This is a course in global history that explores the history of humanity from 10,000 BCE to 1500 CE. Through a combination of lectures, group discussions, activities, and individual research, we’ll explore: Neon sign of human head with bright lightbulb

How individual civilizations originated and developed,
What forces and ideas connected different cultures to one another, and
How humans in the past answered the same questions ask in the present, including:

What is happiness?
How do I take action based on the things I believe in?
What does good government look like?
How should I earn money and use my wealth?
How should I treat my family members, friends, and strangers?

Instructor Objectives

I’ve structured the class meetings and project with three objectives in mind:

Exploring diversity.

History is an excellent field for exploring the wide variety of ways humans organize their lives and societies.
The lectures and primary source discussions should introduce you, the students, to unfamiliar cultures and ideas and help you work toward a nuanced, empathetic understanding of difference.

Discerning significance.

What makes something important historically?

It might be a person’s impact on their own time, the ongoing influence of an idea, or the unexpected consequences of an event.
Or it could be what an artifact reveals about a society.
Or what a text still means for us in the present.
Obviously, this question has loads of answers.

The independent research project and class discussions will provide opportunities to investigate the question of significance - and define your own answer to this persistent questions.

Developing self-awareness.

A key life skill is the ability to check in with yourself in order to determine your own opinions and recognize your own strengths and weaknesses.
This course includes intentional reflection activities and self-directed assignments to encourage growth in this area.
The course content can also prompt self-reflection. Sometimes we come to know ourselves best by examining the beliefs and practices of others.

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Student Learning Outcomes

Real-World Skills

Ability to discern the quality of information.

This is crucial in a world of abundant information. The ability to discern the quality of information allows students to discern truth from falsehood. It also helps students choose wisely what content is worth their limited time and attention.
The classes dedicated to understanding primary and secondary sources and evaluating the quality of information help students achieve this outcome.
Students will also practice discerning quality of information for themselves in their research for the project.

Collaboration (not group work).

That is, truly working with a group of people not just in a group of people.
Most work this semester will be individual BUT will take place within the community of the classroom.
This means we’ll try work together to see things in new ways and grow individual skills in useful, lasting ways.

Historical Skills

How knowledge is created:

What sources contribute to the writing of history? How are primary sources and secondary sources each useful - but different?
Ideally, but the end of the semester, students will feel comfortable with the difference between primary and secondary sources.
They will also be encouraged to put this into practice in the research project.

Historical Narrative:

By the end of the semester, students should be able to define and explain why history is best understood as a narrative (instead of simply a timeline of facts).
Students should also be able to articulate the impact of individual and culture perspectives on the creation of historical narratives.
Students will be invited to explain the impact of their individual and cultural perspectives in group discussions and individual reflection papers.

Historical Knowledge:

By the end of the semester, students should gain a broad, deep, and memorable understanding of historical content.
Broad knowledge should grow through the course lectures and discussions.
Deep knowledge should come through individual work to complete elements of the project.
Ideally, content knowledge will also be memorable because it will be independently sought out for a specific purpose and driven by students’ interest.

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Course Materials

Textbook

There is no assigned textbook for this class.

Class Website

All readings, videos, activities, and instructions for the course will be distributed through the class website: helloworldciv.com.

All web pages are publicly available, but some of the videos and readings will require your UBIT username and password.

Internet-Capable Device

Preparations for class, class activities, impromptu research, and course assignments all require access to the web. This could be a smartphone, tablet, or laptop.

If you are in possession of one or all of these things, you are encouraged to use your personal device(s) for the course.

If you do not have an internet-capable device

Students who do not currently possess an internet-ready device do not need to purchase one. We will work something out, such as borrowing a spare device from a peer or professor for the class or only using devices for group activities. Please come see me or email me after the first class if this is the case for you.

Google-Run Email Account

We’ll use Google Drive to compile and collect many assignments and materials this semester.

You will, therefore, need access to a Google-run email account. This can be EITHER your UB Mail account (ending in @buffalo.edu) or another Gmail account (ending in @gmail.com).

I will collect preferred emails at the start of the semester.

Course Requirements

Individual, active engagement. Willingness to dialogue, question, and reexamine perspectives. Consistent and thoughtful completion of all course assessments.

Assessments may change over the course of the semester based on student feedback and/or professor evaluation of the usefulness and effectiveness of an assignment.

All changes to the assessments will be reflected here in the syllabus, on the course website helloworldciv.com, and announced in class or via email.

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(Un)Grading Details

Focus on expertise, not grades.

