Course Syllabi | History | Idaho State University

Course Syllabi:

HIST101 -- FOUNDATIONS OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION (Dr. S. Christelow/Spring 2002)

Our course meets in LA 339 Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 to 9:50 am. I will have office hours after class, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10 to 10:50 am in LA 334. I may not be able to return phones calls or emails, but you may leave messages for me at 282-4535 or at christep@isu.edu. I will look forward to meeting and talking with you during the semester.

ABOUT THE COURSE

It has been roughly 5000 years since human beings first recorded in writing their acts and beliefs on the walls of caves and temples, on stone and pottery and on papyrus and parchment. This is "history," the story of humankind. Although our perceptions of the individual and society and of law and religion may differ from those of pre-modern peoples, in many fundamental ways our lives are unchanged: we live in communities, under governments; we seek peace, we avoid upheaval; we stand in awe of the universe.

The lectures and assigned readings are designed to draw your attention to issues of continuity and change and to encourage your analysis of cause and effect. A schedule of topics and required reading is outlined below. It is important to complete the readings and to think carefully about them since they will form an integral part of our discussions. Your understanding of specific, isolated details will be of less value here than your grasp of how events or developments influenced one another. You will not always find the solution to problems in your lecture notes or your text, but you will be given evidence in both that will enable you to come to conclusions yourselves. To do well in this course, you will need to be self-reliant and persevering.

The required readings are on sale at the student bookstore:

1 The Western Heritage, 3rd ed., vol.1: to 1715, Donald Kagan, et al
2 The Epic of Gilgamesh, introduced and translated by Nancy Sandars
3 Sophocles' Antigone
4 The Lais of Marie de France, translated by Burgess & Busby
5 Beowulf, translated by Seamus Heaney
6 Sir Thomas More, Utopia

Grades will be based on five quizzes (from assigned readings 2-6, 10% each); a midterm (20%); and a final (30%). Class format will combine collaborative learning (discussions and workshops); media resources (films and slides); and lectures.

SCHEDULE OF TOPICS AND REQUIRED READING

PART I. ANCIENT SOCIETIES

Much of the history of Western Civilization has been dominated by the formation of complex societies and the problems that large social units bring with them: tension, poverty and crime. In the ancient and medieval worlds, clashes often occurred between evolving states and the individuals they sought to organize or control. Conflict occurred between cultures as different powers sought to expand their authority as well. We will need to understand the impact of cultural change on individuals and social groups, and their responses to success or failure.

BEGINNINGS

Week beginning JAN 14: Time Detectives
Begin The Epic of Gilgamesh for QUIZ AND DISCUSSION on JAN 28.
Week beginning JAN 21 (Martin Luther King Day): Religion and Myth in the
Ancient Near East
Read Western Heritage (WH), chapter 1 and finish The Epic of Gilgamesh.
Week beginning JAN 28: Laws and Gods: the Formation of States
Read WH, 2.
Week beginning FEB 4: Diplomacy, Trade and the Failure of Bronze Age Empires
Begin Antigone for QUIZ AND DISCUSSION on FEB 20.

THE FIRST EUROPEAN CIVILIZATIONS

Week beginning FEB 11: Demography and Politics in Ancient Greece
Read WH, 3 and finish Antigone.
Week beginning FEB 18 (Presidents' Day): The Rejection of Democracy and
Alexander's World State
Read WH, 4.
Week beginning FEB 25: Power and Conflict in the Roman World
PBS FILM: Roman City
Read WH, 5.
Week beginning MAR 4: The Transformation of the Roman Empire
Review notes and readings for MIDTERM ON MAR 11.

PART II. MEDIEVAL AND EARLY MODERN SOCIETIES

The centuries between AD 500 and 1500 witnessed heightened complexity in almost every area of activity. Politics, religion, economics and social relations all manifested new forms, or adaptations of old, existing ones. Yet against this backdrop of change, certain cultural attitudes and values remained in force, only slightly modified over centuries of use. During this section of the course, we will attempt to pinpoint and to explain these tendencies.

MEDIEVAL CIVILIZATION
Week beginning MAR 11 (MIDTERM ): Kings and Warlords Dark Age Europe
Read WH, 6and begin Beowulf for QUIZ AND DISCUSSION
on MAR 25.
Week of MAR 18 (SPRING BREAK): No Class
Finish Beowulf.
Week beginning MAR 25: The Viking Age
PBS FILM: Civilization
Read WH, 7.
Week beginning APR 1: Feudalism, Law & the Emergence of National States
Begin The Lais of Marie de France for QUIZ AND DISCUSSION on APR 15.
Week beginning APR 8: The Expansion of the European Economy
PBS FILM: Castle
Read WH, 8 and finish Lais.

EUROPE ON THE THRESHOLD OF THE MODERN AGE

Week beginning APR 15: A Reversal of Fortune: Heresy, Plague and Revolt
Read WH,9and begin Utopia for QUIZ AND DISCUSSION on APR 29. Week beginning APR 22: Wealth and the Italian Renaissance
Read WH, 10 and finish Utopia.
Week beginning APR 29: Religion and Communities in 16th Century Europe
Read WH, 11.
Week beginning MAY 6: Epilogue and REVIEW
Read WH, 12 and review notes and readings completed since the midterm
for the FINAL EXAM, WEDNESDAY, MAY 15 AT 7:30 am.

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HIST111 -- U. S. History I (Dr. Hatzenbuehler, Spring 2003)
Idaho Falls (Tuesdays)

OFFICE: 330 Liberal Arts, Main Campus--HOURS: 11-12 MW; 1-3 TTh; by appt. CHE Library - T, 5-6; and by appt..
E-MAIL: hatzrona@isu.edu

I. LEARNING GOALS FOR THIS CLASS: This course emphasizes student learning based upon General Education Goal 9: "To understand the history and culture of the United States." In order to meet this objective, students must be able to demonstrate:
· An understanding of the concept of "culture" and the ability to apply the concept to Native American, English and African American cultures in early America. Failure to achieve these goals will result in failure to complete the class. There will be questions on test #1 to demonstrate an understanding of the concept and the ability to apply it to these cultures, and there will be an opportunity to remediate this deficiency on the final exam by demonstrating how the Civil War was a conflict among cultures.
· An understanding of the concept of "evolutionary" and "revolutionary" change and the ability to apply the concepts to the study of Native American, English and African American cultures and political change in the English colonies and early national period of the United States. Failure to achieve these goals will result in failure to complete the class. There will be questions on test #2 to demonstrate an understanding of the concept and the ability to apply it to these cultures, and there will be an opportunity to remediate this deficiency on the final exam by demonstrating how the Civil War - under the leadership of Abraham Lincoln - created a revolution by bringing the U.S. Constitution into conformity with the Declaration of Independence.
· An ability to use evidence to support and refute arguments and an ability to discriminate between "fact" and "opinion." Failure to achieve these goals will result in failure to complete the class. Throughout the semester, students will practice using evidence to both "support and refute" arguments in the Discussion/Extra Credit Options and to discriminate between "fact" and "opinion" in preparation for the final exam.

II. Text - HISTORICAL MOMENTS: CHANGING INTERPRETATIONS OF AMERICA'S PAST, Vol. 1) - From the ISU Web Site (see below -- DISCUSSION/EXTRA CREDIT), answer study questions for chapters you have chosen to read and investigate intensively. Each chapter has suggested web sites that supplement the material in the chapter. Frequently, the lecture will ask you to explore one or more of these sites. As you do so, please bring the information you find there to the attention of the class during lectures. You may find this information useful on the tests also.

III. ISU Web Site - Access to the Internet is required for this class. It is possible that you will be able to complete the exercises for this class from home, but the assignments are designed to be done using ISU software; failure to access files from home is not an acceptable excuse. To access the web site, go to http://webct.isu.edu Your username is your 6 digit Bengal Card Number. Your password is comprised of the two digits in your birth month followed by the two digits in your birth year. You will use the web site in order to receive the Discussion/Extra Credit Assignments, the Learning Activities and the Class Lectures (which require preparation prior to class).

