Course Syllabus

Video Link:  Week 1 / Day 1 Announcement and Syllabus Review

 

CCSF - SPRING 2024

 

HISTORY 4B / Section 931 - WESTERN CIVILIZATION SINCE 1600

  • Online / Asynchronous Course On CANVAS
  • Instructor:  Edward Moreno - Social Sciences Department 
  • Contact Information For The Course:  Email using the Canvas Inbox - Response time is 48 Hours
  • Periodic CityZoom meetings and Weekly General Comments Announcements posted in Modules will incorporate general course related questions.
  • In Person Availability at the Ocean Campus:  Monday/Wednesday - Cloud 261 at 9:25am-9:40am, 10:55am-11:10am, & 12:25pm-12:40pm; Tuesday - Cloud 261 at 12:25pm to 12:40pm & 1:55pm to 2:10pm.

 

SYLLABUS

I

HISTORY 4B - WESTERN CIVILIZATION SINCE 1600

History 4B is a survey course covering the history of Western Civilization since 1600. The course will cover the political, economic, social, cultural and international dynamics that have shaped the western world.

History 4B / 931 is taught fully online and asynchronously, which means that you can log in to the course anytime - day or night.  It also means there are no "live" class meetings for this course.  Course instruction - lectures, discussions and exam assignments - is conducted through Canvas posts and pre-recorded videos.

Below is a good explanation of Asynchronous learning:

Asynchronous learning is a general term used to describe forms of education, instruction, and learning that do not occur in the same place or at the same time. The term is most commonly applied to online learning in which students learn from instructional items such as prerecorded video lessons and learning tasks that students complete on their own that are not delivered in person or in real time.  Asynchronous learning also encompasses a wide variety of instructional interactions, including email exchanges and online discussion posts.

REQUIRED TEXT BOOK:  The required book for this course is The West - A New History - Volume II (Norton, 2018), by Grafton and Bell.  All reading assignments for the course, as well as lecture outlines and exam assignment materials will be referenced to this textbook.

Any physical copy or online version of the textbook is acceptable.

Some online resources are available for the class through:

COURSE EXAMINATIONS AND THE FINAL GRADE:  Your grade for this course will be based on your performance on three examination assignments.  The exam assignments will be comprised of written responses to identification / signification exercises and written essay responses.  The ID/Ss’ will be worth 2 points each and the essays will be worth 24 points.  The exam assignments will be worth 48 points in total, making the total points attainable for the course 144.  

Here is a brief description of the Exam Assignments (EA):

  • They will be posted in the Modules & Assignments tab in Canvas, the CCSF Learning Management Systems (LMS), at least two weeks prior to their official due date.  
  • The Exam Assignments are designed as two-week projects, open book and will be submitted in Canvas and graded using the Canvas SpeedGrader.  
  • The exam assignments have specific submission / due dates.  In general, late exam assignments will only be accepted one day after the posted submission due dates and will have 3 to 5 “late” points deducted.

Specific guidelines for completing the exam assignments are covered at the time of their posting in Canvas and will be forthcoming.

DISCUSSIONS:  Online discussion prompts are posted on a weekly basis in Modules/Discussions.  Discussion topics generally relate to subjects and themes covered in the course lecture outlines and are designed to stimulate thought, reflection, student to student and student to instructor communication.  Discussions are not graded, but students are encouraged to engage in them.  Please use Netiquette in all course communications.  The course Check-in Discussion contains useful guidance regarding the use of Netiquette.   

YOUR FINAL GRADE will be based on a percentage of the total points earned out of 144.  A’s will begin at 129.6 (90%); B’s at 115.2 (80%); C’s at 100.8 (70%); D’s at 86.4 (60%); and F’s from 86.3 on down.  Only the points earned on the three course exam assignments are used to determine the final grade.

WRITING / CRITICAL THINKING / PRIMARY SOURCE REQUIREMENTS:  All of the course’s writing assignments are designed to develop the students writing ability, critical thinking skills and teach them how to understand the context in which events take place, as well as how primary sources are produced and what primary sources reveal about a given context.

IMPORTANT DATES FOR HISTORY 4B/931 / SPRING 2024 SEMESTER:  FEBRUARY 15 – Last day to add the course and last day to drop the course without a “W”; APRIL 25 – Last day to withdraw from the course with a "W" (Withdrawal).  

Refer to the CCSF Spring 2024 Class Schedule on the CCSF website/myCCSF/Quick Links/Spring 2024 Important Dates for Short Term Classes for a full accounting of key dates for History 4B-931.  The calendar can be found on the CCSF website - CCSF Spring 2024 Class Schedule

 

II 

COURSE POLICIES

ATTENDANCE

History 4B / 931 is a sixteen week online / asynchronous course that begins on January 29, 2024.  As of this date, students enrolled in the course must log on to the Canvas course website to register/record their attendance and participation. 

