History 494B/Writing Intensive
Seminar in World History

Fall 2006

Dr. Sandra Wagner-Wright

Web Page: http://www2.hawaii.edu/~sandraww

Office: UCB 352

Tel: 974-7412

Email: sandraww@hawaii.edu

Office Hours: TR 1:00-3:30 or by Appointment

 

SEMINAR IN WORLD HISTORY

Course Schedule
(Subject to Change)

Abbreviations for assigned readings:

  • GP1 = Global Passages, vol. 1
  • GP2 = Global Passages, vol. 2
  • TS1 = Taking Sides, vol. 1
  • TS2 = Taking Sides, vol. 2

Week 1
Aug    24        R            Orientation
                                    Discussion of “The Beginning”
                                    Video: Building the Great Pyramid (2003)
Assignment:

  • GP1 Chap 2: Heroes & Heroines
  • GP1 Chap 3: Earliest Journeys
  • TS1 Issue 2: Was Egyptian Civilization African?
  • TS1 Issue 3: Was Sumerian Civilization …Male Dominated?

                                   

Week 2

  • R            Discussion of Egypt & Sumer

                          Video: The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World (2002)
Assignment:

  • GP1 Chap 4: Europe
  • TS1 Issue 4: Does Alexander the Great Deserve His Reputation?
  • TS1 Issue 5: Did Christianity Liberate Women?
  • TS1 Issue 6: Were Internal Factors Responsible for the Fall of the Roman Empire?
  • GP1 Chap 5: Ancient Near East
  • GP1 Chap 6: Americas
  • TS1 Issue 8: Were Environmental Factors Responsible for the Collapse of Maya Civilization?

Week 3
Sept    7        R            Discussion of Greco-Roman World
                                    Discussion of the Ancient Near East
                                    Discussion of the Americas
Assignment:

  • GP1 Chap 7: Africa
  • GP1 Chap 8: South & Southwest Asia
  • GP1 Chap 9: East & Southeast Asia
  • GP1 Chap 10: Europe
  • TS1 Issue 7: Did Same Sex Unions Exist in Medieval Europe

(Sunday, Sept 10 – Last Day to Withdraw without a “W”)
Week 4
          14        R            Discussion of Africa
                                    Discussion of South & Southwest Asia
                                    Discussion of East & Southeast Asia
                                    Discussion of Medieval Europe

COMPARATIVE ANALYTICAL ESSAY DUE
RESEARCH TOPIC DUE

Assignment:

  • GP1 Chap 11: Africa
  • GP1 Chap 12: South & Southwest Asia
  • GP1 Chap 13: East & Southeast Asia
  • TS1 Issue 12: Was … Genghis Khan an Enlightened Ruler?

Week 5

  • R            Discussion of Africa

                          Discussion of South & Southwest Asia
                          Video: Ancient India (1999)
                          Discussion of China & Genghis Khan
Assignment:

  • TS1 Issue 11: Was Zen Buddhism the Primary Shaper of the Samurai Warrior Code?
  • TS1 Issue 12: Did China’s Worldview Cause the … End of Its Voyages of Exploration?
  • TS1 Issue 10: Did Women & Men Benefit Equally from the Renaissance?
  • TS1 Issue 16: Were the Witch-hunts…Misogynistic?

Saturday, Sept 23 – Primary Election Day  VOTE!


Week 6

  • R            Discussion of China and Chinese Voyaging

                          Discussion of Japan
                          Video: Shinto (1977)
                          Discussion of Women in Early Modern Europe
Revised Essay Due
Assignment:

  • GP1 Chap 14: Americas
  • TS1 Issue 14:  Did Christopher Columbus’s Voyages Have a Positive Effect …?
  • TS1 Issue 15:  Did Martin Luther’s Reforms Improve the Lives of European Christians?
  • TS1 Issue 16:  Was the Scientific Revolution Revolutionary?
  • TS1 Issue 17: Did the West Define the Modern World?

Week 7
Oct     5        R            Discussion of European Science & Religion
                                    Video: The Ancient Peruvian (198?)
                                    Discussion of European Exploration
                                    Discussion of the influence of European culture
COMPARATIVE ANALYTICAL ESSAY DUE
Assignment:

  • GP2 Chap 1: East & Southeast Asia
  • GP2 Chap 2; South & Southwest Asia
  • GP2 Chap 3: Africa
  • GP2 Chap 4: Americas & Oceania
  • GP2 Chap 5: Europe
  • TS2 Issue 1: Did the Industrial Revolution Lead to a Sexual Revolution?
  • TS2 Issue 2; Was the French Revolution Worth Its Human Costs?

