History 1433 World Civilization

The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education has established the following competencies for World Civilization or World History Courses taught at Oklahoma colleges and universities. This is information they expect an Oklahoma college world civilization course to include.

2. Students will identify events and personalities and their impact on international relations as well as civil, regional
and world conflict.

3. Students will identify and describe the major economic systems and the impact of technological revolutions.

4. Students will identify the origin and the development of major world religious, scientific, moral, political and
philosophical ideals.

5. Students will recognize and identify major contributions to civilization by the humanities disciplines.

6. Students will identify and describe the characteristics contributing to the development of governmental
systems.

7. Students will be able to recognize and identify contributions of ethnicity, religion, race, gender, and social
class to civilization.

Murray State College Board of Regents have adopted the following competencies for the college's general education curriculum. This is the general education curriculum they believe that is needed to produce literate, informed and involved citizens who can function in the modern world:

1. It provides training in written oral and written communication skills and emphasizes writing-across-the-curriculum.

3. It requires a general knowledge of the history and political system of the United States, and of world culture.

4. It grounds students in the basic mathematical, scientific, and computer skills necessary to function in the modern world

5. Encourages the development of critical thinking skills and/or problem solving skills in each course.

Hopefully it also fosters human understanding and social and civic responsibility, encourages the development of a mature work ethic, promotes recognition and acceptance of human diversities, provides grounding in the basic content and methods of the various disciplines of the arts and the sciences, builds student competencies in the use of quantitative and scientific reasoning, instructs students in the use of technological resources, and inculcates the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

The learning goals for this course are based on the OSRHE and Murray State College General Education goals.

The Rival Concepts of Absolutism and Constitutionalism that developed in 17th Century Europe.
An Overview of the Age of Reason and the Enlightenment in 17th and 18th Century Europe.
The Development of Enlightened Despotism in Eastern Europe.
The Development of new Societies in European Colonies in the Americas.
The Beginning of the Industrial Revolution.

Chapter Twelve
The Impact of the French Revolution and Napoleon.
Nineteenth Century: Conservatism, Revolution, and Nationalism.
The Spread of Industrialization.
Nineteenth Century European Cultural and Intellectual Trends.

Chapter Thirteen
The World Impact of Western Imperialism.
The Emergence of the United States and Japan as World Powers.
World War One and the Inter-War Years.

Chapter Fourteen

          Early Twentieth Century Nationalism and Independence Movements.
         The Emergence of the Soviet Union.
         Twentieth Century Ideas, Technologies, and Social Patterns.

Chapter Fifteen

            The Development of Militarism and Fascism after World War One.
            The Causes and Events of World War Two.
            The Cold War era.

Chapter Sixteen
The Era of European De-Colonization.
The Cold War's Impact on the Third World.
The Superpowers' Cold War Rivalries.

Chapter Seventeen
The post-Cold War Era.

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Class Activities and Events

Students will read the textbook, attend class lectures, and participate in class discussions. There will be a one-day field trip to a major museum. Instruction will be by class lecture. Methods used will include PowerPoint slides, videotapes and laser disc segments, Internet activities, and the viewing of museum exhibits.

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Learning Resources

The textbook- World History, 4th edition, by Jiu-Hwa Upshur and others. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Group, 2002.

A suggested reading list is included at the end of each chapter. Book reviews may be done for extra credit. See “Extra Credit Work/Outside Readings” in the Grading Policy and Appendix B. of this Syllabus for information on how to do extra credit book reviews. There are also suggested "Internet Links" at the end of each chapter for student's wanting more information on chapter topics.

Wadsworth History Resource Center at http://history.wadsworth.com

Morrell’s MSC Internet home page for this course. http://www.mscok.edu/rmorrell/1433Inclass.htm

The hyperlinks to other historical sites are provided in "websites" on my MSC home page. If you find a good website pass it on to me.

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E-Mails and Phone Messages

Students will be required to use their MSC e-mail address in this course.

Students enrolled in this course who have any question about what they are supposed to do or where to find information, should feel free to contact:
-MSC Office-CR105, Classroom Bldg., Tishomingo Campus. Office hours, 9-11 M-F or by appointment.
- MSC e-mail address rmorrell@mscok.edu or phone (580) 371-2371, ext. 253
-My home e-mail address rexmorrell@tishomingo.com or, (580) 371-3358.
-My MSC fax number is (580) 371-9844.

