Dr.Wendy
J. Turner
Pre-Modern
orld
History
(HIST 1111)
modified 1/30/07
Description
of Course:
This is a course about the cultures and peoples of the world before the year 1500. Will we cover everyone and everything? No. (And, for those who are disappointed, sorry.) Historians have so much information, that it might take years just to learn about one small aspect of one culture.
Think of this class as a giant ship. In our ship we will only skim over the water, pausing once in a while to look down into the depths or, perhaps, even get our toes wet; but, for the most part, we will only be looking at the surface. From our vantage point we can see far and wide and from this distance we can notice similarities and differences between cultures and peoples. Of course if we looked at them up close the similarities would not seem as pronounced and, probably, neither would the differences.
Books:
Stearns, Peter N. et al. Documents in World History. Volume 1 to 1500. Pearson / Longman, 2006. ISBN 0321330544
Bentley & Ziegler. Traditions and Encounters: A Global Perspective on the Past. Volume 1: from the beginnings to 1500. McGraw Hill. ISBN 0-07-248979-0
Assignments:
Readings Questions: Every few days there are readings in the Stearns book; choose one question from each of the readings and write a paragraph about what you've learned. 
50 points for each assignment = 200 points
Exams: There are 4 exams. Please find study terms with this syllabus. They are multiple choice. The final exam will be the same as the others. 25 questions per test; 50 points per test; each question is worth 2 points. = 200 points
Attendance and Participation: There will be a sign-in sheet. Please be sure to sign in for every class. = 100 points.
Extra Credit: Watch a film that is set in our time period and write a 2-page paper on what is wrong with its history. You may do 2, 5 points each.
500 points total
August
18 – Studying World History (Add/Drop day); Read Bentley, chapter 1
20 – Mesopotamia ; read Bentley, chapter 2
25 – Early Empire Building ; read Stearns, chapter 1-2
27 – Early Hebrews; read Stearns, chapter 4
September
1 – Israelites to Jews
3 – Early Egypt ; read Bentley, chapter 3
8 – School Closed
10 – Late Egypt ; read Stearns, chapter 3; Due: Stearns readings questions #1
15 – Exam: Early Middle East
17 – Celtic Europe
22 – Celtic trade with Greece and Rome ; read Stearns, chapter 6
24 – Early Greeks; read Bentley, chapter 10
29 – Hellenic and Hellenistic Worlds; read Stearns 17-18
October
1 – Etruria & Roman Republic ; read Bentley, chapter 11
6 – Roman Empire ; read Stearns 21-23
8 – Early Christianity
13 – Byzantium ; read Bentley, chapter 13; Due: Stearns readings questions #2
15 – Exam: Early Europe
20 – No Class
22 – No Class
27 – Early India ; Bentley, chapters 4, 9
29 – Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism; Stearns, 12, 13, 15
November
3 – Early China ; Bentley, chapters 5, 8
5 – Imperial China ; Stearns, chapters 25-26; Due: Stearns readings questions #3
10 – Exam: Early Asia and India
12 – Mesoamerica ; Bentley, chapter 6
17 – Peruvian America; Stearns, chapters 44-46
19 – Islam; Bentley, chapter 14; Stearns, chapter 28
24 – No Class
26 – No School (Thanksgiving)
December
1 – Medieval Europe ; Bentley, chapters 13, 17, 20
3 – Renaissance; Stearns, chapter 36; Due: Stearns readings questions #4
Exam Schedule TBA: Final like all other midterms.
Exam: Europe, Islam, and America