IV. CLASS FORMAT:
Attendance: Numerous studies prove that students learn when they read, discuss and write about class assignments rather than simply listening to lectures or reading on their own. Therefore, I will challenge you to learn the material for the class through active participation by being prepared in advance for each class.
· Active Learning: Numerous other studies prove that students' learning is enhanced when they are "active" rather than "passive" learners. Part of being an active learner requires that students understand the concepts of "time on task" and "right of ownership" in the material for the class. In order to accomplish these objectives, most (but not all) days will have two components: 1) 6-7 = work with the assigned readings in HISTORICAL MOMENTS based upon completed assignment (see ISU Web Site); 2) 7:10 - 8:30 = learning new material and integrating the new material into previous days' learning. In order to accomplish "time on task" and "right of ownership," students will be required to be prepared for class by having done the day's reading and/or having read and being prepared for the Class Lecture (ISU web site).
In order to meet these objectives, students must be "active", not "passive" learners. What is the difference? The following is adapted from John H. Williams, "Clarifying Grade Expectations," The Teaching Professor, August/September 1993.

ACTIVE LEARNERS
...have a commitment to the class that resembles that of their professor. They, attend class, turn their cell phones off prior to class, concentrate and participate. They are visibly interested in the subject matter and demonstrate their interest by becoming actively involved. They read the syllabus and concentrate on what it says.
...are always prepared for class. They take notes and study them. They submit their learning assignments so they can improve their grade, and they always follow the instructions concerning the discussion options so they receive extra credit points.
...learn concepts rather than simply memorizing details (i.e., they engage in critical thinking) so they are better able to connect past learning with present material. They exhibit test-taking skills such as an ability to budget their time and to deal with test anxiety. Their answers focus on what the question is asking and provide sufficient detail to demonstrate a mastery of the material being tested.
...ask for help when they are confused or discouraged. They show initiative; their desire to excel makes them do more work than is required ...never ask for help when confused or discouraged. They do only what is minimally required. They may try to cheat.
...write well and speak confidently and clearly. They understand that "thinking is learning." On tests, their answers are well-organized, cover all relevant points, and is easy to read.

PASSIVE LEARNERS
...place other priorities ahead of class (including a job, personal situations, etc.), do not concentrate or participate; try to leave class early or have their cell phone turned on during class. They participate in class without enthusiasm, with indifference, or even boredom. They show little, if any, interest in the subject; they can never find their syllabus. They are passive, rather than active, learners.
...are not always prepared for class. They may not have fully completed the assignment, have completed it in a careless manner, or rely on others to do the work for them. They don't take notes and don't study them. They have more important things to do than the learning assignments or the options for discussion sections, or they forget when they are due.
...memorize details rather than beginning with concepts (i.e., they do not engage in critical thinking). Since they usually cram for tests, they obtain mediocre or inconsistent scores on tests. They often do not budget their time well on exams and may not deal well with test anxiety. Their answers reveal a cursory understanding rather than mastery of material being tested.
...do not write or speak particularly well. Their thought processes lack organization and clarity. They answer only parts of the question and communicate only a superficial knowledge of what they have learned.

Be an active learner in this class!

V. Grading. In addition to demonstrating a mastery of the Learning Goals for the class (above), the three examinations this semester will require students to exercise choice ("right of ownership") in order to focus on those areas where they are the most interested/prepared. With this type of test, I am trying to assess your depth of knowledge in those areas you feel you are best prepared to answer ("time on task"), not to see how many facts you have learned. I want students to know something about something, not a little bit about everything.

Grades will be assigned based upon student performance using three criteria: 1) the extent to which the answer is focused on what the question is asking; 2) the ability to answer all parts of the question; and 3) whether the answer uses sufficient, specific information to demonstrate knowledge about the topic.

An "A" answer (18 to 20 pts.): covers all of these points; may contain minor, factual errors (answers do not have to be perfect in order to receive an "A" grade).
A "B" answer (16 or 17 pts.): may not be totally focused on what the question is asking; may give uneven attention to the various parts of the question, indicating lack of knowledge in some important areas; contains specific information but does not demonstrate a depth of knowledge (may demonstrate only superficial factual knowledge in an area or areas) or reveals confusion about the factual information; may contain important factual errors.
A "C" answer (14 or 15 pts.): may not demonstrate an understanding of what the question is asking because it lacks focus; omits one or more parts of the question; demonstrates only superficial factual knowledge of the material on which the question is based; may contain substantial errors of fact or confusing statements.
A "D" answer (12 or 13 pts.): has little or no focus; demonstrates less than a superficial factual knowledge of the material on which the question is based; does not address all of the parts of the question; contains random, unconnected information.

An "F" answer (10 pts. and below): reveals little understanding of what the question is asking; does not address all of the parts of the question; demonstrates an inadequate factual knowledge of the material on which the question is based.

Students will answer four questions on each test, worth 20 points each, in addition to submitting a Learning Activity, also worth 20 pts. Tests are not comprehensive. I WILL COUNT THE GRADE ON THE FINAL EXAM TWICE (BY REPLACING THE LOWER GRADE ON THE FIRST OR SECOND TEST) IF THE GRADE ON THE FINAL EXAM IS THE HIGHEST GRADE OF THE THREE (YOU MUST TAKE ALL THREE EXAMINATIONS).

A. Discussion/Extra Credit (at ISU web site): Students will choose two of three options for each test. Not only will students earn extra credit points (up to 4 points for each option), they will also be preparing for the test questions on these assignments. I strongly encourage students to take advantage of this opportunity because you will be studying for the test and earning extra credit points simultaneously.

B. Learning Activity (at ISU web site): Numerous studies prove that students learn more when they read and write about a topic and then have an opportunity to improve their understanding before receiving a grade. There will be a learning activity worth 20 points as a component of each test where students will have the opportunity to submit a paper for my review prior to submitting it for a grade. I strongly encourage students to take advantage of this opportunity to improve both your learning and your grade.
Total points for the class = 300. Your final grade will be computed based upon a percentage of the total possible points (90 percent = A; 80 percent = B; 70 percent = C; 60 percent = D). Minuses and pluses will appear on tests throughout the semester in order to give you a relative view of where you stand in the class but will be given as a final grade only in borderline situations. Incompletes and withdrawals from class will be given only in strict accordance with the Undergraduate Catalog. See the Spring 2003 Class Schedule for applicable dates.
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VI. Class Outline:
Unit 1: Early American Cultures
Jan. 14 - Discussion of the Learning Goals for the class and "active learning"; reinforcing the need to be prepared for class, esp. class on Jan. 21; understanding the concept of culture (Lecture 1 from ISU web site); meeting with students who have downloaded the syllabus.
Jan. 21 - THERE ARE THREE PARTS TO THIS CLASS: 1) 6:00 - 6:50 -- Understanding the difference between "fact" and "opinion". Read the difference between a "fact" and an
"opinion" at the class web site. Then, go to http://mississippian-artifacts.com/html/main.html and read about the Mississippian moundbuilders and their artifacts. Next, go to http://mississippian-artifacts.com/html/shellorn.html and read this information. Based upon your readings, tell whether the following statement is fact or opinion, and in several sentences tell why you feel it is a fact or an opinion. (In order to participate in this part of the class, students must submit their answers prior to the start of class -- up to 4 pts. extra credit). BRING TWO COPIES WITH YOU TO CLASS, ONE TO TURN IN AND ONE FOR YOUR USE.
1. _____ The Mississippian Moundbuilders were successful farmers who grew corn, squash and beans.
2. _____ The largest of the mounds at Cahokia--Monks Mound--was one-quarter larger than the base of the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt.
3. _____ The primary responsibility of the leading chief at Cahokia was "to keep the forces of nature in balance and thereby ensure continued prosperity for his people."
4. _____ The Mississippian Moundbuilder culture had vanished by the late 17th century due to infectious Old World diseases, population migration, and other unknown reasons.
5. _____ The crafting of shell gorgets by inhabitants of the Mississippian culture proves that they had a wide trading network that covered every modern U.S. state from eastern Oklahoma and Texas to Virginia and North Carolina.
6. _____ "The sky or cross gorget is representative of the Mississippians' fascination with sky imagery and their devotion to the falcon or birdman [that are]...markers of the warrior class in the Southern Death Cult."
7. _____ The existence and symbolism of the gorgets indicates that the people of the Mississippian culture had highly organized social and political institutions, including religion and government and that their culture existed for centuries.
Jan. 21 -- Part 2 (7:00 - 7:25) -- Discussion of "Discussion/Extra Credit Option #1" and "Learning Activity #1" (both at the ISU web site). (Note: In order to participate in this discussion, students must bring the handouts from the ISU web site with them to class.)
Jan. 21 -- Part 3 (7:30-8:30) -- Lecture 1. (As noted above, students must be prepared for this discussion by studying Lecture 1 prior to class and bringing a copy of it with them to class.)
Jan. 28 -- There are two parts to this class: Part 1) 6:00 - 7:10 - Discussion/Extra Credit Option #1; Part 2) 7:15 - 8:30 - Lecture 2 (see above about preparation for class).
Feb. 4 -- There are two parts to this class: Part 1) 6:00 - 7:10 - Discussion/Extra Credit Option #2; Part 2) 7:15 - 8:30 - Lecture 3 (see above about preparation for class).