Week 8

  • R            Discussion of Americas & Oceania

                          Discussion of East & Southeast Asia
                          Discussion of South & Southwest Asia
                          Discussion of Africa
                          Discussion of Europe
Assignment:

  • TS2 Issue 5: Were Economic Factors Primarily Responsible for British Imperialism?
  • GP2 Chap 6: East & Southeast Asia
  • TS2 Issue 4: Did the Meiji Restoration Constitute a Revolution in 19th Century Japan?
  • TS2 Issue 6: Was China’s Boxer Rebellion Caused by Environmental Factors/
  • GP2 Chap 7; South & Southwest Asia
  • GP2 Chap 8: Africa

(Friday, Oct 13 – Last Day to Withdraw)

Week 9

  • R            Discussion of Imperialism

                          Video: First Contact (1987)
                          Discussion of China
                          Discussion of Japan
                          Discussion of Africa
Revised Essay Due
THESIS & BIBLIOGRAPHY DUE
Assignment:

  • GP2 Chap 9: Americas & Oceania
  • GP2 Chap 10: Europe
  • TS2 Issue 7: Were German Military & Diplomacy Responsible for World War I?
  • TS2 Issue 8: Was the Treaty of Versailles Responsible for World War II?
  • TS2 Issue 9: Did the Bolshevik Revolution Improve the Lives of Soviet Women?

Week 10

  • R            Discussion of the Americas

                          Discussion of the Causes & Conclusion of World War I
                          Discussion of the Bolshevik Revolution
                          Video: World War I (2005)

COMPARATIVE ANALYTICAL ESSAY DUE
Assignment:

  • GP2 Chap 15: Europe (to page 434)
  • TS2 Issue 10: Was German “Eliminationist Antisemitism” Responsible for the Holocaust?
  • TS2 Issue 11: Should Japanese Emperor Hirohito Have Been Held Responsible for Japan’s World War II Action?

Week 11
Nov    1        R            Video: Triumph of the Will (1934/2001)
                                    Discussion of Fascism in Germany & Japan
Assignment:

  • GP2 Chap 11: East & Southeast Asia
  • GP2 Chap 12: South & Southwest Asia
  • TS2 Issue 13: Are Chinese Confucianism & Western Capitalism Compatible?
  • TS2 Issue 14:  Does Islamic Revivalism Challenge a Stable World Order?

Tuesday, Nov 7 – Election Day  VOTE!


Week 12

  • R            Video: Small Happiness (1987)

                         Discussion of China
                         Video: Iran (2004)
                         Discussion of Islamic Fundamentalism
Revised Essay Due
RESEARCH PAPER DRAFT DUE
Assignment:

  • GP2 Chap 13: Africa
  • TS2 Issue 15: Was Ethnic Hatred Responsible for the Rwandan Genocide of 1994?
  • GP2 Chap 14: Americas
  • GP2 Chap 15: Europe (pp 434-442)
  • TS2 Issue 16: Were Ethnic Leaders Responsible for the Disintegration of Yugoslavia?

Week 13

  • R            Discussion of Africa

                          Discussion of Americas
                          Discussion of Europe

COMPARATIVE ANALYTICAL ESSAY DUE
Assignment:

  • TS2 Issue 17: Do the Roots of Modern Terrorism lie in Political Powerlessness…?
  • TS2 Issue 18:  Have Afghan Women Been Liberated from Oppression?

Week 14
          23        R            THANKSGIVING DAY – NO CLASS

Week 15
          30        R            Video: Behind the Veil (2001)
                                    Discussion of Afghani Women
                                    Discussion of the Causes of Terrorism
                                    Assessment: Have we discovered universal values, hopes, fears…?

Week 16
Dec    7        R            Presentations
                                    Revised Essay Due
                                    RESEARCH PAPERS DUE 
                                    Late Papers Will Not Be Accepted


COURSE DIRECTIONS

  • Mitchell, Joseph R. & Helen Buss Mitchell. Taking Sides: World History, vol. 1. 2nd Edition, McGraw Hill. 2005

            ISBN: 0073104833

  • Mitchell, Joseph R. & Helen Buss Mitchell. Taking Sides: World History, vol. 2. 2nd Edition, McGraw Hill. 2005

            ISBN: 0073514926

  • Schlesinger, Roger, et. al. Global Passages: Sources in World History, vol. 1. 1st edition, Houghton Mifflin. 2004

ISBN: 13:9780618067954

  • Schlesinger, Roger, et. al. Global Passages: Sources in World History, vol. 2. 1st edition, Houghton Mifflin. 2004

ISBN: 13:9870618067961

  • Hacker, Diana. A Pocket Style Manual. 4th edition. Bedford/St Martin’s. 2004

ISBN: 0312416843


Do not delay in purchasing books; the bookstore begins to return textbooks after the first 4-6 weeks of classes.  If a book is not available at the bookstore, please contact me as soon as possible

OFFICE HOURS:  Office hours are indicted at the beginning of the syllabus.  I am also available before and after class, or by appointment

COURSE APPLICATION:  This course may be used to satisfy the 400-level specialty area requirement in the specialty area most associated with the research paper.
This course counts towards the graduation requirement of 3 Writing Intensive courses, one of which must be upper division.  And, finally, this course may be applied towards the 45 upper division credits required for graduation.

