Gardner-Webb University

HIST101: Survey of Western Civilization I

(Spring 2024)

Classroom: FNH 009 Class Meeting Time: M, W& F 11:00-11:50am

Instructor: Dr. Aihua Zhang Office Location: FNH 010
Email: azhang1@gardner-webb.edu Office Phone: 704-406-4467
Office Hours: W&F 1:30-3:00pm or by appointment

Course Description

This course surveys the political, social, cultural, economic, and religious development of the
Western world from its earliest civilizations to the sixteenth century. We will discuss how
peoples, societies, states, and empires in the West developed their distinctive identities and how
they collectively shaped what is known as Western. We will also look at the interactions between
Western and non-Western worlds and the role of Western civilization in the world’s
development. Important topics we will examine include religion and philosophy, trade and
migration, war and technology, literature and arts, as well as gender relations.

Course Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:

1) grasp general continuities and changes in the evolution of Western civilization;
2) recognize important historical events that contributed to today’s globalization;
3) develop skills in expressing oneself orally and in writing through writing assignments and
class discussion;
4) learn to analyze and critically evaluate ideas, arguments, and points of view using
primary and second sources.

General Education Learning Outcomes

1) Students will communicate effectively using a variety of modes.

2) Students will demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary for the pursuit of lifelong
wellness.
3) Students will analyze diverse human experiences within real-world contexts.
4) Students will demonstrate intercultural competency at a global level.

Required Textbooks

1) Joshua Cole and Carol Symes. Western Civilizations: Their History & Their Culture,
Volume 1 (21st Edition). ISBN: 978-1-324-04245-7 (Previous editions by the two authors
are acceptable)
2) Additional readings: available under “Course Content” in the Blackboard (BB)

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* Reading assignment for each class meeting will always be due on the day listed below in the
Class Schedule and Reading Assignments. Complete it before you come to class so that you can
play an active part in class discussion.

Assignments & Grading

1) Class attendance 10%

2) Two 3-page papers 30%
3) Online quizzes 10%
4) Class participation 5%
5) Mid-term exam 20%
6) Final exam 25%

¹ It is the student’s duty to keep close track of his/her attendance status under “Attendance” in the
BB. Once you find your attendance is mistakenly taken, report it to the professor within three
days after the error occurs; otherwise, you need to show evidence for your claim.
² Class participation will be graded based on your participation in class discussion and WI
activities.
³ Each paper topic and its writing guidelines will be posted in the BB three weeks prior to its due
date.
⁴ Each online quiz is accessible in the BB from 12 noon to 11:59pm on the listed dates
below. There are altogether seven (7) quizzes over the semester, out of which four (4) highest
scores you earn will be counted toward your final grade for this course and the rest/lowest three
(3) dropped.
*An extra-credit assignment will be provided, which is worth up to 3 points, depending on the
quality of its completion. Those who have full attendance without unexcused absences will
receive one (1) point up if their final grades are “borderline” grades such as 79, 86, and 89.

Grading Scales:

A: 94-100 B+: 87-89.9 C+:77-79.9 D+: 65-69.9

A-: 90-93.9 B: 83-86.9 C: 73-76.9 D: 60-64.9
B-: 80-82.9 C-:70-72.9 F: <60

Late Paper Policy:

Without prior arrangement, students who turn in late papers will lose half a letter grade for every
24 hours including weekends and holidays (e.g., a paper that would have merited an “A-” will
receive a “B+” if submitted within 24 hours after the due date, a “B” if submitted within 48
hours after the due date, and so on).

Quiz and Exam Make-up Policy:

The student is allowed to make up an exam missed due to such unavoidable special
circumstances as university/academic-related travels, family emergency, and illness. It is the
student’s responsibility to contact the professor as soon as possible about the reasons for a

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missed exam and to provide appropriate documentation (tickets for the purpose of a vacation,
holiday, gather-together, or wedding DON’T count. For the final exam, if you want to change its
time or the date, you must obtain the University’s permission). Given that each 20-minute quiz is
accessible anytime from noon to 11:59pm on the listed days, no makeup will be offered for a
missed quiz unless you can show appropriate evidence to prove that your conditions cannot
allow you to find time to take it during this long-time span. It is technologically impossible that
you cannot see the quiz in the BB while your classmates can during the quiz time, unless you can
prove otherwise with evidence.

Classroom Conduct Rules:

1) Attend class on time. Don’t leave the classroom before class ends without permission.
2) Put the cellphone on a vibrate/silent mode.
3) Use of earphones or earplugs is forbidden.

Class Cancellation Policy:

We observe the notification of class cancellations by the University. If a class is cancelled due to
the professor’s illness or participation in another professional activity, it is her responsibility to
inform students in advance. In the case of a cancellation, students need to complete the readings
listed for the cancelled class and its next class.

Attendance Policy:

Attendance is counted from the first scheduled meeting. Students are allowed three (3)
unexcused absences over the whole semester without academic penalty. From the fourth one,
each unexcused absence will result in the deduction of two (2) points until you lose all ten (10)
points for attendance. After that, if you continue to miss classes and once your accumulated
absences, both excused and unexcused, as shown in “my attendance” in the BB, reach 11 times,
you will automatically receive an F because the University policy, as stated in 2023-2024
Academic Policies, requires students to attend a minimum of 75% of the scheduled class
meetings.

Students are required to attend class on time and not to leave the classroom before class ends
without permission. Three (3) unexcused late arrivals five minutes after class begins OR three
(3) unexcused early withdrawals from class without permission will be recorded as one (1)
unexcused absence.