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Attendance

Students are expected to attend classes and absences of more than three class hours will be penalized. [Please note: For a 50 minute session class only three absences are allowed. Students absent for any part of a session may be counted absence for the entire session]. If job, family, or other problems are going to result in excess of absences, the student must contact and make arrangements with the instructor prior to the anticipated absence.

In the gradebook there will be an attendance grade that counts the same as one exam (100 points). At the beginning of the semester there will be 130 points in that grade column. For each absence ten points will be deducted. So, if you take all three of your allowed absences you'll still have one hundred points in that column. Additional absences, of course, eat into that grade, and your course average.

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Grading Policy

Examinations:

The unit exams will be worth 100 points each. The student's semester grade will be based on their accumulated score on these exams and the attendance grade, and from any extra-credit projects. Examinations will be essay (see Appendix A. of this handout for information on how to write essay exams and on how essay exams will be graded.) Students will be notified in advance when unit exams will be due.

Cheating or Plagiarizing:

Because take-home exams are used in this course a great deal of trust is placed on a student to do their assignments and exams themselves. A student suspected of plagiarizing will be requested to provide information on the sources they consulted in writing the assignment or exam. A student's failure or refusal to provide those sources upon request will result in a "zero" on that assignment or exam. A student caught cheating or plagiarizing will automatically receive a zero on the work involved and, if the circumstances seem to warrant it, may be dismissed from the course with a failing grade. All students will submit their take-home essay exams to www.turnitin.com, an on-line plagiarism detection service, to verify the originality of their work.

[Students who submit their essays to Turnitin before the due date may view the Originality report online and correct any problems by submitting a revised version of their exam. Since, students can review Turnitin's Originality Reports of their exams before the deadline, there is no reason for students to have plagiarized information in their exams.]

To avoid plagiarism issues, read and follow precisely the rules below on every assignment and exam.

The facts, dates, people, and events found in our text, or any other reference books, such as encyclopedias, or on Internet sites, are regarded as part of the public domain, and can be utilized in your writing, without references, but,

That means nothing may be copied verbatim from the text or any other source. The essay must be in your own words.
It also means nothing can be closely paraphrased from your text or any other source. [Facts and information from your text and other sources may be used in your essay but you cannot, by substituting your own words, use the thesis (the argument) or the organizational structure of another author’s writing in your essay.]
Any quote of more than one sentence, or excessive quoting, should be avoided in any writing. The safest route is to avoid quotes. Read it, digest it, and write it without referring to your source. After you have finished the first draft of your essay, go back and check your original source only to verify factual accuracy.
If you are still not sure what constitutes plagiarizing, please ask your instructor for further clarification. Also, Turnitin.com provides very good information on what constitutes plagiarism and suggests writing strategies to follow to avoid plagiarism. Go to: http://www.turnitin.com/research_site/e_home.html

Retests:

Low exam scores: Those who score below 70% on an unit exam may take one retest, within a week after the exam was returned to the class, to bring their grade on that exam up to 70%. If they fail to take the retest within one week, or fail to improve their grade on the retest, they will retain their original grade for that unit. Times and places, and type of retest, will be announced. [Students caught cheating on an exam will not be allowed to re-test an essay or an exam, without prior permission from the instructor].

Late exams: The highest possible score on a late exam is 70%. Late submittals must be e-mailed to me so that I can submit them to Turnitin. Those who fail to submit an exam within a week of the scheduled due date will receive a zero on that exam. Late exams will not be allowed to take a retest.

Other Grades:

Since each class and each semester is unique, the instructor may make the decision to add other assignments or alter existing assignments. Any such changes will be made in a timely manner allowing students ample time to complete the assignment. The points possible on those assignments and how they will be calculated on the semester grade will be announced at the time the assignment is made.

Spelling:

Society, particularly employers, expects a college-educated person to have a reasonable spelling competency. Students with more than ten misspellings on any assignment will not receive a grade on that assignment. Assignments with a large number spelling and/or grammatical errors will receive a lower grade. There are a number of Internet sites that have on-line grammar handbooks. See: http://www.tc.umn.edu/~jewel001/grammar/ or http://www.pittstate.edu/wac/bewriter.html#grammar.

Grading System:

Grades in this course will not be based on any sort of class average or curve.

     90-100%=A
       80-89%=B
       70-79%=C
       60-69%=D
Below 60%=F

No chapter exam grades will be dropped. The final will not be comprehensive. In addition to the required work mentioned above, the student may do extra-credit work. Extra-credit work is described in more detail below.

