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 fall 2021 are: Mondays and Wednesdays in my office (LC 228) or the LC lounge from about 10 AM to 1230 PM. I am also available for questions/advising M-TR mornings.
Office Phone: 703.948.7701
Email: cevans@nvcc.edu also charles.t.evans@gmail.com
Division phone: 703.450.2505
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
- Peter von Sivers, Charles A. Desnoyers and George B. Stow, Patterns of World History, volume 1, brief 4th edition, Oxford University Press, 2021, ISBN 978-0-19-751703-1. You can also use other versions or earlier editions of this book, but you'll have to figure out the pages and chapters to read for each unit of the course.
- You must read one of these:
- Herbert Mason, The Epic of Gilgamesh: A Verse Narrative (ISBN 978-0618275649); there may be an online version of the Gilgamesh epic that you can use, but is is more difficult to read.
- Bartolomé De Las Casas, A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies (ISBN 9780140445626)
All NOVA Barnes & Noble stores are now open for customers and faculty. Textbooks can be ordered online and shipped to your home or held for in-store pickup. Place orders early to be ready for class. Please see www.nvcc.edu/bookstore/ for hours and the the most up-to-date information.
Tentative Schedule 13 Week Course
Week 1
September 6, Monday, NO CLASS
September 8, Wednesday, Introduction and attendance
Week 2
before class: Read my notes on pre-history and chapter 1 in the textbook (Patterns of World History).
September 13, Monday, my comments on pre-history, individual presentations on pre-history
before class: Watch my short video.
September 15 Wednesday, Stonehenge presentation by Marian W, group presentation on pre-history (Atticus T. and Ajay C.), group paragraph on prehistory,
completed in class and submitted in Canvas (50 points)
Week 3
before class: Read my notes on the Ancient Near East and chapter 2 in the textbook. Watch my short video.
September 20, Monday, my comments on the Ancient Near East, presentations on the Ancient Near East: Sargon of Akkad - Morgan L.; Pharaoh Ramses II and the Old Kingdom - Brian V.; Hammurabi - Mohammad W.
before class: Review this week's materials.
September 22, Wednesday, group
paragraph on Hammurabi's law code (See Canvas for information), completed in class and submitted in Canvas (50 points)
Week 4
before class: Read my notes on Classical China and chapters 4 and 9 and the section on China in chapter 12 in the textbook. Watch my short video.
September 27, Monday, my comments on Classical China, presentations on Classical China: Wu Zetian - Jakub W. + Madelyn C.; Zhou (Chou) Dynasty - David W.; Mandate of Heaven - Warsame K.
before class: Review this week's materials.
September 29, Wednesday, group paragraph on the Mandate of Heaven (See Canvas for information), completed in class and submitted in Canvas (50 points)
Week 5
before class: Read my notes on Classical South Asia and chapters 3 and 8 and the section on India in chapter 12 in the textbook. Have a look at my short video.
October 4, Monday, my comments on Classical South Asia, presentations on Classical South Asia: Asoka - Robert R.; Gautama Buddha - (Christopher H.); Kautilya's Arthashastra - Wahab H.
before class: Review this week's materials.
October 6, Wednesday, group paragraph on Classical South Asia (See Canvas for information), completed in class and submitted in Canvas (50 points)
Week 6
October 11, Monday, NO CLASS
October 13, Wednesday, midterm quiz in Canvas (50 points)
Week 7
before class: Read my notes on Ancient Greece and Rome and chapter 7 in the textbook. Watch my short, not great but OK, video on the Classical Mediterranean.
October 18, Monday, my comments on the Classical Mediterranean, presentations on the Classical Mediterranean: Plato - Josh D. ; Socrates - Justin H.; Pericles - (Grace R. + Thomas B.)
before class: Review this week's materials.
October 20, Wednesday, group paragraph on Pericles, completed in class and submitted in Canvas (50 points)
Week 8
before class: Read my notes on Classical Islam and chapter 10 in the textbook. Watch the very short video. I also have an older video available that I did in about 1995.
October 25, Monday, my comments on Classical Islam, presentations on Classical Islam: Muhammad of Mecca - Fahd K.; Umayyad Caliphate - Shadi A.; Hadith - Ashly G. + Harsh N.
before class: Review this week's materials.
