HISTORY 106 – ERWIN – SPRING 2015 HISTORY 106: European Civilization from 1648 to present Semester: Spring 2015 (Jan. 20 – May 16) Time: Tu./Th. 11am-12:15pm Place: Bristlecone rm. 343 Contact information Instructor: Matt Erwin, MA (York) Email:
[email protected] Office hours: Tu./Th. 3-3:50pm, Bristlecone Building rm. 350H Division Information Division of Liberal Arts Bristlecone rm. 350 Phone: (775) 445-3290 Course Content In History 106, we will survey the major topics, issues, ideas, and problems in European history from the end of the Thirty Years War (1648) to the present day. The point of this class is to give you a good grounding in recent European history in all its aspects: social, political, economic, cultural, etc. Some of you may come into it knowing a lot about European history, others won’t know much at all. That’s ok! The point is for us to explore and examine the past together. In this course, we will not only study the past but also engage with it to form a dialogue between our ‘ancestors’ and ourselves. This way we don’t just know history; we do it and understand it. By building these links with our past we can better understand where we’re going in the future. Course Information Credits: Three (3) Prerequisites: None Transferability: This course is designed to apply toward a WNC degree and/or transfer to other schools within the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE). It may transfer to colleges and universities outside Nevada. Course Catalog Description Covers Western civilization and history from the mid-17th century to the present. Course Objectives Upon completion of this course, the student should be able to: ◦ Develop a mastery of knowledge of distinct historical events, ideas and concepts of European civilization from the mid 17th century to the present. ◦ Understand the forces leading to historical change and political, economic and social transformations. ◦ Develop an appreciation of cultural, religious and racial diversity through the study of major Europeans civilizations in the modern era. ◦ Learn to express understanding of the above concepts through effective written and oral communications. ◦ Engage in critical thinking through analysis of historical factual and conceptual information. Required Text Elie Wiesel, Night (Hill & Wang, any edition) Dennis Sherman and Joyce Salisbury, The West in the World, Vol. 2 (5th edition, McGraw-Hill, 2013)
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HISTORY 106 – ERWIN – SPRING 2015 Requirements Reading A reading assignment is assigned for almost every class meeting and should be completed beforehand. Please keep up on the reading as it will contribute to class discussion and will be on the exams. Failure to do so will result in a major headache when it comes time to study for the midterms. Weekly journal There will be an in-class journal entry every week (either Tu. or Th.) over the assigned material for that week. This is a way to both take attendance and to ensure that every one is thinking critically about the reading. There will be 14 opportunities to write journal entries over the course of the semester. You should do a minimum of 12 entries, meaning that you are allowed two excused absences. After two missed entries, your final grade will be negatively impacted as these form 100 points of your final grade. You can use these on the exam. You may turn in one journal late at no penalty; otherwise, no make up journals will be offered unless proof of a verifiable emergency is provided. Discussion This is the part where you actively ‘do’ history. Everyone should come to class having done the assigned reading and be ready to discuss it as a class or in small groups. Think of the class as an hour-and-fifteen-minute conversation between us all: everyone has a different viewpoint or impression that will contribute to how we analyze and interpret historical events. This class will also cover adult topics such as religion, gender and sexuality. Remember that respect and diversity is the key to an open discussion, so please be polite in class. Students who do not respect the opinions and beliefs of others will be asked to leave. Biography assignment Each student will independently research an assigned person from history. A list of famous names will be provided for you to choose from at the beginning of the semester. No switching with a classmate once you’ve chosen. You will need to prepare a 6-8 minute presentation to be given in class about your person. A list of references needs to be turned in with your presentation. The due dates of these projects are staggered throughout the semester as each biography fits with a certain class lecture. Late presentations will not be allowed unless proof of a verifiable emergency is provided. Exams There will be three exams. These may consist of identification questions, maps, concept definitions, a short essay or two, or any combination of the above. The exams are not cumulative (meaning not all the covered information is on every exam). All coursework assigned or ideas discussed in lecture may appear on exams. If a student misses an exam there will be no makeup test except in the case of verifiable illness or emergency. Checking email Please be sure to check your emails at least once a day. This is how we will communicate with each other outside of class. All reading packets, new information, class cancellation notices, links to articles or videos, etc., will be sent by email. I’ll do my best to respond to all emails within 48 hours. However, please note that I do not check my mail after 5pm or on the weekends. If at any time during the semester you are struggling with the coursework, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me by email or visit my office hours. The sooner I’m informed of any issues, the sooner they can be resolved.
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HISTORY 106 – ERWIN – SPRING 2015 Grading (500 points total) Exam 1 (100 pt.) Exam 2 (100 pt.) Exam 3 (100 pt.) Biographical presentation (100 pt.) Journals (100 pt.) Grades are assigned using this percentage scale (%): 94-100% A 74-76 C 90-93 A70-73 C87-89 B+ 67-69 D+ 84-86 B 64-66 D 80-83 B60-63 D77-79 C+ Under 60 F Absences and early outs Absences will be measured by missed journal entries. As stated above, you need to do 12 out of 14 entries to get full participation points and you can make up one journal. If you need to leave class early, please inform me prior to the start of class. Do not just get up and leave. Missed classes I will not give out notes or PowerPoints for any absences. Also, I will not email study guides if you are absent on the day they are passed out. It is your responsibility to get notes from a classmate in the event of a missed class period. I would suggest getting the email of a classmate or two in case of absences. Plagiarism and Cheating Evidence of cheating on exams or plagiarism in journals will result in a failing grade for the assignment. It is your responsibility to know what plagiarism is and how to avoid it. This includes paying a third party or online essay mill to write your essay for you. If you’re not sure, visit this link: http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/plagiarism.shtml Students with Disabilities If you have a disability for which you will need to request accommodations, please contact the Disability Support Services office as soon as possible to arrange for appropriate accommodations. Contact: Susan Trist (
[email protected]).
