History 201: World History 1400-1900 Essay

This course is concerned with the history of Modern Europe from the beginning of the eighteenth century to the present. However, it will not be a survey of all the â€Å"important† events and personalities of the period. The central theme will be revolution. This term refers to momentous events such as the French Revolution, the Russian Revolution and World War I. We are also interested in revolutionary changes in thought such as occurred during the Enlightenment and earth shaking social and/or economic developments including the Industrial Revolution and the Pursuit of Empire. Reading List: Available at the Bookstore M. Perry et al, Western Civilization: Ideas, Politics and Society from the 1400s, Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009 From the Renaissance to the Present; Sources of the Western Tradition, vol. 2, ed. M. Perry, J.R. Peden and T.H. Von Laue, Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 5th edition, 2003. Grade Distribution Participation throughout term – 10% Five quizzes during term – 10% Mid-Term Examination February 17 – 25% Term Essay April 7 – 25% Final Examination Scheduled by Registrar – 30% The exams and the term essay must be completed in order to receive a passing grade for this course. Assignments will be assessed letter grades. Please see the table in the Undergraduate Calendar (http://www.ucalgary.ca/pubs/calendar/current/f-2.html). Participation Much of approximately every third class will be devoted to group discussion. Our aim is to augment our ability to apply critical thinking to historical problems. Each discussion will relate to topics examined in class and/or readings on blackboard. Written accounts of group sessions will be handed in and assessed by the instructor to determine your participation grade, but they will not be returned. Please ensure that your name is recorded on all group submissions. Quizzes Five multiple-choice quizzes will be taken on five separate days. Four will be used to determine your overall quiz mark. You will not find these difficult if you attend class regularly and keep up with your readings. We will go over the correct answers in class. The quizzes will not be returned. Mid-Term and Final Examinations The mid-term and final examinations will cover the material from the course lectures, discussions and readings. They will not be multiple choice. Term Essay The term essay is to be approximately 1500 words in length (6 double-spaced pages). It will be based on four extracts totaling 8 – 10 pages in From the Renaissance to the Present; Sources of the Western Tradition. The extracts may come from the same chapter or from throughout the volume but should have similar themes so that you can evaluate them together. You should use (and reference accordingly) at least four academic books and articles to place your documents into historical context. Do not use encyclopedias, internet resources, class lectures, textbooks, or non-academic sources. The essay must conform to The History Student’s Handbook (available on blackboard). The pre-writing process (Part I) will involve the development of a strong central thesis statement. The writing (Part II) will require an introduction, argument, body of evidence, and conclusion. Writing style, submission format, and citations should follow Part IVof the Handbook. Use footnotes or endnotes as your method of citation (do not use parenthetical referencing). Classroom Conduct You are expected to attend all scheduled classes. Please refrain from distracting activities such as reading newspapers, opening food packages, chatting with friends, checking email, and using the internet or electronic devices during class. In order to protect the privacy of others, students may not record in any format (for example, digital photographs, voice and/or video recording from any device, including cell phones) any activity that occurs within the classroom. Permission to record lectures will only be given to students who have documented disabilities.