Every student is required to be familiar with the information listed above.

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Extra-Credit Work

Students may do any of the following work to aid their grades. Extra-Credit work is not the same as bonus points. It increases the the number of points upon which the final grade is based. Usually this outside work has the effect of boosting the student's point average but, of course, badly done work could do just the opposite. All outside written reports must be typewritten.

Outside Reading:

At the end of each chapter in your text is a selection of historical monographs and/or novels, and videotapes chosen to enrich your knowledge of the material covered in that chapter. Any of the titles on these lists are acceptable to read and turn in for extra credit using the format suggested in Appendix B. of this Grading Policy. Those which are not available in the MSC Library or the Ardmore Higher Education Center (AHEC) Library can be obtained through Inter-Library Loan. Check with your college or community librarian. Other monographs and articles which deal with the time period covered in this course may be reported on but the student must have prior approval from the instructor.

Books-A non-fiction book review (minimum book length of 250 pages) is worth a possible one hundred points. One book of historical fiction may be reviewed for fifty points. Monographs dealing with world history may be found in the history section and biography sections of the MSC Library and in the AHEC Library.

Articles-Reports on professional journal articles dealing with the topics and time periods covered in this course may be written for 40 points each. The report format for journal articles may be found in Appendix B. of the grading policy. The Murray State or AHEC librarians, or your local librarian, can assist students in locating articles in online professional history journals such as the American Historical Review or the Journal of Modern History. There are over 300 professional history journals in various disciplines. Contact the instructor for further information on reviewing professional history journal articles.

Electronic media-Electronic media such as video tapes and cable history programs on the History, Learning, Discovery, A & E and other cable channels which deal with topics included in this course a are worth 35 points each. The report format may be found in Appendix B. of the grading policy. Obtain approval from the instructor to review individual titles.

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Grading Policy
Appendix A:

The Components of a History Essay

I. Introduction-The introductory paragraph to a history essay should include three elements:

A. A time/place setting sentence or two defining the context-who, when, where, etc.

B. Statement of the thesis-state the theme or position you are taking in this essay. A good approach is to rephrase the question into a statement, e.g., "What were the causes for the rise and fall of Napoleon's empire?" "The causes for the rise and fall of Napoleon's empire were..."

C. Include in the introduction a list, in sentence form, of the main points to be used in support of the thesis.

II. Body of the Essay- The body of the essay consists of the paragraphs that explain or elaborate on the major categories of evidence (main points) needed to support the thesis.

A.  There should be at least one paragraph for each support category.
B.  Every topic mentioned in the introduction needs to be discussed in the body of
      the essay.
C. These supporting paragraphs need to be written in some sort of logical sequence.
      In history always write chronologically (from the earliest to the most recent time
      period), if possible.
D. The supporting paragraphs need to be linked together in one cohesive body. To
     accomplish this there needs to be topic/transition sentences from one support
     paragraph to the next. These topic/transition sentences need to be connected
     thoughts that logically and smoothly lead the reader from one topic to the next.

III. Conclusion of the Essay- When all the supporting evidence has been presented, the writer should conclude the essay with a concluding paragraph that includes these three elements:

            A.  A restatement of the thesis for the reader.
            B. A summary of the supporting evidence.
            C. An explanation of the significance of the topic.

There is nothing magical about a good history essay. It is a logical, orderly approach for providing information to a reader. Anyone who understands the procedure with a little practice can be a competent essay writer.
Adapted from - Virginia Wilson et al. "No Solo Venture: Essay Writing in History." Perspectives, American Historical Association Newsletter, Vol. 28, No. 2, February 1990, pp. 18-19.

Practical Hints for Writing an In-class Essay Exam

[The class may be required to write at least one in-class essay exam. The information below will be helpful.]

1.   Read quickly through the entire test-
      -This will help you gauge the amount of time to spend on each question.
      -Answer the questions you are most familiar with first.
      -This prevents running out of time with "easy" questions still unanswered.

2. Make sure you understand the question. If you do not, ask the instructor for
clarification.

3.    Think of the main points you need to make to answer that question
       -Time period and place
      -Main characters and events
      -Causes
      -Results

4.       Quickly jot them down in outline form. (Don't spend too much time on this
         outline; just get down the main points so they won't slip your mind later.)