COURSE GOALS:  This course is designed to contribute to the General Education goals outlined in the 2006-2007 UHH Catalog.  History 494B contributes to the attainment of both the first goal, by contributing to your ability to “think clearly and logically; communicate effectively both orally and in writing; find examine and utilize information,” and the third goal by contributing to your ability to “develop an understanding and awareness of the principles, methods, and thought processes utilized in academic/intellectual inquiries.”

Specifically, this course is designed to assist you in achieving the following goals:

  • Advanced knowledge of world history and the interaction of cultures across time and place
  • Ability to gather, analyze, and present (both orally and in writing) historical data from primary and secondary sources.

READING ASSIGNMENTS.  Students should read the assigned material before class, and be prepared to discuss it.

DISCUSSION/PARTICIPATION:  Students are expected to participate in class discussion.  Thirty course points are designated for discussion.  (Attendance is not mandatory, however, if you are not present, you cannot participate.)

COMPARATIVE ANALYTICAL ESSAYS.  There are four essays that must take a comparative and analytical approach to the cultures being studied.  The graph below is an example of the categories that need to be considered.  Each essay must be a minimum of eight pages in length (double-spaced, 12 point type, 250 words per page).  All essays must be submitted in final form.  I will write a response to each essay and return it with the paper.  The first essay must be re-written.  Subsequent essays receiving less than a “B” grade must be rewritten.  Late papers will be penalized 5 points.  As indicated on the syllabus, essays are due in Week 4, Week 7, Week 10, and Week 13.  Each essay is worth 20 points.

 

 

 

Cultures
European ("western")
Asian (including SE & SW Asia)
African
Amer-Indian (Mayan, Toltec, Aztec)
Oceanic
Race & Ethnicity
         
Class Structures
         
Gender Relationships
         
Religious/Philosophical Values
         
Economic Structure
         
Political Structure
         

 

PLAGIARISM: 
Definition:  The Oxford University Press defines plagiarism as taking the work or idea of someone else and passing it off as one’s own.  The word is derived from the Latin “plagiarius” which means kidnapper.
Student Conduct Code:  “Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, submitting, in fulfillment of an academic requirement, any document that has been copied in whole or in part from another individual's work without attributing that borrowed portion to the individual; neglecting to identify as a quotation another's idea and particular phrasing that was not assimilated into the student language and style or paraphrasing a passage so that the reader is misled as to the source; submitting the same written or oral material in more than one course without obtaining authorization from the instructors involved; purchasing term papers.”

Plagiarism will not be tolerated in this class.  Any plagiarized work will receive a zero.  Further action, as outlined in the Student Conduct Code, may be taken.  PLAGIARISM IS INTELLECUTAL THEFT; DON’T DO IT!


RESEARCH PAPER PROJECT:  The research paper project is broken down into four parts: the topic proposal which must be approved by the instructor (10 points); the thesis and annotated bibliography (20 points); a 10 minute oral presentation of research results  (20 points), and the final research paper 15-20 pages in length (100 points).  Late topic proposals, and late thesis and annotated working bibliographies will be penalized one point per class.  The topic proposal must be approved by the instructor or the research paper will not be accepted.  If the instructor does not approve the initial topic proposal, it must be resubmitted.  Late research papers will not be accepted.  Students are required to attend paper presentations.

GOOD MANNERS:  Students are requested to behave with courtesy towards others in the class.  This means that students should not arrive more than 5 minutes late, and that talking should cease when class begins.  Please either turn off or use the vibrate option on all audio devices, including cellular phones.  Students should not text message, read their email or listen to audio devices during class.  Students who need to leave class early are requested to sit near the door to minimize disruptions to other students.

GRADES:  There are five essays worth 20 points each; in-class discussion and participation worth 30 points; one topic proposal worth 10 points; one thesis and annotated bibliography worth 20 points; one research paper presentation worth 20 points, and one research paper worth 100 points.
Total possible points: 280

A- = 252-260              A = 261-280
B- = 224-232              B = 233-242                B+ = 243-251
C- = 196-204              C = 205-213                C+ = 214-223
                                    D = 168-195

A Note from the Advising Center:  Advising is a very important resource designed to help students complete the requirements of the University and their individual majors.  Students should consult with their advisor at least once a semester to decide on courses, check progress towards graduation, and discuss career options and other educational opportunities provided by UH-Hilo.  Advising is a shared responsibility, but students have final responsibility for meeting degree requirements.

Student Accommodation.  Any student with a documented disability who would like to request accommodations should contact the University Disability Services Office - Hale Kauanoe A Wing Lounge, 933-0816 (V), 933-3334 (TTY), shirachi@hawaii.edu - as early in the semester as possible.