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HISTORY 100 WESTERN CIVILIZATION, I |
| Instructor: Bruce L. Venarde, Assistant Professor of History Office: Forbes Quadrangle 3M26, 624-8437 Office hours: W 2-4 and by appointment bvenarde+@pitt.edu |
| Teaching Fellows: Randi Ballen and Benjamin Reilly |
| DESCRIPTION AND GOALS |
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History 0100 is an introduction to the study of history in the form of a rapid survey of the origins and development of Western societies and institutions from the ancient Near East to the early eighteenth century. Lectures will focus on three themes: the organization of power, religious ideals and practices, and the nature and scope of women's activities in successive eras. The primary goals of History 0100 are 1) to familiarize you with the basic chronology, geography, and themes of early Western culture and 2) to introduce you to critical reading of a variety of historical sources materials. Because the lectures are necessarily brief overviews, section meetings are critical for understanding the material at hand. Since examinations derive from the lectures and sections, regular attendance is vital to your success in this course. Despite its low course number, History 0100 presents the challenge of keeping up week by week. If you have enrolled on the assumption that this is an easy way to fulfill a requirement, I urge you to reconsider. |
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REQUIREMENTS AND GRADE WEIGHTING |
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| Please note: 1) Attendance and participation in section will be reflected in your final grade; motivated efforts are generously rewarded. Come to recitation ready to answer the questions in Sources of the West and others arising from the textbook reading or the lectures. 2) Examinations consist of short answers and essays; a map quiz is part of the final. Topics for essays are distributed in advance. 3) Make-up exams may be scheduled in case of physical or pscyhological distress, but only if you contact the instructor BEFORE the exam or bring a note from a physician or dean. It is theoretically possible to pass the course after missing one exam, but in practice it happens very seldom. Non-attendance at the final will result in a "G" if excused, a failing grade otherwise. |
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BOOKS (available at the Book Center) |
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| Note: There is a website for the Kishlansky textbook -- http://longman.awl.com/kishlansky-- with useful chapter summaries, glossaries, and multiple choice quizzes. |
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SCHEDULE OF READINGS AND EXAMS |
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