HIST 101
WORLD HISTORY TO 1650

1. Catalog Entry

HIST 101. World History to 1650
Three hours lecture (3).

A general survey of world history; a study of the world's major cultural areas, their unique achievements and their interaction with and relation to other societies. Covers the period up to the mid-17th century. This course has been approved for General Education credit in the Social and Behavioral Sciences Area and in the International and Intercultural Studies Area of the curriculum.

2. Detailed Description of Content of the Course

The major topics covered in this course are those considered to represent the foundations of world history. These topics, with various degrees of emphasis, are common to all recent textbooks written for an introductory course in world history.

I. Early People and the Rise of Civilization

• Early Hominids
• Ancient Egypt
• Ancient Western Asia

II. Ancient Greek and Hellenistic Age

III. Ancient Rome and the Rise of Christianity

IV. Ancient Asia

• India
• China

V. Byzantium to the 15th Century

VI. Islamic Civilization to the 15th Century

VII. Asia to the 15th Century

•   India
• China
• Japan

VIII. Europe in the Middle Ages

IX. Europe in the Renaissance and Reformation Era

X. Asia, Africa, and the Americas in the Early Modern Era

3. Detailed Description of Conduct of the Course

The class meets three hours a week. A textbook is required by all instructors; each instructor has the option of selecting a different text. Additionally, some instructors require other readings. Teaching methods involve a mix of lecture and discussion. Generally large classes require a teaching methodology capable of reaching a wide variety of students. Visual aids emphasize maps and graphs, but other aids such as videotapes, slides and various methods of multimedia including the internet may also be utilized.

4. Goals and Objectives of the Course

A student in History 101 will be introduced to the major issues/problems that have confronted all world societies down through the ages. Students should develop an awareness of history's complexity and clearly see history's relevance to their own lives. Students in History 101 will develop a foundation for further study in history and in other disciplines.

Broad General Education Goals

• Students will develop the ability to think critically and creatively about ideas, issues, and problems not only through historical inquiry but also through the use of philosophy, science, technology, literature, humanities, and political thought.
• Students will be introduced to the wide variety of tools, methods, and data that are available for conducting historical research.
• Students will come to understand how evolving technology has historically helped societies to gather, interpret, consolidate, and refine knowledge and contribute to problem-solving.
• Students will develop an appreciation of the often collaborative nature of inquiry and problem solving.
• Students will acquire an historical perspective, permitting them to identify the personal and cultural values that shape decisions in public, professional, and private lives, both in the past and present.

Goals for Area 5 - International and Intercultural Studies

• Students will demonstrate not only an awareness of but a basic knowledge of the variety of cultures within the world by studying different cultures in their unique historical and geographic settings.
• Students will identify and discuss in historical context important global issues and interactions between different peoples and different nations across time through an examination of problems that transcend the boundaries of nationality, culture, and ethnicity.
• Students will have the tools to understand diversity and to analyze similarities and differences among cultures that impact both their own, and other people's perceptions, beliefs, and behaviors by being introduced to world cultures.
• Students will have an understanding that culture in its various dimensions, including language, defines implicitly and explicitly, how a society sees itself and others.

Goals for Area 8 - Social and Behavioral Sciences

• Students will gain an understanding of the interpretive nature of history as a discipline and the critical skills involved in formulating theories, evaluating evidence, solving problems and posing questions through the use of primary and secondary sources.
• Students will develop an understanding of the psychological, social, and cultural factors that through time have shaped history by examining diverse cultures and ethnicities, describing change over time, and investigating the emergence of new ideas.
• Students will demonstrate an understanding of the diverse ways in which human relations have been structured across time and cultures by comparing societies.
• Students will acquire basic knowledge and skills, permitting them to apply social scientific methodology in evaluating and interpreting their own society and the societies of others.

5. Assessment Measures

Assessment measures may include any or all of the following: participation in class, writing exercises, oral discussions of readings, and testing that includes objective and/or essay questions on quizzes and examinations. All tests are structured to emphasize an understanding of ideas, concepts, and inter-relationships. Assessment measures are designed to evaluate student learning and progression towards the fulfillment of the general education program goals and the specific goals and objectives for both the International and Intercultural Studies and Social and Behavioral Science areas as stated above in D.

6. Other Course Information

None.

7. Review and Approval

DATE ACTION APPROVED BY
January 2005 Reviewed and Approved by Charles McClellan