HIST111 History of Western Civilization I
Department of Social & Behavioral Science: History
- I. Course Number and Title
- HIST111 History of Western Civilization I
- II. Number of Credits
- 3 credits
- III. Number of Instructional Minutes
- 2250
- IV. Prerequisites
- None
- Corequisites
- None
- V. Other Pertinent Information
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This course meets the General Education requirement for Arts/Humanities. This course meets the General Education requirement for Diversity. This course meets the General Education requirement for Critical Thinking.
- VI. Catalog Course Description
- This course is a survey and critical examination of Western human history and explores the social, political, religious, intellectual, and artistic achievements from the earliest human civilizations to the Age of Reason.
- VII. Required Course Content and Direction
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Course Learning Goals
Students will:
- demonstrate an understanding of the history and cultural heritage of Western Civilization, stretching from the earliest human civilizations to the Age of Reason [Arts/Humanities];
- critically analyze and evaluate competing points of view and voices in ancient and medieval Western history [Critical Thinking];
- demonstrate an understanding of the social and political systems, economies, and cultures of Western Civilization's diverse societies stretching from the earliest human civilizations to the Age of Reason [Diversity];
- describe the rise of the major monotheistic religions present in Western Civilization, such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam;
- identify defining features of the major ancient cultures of ancient Western Civilization, such as Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, and Rome;
- identify the social, economic and cultural factors involved in the rise of Medieval European civilization; and
- identify the causes for the rise of the Renaissance in Medieval Europe.
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Planned Sequence of Topics and/or Learning Activities
- Prehistory and Early Human origins c.25,000 - 10,000 BCE
- Appearance of Homo Sapiens
- Paleolithic - Gathering Culture
- Neolithic - Agricultural Culture
- Emergence of Ancient Civilizations c.10,000 - 1000 BCE
- Mesopotamian / The Cradle of Civilization
- Egypt / Nile Valley
- Ancient Near Eastern cultures
- The Hellenic World c.2000 - 300 BCE
- Hellenic Bronze Age
- Early classical
- Classical Greece
- Alexander's empire
- Rome c.300 BCE - c.300 CE
- Roman republic
- Roman empire
- Fall of Rome
- Early Middle Ages c.300 CE - c.1000 CE
- Christianity and Monasticism
- Byzantine culture and political influence
- Rise of Islam
- Early Medieval west / Kingdom of the Franks
- Charlemagne's empire
- High Middle Ages c.1000 CE - c.1350 CE
- Feudalism and society
- Life on the manor
- Gothic art and architecture
- Monarchs and the Papacy
- The Crusades - Bubonic Plague
- Social recovery and cultural flowering of the High Middle Ages
- Renaissance, Reformation, and Age of Discovery c.1350 CE - c.1650 CE
- Artistic and intellectual renaissance
- Rise of the Modern Sovereign State
- Reformation, education, and the development of the Middle Class
- Northern Humanism and the rise of the individual
- Age of Discovery
- Revolution and the early Enlightenment
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Assessment Methods for Course Learning Goals
Student assessment consists of exams, essays, written assignments, multi-media projects, and/or participation in classroom/online discussions. -
Reference, Resource, or Learning Materials to be used by Student:
See course syllabus.
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Review/Approval Date - 2/99; Revised 5/2012; New Core 8/2015