History 33 – World Civilizations I (Section 2415) Course Syllabus

T/Th 2:15-3:35 pm – HSS #154 Spring 2015

                Charlemagne’s crown; design for a water clock by the Arab polymath al-Jazari (1206); Shi Huangdi, China’s first emperor Instructor: Professor Kris Pangburn Email: PANGBURN_KRIS@smc.edu Office Hours: T/Th 12:00-12:30 pm, HSS #310 This course offers an introductory survey of human history from pre-historical times until roughly 1500. The course will proceed chronologically, beginning with a brief overview of mankind’s earliest beginnings, followed by a rapid tour through the civilizations of the Near East, India, China, Mesoamerica, Africa, the Islamic world, and Europe. Classes will be a combination of lecture and discussion. Students will be expected to write two short papers and several homework assignments, to sit for three essay examinations, and to participate regularly in class discussions.

Together we will explore some of the following questions:

– What do we mean by the term “civilization”? – What factors caused the first civilizations to emerge? – What role did geography and climate play in early human history? – How did each of the world’s major religious traditions originate, and how do they compare? – What impact has religion had on political and social development? – Where did cross-cultural contact occur, and what historical ramifications did it have? – Why have some civilizations survived, while others have vanished? Required Books

The following three books, which are required for this course, are available for purchase at Santa Monica College Bookstore. If you buy your books on-line, be careful to order the editions below:

McKay, et al., Understanding World Societies, Volume I: To 1600 (St. Martin’s, 2012) 9781457618734 Novak, The World’s Wisdom (HarperOne, 1995) 9780060663421 Ansary, Destiny Disrupted: A History of the World Through Islamic Eyes (Perseus, 2010) 9781586488130

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Course Objectives (Student Learning Outcomes)

Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:

1. Describe and discuss, orally and/or in writing, the origins of humanity in prehistory and early patterns of land use; major developments in the civilizations of Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas from their origins through early modern times; the development and spread of major world religions; and transformations in inter-regional relations including migration, biological exchange, conquest, trade, and technological and cultural exchange.

2. Demonstrate factual and chronologically accurate knowledge of key events, issues, trends, and people of the relevant time period and geographic region.

3. Compare and contrast major political, economic, social, cultural, inter-regional, and international events, trends, themes, people, etc. related to the above topics and discuss their historical significance.

4. Demonstrate the ability to interpret historical information by applying analytical skills used by historians, such as synthesizing evidence from primary and secondary sources, comparing/contrasting multiple perspectives (including race, class, gender, and ethnicity), contextualizing information, and identifying causes and effects of change and continuity.

5. Critically examine historical material, including primary sources, attentive to such concepts as historical agency, context, perspective, and multi-causation.

6. Appraise the value of historical knowledge for understanding more recent or comparable issues, events, and trends.

7. Demonstrate understanding of history as a discipline characterized by the application of critical analysis to factual evidence.

8. Draw connections between different time periods and regions in World history, including the present, and discuss the value of historical study for understanding change and continuity over time.

Requirements and Grading

Attendance/Participation (incl. short essays) 10% Primary source paper #1 (4 pages) 15% Primary source paper #2 (4 pages) 20% First Exam 15% Second Exam 15% FINAL EXAM 25%

Attendance and Classroom Conduct

It is crucial that you do not miss any classes, because lecture material will appear on exams. If you are absent, you are responsible for getting notes from a classmate, and for asking me about any handouts that I may have distributed. Students who are repeatedly absent will be dropped.

PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CELL PHONE IN CLASS. Be on time each day, and do not leave the room except during our scheduled breaks, unless it’s an emergency. Note that reading assignments are due on the day they are assigned (see the lecture and reading schedule below). You should come to class prepared to discuss the day’s assignment!

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Honor Code and Exam Guidelines

The SMC Honor Code and Code of Academic Integrity remind students of their responsibility to behave honestly and ethically (http://www2.smc.edu/catalog/2014_2015/default.htm). You should take a moment to familiarize yourself with these codes, particularly with regard to plagiarism on written assignments. A first offense of plagiarism will result in a failing grade for the assignment and an Academic Dishonesty Report will be filed with the Campus Disciplinarian.

During an exam, it is forbidden to talk to another student, consult notes without the instructor’s permission, use your phone, or look at another student’s paper. In addition, be sure to arrive on time, since you will not be permitted to take the test if other students have completed it and left the room before you arrive. Make-up exams and early exams will not be given, so you should inform the instructor as soon as possible if you have a scheduling conflict. Withdrawal Policy

You may withdraw from this course without penalty at any time prior to Sunday, May 17. After that date, students who drop may not be able to receive a “W” on their transcripts. For more information, please see http://www2.smc.edu/catalog/2014_2015/default.htm. Students with Disabilities

If you have a disability and require accommodations for this course, please speak with me privately as soon as possible. If you have not already done so, you will need to register with the college’s Center for Students with Disabilities. The Center is located in Room 101 of the Admissions and Student Services Complex, located on the north side of Main Campus (near Admissions). To make an appointment, call (310) 434-4265 or (310) 434-4273. ________________________________________________________________________________ Lecture and Reading Schedule

All texts on the syllabus that are marked with an asterisk (*) can be found at the E-Companion website. To access this site, go to the college homepage and click the link for Corsair Connect, which is on the top left of the screen. Enter your Student ID Number and Password. Once you have logged in, click on the E-Companion link and select this course (History 33). The documents are grouped under their respective lecture headings on the left side of the screen. You are required to PRINT these documents, organize them in a binder, and bring them with you to our class meetings.