5. Develop your essay in three parts.

A. Introduction-Lay out or explain your discussion topic for the reader.

         B.     Main body-Logically progress from one point to the next in your
                 argument or discussion. Keep in mind the main points you want to make
                 and don't be distracted into putting down time-consuming trivia. Also, as
                 you write, keep in mind the transitions you need to make from one point
                 to the next and structure your essay so that you make them smoothly.
                 Write chronologically whenever possible.

          C.       Conclusion-Pull together your arguments into several general statement
                 which arrive at a conclusion consistent with the line of argument you have
                 developed in the body of your essay.

Other Helpful Hints:

1. Write simply and carefully-there is no substitute for clear, orderly writing.

2. Avoid padding-never mistake quantity for quality.

3. Pace yourself/relax occasionally- the faster you drive yourself, the easier it is to
    make mistakes. Use the clock to time yourself and set a pace as a distance
    runner does. Occasionally, take time out to relax. You cannot do your best
    when your fingers are cramped and your back is tired from bending over the
    paper.

-Adapted from an Unknown Author.

Students may find it useful to be familiar with the criteria MSC history faculty members use when grading written student assignments:

A Guide to Assigning Grades to Written Assignments

Social Science Department-Murray State College *

These grading standards establish three major criteria for evaluating written assignments:

1. Content-65%

2. Organization-20%

3. Mechanics and Grammar-15%

Of course, not every essay will fit neatly into one grade category; an essay may, for instance, have some characteristics of a “B” essay and some of a “C” essay.

"A+ to A-" Essays:

Content:

· The “A” essay has not only discussed the assigned topic, but has done so in a fresh and mature manner.

· It has discussed the topic effectively.

· It shows substantial insight into the issue.

· It is likely to move the audience to act as the writer desires.

· The evidence is detailed.

· The sources of information have been used creatively and cited appropriately.

· The reasoning is valid.

· Beyond that, the paper is thoughtful, showing hard work, good judgment, and sensitivity to the complexities of the situation or issue.

Organization:

· The organization is effective for the audience and purpose.

· The Introduction contains time/place setting information, the thesis, and the main points that will be discussed.

· Segments, whether sections or paragraphs, are fully developed and follow logically from what precedes them.

· The Conclusion re-states the thesis, main points, and explains the historical significance of the topic discussed.

Mechanics and Grammar:

· The prose is not only clear and readable but also occasionally apt and memorable.

· It contains few grammatical, spelling, punctuation or syntax errors, none of which seriously undermines the effectiveness of the essay for educated readers.

"B + to B-" Essays

Content:

· The assignment has not just been followed but fulfilled.

· In taking its stand, the paper shows a clear sense of audience and purpose. It shows more awareness of the implications of what it is saying and of its assumptions about the audience than the “C” essay does.

· The writer has not settled for the most obvious evidence.

· The “B” essay is characterized by thoroughness.

· The reasoning is more than adequate. Not only does it make no mistakes, but also it shows thoughtfulness and some awareness of complexities and other points of view.

Organization:

· The “B” essay has an effective introduction and conclusion.

· The order of information is logical, and the reader can follow it because of well-chosen transitions.

· Paragraph divisions are logical, and the paragraphs use enough specific detail to make their point tellingly.

Mechanics and Grammar:

· The writing is competent, more ambitious than that of the “C” essay, less felicitous than that of the “A” essay.

· Not only is sentence structure correct, but it also uses subordination, emphasis, sentence length and variety, and modifiers effectively.

· It would be surprising to find serious sentence errors—comma splices, fragments, or fused sentences—in a “B” essay. Word choice is idiomatic, vocabulary precise.

· Punctuation, grammar, and spelling conform to the conventions of edited American English.

"C+ to C-" Essays

Content:

· The assignment has been followed. The essay develops its points with a sense of audience.

· The information and degree of persuasion in a “C” essay is appropriate.

· There is evidence and though the evidence is perhaps obvious and easily accessible, it has been gathered honestly and used responsibly.

· The “C” essay may exhibit some minor imperfections or inconsistencies in mapping out the arguments, but there are no major flaws in its reasoning.

Organization:

· The organization is clear.

· The reader could easily outline the presentation.

· Paragraphs have adequate development and are divided appropriately.

· Transitions may be mechanical, but they foster coherence.

Mechanics and Grammar:

· The language is competent.

· Sentence structure is generally correct, although it may show limited competence with such elements as subordination, emphasis, sentence variety, sentence length, and modifiers.