October 27, Wednesday, group paragraph on Hadith, completed in class and submitted in Canvas (50 points)
Week 9
before class: Read my remarks on the early Kievan state and the short section on Byzantium in chapter 10 in the textbook. Watch my short video on Kievan Rus'.
November 1, Monday, my comments on Rus’, individual presentations on Rus’: Vladimir the Great - Onicka D.; Rus' - David H.; Primary Chronicle - Christopher H.
before class: Review this week's materials.
November 3, Wednesday,group paragraph on the Primary Chronicle, completed in class and submitted in Canvas (50 points)
Week 10
before class: Read my notes on the Mongols and check out the Wikipedia entry on the Mongol Empire. Watch the short video.
November 8, Monday, my comments on the Mongols, individual presentations on the Mongols: Genghis Khan (Chinggis Khan) - Daniel N. + Lkhagva S.; Golden Horde (and the other hordes) - Morwan Y.; Rubruck - Ludovic K.
before class: Review this week's materials.
November 10, Wednesday, group paragraph on the Mongols, completed in class and submitted in Canvas (50 points)
Week 11
before class: Read my notes on Africa and chapter 14 and the section on Africa in chapter 6 in the textbook. Watch my short video.
November 15, Monday, my comments on Africa, individual presentations on Africa: Great Zimbabwe - Fahd K.; Mansa Musa - Thomas B.; Accounts of Meröe, Kush, and Axum - Abdul B.; Songhai Empire - Madelyn C.
before class: Review this week's materials.
November 17, Wednesday, group paragraph on Africa, Accounts of Meröe, Kush, and Axum, (See Canvas for information), completed in class and submitted in Canvas (50 points)
Week 12
before class: Complete the special project on history (See Canvas for information), 25 points by Sunday, 21 November, at midnight.
November 22, Monday, Optional history lab (assistance with digital project work)
November 24, Wednesday, NO CLASS
Week 13
before class: Complete your digital project by Sunday, 28 November, at midnight.
before class: Read my notes on Mesoamerica and chapters 5 and 15 and the sections on Mesoamerica and the Andes in Chapter 6 in the textbook. Watch my short video.
November 29, Monday, my comments on Mesoamerica, individual presentations on Mesoamerica: Maya - Atticus; Inka - Daniel G.; Popol Vuh - Hussun K.
before class: Review this week's materials.
December 1, Wednesday, group paragraph on the Popol Vuh, completed in class and submitted in Canvas (50 points)
after class: Complete your one-page paper (either Gilgamesh or De Las Casas) by Sunday, 5 December at midnight. Submit in Canvas. (100 points)
Week 14
before the quiz: Complete the Reflective paragraph by 7 December at midnight. (25 points)
December 8, 2 -3:40 PM, Wednesday, 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
One-page paper (either Gilgamesh or De Las Casas) = 100 points
Digital project = 150 points
Group paragraph assignments (done in class), 10 @ 50 = 500 points
Midterm and Final Quizzes, 2 @ 50 = 100 points
Presentation = 100 points
Reflective paragraph = 25 points
Special group project on history = 25 points
There is some extra credit available generally every Friday in the course. You can find more detail in Canvas.
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: (1) you may not submit extra credit work once a week has been completed
- You can also earn extra credit at any time by (a) finding a typo, spelling error or broken link (if possible find a replacement link) or (b) finding any website or web materials that are relevant to this course. Please email that information (and the URL of the relevant course page) directly to your instructor.
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. Please email well in advance of the assignment deadline. 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.
- You may not take a required quiz late.
General course purpose
Surveys the general history of the world from about 3000 BCE to 1600 CE and allows students to reach a basic understanding of the characteristic features of the world's early historical development. Students will learn about some of the important political, economic, social, intellectual, cultural and religious changes that shaped the development of the world’s civilizations in this period of time.
Course objectives
Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to:
- Establish a chronology of historical events in the world before 1600 CE.
- Explain the changing geopolitical structures of world civilizations up until 1600 CE.
- Define the importance of key individuals and developments in world civilizations before 1600 CE.
- Identify the social, economic and political forces at work in the evolution of the world’s early civilizations.
- Recognize and describe the significance of some of the cultural achievements of world civilizations before 1600 CE.
- 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.