King's College Department of History
The CORE Curriculum is central to all undergraduate degrees at King's College. It lays the foundation for a liberal education that will be reinforced in the major program and continued throughout life. CORE courses are broadly based so that fundamental human issues and problems are approached from diverse viewpoints represented by a variety of disciplines.
GENERAL LEARNING OUTCOMES
It is expected that successful completion of the Core Curriculum including this course will improve your ability:
Civilization courses are designed to explore in some depth the complex dimensions of the human experience. These courses study the cumulative experiences of the past to assist in understanding our complex world and assist in the responsible shaping of the future of that world.
OBJECTIVES
GOALS
A Global Perspective is the second course in the Civilization sequence of the CORE Curriculum.
The study of The 20th Century is celebration as well as it is critique. It examines achievements and failures; triumphs and tragedies; hopes and frustrations. It cannot lay claim to prognostication yet it should offer guidance and direction in shaping the future. The study utilizes static data to evaluate and to analyze the dynamic forces and ideas by which men and women have shaped the world in which they live. In the words of media expert Marshall McLuhan, we live now in a "global village". Evidence the daily coverage of the world by CNN. Witness the global coverage provided by the commercial TV networks and PBS - the brilliance of sunrise at Sydney, twilight on the Champs Elysee, the sands of Djbouti, and the dropping of the Waterford Crystal Ball on Times Square on New Year's Eve - all on the same day! This discipline asks that we focus on the forces and ideas which have led to the building of that global village in order that we may better respond to the forces and ideas of our times.
Historical literacy is essential to the education of the professional man or woman of the 21st century and his or her ability to judge and decide both private and public issues in a context which respects varied and appropriate social and cultural traditions. The 20th Century: A Global Perspective focuses on issues, events, and crises which have influenced and been influenced by the role of the United States in the world in the twentieth century. The major political, social, economic, and cultural events and forces of this period will be examined in this course.
Specific Benefits of CORE 132: A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE
Goff, Moss, et al. THE TWENTIETH CENTURY: A Brief Global History. New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc. 2002. Sixth Edition.
Moss, Terry, and Upshur. THE TWENTIETH CENTURY: Readings in Global History New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc. 1999.
The course outline identifies specific readings from the text and the readings book which are to be completed prior to discussion of the material in class lectures. The schedules identifies the principal text as "Goff,Moss"; the readings are referred to as "Reader". It is highly recommended that at least two (2) chapters per week should be read as a means to be current with the classroom activities.
Three (3) brief papers will be assigned. Guidelines for each assignment will be distributed as appropriate. Exploration of various research resources including print and online sources will be encouraged in the completion of these assignments. The papers will be due in mid-February, mid-March, and mid-April. Upperclass students will be expected to demonstrate proficiency in applying the writing and critical thinking developed in CORE 110 and CORE 100. All students will be expected to submit papers in typed or word processed form. Handwritten work will NOT be accepted. Papers not submitted on time will be severely penalized. The highest possible grade will be a "C".
There will be three (3) written tests given during the semester including the final examination. The first two tests will be announced in class at least one week in advance. The third (final) examination will be given according to the Registrar's examination schedule. The tests will be based on the lectures and text reading materials, as assigned. The general structure of the tests will be essay. Each test will be non-comprehensive and will review the most recent materials covered. Tests are to be written in pen only.
While there may still be debate about the sound of one hand clapping, there is no debate that the sound of only one voice - the instructor - in a history classroom is highly undesirable. Therefore, regular participation - asking or responding to questions, volunteering one's own ideas or arguments, sharing evidence - is expected from each student in the classroom and online at the WEB CT adjunct site. This participation will be weighed in the overall semester grade evaluation as a growth/development factor.
We - you and I - are responsible adults. We are expected to attend classroom lectures/discussions on a regular basis. The rules of the College regarding class attendance will be followed strictly. Students are responsible for all materials discussed in lectures and classroom discussions. A student should not expect to receive a grade in the class higher than the percentage of days he or she is present. Absence on the day of a scheduled test will not be excused unless a serious reason has been explained to the instructor (in advance, if possible) and arrangements for a make-up test are made within five (5) class days of the scheduled test. It is the RESPONSIBILITY OF THE STUDENT to arrange the make-up with the professor. It should not be presumed that mere absence on the day of an examination will automatically secure a test make-up.
The determination of the final semester grade will be based on the successful completion of all requirements for the course using numerical values totaling 105% points as follows:
Tests: Test I - 20% Tests II and III - 50% (each 25%)
Written Research Assignments - 30% ( each 10%)
Participation, and Growth/Development - 5%
The professor's grading scale to be used is as follows:
A+ = 98 A = 95 A- = 92
B+ = 88 B = 85 B- = 82
C+ = 78 C = 75 C- = 72
D+ = 68 D = 65 F = 59
Learning is achieved within the "academic village" which transcends the confines of a classroom and includes the professor's office, the Corgan Library, and the Sheehy-Farmer group study sessions including those held at Connerton's. To that end be advised of the following:
History Department
King's College
Last Updated January 5, 2003