· It relies instead on simple and compound sentences.

· The essay is generally free of comma splices, unintentional fragments, and fused sentences.

· Word choice is correct though limited.

· It may contain errors in spelling, mechanics, and grammar.

"D+ to D-" Essays

Content:

· A “D” essay attempts to follow the assignment, even if the choice of topic or situation is poor, whether too broad, too narrow, or inappropriate.

· A “D” essay often shows a poor sense of audience and purpose. For example, it may over or under-estimate the audience’s prior knowledge or assumptions. Or it may correctly assess the situation, but add little of substance to it.

· Necessary evidence may be missing; irrelevant evidence present, or the interpretation or evaluation of that evidence may be inadequate.

· The reasoning may be seriously flawed, resting on an insufficient understanding of the situation or the audience.

· It may rely too heavily on evidence from published sources without adding original analysis.

Organization:

Organization may be significantly flawed in any of the following ways:

· Relevant segments may be missing;

· Topic sentences may be absent or inappropriate to the content of the paragraph;

· Paragraphs are not well developed, divided or arranged;

· Transitions are missing or incorrect;

· Introductions or conclusions are missing or incomplete.

Mechanics and Grammar:

· A “D” essay may have numerous and consistent errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

· The syntax or diction in some sentences may be so flawed that they are incomprehensible.

· Lack of proofreading can turn an otherwise adequate essay into a “D” essay.

"F+ to 0" Essays

Content:

· The “F” essay may have not answered the assignment topic, even if it is correctly and coherently written.

· (Many instructors require that such essays be rewritten before assigning a grade.)

· It relates to the assignment but has no clear purpose, or goes off in several directions.

· It may be plagiarized—either it is someone else’s essay or it has used sources improperly or without documentation.

Organization:

· It is missing essential elements of the essay: Introduction, Body, or Conclusion.

· It falls seriously short of the minimum length requirements.

Mechanics and Grammar:

· It is plagued by more than one of the organizational deficiencies of the “D” essay.

· Numerous and consistent errors of grammar, spelling, punctuation, diction, or syntax seriously hinder communication.

*The language and content has been adapted with considerable modification in format from “Essay Grading Rubrics” http://www.brooklyn.liu.edu/wac/faculty.html

Which was adapted from: Diane Enerson, R. Neill Johnson, Susannah Milner and Kathryn Plank, The Penn State Teacher II: Learning to Teach; Teaching to Learn. (University Park, PA: Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching, Penn State University, 1997).

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Grading Policy
Appendix B:

Format for Written Reviews

General instructions:

Reviews will be accepted on unlisted items only if the student has obtained prior approval from the instructor to review that particular item. Reviews have to be typewritten. Single space bibliographical data but double-space the report itself.

1. Bibliographical information:

Books-When reviewing a book, list the author or editor, the complete title, the
place of publication, the copyright date and/or the date published.

Articles-When reviewing an article, list the author, the title of the article, the title
of the journal you found the article in, the volume number of the journal, the date of
the journal's publication, and the article's number of pages (e.g. pp.27-43).

Electronic Media-When reviewing electronic media of the videotape or program. If there is a narrator, they should be identified. List the date the electronic media was produced, if that is available. List the company, group, or individual that produced the media. List the playing time. If it is Internet information, list the Internet address.

2. Thesis:

Books, articles, or electronic media-In four or five sentences explain the point the author is trying to make, his argument, his line of reasoning.

3. Scope

Books, articles, or electronic media-In two or three sentences tell what this book or article or tape is about. What is its topic? e.g., "This book was a history of the Vietnam War. " or "This tape describes the recent work done by scholars on decoding the written Mayan language."

4. Summary of Content

The length of your summary of content will vary according to the length of source ranging from maybe a page for a hour long tape to no more than ten pages for book reviews.

5. Evaluation

Books, articles or electronic media-Write a paragraph of your opinion of this book, article, or this electronic media. Explain why you evaluate it as you do. It is permissible to quote reviews of your source if you acknowledge that it is a quote.

NOTE:

Students may send or bring by rough drafts of their reviews to be examined and critiqued by me before they submit their final versions.

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Grading Policy
Appendix C.

Submittal of Assignments

Students may submit extra credit assignments electronically. Take-home exams will be submitted to www.turnitin.com. Students will be given submittal information for that site before the first unit exam. Students who have any questions on how or when to submit assignments should contact the instructor for further information.