Frederick Community College HI 101 ONL – History of Western Civilization FALL 2011
Class begins: Aug. 22	Class ends: Dec. 10	Last Day to Drop: Nov. 2

You must send your email address to the instructor before class begins

Instructor Information:
Name: David Wren	Office: Virtual Office
E-mail: davidjwren@hotmail.com	Phone Number: 651 994 1537
Office Hours: by appointment	Campus Mail Box #: ------

Course Information:
Credits: 3
On-campus Meetings: None	On-campus Exams: One
Prerequisites: EN 50A, EN 52	Co-requisites:

Course Description:

Surveys the development of Western civilization from ancient times to 1500.

Core Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of this course students will demonstrate

1. Demonstrate college-level communication skills by

- writing and speaking effective, organized, clear, and grammatically correct English appropriate for a specific subject, purpose, and audience

- interpreting written texts pertaining to the history of western civilization

2. Demonstrate critical thinking skills by

- differentiating among facts, opinions, and inferences in evaluating historical evidence

- researching, analyzing, comparing, synthesizing and drawing inferences from readings and other historical/cultural research materials on western civilization

-drawing well-reasoned conclusions based upon evidence and logical inferences

3. Display general knowledge and historical awareness by

- identifying the significant political/social institutions, events, and people in western civilization to 1500

-demonstrating an awareness of problems and issues of the past that have helped to shape the modern world

4. Understand and be able to interpret social and educational values by

- identifying and evaluating such moral issues and conflicts as the rise of the major religions in the West and state-building

- displaying academic honesty and adhering to professional standards in history

- valuing the importance and responsibility of the individual to society

5. Value the emergence of a multicultural society by

- acknowledging a plurality of cultural and personal values and demonstrating respect for the right of others to express their viewpoints

- examining the multiple cultures that contributed to the development of western civilization

Instructional Methods:

Lecture, discussion forums, instructional media, independent reading

 How is this course organized:

There will be specific reading assignments for each week of the class along with exercises so that you can test your understanding of the material. You will need to access the student section of the textbook website to complete these exercises. NOTE: You should have received an Access Code with each new copy of the COFFIN textbook. If you have a used copy you must purchase the access code for $10.00.

Each week I will post an introduction to the subject matter in the assigned chapter(s) and highlight the important areas. A summary is also provided on the website. Since it is the case that different students pick up some ideas more quickly than others, there will be a discussion area in which you can post a question for general discussion by the class. You will also be expected to contribute to this discussion from your own understanding of the material. I will be available as a further resource to comment on these discussions and provide help to the group and to you individually when needed.

Due to the online nature of this course, all work (except the Final Exam) will be submitted online via email or discussion forums. The tests on the textbook chapters will be submitted on the textbook website. The two required essays and the theme project will be submitted to the instructor online.

Texts for Course:

Coffin, Judith and Robert C. Stacey, Western Civilization: Vol. I, 17^th ed. New York: W.W. Norton, 2008.

NOTE: If you purchase a used copy of Coffin, you will need to purchase a key to the textbook website for $10

Sherman, Dennis. Western Civilization: Sources, Images, and Interpretations, vol. I: To 1700,. 7^th ed., New York: McGraw Hill, 2008.

Progress Report:

By the end of the 6th week of the semester, you will have an opportunity to evaluate your progress in this course and decide if you need to make any adjustments (additional study, tutoring, conference with instructor) to assure your success in this course.

Evaluation Methods:
Tests / Papers / Projects	Point Value	Final Grade Scale
Online Participation Weekly tests Essay One Essay Two Essay Three Theme Project Final Exam (on campus)	200 200 100 100 100 200 100	1000-850 pts = A 849-700 points = B 699-550 points = C 599-450 points = D Below 450 pts. = F
If the graded performance for online assignments differs significantly from the grade average for proctored assignments, the instructor reserves the right to administer additional tests or alter the weighting of assignments

Attendance/Participation Policy:

Students are expected to participate in online discussion forums on a weekly basis. The frequency of online activity as well the quality of the contribution will be the basis for the final grade. Students are expected to participate at least two (2) times during any given week. All students, without exception, are required to take the Final Exam at the testing center on campus or by arrangement at an alternate location.

Email Policy:

Email is an instructional tool essential to student-instructor and student-student communication. In the Blackboard environment by default, your email address is available to all students in this course.

However, students are permitted to use email addresses of other students in this course only for the purpose and the duration of this course.

Students who are concerned about the privacy of their personal email address are reminded of commercially available products that allow them to create unique email addresses specifically for the purpose and duration of this course.

The instructor can be expected to respond to regular student email inquiries (grades, posted assignments, and tests excluded) within the time frame of 24 to 48 hours.

Academic Honesty:

Work in this course is subject to the provisions of the FCC Code of Academic Honesty. Plagiarism in any form will not be tolerated. As a student, it is your job to practice academic honesty at ALL times. Make sure that all sources, particularly Internet sources, get proper credit for quotations, paraphrases, and ideas.

Topical Outline (ONLINE COURSE)

Week	SUBJECT	CONTENT
Week 1	The Ancient Near East The Origins of Western Civilization	Coffin: Chapter 1 Sherman: Chapter 1
Week 2	Gods and Empires in the Ancient Near East	Coffin: Chapter 2 Sherman: Chapter 1
Week 3	The Greek Experiment	Coffin: Chapter 3 Sherman: Chapter 2
Week 4	The Expansion of Greece	Coffin: Chapter 4 Sherman: Chapter 3
Week 5	Essay Number 1
Week 6	Roman Civilization	Coffin: Chapter 5 Sherman: Chapter 4
Week 7	Christianity and the Transformation of the Roman World	Coffin: Chapter 6 Sherman: Chapter 5
Week 8	Rome’s Three Heirs: The Byzantine, Islamic and Early Medieval Worlds	Coffin: Chapter 7 Sherman: Chapters 6 and 7
Week 9	Essay Number 2
Week 10	The Expansion of Europe: Economy, Society and Politics in the High Middle Ages: 1000-1300	Coffin: Chapter 8 Sherman: Chapter 8
Week 11	The High Middle Ages: Religious and Intellectual Developments 1000-1300	Coffin: Chapter 9 Sherman: Chapter 9
Week 12	The Later Middle Ages 1300-1500	Coffin: Chapter 10 Sherman: Chapter 10
Week 13	Essay Number 3
Week 14	Theme Project
Week 15	Final Exam Review Final Exam (in Testing Center)

NOTE: your instructor reserves the right to make changes to this outline as needed.