Americans with Disabilities Act and its Amendments:

Students with a documented disability are encouraged to go to the Noel Center for Disability
Resources located in Frank Nanney Hall for accommodations. The Center can also be contacted
at 704-406-7270 or via email at disabilityservices@gardner-webb.edu.

Academic Integrity:

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Each student must pursue his or her academic goals honestly and be personally accountable for
all submitted work. Cheating or plagiarism is always wrong. Once the violation of academic
integrity is found, the course professor will inform the student and determine an appropriate
penalty. For detailed information on academic honesty and penalties, please refer to the
University’s 2023-2024 Student Handbook.

Class Schedule and Reading Assignments

Week 1: Introduction to Historical Studies

01/10 Course Introduction
01/12 Doing History with Evidence
Read: “How to Read Primary and Secondary Sources” (BB)
Map Assignment: Filling out the blank map (available in BB)

Week 2: Ancient Near East: Mesopotamia and Egypt

01/15 No Class (Martin Luther Holiday)
01/17 Ancient Mesopotamia
Read: Western Civilizations (pp.1-22)
01/19 Ancient Egypt
Read: Western Civilizations (pp.23-51)
Online Quiz 1

Week 3: Ancient Near East (Cont.) and Aegean Civilization

01/22 Comparison between Ancient Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt
Class Discussion: “The Code of Hammurabi” and “Remembering Hatshepsut”
01/24 The Minoans and the Myceneans
Read: Western Civilizations (pp.51-56); “Linear A and B —Writing in the Early
Mediterranean Worlds” (BB)
01/26 Class Activities: Footnotes and Bibliography

Week 4: Levantine Civilizations in Early Iron Age

01/29 The Phoenicians and the Philistines
Read: Western Civilizations (pp.56-59)
01/31 The Hebrews and their Scriptures
Read: Western Civilizations (pp.59-61; 69-75)
02/02 Class Discussion: “The Men of Israel Demand a King”
Online Quiz 2

Week 5: The Persian Empire and Its Wars

02/05 Rise of the Persian Empire
Read: Western Civilizations (pp.62-69)
02/07 The Persian Wars
Read: Western Civilizations (pp.76-98); “Primary Source from The History of
Herodotus” (BB)

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02/09 Class Discussion: “The Beautiful and the Good” (BB) and “The Ideal of Male
Beauty” (BB)

Week 6: Greece from the Classical to the Hellenistic Period

02/12 Philosophy in Classical Greece
Read: Western Civilizations (pp.98-113)
02/14 Alexander the Great and his Legacy
Read: Western Civilizations (pp.114-149)
02/16 Documentary Show: Alexander’s Speech and Class Discussion: “A Jewish
Response to Hellenization”
Online Quiz 3

Week 7: Ancient Rome

02/19 Roman Republic
Read: Western Civilizations (pp.150-183)
02/21 Roman Empire vs. Han China Paper One Due
Read: “Rome Looks East” (BB) and “Han China and Rome Compared” (BB)
02/23 Video Show: The History of the Silk Road and Class Discussion: The Role of the
Silk Road

Week 8: Buddhism and Christianity

02/26 Buddhism
Read: “The Kushan Empire and Buddhism” (BB)
02/28 Christianity
Read: Western Civilizations (pp.184-215)
03/01 Online Movie Watch: The Fall of the Roman Empire (its link available in BB)
Online Quiz 4

Week 9: Midterm Exam Week

03/04 Review for Mid-Term Exam
03/06 Mid-Term Exam (Term Identifications)
03/08 Mid-Term Exam (Multiple-Choice Questions Part)

Week 10: Spring Break Week

03/11 No Class
03/13 No Class
03/15 No Class

Week 11: Byzantium Empire and Islam

03/18 Byzantium
Read: Western Civilizations (pp.216-225)
03/20 Islam
Read: Western Civilizations (pp.225-235)
03/22 Class Discussion: Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam

Week 12 Carolingians and Vikings

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03/25 The Carolingian Renaissance

Read: Western Civilizations (pp.235-253)
03/27 The Vikings and Kievan Rus
Read: Western Civilizations (pp.254-260)
Class Discussion: “Vikings Encounter the Natives of North America” (BB) and
“988 and the Conversion of Rus” (BB)
03/29 No Class (Easter Break)
Online Quiz 5

Week 13: Medieval Feudalism & the Crusades

04/01 No Class (Easter Break)
04/03 Feudalism
Read: Western Civilizations (pp.259-276)
04/05 The Crusades
Read: Western Civilizations (pp.276-289)

Week 13: Magna Carta and the Mongol Moment

04/08 Magna Carta & its Legacies
Read: Western Civilizations (pp.290-329)
04/10 The Mongol Empire
Read: Western Civilizations (pp.330-340); “Marco Polo Describes
the City of Hangzhou” (BB)
04/12 Online Movie Watch: The Rise of Genghis Khan (its link available in BB)
Online Quiz 6

Week 14: Plague and War in Late Middle Ages

04/15 The Black Death
Read: Western Civilizations (pp.340-365)
04/17 The Hundred Years’ War
Read: Western Civilizations (pp.383-399)
04/19 Class Discussion: Joan of Arc Paper Two Due
Read: “The Trial of Joan of Arc” (BB)

Week 15: Transition from the Middle Ages to Modernity: The Renaissance
04/22 The Renaissance Ideals
Read: Western Civilizations (pp.366-383)
04/24 Impacts of the Renaissance
Read: Western Civilizations (pp.401-433)
Class Discussion: “Leonardo Da Vinci Appliers for a Job”
04/26 Final Exam Review
Online Quiz 7

Final Exam Date: April 29 11:00am-1:00pm

Note: The professor reserves the rights to modify the syllabus in the best interests of students.