Students who do not log on to the course on Canvas by February 2, 2024 will be dropped from the course as a NO-SHOW per CCSF Office of Admissions and Records registration policy.

Student participation and interaction with the course on Canvas is recorded by time and will be checked on a weekly basis.  Students should expect to engage with the course on Canvas at least three hours per week, with more time welcomed.  

Students enrolled in the course, but who do not complete exam assignments may also be dropped from the course.

NO SHOWS

Any student who does not log on to the course on Canvas by FEBRUARY 2, 2024 will be considered a NO SHOW and will be dropped from the course as a no-show per the policy of the CCSF Office of Admissions and Records.

DROPPING THE COURSE; F AND FW GRADES

A successful student in the course should engage with the Canvas course website regularly and complete all of the Exam Assignments.

Special Note:  Students enrolled in the class who do not complete the exam assignments should drop the class by the last date to withdraw from the course with a “W” (4/25/2024) to avoid receiving an F or FW grade (failure in the course and withdrawal).  

While students may be dropped by the instructor, it is not the instructor’s responsibility to drop a student.

DISHONESTY STATEMENT:  

Academic dishonesty, such as plagiarism / cheating on exam assignments will not be tolerated in the course.  Such violations will result in a grade of “F” on exam assignments and, possibly, an  “F” in the course and/or removal from the course.

The most common violations of academic integrity in this class are attempts by students to submit identical exam assignments, submit previous student work, and/or proxy work.  These types of efforts will be monitored carefully and can result in NO POINTS being assigned to exam assignments.  This will be discussed in more detail in class when going over exam assignment directions for the course.

In addition, students are advised against submitting AI generated work as completed assignments, as such work will be considered plagiaristic and subject to penalties, such as receiving NO POINTS for an exam assignment and/or a grade of "F" for an exam assignment.  Again, be advised.

 

III

DISABLED STUDENTS PROGRAMS AND SERVICES (DSPS)

Disabled Students Services & Programs:

Students working with DSPS for course success should inform their instructor of their approved DSPS accommodations and must provide copies of all documentation certifying their status for the current semester.

If you need testing accommodations because of a disability, or have emergency medical information to share, or need special arrangements please reach out as soon as possible.

Students seeking disability related accommodations are required to register with Disabled Students Programs and Services located in Room 323 of the Rosenberg Library (415) 452-5481. Please see the DSPS website for more information.  Official documentation from DSPS needs to be emailed using the Canvas Inbox at least one week before accommodations will be put into place.

A WELCOME NOTE REGARDING DSPS AND THE CLASS:

The course is designed to be accessible to all students, and those working with DSPS will find the assignments very supportive of their learning needs.

Please note some of the accommodating highlights of this Online / Asynchronous course:

  • Weekly lecture outlines are posted on Canvas, along with accompanying Zoom Videos, which include written transcripts and closed captioning features;
  • All exam assignments in the class are posted for students to complete at least two weeks in advance and are characteristic of take-home/open book exams;
  • Print and online/digital materials (books/online texts) are available and cited for the course to support all lecture topics and exam assignments for the class;
  • These supplementary materials allow students to further review topics discussed in class, as well as catch up on materials they may have missed.
  • As the course is taught Asynchronously, students can prioritize their time each day in the week to learn in the course and work on the necessary assignments. 

 

IV 

CCSF CANVAS

City College of San Francisco uses Canvas as its Learning Management System (LMS) for online instruction.  Students familiar and unfamiliar with Canvas will find it to be an intuitive and useful learning tool.

To access the course on Canvas go to the CCSF Canvas Website found on the CCSF Home page.

You will need to provide your Username, which is your CCSF student ID number, such as W12345678, or @12345678.  Your Canvas password is your RAM ID password.

If you have login problems with your RAM ID, please contact the CCSF Helpdesk at (415) 239-3711.  A Canvas 24/7 Chat support system can also be of assistance to students.

You cannot access your course on Canvas until the first day the class begins, which is August 28, 2023.

USING CANVAS FOR HISTORY 4B / 931

After you log in to the course on Canvas familiarize yourself with the portal.  The course opens to the HOME page, where you will find course and instructor information. 

On the left of the page next to the sidebar you will see a column of tabs that will be used to share information and content for our class.

The principal Canvas tabs that will be used for the class will be:  HOME; CLASS SYLLABUS; ANNOUNCEMENTS; MODULES; PAGES; ASSIGNMENTS; DISCUSSIONS; CITYZOOM; GRADES.  These tabs should be checked regularly for success in the course.  In time, you will be familiar with them all.

Course information posted in these tabs will be announced in ANNOUNCEMENTS on a regular basis.