Feb. 11 -- There are two parts to this class: Part 1) 6:00 - 7:10 - Discussion/Extra Credit Option #3; Part 2) 7:15 - 8:30 - Lecture 4 (see above about preparation for class).

Feb. 18 -- There are two parts to this class: Part 1) 6:00 - 7:10 -- Lecture 5 (see above about preparation for class); Part 2) 7:15 - 8:30 - Open-ended discussion about Unit #1 in preparation for the first test.

FIRST EXAMINATION on Feb. 25 (6:00-7:15): Part 1: One questions relating the chapter groupings to the working definition of culture; Part 2: One of three "support and refute" statements relating to the chapter units [NOTE: Parts 1 and 2 must come from DIFFERENT chapter groupings]; Part 3: Two of four questions taken from lectures; Part 4: Learning Activity #1 due (all questions are worth 20 pts. each -- 100 pts. total for the test).
Unit 2: Revolutionary Change
Feb. 25 (after the test) - Lecture 6, part 1 (see above about preparation for class)
Mar. 4 -- There are two parts to this class: Part 1) 6:00 - 7:10 - Discussion/Extra Credit Option #1; Part 2) 7:15 - 8:30 - Lecture 6, part 2 (see above about preparation for class).
Mar. 11 -- There are two parts to this class: Part 1) 6:00 - 7:10 - Discussion/Extra Credit Option #2; Part 2) 7:15 - 8:30 - Lecture 7 (see above about preparation for class).
Mar. 25 - There are two parts to this class: Part 1) 6:00 - 7:10 - Discussion/Extra Credit Option #3; Part 2) 7:15 - 8:30 - Lecture 8 (see above about preparation for class).

Apr. 1 -- There are two parts to this class: Part 1) 6:00 - 7:10 -- Lecture 9 (see above about preparation for class); Part 2) 7:15 - 8:30 - Open-ended discussion about Unit #2 in preparation for the second test.

SECOND EXAMINATION on April 8 (6:00-7:15): Part 1: One question relating the chapter groupings to the working definition of revolutionary change; Part 2: One of three "support and refute" statements relating to the chapter groupings [NOTE: Parts 1 and 2 must come from DIFFERENT chapter groupings]; Part 3: Two of four questions from lectures; Part 4 - Learning Activity #2 (all questions are worth 20 pts. each -- 100 points total).

Unit 3: The Civil War as a Conflict between Two Cultures and as an American Revolution

April 8 - After the test, Lecture 10, part 2

Apr. 15 - There are two parts to this class: Part 1) 6:00 - 7:10 - Discussion/Extra Credit Option #1; Part 2) 7:15 - 8:30 - Lecture 10, part 2 (see above about preparation for class).

Apr. 22 - There are two parts to this class: Part 1) 6:00 - 7:10 - Discussion/Extra Credit Option #2; Part 2) 7:15 - 8:30 - Lecture 11 (see above about preparation for class).

Apr. 29 - There are two parts to this class: Part 1) 6:00 - 7:10 - Discussion/Extra Credit Option #3; Part 2) 7:15 - 8:30 - Lecture 12 (see above about preparation for class).

May 6 -- There are two parts to this class: Part 1) 6:00 - 7:10 -- Lecture 13 (see above about preparation for class); Part 2) 7:15 - 8:30 - Open-ended discussion about Unit #3 in preparation for the final exam.

May 13 - FINAL EXAMINATION (8-10 p.m.: Part 1: One of statement of fact (including explanation of why it's a fact and its significance) for each of the chapters in one of the chapter groupings; Part 2: One of three "support and refute" statements relating to the chapter groupings [NOTE: Parts 1 and 2 must come from DIFFERENT chapter groupings]; Part 3: Two of four questions covering lectures; Part 4: Learning Activity #3 (all questions are worth 20 pts. each -- 100 pts. total).

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HIST291 -- THE HISTORIAN'S CRAFT (Dr. Stephanie Christelow, Fall 2002)

Our class meets in LA 329 on TTh 9:30-10:45. I will be happy to meet with you individually during my office hours on TuTh 10:45 to 11:45 a.m. in room 337. Although I can't promise to return phone calls and email, I can be reached as well at 282-4535 or at christep@isu.edu.

About the Course

Historians of the modern Western world often find themselves sifting through mountains of data to find material relevant to their research. Historians of pre-modern and non-Western societies face a different problem: a dearth of written evidence from which to draw conclusions about political systems, social structures and mentalities. The extant narrative sources themselves are problematical for both groups since it is uncertain whether they represent isolated cases or general trends.

Imagination and creativity are important skills for anyone attempting to reconstruct the past, but in order to avoid making too great an "imaginative leap," historians must exploit every shred of available evidence in systematic and consistent ways. This seminar is designed to both familiarize you with the approaches and techniques used by historians and to enable you to put them to practice. We will take an interdisciplinary and multidimensional approach. Our meetings will be fairly informal and will stress cooperative learning.

Class Responsibilities

READING: Read books listed below for content, approach and methodology.

William Ryan and Walter Pitman, Noah's Flood
Lee Miller, Roanoke
William Montell, The Saga of Coe Ridge
Lisa See, On Gold Mountain
Art Spiegelman, Maus (2 vols)

QUIZZES AND DISCUSSIONS: Five class sessions will be devoted to quizzes and discussions, which will count 5% each of your grade for the course (or 25% total). The discussions are intended to develop your pedagogical skills, and will provide models for your use in both teaching and in public speaking.

SHORT PAPERS: You will engage in three kinds of historical writing that are commonly pursued by historians, both amateur and professional, and which hold considerable interest for the general public: (1) a book review of one of the books assigned for the course; (2) an auto-biographical essay on the effects of recent history on your life; and (3) a query letter and outline for a hypothetical work of historical fiction. Each should be three pages in length (typed), and will count 15% each of your grade. You are encouraged to print on both sides of the paper.

PROJECT PROPOSALS: Another responsibility involves your conception of a history research project that will utilize and discuss the methods introduced in this class. While you will not actually undertake the project, you will, nonetheless, define an historical problem that interests you, explain the significance of the project, and choose appropriate methods and approaches for investigating the problem and resolving it. A five-page, typed paper outlining your project and methodology will be due on December 19 for 30% of your grade.

ATTENDANCE: It goes without saying that to effectively determine the feasibility of your project and the validity of your approach(es), you will need to study the readings, participate in discussions and attend lectures.

