Course Description
This course will focus on the history of western societies and peoples from the earliest formation of recorded western history to the Renaissance, including ancient Greece and Rome, the Dark Ages, and the Medieval period. The course will use primary and secondary materials to examine politics, economics, religion, and the cultural and intellectual history of the West, along with agricultural developments of ancient history and how they led to more advanced civilizations.
Prerequisite
- None
Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Explain and analyze how civilization formed in the West and the major chronology of the history of Western Civilization.
- Discuss primary and secondary historical sources and how they are incorporated into reasearch.
- Identify and describe the role of politics, religions, socio-economics, and conflict in Western Civilization.
- Apply critical and analytical skills to answer not only the who and when, but also the why of historical study.
- Distinguish between the evolution of cultural, intellectual, and technological ideas in different regions.
- Examine events in the history of Western Civilization within the historical context.
Course Activities and Grading
| Assignments | Weight |
|---|---|
Discussions (Weeks 1-8) | 30% |
Quizzes (Weeks 1-8) | 30% |
Midterm Exam (Week 4) | 20% |
Final Exam (Week 8) | 20% |
Total | 100% |
Required Textbooks
Available through Charter Oak State College's Book Bundle
- Hunt, Lynn. Making of the West: Peoples and Cultures, Volume 1. 7th ed. Bedford Books, 2022. ISBN-10: 1-319-33156-4 or ISBN-13: 978-1-319-33156-6
Course Schedule
| Week | SLOs | Readings and Exercises | Assignments |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1,2,4 | Introduction - Why Study History? and the Early Western World
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2 | 1,4,6 | Ancient Greece & the Polis (City-State), the Fall of Hellenistic Supremacy, and the Rise of Rome
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3 | 3,5,6 | From Republic to Empire and Then the Fall of Rome
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4 | 1-6 | Divisions in Humanity and Midterm Exam
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5 | 1,4,6 | The "Dark" Ages
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6 | 1,3,5 | Early Christian Europe and Europe in an Era of Growth
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7 | 1,4,6 | Death and Warfare in Europe and a Maritime Revolution
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8 | 1-3,5-8 | Review and Final Exam
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COSC Accessibility Statement
Charter Oak State College encourages students with disabilities, including non-visible disabilities such as chronic diseases, learning disabilities, head injury, attention deficit/hyperactive disorder, or psychiatric disabilities, to discuss appropriate accommodations with the Office of Accessibility Services at OAS@charteroak.edu.
COSC Policies, Course Policies, Academic Support Services and Resources
Students are responsible for knowing all Charter Oak State College (COSC) institutional policies, course-specific policies, procedures, and available academic support services and resources. Please see COSC Policies for COSC institutional policies, and see also specific policies related to this course. See COSC Resources for information regarding available academic support services and resources.