HomeMy WebLinkAboutHIS-106 1
Bergen Community College
School of Arts, Humanities, & Wellness
Department of History & Geography
Course Syllabus
HIS106—Modern Europe to the French Revolution
Basic Information about Course and Instructor
Semester and year:
Course and Section Number:
Meeting Times and Locations:
Instructor:
Office Location:
Phone:
Departmental Secretary: [optional]
Office Hours:
Email Address:
Course Description
This course is an analysis of western European history from the late Middle Ages to 1815. The course provides an
overview of the major political, economic, and cultural developments that molded early modern Europe and
culminates with an intensive examination of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic era.
3 credits General Education
Student Learning Objectives: As a result of meeting the requirements in this course, students will be able to
1. Identify the major periods in the history of western civilization from antiquity to the end of the Middle Ages.
2. Demonstrate an understanding of the narrative framework and factual basis of western history.
3. Identify and analyze the important political, economic, social, intellectual, and religious forces that shaped these
periods.
4. Summarize and interpret the continuity and change that occurs between successive civilizations.
5. Demonstrate the ability to develop a thesis and support it with historical evidence both in writing and orally.
6. Demonstrate basic research skills by locating and using source materials.
7. Summarize, paraphrase, and quote historical information in properly cited written analyses
8. Demonstrate the ability to state and support their own interpretation of historical issues concisely, coherently, and
logically.
9.
Course Content
History 106 is a survey of European history from the emergence of distinctive kingdoms in the late middle ages to the
efforts of Napoleon to unite these European regions under his own control. The course will delve deeper into not only
events of this period, but also the ideas and experiences of the people who lived in early modern Europe. Students will
gain an understanding of the development of various components of Western life such as government, business, the
military and popular culture. At the end of the course students will gain a appreciation of the relationship of past events
with present conditions in the world.
Course Texts
Palmer, Colton, and Kramer. A History of the Modern World to 1815 v1 10th edition (McGraw-Hill, 2006).
Assessment and Grading
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In pursuit of the foregoing goals, the course is based on the reading and discussion of historical writings from
both primary and secondary sources; the techniques of historical research and writing are reviewed, and
students are expected to use subject specific resources in their preparation for active participation in class and
for writing assignments. Students are required to do a substantial amount of expository and critical writing in
response to the material presented in the course and by conducting outside research.
Because HIS-106 is a General Education course, it requires students to complete a variety of critical thinking
and writing assignments. These assignments may include class discussions and debates requiring the application
of critical thinking skills, short in-class essays, out-of-class writing projects (journals, research papers,
argument-analysis papers, book reviews, etc.), tests and examinations containing essay components, and so
forth. Instructors will respond to and comment on students' writing in detail.
Grading Policy
A student's final grade for the course is based primarily on his or her performance on the required work for the
course (writing assignments, examinations, class presentations, etc.) and on his or her overall mastery of the
material covered in the course. A student's class participation may also be evaluated, and the grade thereon may
be used as a factor in determining the student's final grade for the course; but a class participation grade will
count for no more than fifteen percent (15%) of the final grade. Examinations can consist of objective questions
such as multiple choice and short answers, but an essay of some form should also be evaluated as part of the
test. A sample grade distribution is as follows:
Mid-Term Exam
30%
Final-Exam (non-comprehensive)
30%
Writing/Research Assignments
30%
Participation/Collegiality
10%
Total
100%
BCC Attendance Policy:
All students are expected to attend punctually every scheduled meeting of each course in which they are registered.
Attendance and lateness policies and sanctions are to be determined by the instructor for each section of each course.
These will be established in writing on the individual course outline. Attendance will be kept by the instructor for
administrative and counseling purposes.
History and Geography Departmental Attendance Policy:
It is imperative that students attend class on a daily basis in order to secure the knowledge necessary to succeed in the
course. Coming to class on time and staying for the entire class period is expected. Excessive absences will have a
detrimental effect on your performance in this course. Attendance will be taken at each class session. It is expected that
class will be conducted such that students will benefit in their written work by the lectures and class discussion. If studen ts
occasionally arrive late, they should be encouraged to enter quietly, not disturbing the class. If students miss class, they
should be encouraged to use the course calendar to stay abreast of material. It is probably a good idea for students to find
study partners and to exchange telephone numbers. Make-ups for examinations should be allowed by the instructor if, in
the instructor's judgment, the student has presented a good excuse for missing the work. Instructors may penalize work
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which is late; however, the instructor's policies for make -ups and late work must be clearly specified on the student guide.
Collegiality is expected at all times during the course.
Academic Dishonesty (From BCC Handbook):
Bergen Community College is committed to academic integrity—the honest, fair, and continuing pursuit of
knowledge, free from fraud and deception. Students are responsible for their own work. Faculty and academic
support services staff will take appropriate measures to discourage academic dishonesty. The college recognizes
the following general categories of violations of academic integrity whenever a student does one of more of the
following: uses unauthorized assistance in any academic work, copies from another student’s exam, gives
unauthorized assistance to other students, fabricates data in support of an academic assignment, inappropriately
or unethically uses technical means to gain academic advantage, and commits plagiarism.
Student and Faculty Support Services
The Henry and Edith Cerullo
Learning Assistance Center
Room L-125
of Pitkin
Building
Includes the Tutoring Center, English Language
Resource Center, and Writing Center. 201-447-7489
The Distance Learning Office –
for any problems you may have
accessing your online courses
201-612-5581
psimms@bergen.edu
The Tutorial Center Room S-118
of Pitkin
Building
201-447-7908
The English Language Resource
Center
Room 126 in
Ender
Hall
For students whose native language is not English.
The Writing Center Room L-125
of Pitkin
Building
201-447-7136
The Online Writing Lab (OWL) www.bergen.edu/owl This website will help students
with all aspects of the writing process in every
discipline.
The Office of Specialized Services
(for Students with Disabilities)
L-115 of
Pitkin
Building
Students with documented disabilities who require
accommodations by the Americans with Disabilities
Act (ADA) can request support services from the
Office of Specialized Services.
www.bergen.edu/pages/5175
The Sidney Silverman Library 2nd Level of
Pitkin
Building
Sample Format for Course Outline and Calendar
Note to Students: The following Course Outline and Calendar is tentative and subject to change,
depending upon the progress of the class.
Date
Lecture Topic Learning
Objectives
Assignments/Events
Introduction
&Historiography
4
Medieval Europe & Catholic
Church
Medieval Europe: Rise of
Kingdoms
Plague and its Ramifications
Renaissance
Protestant Reformation
Begins
Tudor England: Reformation
Spreads to England
Let us Convert the World:
Religious Wars & Overseas
Expansion
Stuarts, Cromwell,
Restoration: 17th Century
England’s Efforts toward
Absolutism
*Mid-Term Exam
Library Instruction on
Research Methods
L’etat c’est moi: Absolutism
in France
Absolutism in Central &
Eastern Europe
New Possibilities & Old
Fears: Scientific Revolution
& Witch Hunts
Enlightenment: High & Low
Enlightenment Outside of
France & Lighting way to
Revolution
France on the Eve of
Revolution
Liberal Reform & Revolution
in the Streets
Robespierre & Radicalization
Thermodorian Reaction &
Napoleon Ascendant
*Final-Exam