EVALUATION SUMMARY: 5 QUIZZES 25%
3 SHORT PAPERS 45%
PROJECT PROPOSAL 30%
100%

Schedule of Activities and Readings

Week 1 (August 27 and 29): The Historian's Craft
Begin Noah's Flood for QUIZ and DISCUSSION on September 17.

Week 2 (September 3 and 5): Patterns of Human Development

Week 3 (September 10 and 12): Anthropology & History

Week 4 (September 17 and 19): Language and Linguistics
Begin Roanoke for QUIZ and DISCUSSION on October 8.

Week 5 (September 24 and 26): Paleography and Diplomatics

Week 6 (October 1 and 3): Historical Criticism
Class meets in Special Collections for introduction to library holdings
by librarian Karen Kearnes on October 1.

Week 7 (October 8 and 10): Memory, Oral Tradition and Folklore
Begin The Saga of Coe Ridge for QUIZ and DISCUSSION on October 31.

Week 8 (October 15 and 17): Popular Culture

Week 9 (October 22 and 24): Community History, National Contexts
SHORT PAPER 1 (BOOK REVIEW) DUE October 24.

Week 10 (October 29 and 31): Private Lives: Analyzing Diaries, Letters and Memoirs
Begin On Gold Mountain for QUIZ and DISCUSSION on November 21.

Week 11 (November 5 and 7): Portraying Lives in Literature: Biographies
and Autobiographies

Week 12 (November 12 and 14): Family History
SHORT PAPER 2 (AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL ESSAY) DUE November 14.

Week 13 (November 19 and 21):
Begin Maus for QUIZ and DISCUSSION on December 12.

Week 14 (November 26 and 28) Thanksgiving Recess

Week 15 (December 3 and 5): History in Fiction and Film
SHORT PAPER 3 (OUTLINE FOR HISTORICAL FICTION) DUE December 5.
Week 16 (December 10 and 12): Historic Preservation

Week 17 (December 16-20): Office Consultation
There will be no final exam: students should use the week to complete
PROJECT PROPOSALS, which are DUE December 20.

GUIDELINES FOR SHORT PAPERS

1. Book Review

A book review comprises both a summary of the book's contents and an assessment of the book's value to its intended audience and the field of inquiry to which it belongs. The organization of the review takes into account both areas and combines, in appropriate ways, a discussion of the book's contents and a critique. If a book has logical parts, for example, the reviewer can summarize and assess part one before moving on to part two. Quoting chapter titles should be avoided, and chapter summaries should be succinct and expressive.

Not only should a book's subject matter and significance be addressed, but the role of the author in shaping her discussion and her interest in the field need to be determined. Why does the author write his book? Does he hope to revise or modify present understanding of the topic, or add to his readers' understanding? How does the author defend her position? What are her qualifications? How has the book been received?

Does the author set out to prove something, or is the work mainly descriptive? If there is an argument, does it progress logically from chapter to chapter, and is the conclusion convincing? What methods are used to achieve the author's purpose(s)? Are there oversights or flaws in the argument? Are there omissions that, had they been included, would enrich the study?

Is the study engaging and the style appropriate to the subject and to the receptive audience? Is the book well-edited and well-illustrated? Is the style particularly unique? Does it contribute to the overall value of the book?

Your review should be preceded by bibliographic information and should close with your name and your professional affiliation (ISU). For example,

Beatrice Gottlieb, The Family in the Western World, From the Black Death to the Industrial Age (New York: Oxford University Press, 1993), i-x, 309 pp.

2. Historical Autobiography

This type of undertaking involves the author's life with the events or developments occurring during a specific span of time. It sees the life as inseparable from these events, and discerns their varied impact on the individual and his life choices.

Since the time and place that a person lives, as well as his cultural milieu, affect his response to events and developments, local and national, it is important to define these elements of the analysis first. Your paper's organization may take this form:

1) Express your thesis and create a basis for argument.

a) establish a date range for your study;
b) define the geographical setting(s) in which you have lived and worked;
c) explain the social and cultural influences on your life.
2) Identify the local and national events perceived by the general public to have been important.
a) which local occurrences, for instance, appeared in national news magazines or papers?
b) which local developments are remembered by family and community?
c) which national events/developments are reported at length in local newspapers or have made a mark on local folklore?
3) Assess the impact of these particular events/developments on your life.
4) Rephrase and expand your thesis.
a) discuss the dominant influences on the directions you have taken in your life;
b) assess their relative impact in areas such as social and economic life and work; in the development of cultural values; in your political stances and activities.

3. Query Letter for a Work of Historical Fiction

1) Preface
a) describe the purpose(s) of your undertaking;
to entertain? to enrich? to contribute to a genre or field?
other?
b) identify your intended audience (who will read your book?);
discuss socio-economic level, regional interest; education
level
c) what sub-genre(s) will your book correspond to?
thriller, love story, cowboy literature, gothic novel,
saga, mystery, biography?
d) what kinds of background will you need to acquire and research accomplish? (Will you need an advance?)
history? language? paleography? customs? geography and
geology?
2) Plot Outline
a) How will the novel open?
b) What is the sequence of events?
does the story develop chronologically or thematically?
does it attempt to cover contemporaries (for example,
Family A from 1900-1950; Family B from 1900-1950, and so on)
c) when is the revelation, climax, epiphany?
d) will you include an epilogue or historical note/disclaimer?

3) Message(s)
a) what information, understanding, awareness do you hope to introduce to your readers?
b) what issues do you hope to raise?
c) why is the story significant to you?

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HIST291--THE HISTORIAN'S CRAFT (Dr. Hatzenbuehler, Spring 2003)

Office: L.A. 330 - Hours: 11-12 MW; 1-3 TTh, and by appointment. E-mail: hatzrona@isu.edu

I. LEARNING GOALS: This course is required of all history majors as preparatory to HIST491- Seminar. HIST491 is the History Department's capstone course where students write an original research paper. The course may be of benefit to other students, especially those for whom a capstone experience is required. In HIST291, students will:
· 1) Demonstrate an understanding of the difference between primary and secondary sources. Students will demonstrate this understanding on the first examination.
· 2) Demonstrate the ability to combine primary and secondary sources in order to write an original essay. Students will demonstrate this ability in their original essay.
· 3) Demonstrate the ability to write an essay with an effective thesis statement, title, organizational framework and conclusion. Students will demonstrate this ability in their original essay.
· 4) Demonstrate an understanding of the concept of "feedback" and the ability to give effective feedback to others. Students will demonstrate this ability as they work with others in preparing their original essay.
· 5) Compose and present a tentative proposal for HIST491. Students will demonstrate this ability by writing and presenting orally to the class their proposal for HIST491.
Students must accomplish all of these learning goals in order to complete the class successfully. Students may remediate goal 1 in their original essays; students may remediate goals 2 and 3 by rewriting their original essays; students may remediate goal 4 by giving effective feedback as students prepare their tentative proposals for presentation to the class.

II. REQUIRED TEXTS:
Marius and Page, A Short Guide to Writing about History
May, ed., American Cold War Strategy

III. CLASS WEB SITE:
There is a web site for the course, and students are required to have an ISU Computer Account or reliable access to the Internet. To access the web site, go to http://webct.isu.edu Your username is your 6 digit Bengal Card Number. Your password is comprised of the two digits in your birth month followed by the two digits in your birth year.
You will use the web site in order to receive handouts and other information during the class.

