HIS 111 History of Western Civilization I

HIS 111-041L, MW 2:20-4:05 PM

Professor Charles Evans
Office: LC 228
If you have questions about your course/assignments/materials, or 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 209 or the LC lounge) from about 1130 AM to 1230 PM and Tuesdays from about 930 AM to 130 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 home page.

My online and campus courses and some teaching resources are located on my college page.

Required books

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

Week 1
August 23, Monday, Introduction and attendance
August 25, Wednesday, Introduction reprise

Week 2
before class: Read my notes on pre-history and chapter 1 in the textbook (Patterns of World History).
August 30, Monday, my comments on pre-history, individual presentations on pre-history
before class: Watch my short video.
September 1, Wednesday, group presentation on pre-history, group paragraph on prehistory, completed in class and submitted in Canvas (40 points)

Week 3
September 6, Monday, NO CLASS
September 8, Wednesday, special group project on history (See Canvas for information), completed in class and submitted in Canvas (25 points)

Week 4
before class: Read my notes on the Ancient Near East and chapter 2 in the textbook.
September 13, Monday, my comments on the Ancient Near East, individual presentations on the Ancient Near East
before class: Watch my short video.
September 15, Wednesday, group presentation on the Ancient Near East (Hammurabi and Ancient Babylon), group
paragraph on Hammurabi's law code (See Canvas for information), completed in class and submitted in Canvas (40 points)

Week 5
before class: Read my notes on Classical China and chapters 4 and 9 and the section on China in chapter 12 in the textbook.
September 20, Monday, my comments on Classical China, individual presentations on Classical China
before class: Watch my short video.
September 22, Wednesday, group presentation on Classical China (Mandate of Heaven), group paragraph on the Mandate of Heaven (See Canvas for information), completed in class and submitted in Canvas (40 points)

Week 6
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.
September 27, Monday, my comments on Classical South Asia, individual presentations on Classical South Asia
before class: Have a look at my short video.
September 29, Wednesday, group presentation on Classical South Asia, group paragraph on Classical South Asia (See Canvas for information), completed in class and submitted in Canvas (40 points)

Week 7
before class: Read my notes on Ancient Greece and Rome and chapter 7 in the textbook.
October 4, Monday, my comments on the Classical Mediterranean, individual presentation on Classical Mediterranean
before class: Watch my short, not great but ok, video on the Classical Mediterranean.
October 6, Wednesday, group presentation on the Classical Mediterranean (Pericles), group paragraph on Pericles, completed in class and submitted in Canvas (40 points)

Week 8
October 11, Monday, NO CLASS
October 13, Wednesday, midterm quiz in Canvas (50 points)

Week 9
before class: Read my notes on Classical Islam and chapter 10 in the textbook.
October 18, Monday, my comments on Classical Islam, individual presentation on Classical Islam
before class:
October 20, Wednesday, group presentation on Classical Islam (Hadith), group paragraph on Hadith, completed in class and submitted in Canvas (40 points)

Week 10
before class: Read my HIS 241 remarks on the early Kyivan state and the short section on Byzantium in chapter 10 in the textbook.
October 25, Monday, my comments on Rus’, individual presentation on Rus’
before class:
October 27, Wednesday, group presentation on Rus’ (Primary Chronicle), group paragraph on the Primary Chronicle, completed in class and submitted in Canvas (40 points)

Week 11
before class: Read my notes on the Mongols and check out the wiki entry on the Mongol Empire.
November 1, Monday, my comments on the Mongols, individual presentation on the Mongols
before class:
November 3, Wednesday, group presentation on the Mongols (Rubruck), group paragraph on the Mongols, completed in class and submitted in Canvas (40 points)

Week 12
before class: Read my notes on Africa and chapter 14 and the section on Africa in chapter 6 in the textbook.
November 8, Monday, my comments on Africa, individual presentations on Africa
before class:
November 10, Wednesday, group presentation on Africa (Accounts of Meröe, Kush, and Axum), group paragraph on Africa (See Canvas for information), completed in class and submitted in Canvas (40 points)

Week 13
before class: Read my notes on the Renaissance and the Reformation. and chapters 16 and 17 in the textbook..
November 15, Monday, my comments on Europe, individual presentations on Europe
before class:
November 17, Wednesday, group presentation on Europe (Reformation and Wycliffe), group paragraph on Europe (See Canvas for information), completed in class and submitted in Canvas (40 points)

Week 14
before class: Complete your digital project by Sunday, 21 November, at midnight.
November 22, Monday, digital project presentations
November 24, Wednesday, NO CLASS

Week 15
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.
November 29, Monday, my comments on Mesoamerica, individual presentations on Mesoamerica
before class:
December 1, Wednesday, group presentation on Mesoamerica (Popol Vuh), group paragraph on the Popol Vuh, completed in class and submitted in Canvas (40 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 16
before the quiz: Complete the Reflective paragraph by 7 December at midnight. (25 points)
December 8, 2 PM, Wednesday, final quiz (50 points)

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Course grading

Course grades are based on the following point scale:

Required Assignments

One-page paper (Gilgamesh or De Las Casas) = 100 points
Digital project = 150 points
Group paragraph assignments (done in class), 10 @ 40 = 400 points
Quizzes, 2 @ 50 = 100 points
Group presentation = 100 points
Individual presentation = 100 points
Reflective paragraph = 25 points
Special group project on history = 25 points
There is some extra credit available throughout the course.

Course Grading Requirements

IMPORTANT: To earn a grade of A, B, C or D, you

Extra Credit Opportunities

Assignment Drafts and Rewrites/Resubmits

Late Work

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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:

  1. Establish a chronology of historical events in the world before 1600 CE.
  2. Explain the changing geopolitical structures of world civilizations up until 1600 CE.
  3. Define the importance of key individuals and developments in world civilizations before 1600 CE.
  4. Identify the social, economic and political forces at work in the evolution of the world’s early civilizations.
  5. Recognize and describe the significance of some of the cultural achievements of world civilizations before 1600 CE.
  6. 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:

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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.