HIS 121: Western Civilization 1

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:

  1. Explain and analyze how civilization formed in the West and the major chronology of the history of Western Civilization.
  2. Discuss primary and secondary historical sources and how they are incorporated into reasearch.
  3. Identify and describe the role of politics, religions, socio-economics, and conflict in Western Civilization.
  4. Apply critical and analytical skills to answer not only the who and when, but also the why of historical study.
  5. Distinguish between the evolution of cultural, intellectual, and technological ideas in different regions.
  6. Examine events in the history of Western Civilization within the historical context.

Course Activities and Grading

AssignmentsWeight

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

WeekSLOsReadings and ExercisesAssignments

1

1,2,4

Introduction - Why Study History? and the Early Western World

  • Readings:
    • Hunt, Author's Note: xl-xli and Chapter 1
    • Article: Peter Stearns' Why Study History
  • Read assigned material
  • Review Lecture Material
  • Participate in discussions
  • Weekly quiz (1)

2

1,4,6

Ancient Greece & the Polis (City-State), the Fall of Hellenistic Supremacy, and the Rise of Rome

  • Readings:
    • Hunt, Chapters 2-4
  • Read assigned material
  • Review Lecture Material
  • Participate in discussions
  • Weekly quizzes (2)

3

3,5,6

From Republic to Empire and Then the Fall of Rome

  • Readings:
    • Hunt, Chapters 5-7
  • Read assigned material
  • Review Lecture Material
  • Participate in discussions
  • Weekly quizzes (2)

4

1-6

Divisions in Humanity and Midterm Exam

  • Readings
    • Review for Midterm Exam

  • Participate in discussions
  • Weekly quiz (1)
  • Complete Midterm Exam

5

1,4,6

The "Dark" Ages

  • Readings
    • Hunt, Chapters 8 & 9
  • Read assigned material
  • Review Lecture Material
  • Participate in discussions
  • Weekly quiz (1)

6

1,3,5

Early Christian Europe and Europe in an Era of Growth

  • Readings
    • Hunt, Chapters 10-12
  • Read assigned material
  • Review Lecture Material
  • Participate in discussions
  • Weekly quizzes (2)

7

1,4,6

Death and Warfare in Europe and a Maritime Revolution

  • Readings
    • Hunt, Chapters 13-14
  • Read assigned material
  • Review Lecture Material
  • Participate in discussions
  • Weekly quizzes (2)

8

1-3,5-8

Review and Final Exam

  • Readings
    • Review for Final Exam

  • Participate in discussions
  • Weekly quiz (1)
  • Complete Final Exam
  • Complete Course Evaluation

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.