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HISTORY 4A
Western Civilization from Prehistory to the Roman Empire
De Anza College
Fall 2012
Christopher R. Jackson, Instructor
What is “the West”? The concept is sometimes amorphous, but the idea that we have a common heritage is nevertheless firmly embedded in our collective consciousness. This course attempts to answer that question of our common heritage, as well as to illuminate the relationship between early 21st century American society and the societies that existed thousands of years ago. Covering the period from prehistory to roughly the Roman Empire, this course will focus on politics, art, and society, alongside an introduction to historical writing and critical thinking.
Textbook: Jackson J. Spielvogel, Western Civilization, 8th edition, vol.A.
Attendance and Grading Policies: Attendance is expected and roll will be taken daily. Students who are routinely absent, late, or playing with their phones will be noted and up to 10% (one letter grade) will be deducted from their final grade. Much of the material on quizzes/exams will be covered in class; you will need detailed notes from lectures to get a good grade. Note that no instructor-initiated “W” grades will be issued. It is your responsibility to drop the course in a timely manner if you choose to do so. The last day to drop without a "W" is October 7. The last day to opt for "Pass/No Pass" is October 19. The last day to drop the class with a "W" is November 16.
Plagiarism: Plagiarism is intellectual theft, caused by lazy or dishonest students who do not properly cite their sources or quotations. It is a serious academic violation and will not be tolerated in this class. Please see the Student Handbook section on academic integrity. http://www.deanza.edu/studenthandbook/academic-integrity.html. For a brief examination of what plagiarism is, and how to avoid it, see Prof. Jules Tygiel’s brief presentation on plagiarism. (Available through course web page.)
Primary source analysis papers. There will be four primary source analysis papers due, as listed below. They will be devoted to analyzing primary sources available from the course web page. Typed, double-spaced, with citations and a list of references (formatted according to MLA style), approximately 600-800 words, to be e-mailed as an MS-Word-compatible attachment to the instructor at crjackson81@gmail.com by 11:59 pm on the date due. Note: before sending the assignment, you must rename the file in the following format: LastnameFirstname-papernumber.doc. Example: JacksonChristopher-paper1.doc. If the file is not properly named, it will not be accepted. If the file cannot be opened by MS-Word, it will not be accepted. Please include your last name, first initial, and course number and paper number in the subject line. (For example: Subject: Jackson C HIS 4A paper #1.) These assignments will be posted on the class website. Each worth 10 points.
For help on MLA style, see the Purdue Owl website: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/11/
For a short guide on writing, see Chris Jackson's Writing Guidelines
For a brief guide on pronouncing Homeric Greek names, see The Iliad: An Annotated Guide
(Due October 17)
(Due October 30)
(Due November 7)
Paper #4: Selections from Plutarch’s Lives
(Due November 21)
Quizzes. There will be four 10-question multiple-choice quizzes as noted on the class schedule indicated below. Each is worth 5 points.
Please bring a Scantron Form No.882-E (the long green Scantron). There are no make-up quizzes.
Team Presentation. There will be team presentations on the art and architecture of various civilizations in this course, e.g., Egypt, Greece, Rome, etc.
Each learning team will be assembled by the instructor and given a specific civilization to research and present on. Each learning team will be autonomous in assigning individual tasks for the debate. Each team will fill out a “charter” (posted on the class website) that assigns particular tasks to each member of the team (the team manager will send in the charter to the instructor on October 10). These tasks include manager, writers, researchers, and presenters. The presentations should include brief PowerPoint slides or other audio/visual materials intended to help make the team’s point or add pertinent details regarding the civilization in question.
This will require research outside of the textbook. The team will investigate through primary sources and secondary literature various aspects about the civilizations. Further details about the assignment can be found on the course website, listed on the first page of the syllabus.
The presentations themselves will take place in class on the dates noted below. Each should last approximately 25-30 minutes. Grading for the assignment will be done partly on the quality of the overall team presentation (15 points), and partly through team self-evaluations (5 points), which can be downloaded from the class website, and which are due one week after the presentation itself. No points will be awarded to a student who does not return the team self-evaluation in a thoughtful and scholarly manner.
If a team member does not participate in the learning team discussions, meetings, preparation and work, that member will not be allowed to participate in the presentation, and will receive zero points for that assignment.
See the Presentation Assignment for further details.
Final exam. The final will be held in class on December 11th from 7:00-9:00 a.m.; a study guide will be provided. Worth 20 points.
Assignment policies. Note: the lowest grade for either one of the quizzes or the primary source papers may be dropped; thus if you miss taking a quiz, or do poorly on one particular paper, that grade will be dropped and the grades in that assignment category will be averaged. Make-up quizzes will not be given, and late analysis papers will not be accepted.
Quizzes: 20% of final grade
Analysis papers: 40% of final grade
Team Presentation 20% of final grade
Final examination: 20% of final grade
Grade Points/Letter Grade Equivalents
(Please note that there is no “C-minus“ grade at De Anza.)
Week 1: (September 24-27) Introduction, Prehistory
Reading: Spielvogel, Western Civilization, chap.1.
Week 2: (October 1-4) Mesopotamia, Egypt
Reading: Spielvogel, Western Civilization, chap.2.
Quiz #1 October 4
Week 3: (October 8-11) Hebrews, Middle Eastern Empires
Team Assignments October 8; Teams Meet October 9; Team Charters due October 10
Week 4: (October 15-18) Assyria, Babylon, Persia
Paper #1 (Abraham) due October 17
Week 5: (October 22-25) Early Greece
Reading: Spielvogel, Western Civilization, chap.3.
Quiz #2 October 25
Egyptian Art Presentation October 25
Week 6: (October 29-November 1) Greek Wars
Paper #2 (Iliad) due October 30
Aegaean Art Presentation November 1
Week 7: (November 5-8) Classical Athens
Paper #3 (Socrates) due November 7.
Greece I Art Presentation November 8
Week 8: (November 12-15) The Hellenistic World
Reading: Spielvogel, Western Civilization, chap.4.
Quiz #3 November 15
Greece II Art Presentation November 15
Week 9: (November 19-21, No class 11/22) Early Rome
Reading: Spielvogel, Western Civilization, chap.5
Paper #4 (Plutarch’s Lives) due November 21.
Rome I Art Presentation November 21
Week 10: (November 26-29) The Roman Republic
Reading: Spielvogel, Western Civilization, chap.6.
Quiz #4 November 29.
Rome II Art Presentation November 29.
Week 11: (December 3-6) The Roman Empire
Reading: Spielvogel, Western Civilization, chap.7.
Week 12: (December 11) Final Examination
Need help? The Student Success Center offers free tutoring, workshops and support for many De Anza classes. See http://www.deanza.edu/studentsuccess for details.
• Writing and Reading Center: LIB 107/ 408-864-8682
• Listening and Speaking Center: L47/ 408-864-5385
• Skills Center: LIB 107A/ 408-864-8253
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