HIST 1311.11:  HISTORY OF WORLD CIVILIZATION  I

MWF 9:00-9:50, SUA 102C

Dr. Laura A. Smoller

569-8389

lasmoller@ualr.edu

Office hours:  Wednesday, 3-4; Friday, 2:30-3:30, and by appointment

SH 604K

History 1311 is a survey history of world civilization from the dawn of civilization through the Protestant Reformation in the sixteenth century. The course aims to provide a general understanding of past societies and their ordering principles and systems of religion, politics, economy, and culture.

This section of History 1311 is technology-enriched.  In technology-enriched core courses, the integration of technology into classroom aims both to impart technology skills to students and to enhance student learning through a hands-on, problem-based approach.

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SCHEDULE OF LECTURES AND READINGS

Final exam: Friday, December 11, 8:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m.

Class attendance: Attendance at all lectures is essential for doing well in this course. There will be material covered in lecture that is not in the textbook. Students will be held responsible for all material covered in and announcements made in lectures. If you must miss a class, you will need to get the lecture notes from another student in the class. The outline posted on Blackboard is not an adequate substitute for lecture; nor is the textbook. Attendance at all labs is mandatory.

Required materials:  The following textbook is required for the course and is available in the UALR bookstore:

Felipe Fern·ndez-Armesto, The World:  A History (Upper Saddle River, NJ:  Prentice-Hall, 2007).  ISBN 0-13-113499-x

Assignments and grading:  Reading assignments are due on the day they appear in the lecture schedule below. Written assignments are weighted as follows:

Map worksheet (due September 2)--5%

Midterm 1 (September 14)--15 %

Midterm 2 (October 16)--15 %

Primary source paper 1 (due October 2)--15%

Final exam (December 11, 8:00-10:00 a.m.)--20%

In-class lab activities--15%

Grading scale: 

A=90-100%  

B=80-89%     

C=70-79%     

D=60-69%     

F=0-59%

In case of some mix-up, it is a good idea to save all returned work until you receive your grade at the end of the semester.

Make-up work: If you miss an exam and have a valid excuse, you may make up the exam on consultation day, December 8, but only by prior written arrangement with the instructor.  Students excused from class by the university will be allowed to make up labs outside of class.  Students who miss labs for other valid reasons will be allowed to make up the lab for half credit, at the discretion of the instructor.  No emailed assignments will be accepted without special arrangement.

Student learning objectives for core courses in history:

1. Students will demonstrate a knowledge of historical information such as names, dates and chronologies, events, terms, and concepts.
2. Students will demonstrate an understanding of the diversity and complexity of the historical context that shapes human experience.
3. Students will demonstrate an understanding of the inter-relatedness of historical events as expressed in such concepts as continuity and change, causation, interdependence of cultures, and the interaction between differing groups and societies.
4. Students will organize and articulate their ideas through an essay that presents a thesis relevant to the question.
5. Students will support their ideas with historical evidence and will reach conclusions based on that evidence.

Students with disabilities:  It is the policy and practice of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock to create inclusive learning environments.  If there are aspects of the instruction or design of this course that result in barriers to your inclusion or to accurate assessment of achievement--such as time-limited exams, inaccessible web content, or the use of non-captioned videos--please notify the instructor as soon as possible.  Students are also welcome to contact the Disability Resource Center, telephone 501-569-3143 (v/tty). For more information, visit the DRC website at www.ualr.edu/disability.  

Classroom etiquette: Please turn off cell phones and beepers or set them to a silent alert.  Kindly do not send or read text messages in class. Food and drinks are not allowed in the classroom.  In the rare event you must enter late or leave class early, please let me know in advance.  Please refer to the handout "Student Information and Policies" for specific information about the Multimedia Technology Center.

Cheating and plagiarism: Cheating and plagiarism are serious offenses and will be treated as such. ("Plagiarism" means "to adopt and reproduce as one's own, to appropriate to one's use, and incorporate in one's own work without acknowledgment the ideas of others or passages from their writings and works." See Section VI, Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities and Behavior, Student Handbook, p. 39. Copying directly from the textbook or an encyclopedia article without quotation marks or an identifying citation, for example, constitutes plagiarism.) Anyone who engages in such activities will receive no credit for that assignment and may in addition be turned over to the Academic Integrity and Grievance Committee for University disciplinary action, which may include separation from the University.

Copyright notice: Copyright © by Laura Smoller as to this syllabus and all lectures. Students and auditors are prohibited from selling notes during this course to (or being paid for taking notes by) any person or commercial firm without the express written permission of the professor teaching this course.  Students may tape lectures for their own study purposes, but students are prohibited from selling such tapes or making them available to other students in any manner.

Disclaimer: The instructor reserves the right to change topics and assignments on the syllabus at any point in the semester.