Foundations of the Modern World (before 1500 CE)

HIST 101 – GS01

Winter 2018

Instructor: Sean Hannan, PhD

Office: 7-352H

Phone: 780-633-3914

E-mail: hannans@macewan.ca

Office Hours: TR 2:00 – 3:30 p.m.

Lecture Time: MWF 4:00 – 4:50 p.m.

Lecture Room: 7-265

Course Credits: 3

Course Pre-requisite: None.

Course Description:

This course introduces students to what historians call the ‘modern’ world in the period between
C.500 and 1500 CE. The underlying theme of the course is that this period has seen an increasing
interconnectedness between human societies, leading to the globalised world in which we
live. Students study topics such as trade patterns, intellectual exchange, religious movements,
health, wellness and the environment, state and empire building, war, conquest and diplomacy,
and the spread of disease, goods and ideas. They learn to understand the processes that increased
global interaction, both voluntary and forced, and spawned conflicts, both economic and
political.

In our section of HIST 101, we aim to ask ourselves whether or not it makes sense to look for
“patterns” in something as large and imposing as world history (at least up until 1500 CE). Our
goal is not to avoid finding such patterns, but rather to think critically about how both our
textbook and we ourselves go about trying to make sense of the past. Only then can we start
thinking about what that past will mean for the present and future concerns of global society.

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Course Objectives:

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

Read and analyze texts from and about pre-modern historical periods.
Identify and discuss historical themes in a variety of times and places.
Identify and explain the values and thoughts of people from different places and times.
Grapple with difficult questions about what it means to look for patterns in history.
Discuss the academic study of history in an intelligent manner.

Textbooks and Other Learning Resources:

Von Sivers, Peter, et al., eds. Patterns of World History. Volume One: To 1600 with Sources.
3rd edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2018.

Storey, William Kelleher and Towser Jones. Writing History: A Guide for Canadian Students.
4th edition. Don Mills, ON: Oxford University Press, 2016.

HIST 101’s Blackboard portal is an invaluable way to submit assignments electronically,

communicate via MacEwan email accounts, access helpful resources, and receive course
announcements. Students should check Blackboard and their MacEwan accounts regularly.

Grade Evaluation:

Digital Assignments 30%

Participation (ongoing) 10%
Mid-Term Exam 25%
Final Exam 35%
100%

Assignment and Exam Dates:

Digital Assignments: Jan. 26, Mar. 9, Mar. 23

Mid-Term Exam (50 minutes): Feb. 26
Final Exam (2 hours): (see below)

Final Exam Schedule:

A personalized final exam schedule is available online through myStudentSystem.

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Assignment Descriptions:

Participation: Taking an active part in our work as a group will be necessary for success in this
course. Reading the assigned pages before coming to class is a basic requirement, but students
will also be encouraged to go further and engage in constructive conversations about the readings
with their peers.

Digital Assignments: Over the course of the semester, we will hold pre-appointed digital skills
development days that will introduce students to fresh ways of interpreting historical data.
Shortly after that, students will be asked to complete brief but technical assignments on the basis
of their newly earned skills. Completed forms of these assignments, ranging from maps and
timelines to textual analysis, will be posted to Blackboard by the dates assigned below.

Mid-Term: The 50-minute mid-term examination will ask students to critically reflect on world
history by using their writing skills. It will ask students to develop a more clearly targeted
argument, built around a thesis statement that responds to a specific prompt. Further details will
be provided closer to the date of the exam.

Final Exam: The two-hour final exam will be similar in structure to the mid-term exam, although
it will be more substantive. Luckily, you’ll have more than the usual fifty minutes to compose
your essay-style responses. The final exam will also be cumulative, which means it will include
all of the material we cover over the course of the entire semester.

Final Grade:

The official grading system at MacEwan University is the 12-point letter grade system. While
instructors may use percentages to aid in their grade development, percentages are not part of
MacEwan University’s official grading system. Policy C2020: Grading.

Grade Percentage Grade Point Descriptor

A+ 96-100 4.0 Outstanding
A 88-95 4.0
Excellent
A- 82-87 3.7
B+ 78-81 3.3
B 74-77 3.0 Good
B- 71-73 2.7
C+ 66-70 2.3
C 63-65 2.0 Satisfactory
C- 58-62 1.7
D+ 53-57 1.3 Poor
D 48-52 1.0
F 0-47 0.0 Fail

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STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES:

Students are expected to be aware of their academic responsibilities as outlined in Policy E3101:
Student Rights and Responsibilities. Policies are available online at MacEwan.ca/policymanual.

1. ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: Policy C1000: Academic Integrity. All incidents of academic

dishonesty, as outlined in the policy, are reported and recorded by the Academic Integrity
Office.

2. SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS: Policy E3400: Student with Disabilities. Students who

require special accommodation in this course due to a disability are advised to discuss their
needs with Services to Students with Disabilities (SSD).

3. PREREQUISITES: Students who do not have the appropriate prerequisite may be removed
from the course and may be responsible for any tuition costs up to the date of removal.