Tues, 2/17: Human Beginnings Thurs, 2/19: The Neolithic Revolution

McKay, Ch. 1

Tues, 2/24: The First Civilization: Mesopotamia – SHORT ESSAY DUE

McKay, begin Ch. 2, pp. 28-39 * Excerpt from the Code of Hammurabi (1790 BCE)

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Thurs, 2/26: A King Called Gilgamesh

* The Epic of Gilgamesh (2000s BCE)

Tues, 3/3: Egyptian Permanence and Stability

McKay, continue Ch. 2, pp. 39-46 * Excerpt from The Egyptian Book of the Dead (1500s BCE)

Thurs, 3/5: Early Hebrews and the Monotheist Idea

McKay, finish Ch. 2

Tues, 3/10: Later Hebrews, Assyrians, Persians Novak, pp. 175-191 (excerpts from the Hebrew Bible, 500s BCE)

Thurs, 3/12: Early India and the Roots of Hinduism

McKay, begin Ch. 3, pp. 56-65 Novak, pp. 1-19 (excerpts from the Rig-Veda (1500s BCE) and the Upanishads (700s BCE)) Tues, 3/17: Buddha’s Life and Teachings – PAPER #1 DUE

McKay, continue Ch. 3, pp. 65-70 Novak, pp. 49-69 (excerpts from Buddhist texts, 500s BCE)

Thurs, 3/19: NO CLASS – COLLEGE ADMINISTRATIVE DAY

Tues, 3/24: India’s Mauryan and Gupta Empires

McKay, finish Ch. 3 and read pp. 305-306 (Gupta Empire) * Selections from the Edicts of King Ashoka (200s BCE)

Thurs, 3/26: FIRST EXAM

Tues, 3/31: Early China, Confucianism, and Daoism

McKay, Ch. 4 Novak, pp. 119-130 and 145-161 (excerpts from Confucian and Daoist texts, 500s BCE) Thurs, 4/2: Chinese State-Building: The Qin and Han Eras

McKay, Ch. 7, pp. 156-172 * Wood, excerpts from China’s First Emperor and His Terracotta Warriors (2008)

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Tues, 4/7: Evolution of the Greek Pol is

McKay, begin Ch. 5, pp. 102-109

Thurs, 4/9: Greece’s Classical Age – SHORT ESSAY DUE

McKay, finish Ch. 5 * Thucydides, “Melian Dialogue” from History of the Peloponnesian War (431 BCE)

Tues, 4/14: NO CLASS – SPRING BREAK

Thurs, 4/16: NO CLASS – SPRING BREAK Tues, 4/21: Rise of the Roman Superpower

McKay, begin Ch. 6, pp. 128-143 * Plutarch, excerpt from Life of Cato the Elder (127 CE)

Thurs, 4/23: Christianity and the Late Roman Empire

McKay, finish Ch. 6 Novak, 239-253 (excerpts from the New Testament, 35-100 CE)

Tues, 4/28: Europe’s Dark Ages

McKay, Ch. 8; begin Ch. 14, pp. 346-350 * Einhard, excerpt from Life of Charlemagne (830)

Thurs, 4/30: Across the Ocean: The Maya Collapse

McKay, begin Ch. 11, pp. 264-276 * Diamond, excerpt from Collapse (2011)

Tues, 5/5: SECOND EXAM Thurs, 5/7: The Birth of Islam

McKay, begin Ch. 9, pp. 208-216 Ansary, pp. 1-31

Novak, 287-311 (excerpts from the Qur’an, 600s CE) Tues, 5/12: Life in the Islamic Caliphates

McKay, finish Ch. 9 Ansary, pp. 33-89

* ben Jonah, Description of Baghdad (1159)

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Thurs, 5/14: Kingship in West Africa – SHORT ESSAY DUE

McKay, Ch. 10 * al-Bakri, Description of the Kingdom of Ghana (1068)

Tues, 5/19: Onslaught of the Turks and Mongols

McKay, Ch. 12 Ansary, pp. 117-132 and 150-183 * Ch’ang, A Chinese Description of the Mongols (1220)

Thurs, 5/21: Clash of Civilizations: The Crusades

McKay, continue Ch. 14, pp. 351-368 Ansary, pp. 133-149 * Christian vs. Muslim Reports of the Third Crusade (1220)

Tues, 5/26: China’s Tang and Song Dynasties

McKay, begin Ch. 7, pp. 172-177; begin Ch. 13, pp. 320-333 * An Account of China’s Exam System (900)

Thurs, 5/28: Feudal Japan

McKay, Ch. 7, pp. 177-179; Ch. 13, pp. 336-343 * Excerpts from Two Samurai Texts (ca. 1650)

Tues, 6/2: Zenith of the Aztecs and Incas – PAPER #2 DUE

McKay, Ch. 11, pp. 276-289

Thurs, 6/4: REVIEW SESSION ________________________________________________________________________________

* FINAL EXAM = Thursday, June 11, 12:00 – 3:00 pm *

Don’t forge t to mark your ca lendars !