HS 186: The Ancient World
M/W/F 12:00 Fall 2008
Instructor: Professor Stephanie Guerin.
Office location &
hours: Room HU270, by appointment only before or
after class.
Contact
Information: I can be reached via e mail stephanie_guerin@
montgomerycollege.edu or by phone 301.785.0145
Textbook: There are
two texts you must purchase for the class.
Additional readings may be assigned however I will provide copies for
you.
The Ancient World: A Social and Cultural
History 6th edition.
D. Brendan Nagle. ISBN 0-13-193041-9
Readings In Ancient History: thought and Experience
from Gilgamesh to St. Augustine 6th edition.
Nels M. Bailkey & Richard
Lim. ISBN 0-618-13383-6
Class Overview: The Ancient World developed
an advanced state of human society, in which a high level of culture, science,
industry, and government had to be reached to form what we know as a successful
civilization. Together we will look at the broad patterns and processes
of this journey beginning in Mesopotamia and including
Through the first half of
the semester we will explore the process of developing civilizations in the
Mesopotamian regions and look at their unique forms of written language,
theocracy, societies, religion and art as well as the geographical locations
that contributed to the city-state, agriculture, architecture, resource, trade,
and the ever-changing boarders of these ancient civilizations.
Within the Greco-Roman
arena we will look at the emerging Greek and Roman civilization by way of
culture and society, geography and political changes, military, government and
art, literature and philosophy. By the
end of the semester the rise of
Throughout this course
students will refine their analytical abilities and critical thinking skills in
order to understand historical and geographical context, make comparisons
across cultures, use documents and other primary sources, and recognize and
discuss different interpretations and historical frameworks. The course will
provide students with frequent practice in writing analytical and interpretive
essays such as document based questions (DBQ) and thematic essays addressing
issues of change, continuity, and comparison. We will also consider the evolutionary
dynamics of these civilizations through the context of art, literature and key
peoples throughout ancient history.
Ancient History Themes:
1.
Impact of
interaction among and within major societies.
2.
Impact of
technology, economics, and demography on people and the environment.
3.
Systems of
social structure and gender structure.
4.
Cultural,
religious, and intellectual developments.
5.
Changes in
functions and structures of states and in attitudes toward states and political
identities, including the emergence of the nation-state.
Outcomes: On completion of this course, students will be able to:
1. Evaluate the relative merits of various forms of
source materials.
2. Assess the impact of geography upon the development
and character of civilizations.
3. Understand the origins of peoples that contributed
to classical civilizations.
4. Describe the distinguishing characteristics and
salient events of Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Greek, Roman and Israelite civilizations.
5. Identify features of Classical Civilization modified
or absorbed into later Western Civilization.
6. Understand the manner of and reasons for the
successful spread of Christianity.
In
other words, the student is expected to gain familiarity with the broad trends
of ancient history and be conversant in the geographic, cultural and individual
influences, which created the Classical world. Students will be
responsible for a basic geographic knowledge, in addition to the key historical figures and events, and will be expected to
think critically about cause and effect in history, and about the relative
value of historical sources.
Attendance:
Much will be presented in the class that is not found in the texts and vice
versa, and you will be responsible for all of it. If you foresee
missing class for some reason, please talk to me beforehand and if I believe
the excuse legitimate I may excuse the absence. If you are ill, I will
excuse the absence provided you furnish a valid medical excuse. I will
not give out notes or lesson to those who were absent without a valid reason.
You will have to make arrangements with a classmate to get the class
notes. Lateness, especially chronic lateness is disruptive and will be
noted.
Grades: There
will be a total of 300 points possible in the course. Thus 270-300 points
received will be an A, 240-269 a B, 210-239 a C, 180-209 a D. There will
be no curve. Grades will consist of a midterm examination comprising
identifications and critical thinking essays (worth 80 points), 4 quizzes (10
points each), a short bio on a key factor in ancient history (10 points) an
exegesis paper (60 points) and a final examination
including, again, identifications and critical thinking essays (80
points). There are no make-ups for the examinations unless you can
provide an authorized excuse. Twenty points (20) will be reserved for
short take home assignment or else a pop quiz. The remaining ten points (10)
are awarded at my discretion and will reflect attendance and class
participation.
Paper Assignments: The
criteria for the two paper assignments are TBA and a Rubric will be attached to
all written assignments for clarity. I
expect a properly written English paper.
If you think you might need assistance, please make an appointment with
our wonderful
These are a few of my writing pet peeves:
·
Know the
difference between paraphrasing and summarizing.
·
State a thesis
and stick to the main topic of the paper.
·
Please make
your paragraphs transition and flow from one idea to another.
·
Do not solely
rely on spell check. Pay attention to your tenses and the proper usage of a word.
·
If you use a
quote and do not cite the author it is plagiarism.
·
Realize when an
idea is not your own and use proper citations.
·
Do not use your
formal voice when writing a formal paper.
·
Use the
assignment rubric that I provide. I am not asking you to read my mind, just
follow my directionsJ
Classroom Conduct: Be polite and courteous and listen to my
opinions and the opinions of your classmates without interrupting. Always raise
your hand when addressing me and please do not talk over me in class. I like to
stay on task so if you have any questions that do not pertain to the issues at
hand please discuss them with me after class.
Insults or cursing are unacceptable. Please make sure your cell
phones, pagers, etc. are turned off.
Academic Honesty:
It is expected that the work you turn in as your own is your
own. Cheating on exams or quizzes will not be tolerated and will result
in an automatic F on the exam or quiz in question. Plagiarized papers
will suffer a similar fate. Moreover, they are very easy to detect.
Don’t try it. For more information you may consult the Student Code of Conduct, Section IV.
Cancellation of Classes:
Support Services: A student who
may need an accommodation due to a disability should make an appointment to see
me A letter from Disability
Support Services (DSS) authorizing your accommodations will be
needed. The DSS office is located in the Counseling and Advising Building
Room 122, or you may phone 240-567-5058 (or 301-294-9672) for the deaf or hard of hearing.
Those
students who do not feel comfortable writing in the English
language may wish to avail themselves of the service provided in the
Writing and