Zoom videos will be used to explain and highlight course content, exam assignments and due dates and encourage online discussion.  All videos are pre-recorded.  When reviewing video links recorded in prior semesters, ignore any course dates referenced to a previous semester.  All dates relevant to this semester will be indicated in the current semester’s announcements and assignments.

 

V

THINKING CRITICALLY AND THINKING HISTORICALLY  

Our class this semester will embrace a study of the evolution and dynamism that characterizes the history of modern Western Civilization.  We will also endeavor to learn why we study history in higher education and the knowledge that it gives us to understand the world today.  

We will learn this semester that the purpose in studying history is to teach one how to think critically by way of thinking historically.  To do this one must develop an understanding of three concepts instrumental to the historical discipline.  They are context, significance and perspective.  The knowledge and use of these concepts will guide our examination of the past with the goal of making it useful in the present.

The writing assignments in the course are designed to hone students' knowledge of the subject matter, as well as develop their academic abilities.  

The course is taught at a college / university transferable level.  The lessons learned will inform all studies, regardless of one’s college major.  

The course is designed for serious students willing to work hard, or students wishing to learn how to become serious students willing to work hard.  

In order to succeed in this course a sincere focus is required, along with an earnestness of purpose.

 

HISTORY 4B / SPRING 2024

WEEKLY TOPICS AND EXAM ASSIGNMENT DATES

Note:  Chapter references for weekly module topics correspond to the assigned textbook for the course, The West - A New History - Volume II (Norton, 2018), by Grafton and Bell.

 

Week 1 / Module 0/1 - Course Introduction / Thinking Critically, Thinking Historically / Background Information

Week 2 / Module 2:  The  Early Modern West:  New Forms of Authority and Knowledge, 1640 - 1680 - Chs. 12 /13

Week 3 / Module 3:  The 18th. Century West:  Growth, Enlightenment and Challenge 1680-1780 —-— Chs. 14/15

Week 4 / Module 4:  French Revolution: Liberty and Terror, 1780 - 1799 ————-————----------———-—— Ch. 16

Week 5 / Module 5:  The Age of Napoleon:  Empire and Resistance, 1799 - 1820 ————------————-——- Ch. 17 

 

Week 6 / Module 6:  EXAM 1 ASSIGNMENT

 

Week 7 / Module 7:  Industrial, National, Social, Political and Cultural Transitions, 1820 - 1880 ——— Chs. 18/19

Week 8 / Module 8:  Modern Consciousness, Imperial Rivalry and Global Power, 1880 - 1910 —-—— Chs. 19/20

Week 9 / Module 9:  World War I and the Russian Revolution, 1910 - 1922 ————----------------————- Ch. 21

Week 10/Module 10:  The Triumph of Political Extremes, 1922 - 1940 —————-----------------—-———— Ch. 22

 

Week 11 / Module 11:  EXAM 2 ASSIGNMENT

 

Week 12/Module 12:  World War II and the Holocaust, 1940 - 1945 —————---------------——————— Ch. 23

Week 13/Module. 13:  Recovery and Cold War:  Rebuilding a Divided Continent, 1945-1973 ----------— Ch. 24

Week 14/Module 14:  European Unification and the End of the Cold War, 1973 - 1999 ———--------—— Ch. 25

Week 15/Module 15:  Europe’s Uncertain Present, Since 2000 ———————————-----------------—-—— Ch. 26

Week 16 / Module 16:  EXAM 3 ASSIGNMENT - FINAL EXAM

 

Exam Assignments Due Dates

 

Exam 1 Assignment on Chapters 12 - 17 is due on March 6, 2024 (Module 6)

Exam 2 Assignment on Chapters 18 - 22 is due on April 17, 2024 (Module 11)

Exam 3 Assignment - FINAL EXAM on Chapters 23 - 26 is due on May 17, 2024 (Module 16)

 

 STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

  • Analyze, evaluate and synthesize historical evidence and interpretations by using methods of inquiry and expression appropriate to the study of Western Civilization.
  • Interpret primary and secondary sources to be integrated as support in a written argument or interpretation.
  • Evaluate the impact of a wide breadth of societal trends and changes related to Western history.
  • Explain the major technological and scientific developments in Western Civilization, their causes and effects, and their historical significance.
  • Examine artistic and cultural traditions in their historical context in the history of Western Civilization.
  • Analyze Western Civilization within a global context that also includes non-western countries. 

 

CCSF Anti-Discrimination Policy 

The San Francisco Community College District is committed to the principles of equal opportunity, and the prevention of discrimination and harassment in any program or activity of the District on the basis of race, color, ancestry, national origin, ethnic group identification, religion, age, gender, gender identity, marital status, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, disability or AIDS/HIV status, medical conditions, or status as Vietnam-era veteran, or on the basis of these perceived characteristics, or based on association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics.  If you believe you have been subject to discrimination, please contact the District Compliance Officer at (415) 452-5053.