Professor Charles Evans
Office hours (room 308): TF (7-8 AM, 10:45-11:45 AM), W (5:30-7 PM) and by appointment
Office phone: 703.450.2520
Division phone: 703.450.2505
Division fax: 703.404.7368
Phone mailbox at NOVA Online: 703.323.3713#0846
NOVA Online fax: 703.323.3392
E-mail: cevans@nvcc.edu
Home page: novaonline.nvcc.edu/eli/evans/default.htm
OVERVIEW AND OBJECTIVES: This course reviews the history of the world from about 1600 CE to the present and allows students to reach a basic understanding of the historical development of the world's major civilizations and their main characteristics. The course also helps students to develop an understanding of the academic discipline of history and supports the general educational goals of the college. Grading in the course is based on written assignments and on class work that demonstrates critical thinking. It is expected that students possess college-level writing skills. It is recommended that students should have already taken (or be taking) English composition.
BOOKS: The text for the course is Bulliet, et al, The Earth and Its Peoples (Volume 2). There are a number of short paperbacks required: Ningh Tai-T'ai, A Daughter of Han; Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart; Erich Maria Remarque, All Quiet on the Western Front; Mohandas Gandhi, Gandhi on Non-Violence (Any editions are acceptable).
ONLINE ITEMS: The www site for this course is novaonline.nvcc.edu/eli/evans/campus/HIS112/syllabus.html. All of the class materials, assignments and some of the very short readings are linked at that site.
ACCOMMODATION: If there is any student in this class who has the need for some form of classroom accommodation, please feel free to discuss this with me or one of the college's counselors.
PLAGIARISM: Any student caught plagiarizing or cheating in this course will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action.
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE:
Week 1
24 August, Tuesday: Introduction
Assignment for class: Read the Textbook Introduction
27 August, Friday: The Geography of the Modern World; What is History?
Assignment for class: Read the Guizot excerpt on civilization
Week 2
31 August, Tuesday: English, French and Russian Modernization and Revolution (18th century)
Assignment: read the French Declaration of the Rights of Man (Please read the sample documentary and Hammurabi analyses first.); read the Textbook chapters 18, 23, 24. Please note that many of these links are to assignments/readings from various NOVA Online courses. Use the "BACK" button on your browser to return to this syllabus. You may print out whatever information you feel is necessary.
3 September, Friday: Nineteenth-century ideology
Assignment for class: Read the Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels and answer the study questions; read the Textbook chapter 28.
7 September, Tuesday: China and the Western Challenge
Assignment: Read the Textbook chapters 22, 27.
10 September, Friday: Tai-T'ai discussion
Assignment for class: Read Tai-T'ai, Daughter of Han and answer the study questions.
Week 4
14 September, Tuesday: Upheaval in the Middle East
Assignment for class: Review the general comments on papers in this course; submit the Daughter of Han paper; read the Textbook chapters 21, 27. The Han paper is due by the start of class. If you are not in class, you may e-mail me the paper before the start of class.
17 September, Friday: Discussion of first papers
Week 5
21 September, Tuesday: Imperialism in Africa
Assignment for class: read the Textbook chapters 26 and 29.
24 September, Friday: Achebe discussion
Assignment for class: Review the short background information on Things Fall Apart; read Achebe, Things Fall Apart and answer the study questions.
Week 6
28 September, Tuesday: World War I
Assignment for class: Review the general comments on papers in this course; submit the Things Fall Apart paper; read the Textbook chapter 30.
1 October, Friday: Remarque discussion
Assignment for class: Review the short background information on All Quiet on the Western Front, read Remarque, All Quiet on the Western Front and answer the study questions.
Week 7
5 October, Tuesday: video: All Quiet on the Western Front
Assignment for class: Review the general comments on papers in this course; submit the Remarque paper
8 October, Friday: video: All Quiet on the Western Front
Week 8
12 October, Tuesday: NO CLASS
15 October, Friday: Midterm exam
Week 9
19 October, Tuesday: Russia's Socialist Experiment
Assignment for class: Review the reading for the midterm exam
22 October, Friday: China in Revolution
Assignment for class: Read the Textbook chapters 37 and 41; review some excerpts from Mao's Little Red Book
Week 10
26 October, Tuesday: video: The Last Emperor
29 October, Friday: TBA
Week 11
2 November, Tuesday: video: The Last Emperor
Assignment for class: Article abstract due
5 November, Friday: Mussolini, Hitler and the Origins of War (video: Triumph of the Will)
Assignment for class: Read the Textbook chapter 31
Week 12
9 November, Monday: video: Genocide
Assignment for class: Website evaluation paper due
12 November, Friday: India in the modern world
Assignment for class: Read the Textbook chapters 26 and 32.
Week 13
16 November, Tuesday: Gandhi discussion
Assignment for class: Read Gandhi, Gandhi on Non-Violence and answer the study questions.
19 November, Friday: Development
Assignment for class: Read the textbook chapter 33; review the general comments on papers in this course; submit the
Gandhi paper; browse the World Bank website, paying particular attention to the overview of the 1998
Annual Report. The Gandhi paper is due by the start of class. If you are not in class, you may e-mail me the paper before the start of class.
Week 14
23 November, Tuesday: The United Nations
Assignment for class: Read the textbook chapter 35; browse the United Nations website, paying
particular attention to the overview of U.N. Peacekeeping Operations.
26 November, Friday: NO CLASS
Week 15
30 November, Tuesday: Modernity
Assignment for class: Read the textbook chapter 34; browse the Yahoo web page.
3 December, Friday: No Class, Technology Conference
Week 16
7 December, Tuesday: Final Review
Assignment for class: Extra credit presentations
Week 17
Final exam (0830, Friday, 17 December, room 144)
Assignment for class: Course Evaluation
ATTENDANCE: Attendance is expected. It is also expected that students are prepared for class. Absences beyond two (2) will result in a reduced grade for class discussion (five points deducted from class discussion grade for each absence in excess of two). Excessive late arrival will also affect class grade (every three late arrivals will be counted as one class absence).
GRADES
- 200 points book papers (4, one-page papers)
- 50 points article abstract (one-page paper)
- 50 points web site evaluation (one-page paper)
- 200 points midterm exam
- 200 points final exam
- 300 points class discussion (may include surprise quizzes, papers and/or group work)
- Total of 1,000 points (plus possible extra credit)
NOTE THAT PROPER GRAMMAR, SPELLING AND STYLE ARE AN INHERENT, AND NECESSARY, PART OF EACH ASSIGNMENT IN THIS COURSE.
NOTE THAT ANY ASSIGNMENT NOT HANDED IN ON TIME WILL BE REDUCED BY FIVE POINTS PER CALENDAR DAY.