Note: This syllabus is subject to change at any time throughout the semester. Class schedule Week 1 January 20: Howdy! Getting to know you and course expectations January 22: Review: Renaissance, Reformation, Exploration, etc. Read: No reading assignment for today. In-class: Sign up for biography; syllabus quiz (journal entry #1)
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HISTORY 106 – ERWIN – SPRING 2015
Week 2 January 27: Absolutism Read: Sherman & Salisbury 395-408 Biographies: Peter the Great (Russian emperor), Louis XIV (French king) January 29: The Enlightenment and Scientific Revolution Read: Sherman & Salisbury 426-440 Biographies: Isaac Newton (British scientist), Jean Jacques Rousseau (Genevan philosopher) Week 3 February 3: 18th century culture Read: Sherman & Salisbury 471-482 Biographies: Carl Linnaeus (Dutch botanist, biologist) February 5: French Revolution Read: Sherman & Salisbury 487-499 Biographies: Marie Antoinette (French queen), Robespierre (French revolutionary) Week 4 February 10: Filthy Cities: Revolutionary Paris (BBC) Read: No reading for today. February 12: Napoleon Read: Sherman & Salisbury 505-514 Biographies: Napoleon (French dictator), Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington (British general) Week 5 February 17: Industrial Revolution Begins Read: Sherman & Salisbury 518-519, 522-533 Biographies: James Watt (British inventor of the steam engine), Mary Shelley (British writer) February 19 (Th.): The Victorians Read: Sherman & Salisbury 534-544 Biographies: Queen Victoria (British queen); Charles Darwin (evolutionary biologist) Handout: Study guide for Exam 1 Week 6 February 24 (Tu.): The Victorians, continued Read: Sherman & Salisbury 551-560, 568-574 Watch (in-class): The Victorians (BBC) Biographies: None. February 26 (Th.): EXAM 1 Week 7 March 3: Revolt and Protest Read: Sherman & Salisbury 551-560, 568-574 Biographies: Karl Marx (German communist writer), Charles Dickens (English writer) March 5: Unification Read: Sherman & Salisbury
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HISTORY 106 – ERWIN – SPRING 2015 Biographies: Giuseppe Garabaldi (Italian politician), Otto von Bismarck (German chancellor) Week 8 March 10: European imperialism Read: Sherman & Salisbury 607-623 Biographies: David Livingstone (Scottish explorer), King Leopold II of Belgium (Belgian king) March 12: The fin de siècle Read: Sherman & Salisbury 630-639, 645-547 Biographies: Oscar Wilde (Anglo-Irish writer), Toulouse-Lautrec (French artist), Marie Curie (PolishFrench scientist) Week 9 March 17: SPRING BREAK – Have fun! March 19: SPRING BREAK Week 10 March 24 (Tu.): World War I, part 1 Read: Sherman & Salisbury 655-665 Biographies: Wilhelm II of Germany (German emperor), King George V of the United Kingdom (British king) March 26 (Th.): World War I, part 2 Read: Sherman & Salisbury 666-674 Biographies: Siegfried Sassoon (British war poet), Mata Hari (Dutch spy) Handout: Study guide for Exam 2 Week 11 March 31 (Tu.): The Russian Revolution Read: Sherman & Salisbury 674-682 Biographies: Nicholas II (Russian emperor), Vladimir Lenin (Soviet leader) April 2 (Th.): EXAM 2 Week 12 April 7: War’s Long Shadow Read: Sherman & Salisbury 685-695 Biographies: Virginia Woolf (English writer), Sigmund Freud (Austrian psychoanalyst) April 9: The interwar years Read: Sherman & Salisbury 696-708 Biographies: Adolf Hitler (German leader), Pablo Picasso (Spanish artist) Being reading Night by Elie Wiesel Week 13 April 14: World War II, part 1 Read: Sherman & Salisbury 711-721 Biographies: Leni Riefenstahl (German filmmaker), Winston Churchill (British prime minister) April 16: World War II, part 2 Read: Sherman & Salisbury 721-734
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HISTORY 106 – ERWIN – SPRING 2015 Biographies: Anne Frank (Dutch diarist, Holocaust victim), Winston Churchill (British prime minister) Week 14 April 21: Night by Elie Wiesel Read: Night must be read in full by this date. In-class: Discussion groups on the book and the Holocaust Biography: Elie Wiesel (author, concentration camp survivor) April 23: Rebuilding Europe Read: Sherman & Salisbury 738-746 Biographies: Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom (British queen); Josef Stalin (Soviet dictator) Week 15 April 28: A Tale of Two Europes Read: Sherman & Salisbury 747-762 Biographies: Yuri Gagarin (Soviet cosmonaut), Federico Fellini (Italian director) April 30: Communist Europe Read: Sherman & Salisbury Watch (in class): The Lost World of Communism (BBC) Biographies: Vaclav Havel (Czech dissident, later president) Week 16 May 5: Reunification Read: Sherman & Salisbury 774-783, 785-787 In-class: Biographies: Margaret Thatcher (British prime minister); Vladimir Putin (Russian president) May 7 (Th.): Semester review Read: No reading for today Handout: Study guide for Exam 3 Week 17 May 12: EXAM 3
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