Ron Heller
Course Title: Western Civilization
Section: 420-1
Objectives:
In the Fall semester we will focus on the ancient civilizations of Greece and Rome with the purpose of identifying the universal qualities, politically and socially of these two areas that affect our lives today. We will then trace the rise of the Catholic Church from the ashes of the Roman Empire and the appearance of national entities such as England and France. The semester will end with the kaleidoscope that is the Renaissance and the spectre of religious upheaval as roots are planted for the Protestant Reformation.
In the Spring semester we will see how the settlement of the question of
man’s relationship with his Creator paves the way for the new question of man’s relationship with his sovereign. This is eventually settled by Revolutionary movements in England and France in the 17th and 18th centuries. In the wake of the Napoleonic Period we will examine the rise of nationalism in Italy and Germany in the middle of the 19th century. This year a unit will be devoted to the influence in Europe of the powerful Habsburg monarchy of Austria.. Finally a review of Imperialism, social changes, and the political rivalries of the late 19th century will prepare us for the incredible violence and social upheaval of the 20th century.
Methods:
Western Civilization is taught in a lecture intensive environment. Students have been exposed in Middle School to this process and have begun to acquire the life-long skill of note-taking. It is in the Freshman year that this skill is brought to a level of competency, if not mastery. To achieve this end, students will be given daily outlines to help them in disseminating what is important from what is not ; a key component in the process of becoming fluent in this skill. An outcome of this is that students become more pro-active learners and critical thinkers. Technology is incorporated to enhance the experience via occasional PowerPoint presentations, videos, etc.
Assessment Procedures:
Tests- will be given roughly every two weeks and will be formatted either as multiple choice, short answers, essay or identification of terms.
Homework- is not conventional. On weeks where there is no test scheduled students will have a quiz based upon chapter readings (portions) and section
assessments. The student will memorize answers to questions in the text which they will prepare at home and be quizzed on that Wednesday. Occasionally students will have a Primary source reading(instead of a homework quiz) handout in which they may be asked to respond to a series of questions or write a summary. This will be typed and completed at home. All quizzes and reading assignments will be written on the board.
Resources Used:
Text: Roger B. Beck, Linda Black ,et.al., World History: Patterns of Interaction, Boston: McDougall-Littell, 2007
Additional Readings
Geras, Adele, “Troy”
Healey, Judith, “The Canterbury Papers”
Liss, David “ The Coffee Trader
Content and Pacing:
see Objectives
Notes:
The above information applies to all Western Civilization classes.