4. FINAL EXAMS: Policy C2005: Final Assessment and Policy C2020: Grading. Students are
responsible for confirming the date, time, duration and location of the final exam. Students
may apply for a deferred final exam to the Faculty of Arts and Science Program Services
Office. Applications must be received within two business days of the final exam ($50
per exam to a maximum of $100 per scheduled exam period).

5. APPEALS: Policy E3103: Student Appeals. Students may contact Student Affairs for
assistance.

INSTRUCTOR COURSE POLICIES:

Students must communicate with their instructors using their myMacEwan email accounts.

1. Late penalties/policy: Students must submit all assignments by the stated deadlines in
order to for their grade to receive full consideration. Late submissions will have their grades
docked at a rate of 5% per day. No assignments will be accepted more than one week after
their stated deadline. Exceptions may be made in the case of compelling medical
circumstances. In that case, it will be necessary to provide documentation in the form of a
doctor’s note.
2. Attendance: Attendance at and attention during class are expected of all students in this
course. Failure to attend will put students at a disadvantage when it comes to understanding
the material and succeeding with their assignments.

DISCLAIMER:
The information in this course outline is subject to change and any changes will be announced in
class or in writing.

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COURSE TOPICS AND SCHEDULE

Week One

Wednesday, Jan. 3: Opening Discussion – Looking for Patterns

Friday, Jan. 5: Origins (Patterns, Ch. 1, p. 2-26).

Week Two

Monday, Jan. 8: Agrarianism in the Middle East (Patterns, Ch. 2, p. 27-52).

Wednesday, Jan. 10: Agrarianism in South Asia (Patterns, Ch. 3, p. 53-66).
Friday, Jan. 12: South Asian Culture & Religion (Patterns, Ch. 3, p. 66-74).

Week Three

Monday, Jan. 15: Agrarianism in East Asia (Patterns, Ch. 4, p. 75-96).

Wednesday, Jan. 17: Oceania & the Americas (Patterns, Ch. 5, p. 97-119).
Friday, Jan 19: Digital Skills 1: Mapping.

Week Four

Monday, Jan. 22: African Kingdoms (Patterns, Ch. 6, p. 120-131).

Wednesday, Jan. 24: Early Mesoamerica (Patterns, Ch. 6, p. 131-139).
Friday, Jan. 26: Andean Cultures (Patterns, Ch. 6, p. 139-144).
Due: Digital Assignment #1 (Maps).

Week Five

Monday, Jan. 29: Persia, Greece, Rome (Patterns, Ch. 7, p. 145-158).

Wednesday, Jan. 31: Religious Rivalries (Patterns, Ch. 7, p. 158-162).
Friday, Feb. 2: Science & Culture (Patterns, Ch. 7, p. 163-168).

Week Six

Monday, Feb. 5: Indian States (Patterns, Ch. 8, p. 169-176).

Wednesday, Feb. 7: The Vedas (Patterns, Ch. 8, p. 176-182).
Friday, Feb. 9: Indian Societies (Patterns, Ch. 8, p. 182-189).

Week Seven

Monday, Feb. 12: Chinese Dynasties (Patterns, Ch. 9, p. 190-201).

Wednesday, Feb. 14: Chinese Culture (Patterns, Ch. 9, p. 201-211).
Friday, Feb. 16: Digital Skills 2: Timelines.

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Week Eight

Monday, Feb. 19 – Friday – Feb. 23: NO CLASS – Family Day & Reading Break

Week Nine

Monday, Feb. 26: Mid-Term Examination.

Wednesday, Feb. 28: Islam’s Arrival (Patterns, Ch. 10, p. 212-222).
Friday, Mar. 2: Byzantium’s Survival (Patterns, Ch. 10, p. 222-243).

Week Ten

Monday, Mar. 5: Latin Christianity (Patterns, Ch. 11, p. 244-249).

Wednesday, Mar. 7: Western European Recovery (Patterns, Ch. 11, p. 250-258).
Friday, Mar. 9: New Beginnings (Patterns, Ch. 11, p. 258-269).
Due: Digital Assignment #2 (Timelines).

Week Eleven

Monday, Mar. 12: Islam in India (Patterns, Ch. 12, p. 270-275).

Wednesday, Mar. 14: Buddhism & Confucianism (Patterns, Ch. 12, p. 276-291).
Friday, Mar. 16: Digital Skills 3: Textual Analysis.

Week Twelve

Monday, Mar. 19: Korea (Patterns, Ch. 13, p. 292-300).

Wednesday, Mar. 21: Japan (Patterns, Ch. 13, p. 300-308).
Friday, Mar. 23: Southeast Asia (Patterns, Ch. 13, p. 308-315).
Due: Digital Assignment #3 (Text Analysis).

Week Thirteen

Monday, Mar. 26: Ethiopia & Nubia (Patterns, Ch. 14, p. 316-322).
Wednesday, Mar. 28: Ghana, Mali, & the Swahili States (Patterns, Ch. 14, p. 322-336).
Friday, Mar. 30: NO CLASS – Good Friday.

Week Fourteen

Monday, Apr. 2: NO CLASS – Easter Monday.

Wednesday, Apr. 4: The Aztec & The Inca (Patterns, Ch. 15, p. 337-355).
Friday, Apr. 6: Final Reflections.