IV. COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
· An examination over the contents of the Marius and Page book (100 points).
When I read your answers, I will ask myself: 1) have you focused on what the question is asking? 2) have you answered all parts of the question? 3) does your answer use sufficient, specific information to demonstrate that you know what you have wanted to know?
An "A" answer (18 to 20 pts.): covers all of these points; may contain minor, factual errors (answers do not have to be perfect in order to receive an "A" grade).
A "B" answer (16 or 17 points): is focused on what the question is asking; may give uneven attention to the various parts of the question, indicating lack of knowledge in some important areas; contains specific information but does not demonstrate a depth of knowledge or reveals confusion about the information; may contain important factual errors.
A "C" answer (14 or 15 pts.): may not demonstrate an understanding of what the question is asking; omits one or more parts of the question, indicating lack of knowledge in some important areas; demonstrates only superficial, factual knowledge of the material on which the question is based; may contain substantial errors of fact or confusing statements.
A "D" answer (12 or 13 pts.): has little or no focus; does not address all of the parts of the question; contains less than a superficial, factual knowledge or random, unconnected information; likely contains major errors of fact or confusing statements.
An "F" answer (11 pts. and below): reveals little understanding of what the question is asking; does not address all of the parts of the question; contains an inadequate factual knowledge of the material on which the question is based; likely contains major errors of fact or confusing statements, demonstrating that the student has not learned very much.
· Keeping a journal for the class (100 pts.). The journal should be kept in a notebook separate from your class or reading notes in which you interpret and reflect upon the information from the readings, discussions, and work in class on a weekly basis (minimum). You should demonstrate that you are trying to learn from what you are reading and experiencing in class by writing notes to yourself that you feel will be most helpful in successfully completing HIST491 or another capstone course. I will collect the journals for review following the examination (50 pts.) and writing the original essay (50 pts.).
· Writing an Original Essay in History (200 points). [For specific instructions and dates, please see the web site].
· Understanding the concept of "feedback" and giving effective feedback to others (50 pts.). [For specific instructions and dates, please see the web site].
· Designing an Original Research Paper for HIST491 (200 points): You will design an original research paper that might be done in HIST491 or another capstone course. [For specific instructions and dates, please see the web site]
· Active Learning (50 points): This is not a lecture class because your learning is dependent on improving your ability to read, write about and discuss the class assignments. In order to participate in the class, you must be prepared for class and willing to discuss the material that is scheduled for that day. I will challenge you throughout the class to be an active learner, as described by John H. Williams, "Clarifying Grade Expectations," in The Teaching Professor, August/September 1993:

Be an active learner in this class!

650 possible points for the course. 90 % = A; 80 % = B; 70 % = C; 60 % = D; >60 % = F. "Plus and minus" grades will be assigned during the semester to show you where you stand on the grading scale but will not appear as part of the final grade except in extraordinary circumstances. Withdrawals and incompletes will be given in accordance with the ISU Undergraduate Bulletin (please see current Class Schedule for relevant dates).

DAILY ASSIGNMENTS FOR READING THE MARIUS AND PAGE BOOK:
Jan. 14 -- Discussion of Learning Goals for the class and "active learning"; Linkage between HIST 291 and HIST 491 -- "Seminar -- A small group of advanced college students engaged in original research under the guidance of a professor"; meet with students who have downloaded the syllabus.

Jan. 16 - Questions about the syllabus; discussion of "preface" and pages 1-35 in Marius and Page. BRING 2 COPIES OF NOTES FROM THESE PAGES WITH YOU TO CLASS. TURNING IN A COPY OF THESE NOTES PRIOR TO CLASS IS REQUIRED FOR CLASS ATTENDANCE.
Jan. 21 - Thinking systematically; using primary sources effectively; discussion of Marius and Page, pages 104 -109 and Chapter 2 in Marius and Page. BRING 2 COPIES OF NOTES FROM THESE PAGES WITH YOU TO CLASS. TURNING IN A COPY OF THESE NOTES PRIOR TO CLASS IS REQUIRED FOR CLASS ATTENDANCE.
Jan. 23 - Using secondary sources effectively; discussion of Marius and Page, pages 102-104 and Chapter 3 in Marius and Page. BRING 2 COPIES OF NOTES FROM THESE PAGES WITH YOU TO CLASS. TURNING IN A COPY OF THESE NOTES PRIOR TO CLASS IS REQUIRED FOR CLASS ATTENDANCE.
Jan. 28 - Continued discussion of Chapter 3; effective titles (handout from web site).
Jan. 30 - The Science and Art of History (completed handout from web site required for class attendance).
Feb. 4 - Finding a Topic; Marius and Page, Chapter 4, esp. pp. 109-114.
Feb. 6 - Note-taking; Farrell's "Advice" at web site; Marius and Page, Chapter 5, esp. pp. 115-124.
Feb. 11 - Writing Style and Conventions; Marius and Page, Chapters 6 and 7.
Feb. 13 - Documentation (Back to the Beginning); Marius and Page, Chapter 8.
Feb. 18 - First Examination. Journals due.

Writing an original essay starts on Feb. 20 with work with staff from the Center for Teaching and Learning (see web site for assignments).
Preparing a proposal for HIST491 (or another capstone class) - see web site for assignments.

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HIST437 -- FAMILIES IN FORMER TIMES (Dr. S. CHRISTELOW)

Please visit me during my office hours in LA 334 at MWF 9:30-10:30am. You may contact me by phone (282-4535) or email (christep@isu.edu) and I will do my best to answer promptly.

ABOUT THE COURSE

This class will combine lectures, workshops and media to attempt to reconstruct the domestic lives of people in Europe from 1000 AD, when society was recovering from two centuries of upheaval, to the beginning of the industrial revolution in Europe, in about 1700 AD. This appears a long span of time, but it is characterized not so much by change, which was very gradual, but by continuity. We will need to understand both trends.

By examining family structures and patterns of behavior that emerged in the course of several hundred years, we can learn about society itself, for families, or the lack of them, determined the activities of the wealthy and the poor, the great and the small alike. Marriage formed the foundation of the family, but marriage could only occur among the privileged of any given class. The condition of the unmarried and the economic and social roles of rootless or kin-less people form underlying themes of the course.

The study of the family is a relatively new one, given respectability by French historians of the Annales School in the early to mid-twentieth century and accepted as valid in the United States only since the 1970s. Historians in this country have come to understand that familial concerns exercised a profound impact on the public activities--with regard to politics and power, service and work--of nobles, townsfolk and peasants alike. Yet because evidence is scant and must be carefully pieced together, our picture of pre-industrial family life resembles an incomplete mosaic, and much work in reconstruction remains to be done. This course, with our joint efforts at analysis, is part of that endeavor.

REQUIREMENTS

Your grade will be based on a journal of responses to the subject matter raised in the class (20%); participation in four workshops and typed workshop analyses (20%); an analytical paper (20%); a midterm (20%); and a final (20%). Workshops will be announced in advance and guidelines for workshop analyses provided during the second week of class. Similarly, guidelines for journal keeping, the analytical assignment and study guides for exams will be given out at appropriate times.

Your success, and your enjoyment of the course will depend on your conscientious work, both with respect to attendance and to completing the assigned reading. Readings will offer in depth insights on a variety of issues by the foremost researchers in the field of social history. Lectures will synthesize information and offer original views of the instructor; planned workshops and impromptu discussions will both stimulate and clarify participants' ideas. Together, the lectures and the readings will provide you with a full, varied and fascinating picture of families in former times, but the two sources of information are independent of one another--the readings will not coincide with the lectures, nor does the material present in one format duplicate that of the other. You will need to pace yourself within the guidelines given below.

TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION

For the midterm, complete David Herlihy, Medieval Households (Harvard, 1985); David Herlihy, "Family," AHR 96, no. 1 (Feb. 1991), pp. 1-16; Stephanie Mooers Christelow, "The Division of Inheritance and the Provision of Non-inheriting Offspring among the Anglo-Norman Elite," Medieval Prosopography, Vol. 17, no. 2 (Autumn 1996), pp. 3-44; and Frances and Joseph Gies, Marriage and the Family in the Middle Ages (Chicago, 1989).

Georges Duby, ed., A History of Private Life: Revelations of the Medieval World (Harvard, 1988) is recommended but not required.

