Professor Charles Evans
Office: LC 228
If you have questions about your course/assignments/materials, or if you want to talk history, or if it is time for student advising, my office hours for spring 2022 are: Mondays and Wednesdays in my office (LC 228 or the LC lounge) from about 12:30 to 2:00 PM and Thursdays from about 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM in the same location.
Office Phone: 703.948.7701
Email: cevans@nvcc.edu also charles.t.evans@gmail.com
Division phone: 703.450.2505
Division fax: 703.404.7368
Review my academic credentials on my professional CV.
Most of my web-based history projects are linked on my history projects page.
My online and campus courses and some teaching resources are located on my college page.
Required Books
There are no required books for this course.
Tentative Schedule
Week 1
20 January, Thursday, Introduction and attendance
after class: Complete the Wikipedia paper (100 points) by Friday, 21 January, at midnight.
Week 2
before class: Read my notes on pre-history. Watch my short video. It is suggested that you read Wikipedia and Britannica Academic on the Paleolithic period. Here are directions for how to access Britannica Academic.
27 January, Thursday, in class: group presentation on prehistory; complete the pre-history group paragraph, 50 points, and submit in class.
Week 3
before class: Read my notes on the Ancient Near East. Watch my short video. It is suggested that you read Wikipedia and Britannica Academic on the history of Mesopotamia.
3 February, Thursday, in class: group presentation on the Ancient Near East (Hammurabi and Ancient Babylon); complete the Hammurabi group paragraph (see Canvas for information), 50 points, and submit in class.
Week 4
before class: Read my notes on Ancient Greece. It is suggested that you read Wikipedia and Britannica Academic on Pericles. Watch the Khan Academy video.
10 February, Thursday, in class: group presentation on Ancient Greece (Pericles); complete the Pericles group paragraph, 50 points, and submit in class.
Week 5
before class: Read my notes on Ancient Rome. It is suggested that you read Wikipedia and Britannica Academic on Rome. Watch my video on Ancient Rome.
17 February, Thursday, in class: group presentation on Ancient Rome and Christianity; complete the Sermon group paragraph, 50 points, and submit in class.
Week 6
before class: Read my notes on Early Islam. It is suggested that you read Wikipedia and Britannica Academic on Islam. Watch the very short video. I also have an older video available that I did in about 1995.
24 February, Thursday, in class: group presentation on Islam; complete the Hadith group paragraph, 50 points, and submit in class.
Week 7
3 March, Thursday, midterm quiz, 50 points
If you wish, complete special extra credit #1 (not required) by Friday, 4 March, at midnight. See Canvas for more information.
Week 8
10 March, Thursday, NO CLASS
Week 9
before class: Read my notes on Charlemagne. It is suggested that you read Wikipedia and Britannica Academic on Charlemagne. Watch the short video. (I also have some longer remarks on Charlemagne from the mid 1990s that I used on the TV version of the HIS 101 course).
17 March, Thursday, in class: group presentation on Charlemagne and the Vikings; complete the feudalism group paragraph, 50, and submit in class.
Week 10
before class: Read my remarks on the origins of Rus' and watch my short video. It is suggested that you read Wikipedia and Britannica Academic on Vladimir the Great.
24 March, Thursday, in class: group presentation on early Rus'; complete the Primary Chronicle group paragraph, 50, and submit in class.
If you wish, complete special extra credit #2 (not required) by Friday, 25 March, at midnight. See Canvas for more information.
Week 11
before class: Read my notes on the Late Middle Ages. It is suggested that you read Wikipedia and Britannica Academic on the Late Middle Ages and the Magna Carta. Watch the short video on King John and the Magna Carta.
31 March, Thursday, in class: group presentation on the Magna Carta; complete the Magna Carta group paragraph, 50 points, and submit in class.
Week 12
before class: Read my notes on the Protestant Reformation. It is suggested that you read Wikipedia and Britannica Academic on the Reformation. Watch my short video.
7 April, Thursday, in class: group presentation on the Protestant Reformation; complete the Luther group paragraph assignment (See Canvas for information), 50 points, and submit in class.
