Course Catalog

HIS101E World History I (3 credits) 9616

COURSE DESCRIPTION
A survey of the history and culture of early times from the beginning of civilization through the Reformation. Special attention is given to cultural traits, customs and institutions that make up civilized ways of life. Cultures and political developments are studied against the primary worldview of each civilization.

LEARNING RESULTS
The learner will be able to:
• Develop an understanding of the role geography played in shaping the earliest societies.
• Identify and describe the axial age of philosophy.
• List key events that shaped world civilizations before 1650.
• Summarize the differences between the traditional cultures of Asia, Europe, Africa, and North America.
• Explain how Christianity and Islam shaped world cultures.

REQUIRED TEXTS AND MATERIALS
• Stearns, P., et al. World Civilizations: The Global Experience 5th edition volume I, Beginnings to 1750. (Addison Wesley, 2007). ISBN: 0-321-40984-1.
• Confucius The Analects , DC Lau translator, (ISBN: 0140443487) NY: Penguin 1979.
• Bacon New Atlantis (ISBN: 0882951262) Jerry Weinberger, 1989 revised edition

To purchase textbooks, click here - AMAZON.com
 

INTEGRATION OF FAITH AND LEARNING
The integration of faith and learning permeates the course through interaction with individual learners in the form of comments, reflections and insights in the assignments. Learners are also called upon in the assignments to reflect on how their worldview is shaped by their religious beliefs and how their religious beliefs are shaped by their worldview. For example in assignment 4 learners are asked to think about the Chinese world view on a good ruler and how this may differ from their own world view. In assignment # 7 learners are called upon to see how Christ himself was not conformed to the world. In assignment # 10 & 11 the students are asked to look at Islam as both a world power and as a set of beliefs and the result is a hoped for reflection on how the two views are congruent. Furthermore, examining the history of world cultures learners are confronted by several questions 1) how similar and how different are world religions; 2) what role has religion played in shaping human social experiments; 3) are their
moments of divine intervention in human affairs; 4) does God still covenant with nations.

LEARNING DOCUMENTATION
To determine if the course learning results have been attained, students document their learning by submitting the following items:
• Essay discussing geography
• Internet assignment on Gilgamesh
• Internet assignment on Hinduism
• Essay discussing Confucian view of good ruler\
• Chronological chart of Greek & Roman thinkers
• Essay discussing the Axial age
• Jesus evaluation
• Essay on core and fringe societies
• Internet assignment on mound builders
• Essay on the global impact of Islam
• Chart an organizing Islamic thought into major tenets
• Black death art work
• Chinese thesis
• Discussion of Bacon
• Reflection paper

There are 15 assignments and 0 examinations for this course.

LEARNING EVALUATION
Evaluation is on a point system.
Assignment #1 50 points
Assignment #2 25 points
Assignment #3 25 points
Assignment #4 50 points
Assignment #5 25 points
Assignment #6 50 points
Assignment #7 50 points
Assignment #8 50 points
Assignment #9 25 points
Assignment #10 50 points
Assignment #11 25 points
Assignment #12 25 points
Assignment #13 50 points
Assignment #14 50 points
Assignment #15 150 points

Total Points 700