WEEK 1 Beginning August 27: INTRODUCTION: SOCIAL STRUCTURES & FAMILY DYNAMICS
Read Herlihy, "Family" on reserve in the library.
WEEK 2 Beginning September 3 (a holiday): EUROPE IN 1000 AD
Begin Herlihy, Medieval Households.
WEEK 3 Beginning September 10: INFLUENCES ON FAMILY STRUCTURE
Read Christelow, "Division of Inheritance" on reserve in the History Dept.
WEEK 4 Beginning September 17: THE DOMUS
Finish Medieval Households.
WEEK 5 Beginning September 24: AGRICULTURAL LANDSCAPES: THE PEASANT VILLAGE
Begin Gies & Gies, Marriage and the Family.

WEEK 6 Beginning October 1: AGRICULTURAL LANDSCAPES: MANOR HOUSE AND CASTLE
WEEK 7 Beginning October 8: URBAN FAMILIES AND NEIGHBORS
WEEK 8 Beginning October 15 (the midterm is on October 22): PEASANT HOUSEHOLDS
Finish Gies & Gies, Marriage and the Family.

For the final, complete Barbara Hanawalt, The Ties That Bound (Oxford, 1989); Beatrice Gottlieb, The Family in the Western World (Oxford, 1993); Natalie Zemon Davis, The Return of Martin Guerre (Cambridge, Mass., 1983), chapters 2, 3 and 4 (on reserve in the library).

Steven Ozment, Ancestors: the Loving Family in Old Europe (Harvard, 2001) is recommended as well.

WEEK 9 Beginning on October 22 with the MIDTERM and following with the FILM: THE LION IN WINTER
Begin Hanawalt, The Ties that Bound.
WEEK 10 Beginning October 29: DEVIANTS & THE ABANDONED IN LATE MEDIEVAL SOCIETY
WEEK 11 Beginning November 5: CONFLICT, CRIME & MECHANISMS FOR STABILITY
WEEK 12 Beginning November 12: HEALTH AND MORTALITY
Finish The Ties that Bound.
WEEK 13 Beginning November 19: THANKSGIVING BREAK
Begin Gottlieb, The Family in the Western World.
WEEK 14 Beginning November 26: THE WORLD WE HAVE LOST
Read chapters 2-4 in Davis, The Return of Martin Guerre.
WEEK 15 Beginning December 3: FILM "THE RETURN OF MARTIN GUERRE"
WEEK 16 Beginning December 10: FAMILIES & COMMUNITIES ON THE EVE
OF THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION
Finish The Family in the Western World.

The final is on Friday, December 21, from 7:30 am to 9:30 am in the seminar room.

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HIST405 - THE VIKING AGE (Dr. Stephanie Christelow, Spring 2003)

About the Course

The Viking impact on Europe is almost always described in negative terms, for the chroniclers and commentators of medieval Europe were alien to the culture of the northern seas. The devastations of the raiders are depicted as particularly horrific, without remark upon the equally violent depredations of European armies upon perceived enemies within Europe itself.

The purpose of this course is to understand the relations between Scandinavia and Europe in the Viking Age, from roughly 750 AD to 1050 AD, and to perceive causes and effects in less subjective ways. We will investigate Scandinavian society and institutions, and analyze the ways in which the Vikings altered the societies they encountered through raids, trade and settlement. Finally, we will determine the ways in which settlement changed the Vikings themselves.

The subject is an important one because the Vikings represent Europe's earliest, far-reaching colonial venture. It forms a case study in the history of domination and conquest which much of human society has experienced. It therefore teaches us about human reactions to violence and to peace, about attitudes toward immigrants and natives alike, and about the types of changes that can occur when opposing cultures come into conflict.

It is interesting that after two hundred years of confrontation, Scandinavia adopted European cultural patterns, economic systems and religious perceptions. We might ask why the Vikings shifted their patterns of behavior to assimilate with people they had only recently attacked? Our answer might take us back to the beginning, to our search for causes for the onset of the Viking Age. Class members are welcome to discuss these and related issues in my office, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10 to 10:50 am and by appointment.

Class Responsibilities

A. Read and study carefully all required books and supplied outlines, handouts and maps.

Purchase the following books (amazon.com is a reliable and cheap alternative to the ISU bookstore):

Jesse Byock, Saga of the Volsungs
Gwyn Jones, A History of the Vikings
J. Haywood, The Penguin Atlas of the Vikings
H. Palsson, ed., Seven Viking Romances
Peter Sawyer, ed., Oxford History of the Vikings

B. Question the validity and significance of evidence provided in all sources.

Participate in six workshops, and write six 2-page analyses of the material provided and discussed in class. These are due one week after the workshop concerned (30% of grade).

C. Attempt to understand the Vikings on their own terms, and to perceive causes as arising from both European and Scandinavian policy.

Write two 5-page interpretive essays (1) on the impact of Scandinavian devastation during the period 850-950 AD and, (2) on the effects of immigration on settled societies from approximately 950-1050 AD (each 15% of grade). Specific guidelines will be provided.

D. Synthesize course material with ideas expressed in lectures and workshops to further an understanding of the Viking Age.

Attend classes regularly (10% of grade). Please bring your historical atlases to class daily.

Grapple with specific issues and long-term developments on a midterm (15%) and a final (15% of grade).

Topics for Discussion

Scandinavia in the Eighth Century -- Read Jones, A History of the Vikings (hereafter, Jones), Part I; Historical Atlas (HA), Part I; and The Saga of the Volsungs.

January 13, 15 & 17 Identity, Mentality and Environment
Workshop on January 17: The Context for Viking Activity

January 22 & 24 Early History

January 27, 29 & 31 Religious Values and Personal Ethics
Guest lecture on January 29: Dr. Janne Goldbeck, "An Introduction to Old Norse"

February 3, 5 & 7 Scandinavian Social Organization
Workshop on February 7: The Acquisition of Wealth: A Case Study

England and the Continent in the Eighth Century -- Read HA, Part II and Sawyer, The Oxford Illustrated History of the Vikings, (hereafter, Sawyer), Chapters 1-6.

February 10, 12 & 14 North Sea Commercial and Political Relations

February 19 & 21 Anglo-Saxon Society and Government
Part 1 of NOVA: "The Vikings" on February 21

February 24, 26 & 28 Anglo-Saxon Culture
Workshop on February 24: Old English Economy and Resources

March 3, 5 & 7 The Carolingian Empire

Raids to Settlement -- Read Jones, Parts II-III; HA, Parts III and V; and Seven Viking Romances.

March 10, 12 & 14 The European Renaissance
Midterm on March 14

March 17-21 SPRING BREAK

March 24, 26 & 28 The First Phase of the Raids 787-840
Workshop on March 28: The Nature of the Raids

March 31, April 2 & 4 The Second Phase of the Raids 840-910

April 7, 9 & 11 The Processes of Settlement in Europe
Part II of NOVA: "The Vikings" on April 11

Accommodation and Assimilation -- Read Jones, Part IV; HA, Part IV; and Sawyer, Chapters 7-11.

April 14, 16 & 18 The Occupation of the Northern Isles
Workshop on April 18: Encountering Vinland

April 21, 23 & 25 The Danish Empire
Workshop on April 25: The Song of the Battle of Maldon

April 28, 30 & May 1 Scandinavia in the Eleventh Century

May 5, 7 & 9 Looking Forward: Icelandic Sagas and Society

The Final Exam is on Wednesday December 15 from 10:30 am to 1:00 pm. Please bring blue books to class.

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HIST405/505 -- LATE MEDIEVAL FRANCE, ca. 1300-1500 (Dr. S. Christelow)

CONSULTATION

My Office Hours are TuTh 8:30-9:30 in LA 334; I can receive email at christep@isu.edu and phone messages at 282-4535.