Week 13
before class: Read my notes on the Renaissance. It is suggested that you read Wikipedia and Britannica Academic on the Renaissance. Watch the short video.
14 April, Thursday, in class: group presentation on the Renaissance; complete the Medici group paragraph, 50 points, and submit in class.
Week 14
before class: Read my notes on the Age of Exploration. It is suggested that you read Wikipedia and Britannica Academic on the Age of Discovery. Watch my video on exploring the jungles of Reston.
21 April, Thursday, in class: group presentation on the Age of Exploration; complete the Columbus group paragraph (See Canvas for information), 50 points, and submit in class.
Week 15
Complete the digital project, 150 points, and submit by Tuesday, 26 April at midnight.
28 April, Thursday, in class: digital project presentations
Week 16
before the quiz: Complete the Reflective paragraph by Wednesday, 4 May, at midnight. (25 points)
5 May, 8 AM, Thursday, final quiz, 50 points
Course grading
Course grades are based on the following point scale:
- 1,000-900: A
- 899-800: B
- 799-700: C
- 699-600: D
- 599-000: F
Required Assignments
Wikipedia paper = 100 points
Digital project = 150 points
Midterm and Final Quizzes, 2 @ 50 points = 100 points
Group presentation = 100 points
Group paragraph assignments, 10 @ 50 = 550 points (There are actually 11 group paragraph assignments in the course, which means built-in extra credit if you complete them all.)
Reflective paragraph = 25 points
There is some extra credit available generally every Friday in the course. You can find more details in Canvas.
There are two special, extra-credit, optional assignments in the course, each worth 50 points.
Course Grading Requirements
IMPORTANT: To earn a grade of A, B, C or D, you
- must complete all course assignments
- earn the required number of points for an A, B, C, or D in the course.
Extra Credit Opportunities
- There are extra credit options available in the course. I do not accept late extra credit.
- You can also earn some extra credit at any time by (a) finding a typo, spelling error or broken link (if possible find a replacement link). Please email that information (and the URL of the relevant course page) directly to me.
Assignment Drafts and Rewrites/Resubmits
- You are encouraged to email a draft of an assignment to your instructor for informal feedback before you submit your assignment for grading. This does not apply to extra credit work.
- You may choose to resubmit an assignment after taking note of instructor feedback.
Submitting Assignments
- Most assignments will be submitted in class as part of group work.
- if you submit assignments by yourself or out-of-class or late, please remember that I will not accept more than one item submitted per calendar day.
Late Work
- There are specific assignment deadlines in this course, and these are listed on the course schedule. You may submit any of the course required assignments late, but the maximum point value will then be reduced by one-half.
- Group paragraphs not completed in class as part of a group are considered late.
- I do not accept late extra credit.
- You may not take a required quiz late except in extraordinary circumstances.
General course purpose
Surveys the general history of the Western world from about 3000 BCE to 1600 CE and allows students to reach a basic understanding of the characteristic features of the Western world's early historical development in that span of time. Students will learn about some of the important political, economic, social, intellectual, cultural and religious changes that shaped the development of the West from earliest times.
Course objectives
Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to:
- Establish a chronology of historical events in the Western world before 1600 CE.
- Explain the changing geopolitical structures of the Western world up until 1600 CE.
- Define the importance of key individuals and developments in Western civilization before 1600 CE.
- Identify the social, economic and political forces at work in the evolution of early and medieval Western history.
- Recognize and describe the significance of some of the cultural achievements of ancient and medieval Western civilization.
- Analyze complex historical sources and materials and reach conclusions based on interpretations of those materials.
Course prerequisites
Although there are no formal prerequisites for this course, please consider:
- It is expected that students possess college-level reading, writing and technology skills.
- I would recommend that you allot at least three hours a week of study time for this course.
Technology
NOVA is committed to preparing students for today’s workforce and recognizes computers to be an extension of the learning tools needed to be globally competitive. To attend NOVA, students are expected to have a laptop (or a desktop with webcam and microphone) that meets the minimum requirements for their major and Internet access at home or through a mobile device hot spot.
Here is information on using financial aid for the college's laptop purchase information.
Using Zoom
Here are some instructions for using zoom: Zoom Instructions for Students.