2020-2021 Catalog 
    
    Mar 28, 2024  
2020-2021 Catalog [PREVIOUS CATALOG YEAR]

HIS 201 - Western Civilization I


Description: Exploration of the major developments in Western Civilization to 1688. Exploration of the social, intellectual, political, economical, religious, and cultural components that form the core of the modern western world.

Prerequisites: ENG 101  or ENG 103 . Reading Proficiency.

Credits: 3
Lecture: 3
Course Content:
  1. Early humankind
  2. Early societies-prehistoric revolutions
  3. Ancient societies: Egypt and Mesopotamia
  4. Religious traditions and their impact: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
  5. Classical societies: Hellenic, Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine
  6. Feudal society
  7. The Middle Ages and its crisis
  8. Religious Movements: Luther, Calvin, and the Catholic Reformation
  9. Renaissance culture and the development of humanism
  10. Exploration, Colonialism, and Mercantilism
  11. Development of slavery and racialist thought
  12. Rise of new science and technology
  13. Early Modern State
  14. Philosophical movements
  15. Political Revolutions
  16. Culture, ethnicity/race and/or gender
  17. Theories, methods, and historiography

Learning Outcomes:
  1. Evaluate historical events through different historical methods, theories, and interpretations. (1-17) 
  2. Contrast common memory to historical evidence. (1-17) 
  3. Define and utilize relevant terminology. (1-16)
  4. Locate, retrieve, and analyze primary and secondary historical sources. (1-17) 
  5. Evaluate the reliability and objectivity of various historical evidence. (1-17) 
  6. Evaluate and analyze historical issues. (1-16) 
  7. Formulate questions, make inferences, form generalizations, and draw conclusions from historical research. (1-17)
  8. Create, organize, and support a thesis in written and/or oral form. (1-17) 
  9. Employ accurate and required citation format. (1-17)
  10. Evaluate the issues of culture, ethnicity/race and/or gender, class and cultural diversity in the context of Western history. (1-16) 
  11. Interpret events and actions within appropriate temporal and spatial contexts. (1-16) 
  12. Define the cultural, political, religious, scientific/technological, and economic structures that contributed to the development of Western Societies. (1-17)
  13. Define and articulate the pivotal events in Western history within their historical context and interpret their contributions towards change and continuity (or cause and effect) of the historical period. (1-16)

Required Assessment:
  1. Engage in active, informed and scholarly discussion.
  2. Identify, locate and analyze primary source materials germane to historical study.
  3. Conduct scholarly research using a research library.
  4. Employ thoughtful and precise writing (a minimum of 2500 words), critical reasoning, and analytical discourse through assigned writing tasks, essay examinations, journals, and research papers.