PURPOSE

Late Medieval Europe suffered intense and prolonged disasters in every area of life: environmental and demographic, social and political, cultural and religious. Each compounded the effect of the others, and these, together, precipitated violent conflict and revolutionary change. Without these experiences, industrial Europe and the modern west would have taken vastly different forms than we are familiar with today.
Most European countries responded to disasters positively, as springboards for necessary change. High taxation to fund the Hundred Years' War, for instance, caused English monarchs to acquiesce in the face of demands for representative government, and although "no taxation without representation" had been an operating principle since Magna Carta (1215), the 15th century saw the ideal become reality. In contrast, France met cries for tax relief with suppression and genocide.
It was France's insistence on maintaining the Ancien Régime, a collection of political and economic privileges enjoyed by the elite which paved the way for a second, more devastating series of crises in the late 18th century. A relative latecomer to beliefs of political equality, France was to launch the bloodiest of revolts against established powers, and would embark upon the most radical experiment in democracy in an age of democratic revolutions. This course provides a case study in human responses to crisis; it explores dramatic change and its ramifications, both immediate and long term, in a pivotal epoch of France's history.

ASSESSMENT

Because the developments of the late middle ages were ongoing and simultaneous, we will analyze them thematically but within a rough chronological framework. Evaluated course-work will consist of a midterm (20%), a final (30%), three workshop reviews (30%) and an analytical essay (20%). You will need to study the required reading, consider evidence presented in class lectures and listen thoughtfully to the views of your peers.

For the midterm on October 23, read Ladurie, Montaillou; Froissart, Chronicles and Duby, France in the Middle Ages, Part III; Parts I and II are recommended for people needing background to the late middle ages. Begin Sullam, Villages of France.

For the final on December 11, read Christine de Pisan, The Treasure of the City of Ladies; Joan of Arc, In Her Own Words; and The Cambridge Illustrated History of France, chapter five (xeroxed selection in History Department office). Finish Villages of France.

The essay will involve analysis of Joan of Arc, In Her Own Words and is due on November 27. Questions and guidelines will be made available after the midterm.

PROPOSED SCHEDULE OF TOPICS

1 IDENTITY and ETHNICITY

Aug 21: Themes
Aug 23: Ethnicity and the French Past
Aug 25: Identity of Place: Geography and Micro-environments

Aug 28: Economic Identities
Aug 30: Class and Political Allegiance
Sep 1: Church and State

2 TIMES OF FEAST AND FAMINE

Sep 4: Labor Day
Sep 6: Shifting Climates
Sep 8: Shifting Fortunes

3 THE DECLINE OF THE MEDIEVAL PAPACY

Sep 11: Economic Challenges: Anti-Clericalism
Sep 13: Religious Discontent: Heresy
Sep 15: The Loss of Credibility

4 THE RISE OF THE FRENCH SECULAR STATE

Sep 18: WORKSHOP: Montaillou's Orthodox and Heretical Religions
Sep 20: The Monarchy and the Succession
Sep 22: War and Taxation

5 FRANCE'S DEMOGRAPHIC CRISIS

Sep 25: Poverty, Malnutrition and High Mortality
Sep 27: The Bubonic Plague and France's Urban Population
Sep 29: Farms and Villages during the Plague Era

6 REVOLUTION!

Oct 2: Urban Identity, Communal Power
Oct 4: The Peasantry finds its Voice
Oct 6: The Nobility under Siege

7 FRANCE AND ITS NEIGHBORS IN THE 14TH CENTURY

Oct 9: Spain, Portugal and Italy
Oct 11: Germany and the Slavic and Scandinavian Lands
Oct 13: England, Gascony and Flanders

8 A CENTURY OF WAR ON FRENCH SOIL

Oct 16: WORKSHOP: Perceptions of Conflict in Froissart's Chronicles
Oct 18: The Hundred Years' War: 14th Century Phase
Oct 20: The Hundred Years' War: 14th Century Phase

9 AVIGNON: PAPAL CAPITAL AND COMMERCIAL CENTER

Oct 23: MIDTERM

Oct 25: The French Popes
Oct 27: Religious Patronage and Art

10 LEARNING AND LITERATURE IN THE 15TH CENTURY

Oct 30: Elite Culture
Nov 1: Popular Culture
Nov 3: Folk Tales and the Salons

11 GENDER AND POWER

Nov 6: Women's Roles Defined: a Parisian Merchant's Wife
Nov 8: Women's Roles Ignored: Jeanne d'Arc
Nov 10: Women's Roles Affirmed: Christine de Pisan

12 FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES IN 15TH CENTURY FRANCE

Nov 13: WORKSHOP: Survival and Change in The Treasure of the City of Ladies
Nov 15: Community Solidarity
Nov 17: Community Divisions

13 THE POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC BASES OF POWER

Nov 20: The Trial of Joan of Arc
Nov 22: THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY
Nov 24: "

Nov 27: The Reassertion of Royal Authority
Nov 29: The Power of the Courts
Dec 1: The Disenfranchisement of the Third Estate

14 FRANCE IN 1500

Dec 4: Unity and Diversity
Dec 6: Compassion and Conflict
Dec 8: Epilogue: the Ancien Régime

Dec 11: FINAL EXAM (10 am to 12 pm)

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HIST446/546 -- A SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC HISTORY OF GREECE AND ROME (Dr. Stephanie Christelow, Spring 2001 Semester)

THEMES

In this course, we will approach the history of the ancient Greek and Roman worlds from the perspectives of social and economic historians. That is, we will analyzed the ways in which groups of people-families, patrons, clients and slaves, for instance-were influenced by long term social and economic conditions during the millennium and a half from about 1000 BC to 500 AD.

Underlying our investigation are two premises:

first, that history is shaped as much by ordinary people with everyday concerns as by "the great men and the great causes" and

second, that among such concerns, the acquisition of food and water forms the primary motive of human behavior.

Geography and climate, technology, labor and social organization have an impact, then, on the appearance and functioning of households, villages, cities and, ultimately on civilization itself. A chief goal of this course will be to understand the ways such factors were brought to bear on social developments in much of the ancient world.

EVALUATION OF COURSE WORK

Your grade for the course, if you are an undergraduate, will be determined through your participation in six workshops (for 30% of your grade), your analysis of the two primary sources in short papers (10% each); your responses on a midterm (20%) and on a final (30%). The work of graduate students will assessed on the same six workshops and two analytical papers (40%), a midterm (20%), a final (25%) and an analytical paper concerning issues of empire disclosed by Julius Caesar's Conquest of Gaul (10%). Graduate students should purchase the Penguin edition of this work prior to the second portion of the class.

Success in all areas evaluated will depend on your thoughtful analysis of readings, conscientious preparation for workshops and attendance of lectures, which will provide you with original as well as supplemental information. Since there is no text assigned, the lectures are particularly important to the perception of causes, connections and effects. Questions and comments, which this type of class ordinarily provokes, are welcome unless they inhibit class progress. The discussion of special or small group interests will more appropriately take place in my office (LA 336) during my office hours, where snacks will be provided.

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE OF LECTURES AND WORKSHOPS

Part One: Greece

Before the midterm, read The Odyssey, Handbook to Life in Ancient Greece and Greece: Athens and the Mainland.

Jan 15 MARTIN LUTHER KING/HUMAN RIGHTS DAY
Jan 17 Issues and Evidence
Jan 19 Geography and Climate in the Central Mediterranean

Jan 22 Greek Prehistory: the Neolithic Age
Jan 24 Greek Prehistory: the Bronze Age
Jan 26 The Iron Age and Archaic Greece

Jan 29 Population and Ethnicity in the First Millennium BC
Jan 31 Rituals and Religions in Mediterranean Society
Feb 2 Rituals and Religions, continued

Feb 5 Kinship, Neighborhood and Community
Feb 7 Ionian Greece and the Politics of the Individual
Feb 9 Dorian Greece and the Good of the State

Feb 12 WORKSHOP: Sparta and Greek Culture in the 8th and 7th Centuries
Feb 14 Urban and Rural Greece
Feb 16 Poverty and Colonization

Feb 19 PRESIDENT'S DAY HOLIDAY
Feb 21 Poverty, Political Change and the Aristocratic Reaction
Feb 23 Commerce and Trade

Feb 26 WORKSHOP: Greek Cities
Feb 28 FILM: "In the Footsteps of Alexander"
Mar 2 FILM: "In the Footsteps of Alexander," continued

Mar 5 Multiculturalism: the Greek World becomes a Global Community
Mar 7 Social Mentality in the Hellenistic Age
Mar 9 Greek Households

Mar 12 WORKSHOP: Women at Home and in Greek Communities
Mar 14 Land and Slaves
Mar 16 The Failure of the Cosmopolis and the Rise of Rome

Part Two: Rome

Before the final, read The Letters of the Younger Pliny; Handbook to Life in Ancient Rome and Italy.

