simply showing up to all classes and passing the quizzes will get you to 50% on your overall grade. (Skipping 5 classes will lower your overall grade by almost 10%.)  If you think you are prone to sleeping through class, you might want to drop it. If you miss more than 5 classes I reserve the right to remove you from the roster, nullifying your enrollment in the class.

If you anticipate missing a class, for any reason (I do not want or need to know why), let me know by the day before class and it will earn you the attendance part of the attendance-quiz.  An officially approved absence (doctorÕs excuse or similar document) will allow you to get the quiz points and potentially earn all of the possible points for the day missed. 

 

Cheating in all forms will be considered a total breach of trust and will not be accepted.  John Jay policy can be found at the college web site if you are interested, but use your heads. If you have any doubts about the ethics of something, do not try to put one over on me.  Talk to me about it.  YouÕll be surprised at my interest in the situation.   Honesty beats everything.  (School should be challenging and difficult.  If it isnÕt, something is wrong.) 

 

Treat me with respect, and I will do likewise.  Let me know ahead of time about any issues that may affect your attendance or any possible disruptions to class. Cell phone disturbances and wandering in and out of the room during class will be noted and considered an absence.  I reserve the right to evaluate your behavior in class.  If I determine your presence to be a detriment to the overall class I will ask you to leave.