Mar 19 SPRING BREAK
Mar 21 "
Mar 23 "

Mar 26 MIDTERM
Mar 28 Italy in the Paleolithic Era
Mar 30 Neolithic and Iron Age Italy

Apr 2 Etruscans, Greeks and Phoenicians in Italy, 800-500 BC
Apr 4 Etruscan Rome and Roman Revolt
Apr 6 WORKSHOP: Etruscan Necropoleis

Apr 9 Social Classes and Patronage
Apr 11 Domestic and Personal Concerns
Apr 13 Roman Marriages

Apr 16 Expansion and Regional Adaptation in North Africa
Apr 18 The Conquest and Domination of the Iberian Peninsula

Apr 20 WORKSHOP: Romano-British Society

Apr 23 Caesar, Gaul and the Emergence of a Gallo-Roman Aristocracy
Apr 25 Romans and Radical Jews in Judea: 50 BC-150 AD
Apr 27 Social Discontent and the Erosion of Political Order

Apr 30 Law, Regulation and Resistence: Rome in the 4th Century
May 2 Occupations and Poverty
May 4 WORKSHOP: Slaves and Freedmen

May 7 Transformations of the Roman Empire: Religion
May 9 Transformations: Language, Literature and Culture
May 11 Transformations: Power

May 14 FINAL EXAM: 10 am to 12 pm

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HIST448/548 - MEDIEVAL SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC HISTORY (Dr. S. Christelow, Spring 2000)

Our course meets in the ISU Library, Room 66 and at CHE 303, Idaho Falls. I will be happy to meet with people on campus during my office hours, MWF 1:30 to 2:30 pm. On occasion, I will broadcast the course from the Idaho Falls campus, and will be available then to advise Idaho Falls students.

About the Course

This course focuses on common people and their activities during a thousand year epoch of social and economic change, from roughly 400 to 1400 CE. A main premise of the course is that historical developments move from the bottom up: governments responded to the needs and demands of the people they sought to control. These needs revolved about economic survival and adjustment to demographic changes brought on by migration, war, climate, famine and disease.

The study of medieval economies and societies is both exciting and challenging. We lack sufficient written evidence to reconstruct activities of household and farm, country and town. Our approach will be interdisciplinary and comparative, and our sources will include numismatics, place names, artifacts and literature.

Evaluation

There will be one midterm (worth 20%), two 30 minute quizzes (10% each), an analytical essay (30%) and a take home final exam (also worth 30% of your grade). Study guides containing potential exam questions will be given out a week before the quizzes and the midterm.

The analytical essay will discuss your observations about society and economy in an English county in the twenty years (1066-1086) covered by Domesday Book (Phillimore Edition). You will need to purchase or check out one volume (library call number: DA 190 D5 1975). Guidelines for the assignment will be provided and discussed after the first midterm.

You will also need to acquire these texts:

Richard Hodges and David Whitehouse, Mohammed and Charlemagne
Gregory of Tours, A History of the Franks
Carlo Cipolla, Before the Industrial Revolution
Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales

Assignments are noted with the schedule of topics, below. Norman Pounds, An Economic History of Medieval Europe is an optional reference.

Topics for Analysis and Discussion

PART I. RURAL EUROPE

For this section of the course, read Mohammed and Charlemagne (all); and A History of the Franks (all).

Week of Jan 10: Methods of Analysis

Week of Jan 17: Social Dynamics (Jan 17 is a holiday)

Week of Jan 24: Political Collapse and Territorial Disintegration in the
Late Roman Empire

Week of Jan 31: Popular Culture and Paganism

Week of Feb 7: Production and Trade in the Early Middle Ages

Week of Feb 14: Violence, Crime and Dynastic Competition (quiz on A History of the Franks, Feb 18)

Week of Feb 21: The Carolingian Empire: Order and Conflict (Feb 25 is a holiday)

Week of Feb 28: Britons and Scandinavians in the North Sea

Week of Mar 6: Spring Break (the midterm will be on Monday, Mar 13)

PART II. URBAN EUROPE

For the second part of the course, read Before the Industrial Revolution (all); and The Canterbury Tales (all).

Week of Mar 13: Social Bonds and Dependent Tenure

Week of Mar 20: Societies in Transition

Week of Mar 27: Agricultural Landscapes

Week of Apr 3: Urban Society (the analytical paper is due Apr 7)

Week of Apr 10: Wealth, Exchange, Capital and Investment

Week of Apr 17: Population and Poverty (quiz on Canterbury Tales, Apr 21)

Week of Apr 24: Economic Disequilibrium and Demographic Crisis

Week of May 1: Chronological Overview (May 5 is a free day)

Office consultation is available on Wednesday, May 10 from 9:30 am to noon; the take home final is due on Wednesday, May 12 by noon.

ANALYTICAL ESSAY GUIDELINES
Domesday Book and English Society in the Eleventh Century

Goals
This exercise provides an opportunity to analyze primary sources as practicing historians, systematically, critically and thoroughly. It allows you to glimpse social and economic conditions from a regional and local perspective, rather than from a broad and comprehensive treatment, such as that provided by your textbook. It enables you to test basic assumptions about medieval society, and to draw your own conclusions about that society.

Methodology and Organization
Before you deal with general questions raised by Domesday Book, you will need to understand the context in which the survey was produced. Do all the reading required for the first half of the course before you read your volume of Domesday Book. What do you perceive as the dominant economic and social characteristics of the eleventh century? What kinds of regional variation do you find in the areas of population growth and urban development? How is the norm reflected in England after the Norman Conquest? Addressing these issues will enable you to assess the significance of Domesday Book as a major source for economic and social historians. Your ideas will form the introduction to your paper.

After reading your volume of Domesday Book from cover to cover at least twice, and taking notes on aspects of the survey that interest you, you will have formed an impression of trends and qualities of life apparent in your county. Be able to describe your county in 1066 and in 1086. What is it like? Where is it? How large is it? What are its major towns and religious houses, and where are they located? What are the major economic endeavors? What is produced? Is it a wealthy county? A populous one? How did the Norman Conquest affect the county's people and the economy? Is the general image of European economic growth reflected in your evaluation of one English county during the late eleventh century? In what ways and to what extent? Responses to these questions will form the second section of your analytical essay.

Choose a specific aspect of society or economy during the twenty years covered by Domesday Book to examine in close detail. You may compare conditions in 1066 with those in 1086, or focus on one or the other year. Be sure to state clearly what you intend to do. Much of your analysis will involve rudimentary statistics (adding and subtracting)--double check all math, and keep records (printouts, tapes, notes) to back up your conclusions.

You might choose to study class structure or power and landholding; the effect of the Norman Conquest on Anglo-Scandinavian landholding or on women landholders; the use of serfs (servi) on your county's manor's; livestock or cereal production; the relative importance of royal lands, the estates of religious houses and of the lay nobility (tenants-in-chief; capital investments, such as wind or water mills; worth; devastation or waste brought on by the Conquest; conflicts over possession of land; or the distribution of tax exemptions. This will form the bulk of your paper.

Your conclusion should focus on the significance of your specific findings for the study of medieval society and economy. What is surprising, interesting or important about your research? What questions does it raise? What directions does it suggest for future study?

Presentation

Revise and refine your paper several times in order to produce the finest and most convincing product possible. Submit rough drafts to me well before the paper is due to help remove inconsistencies or redundancies.

Your paper, should be typed and no more than five pages in length. It should be professionally presented, proofread for errors, and reflective of hard, conscientious work. It is due April 7.