The goal of this course is to build students’ expertise. This will be accomplished through the use of “formative feedback.” Comments on assessments will encourage you to continue your best practices and help you identify areas that need improvement as well as strategies for how to do so.

Comments will not, however, be accompanied by a grade. You will receive a minimal, summary assessment (strong/satisfactory/needs work) on assessments, but no numeric or letter grade.

I will provide comments, encouragement, and suggestions four times this semester:

In response to the first Participation & Learning essay.
In response to the second draft of the Project.
In response to the second Participation & Learning essay.
In response to the final version of the Project.

Why I’m not giving grades.

This policy is inspired by and in agreement with educational scholar Jesse Stommel’s arguments for ungrading. (See “Why I don’t grade” and “How to Ungrade”.)

First, numeric scores and letter grades are always subjective (because instructors are human) and not terribly meaningful (what on earth is the difference between a B+ and an A-??).

Second, they decimate motivation. (Think about what it feels like to receive a terrible grade when you really gave it your all.)

Third, grades do not define a person’s worth - but our emphasis on grading seems to suggest that they do. This policy is an effort to actually challenge that perception.

So, how will final grades be determined in the class?

Students will suggest the letter grade they deserve and justify their selection by detailing what they have learned in the course, how they contributed to the class, and what aspects of their knowledge or skills still need improvement. This will be accomplished in assessment, “Participation & Learning Essay.”

As the instructor, I do reserve the right to adjust the suggested grades, but will do so for only three reasons:

I may increase a grade for a student who has not fully recognized her/his own growth and talents.
If a student has not consistently attended class or has not completed a significant portion of the work, I may decrease the grade. If this is the case, I will also ask the student to meet with me to discuss the grade.
If a student has failed to correct issues related to academic honesty, I may decrease the selected grade

Incomplete Grades

Incomplete Grades: Under certain circumstances (e.g. extended hospitalization), students may apply for a grade of Incomplete. See the UB catalog for details of the Incomplete grade policy and requirements at:

https://catalog.buffalo.edu/policies/explanation.html

Request for an Incomplete grade must be made prior to the end of the semester. Approval is not automatic, must be supported by robust relevant documentation, and is at the discretion of the instructor.

Grade Scale

Letter Grade	Interpretation
A	Outstanding Engagement in the Course
A-	Outstanding Engagement in the Course
B+	Excellent Engagement in the Course
B	Excellent Engagement in the Course
B-	Average Engagement in the Course
C+	Average Engagement in the Course
C	Fair Engagement in the Course
C-	Fair Engagement in the Course
D+	Some Difficulty Engaging in the Course
D	Some Difficulty Engaging in the Course
F	Insufficient Engagement in the Course
FX	Failure for nonattendance

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Assessments

Redefining “Assessment”

“Assessment” does not equal “grade.” Instead, assessment here means “consideration, analysis, appraisal, and evaluation.” The thing being assessed is what you have learned in the course and the effort you have put in — not your worth as a human being or your innate intelligence.

Attendance

You are expected to be present and on time for every class. You are expected to stay for the entire 90 minutes of the class. Classes start at 8:30 am (L01) or 3:30 pm (L02), depending on which section you’re in.

I take attendance by snapping a photo with my phone five minutes after the start time. This helps me accurately record who is present and lets me learn names quickly.

Participation

Good ways to show participation

Have courage and speak in front of everyone in the class at least once.
Chat with me when I visit your group during an activity.
Come chat with me after class about course content.
Listen carefully to your peers during small group discussions and activities.

Good ways to show you’re doing this include eye contact, repeating back to them what you think you heard, and asking follow-up questions.

Listen carefully to anyone speaking to the whole class (including me, the instructor)
Voice your ideas and perspectives in small groups.
Submit questions and comments electronically (via Google Slides Q&A or email)

Distractions from participation

Consistent use of technology for non-class purposes.

This includes using messaging apps, social media, videos, and music for purposes not related to the class. I’d also include online shopping here.

Disrespectful behavior toward peers or professor, online or in the classroom.
Not joining in class activities.

Pre-Class Responses

For most classes this semester, you’ll read a primary source that will be discussed in class. The primary sources are all available on helloworldciv.com.

For half of the classes (8 total), you will also prepare for class by responding to the first two discussion questions for each primary source. These questions consistently ask you to:

Identify the source of the reading (who wrote it, where, when?)
Summarize your observations of the reading. In a paragraph (or more, if you like), outline the main points or basic plot of the reading.

The purpose of this activity is to ensure that at least half the class at any time can bring a good understanding of the reading to the discussion.

All work should be your own. You may use outside sources (summaries of or commentary on a source; additional research), but you’ll need to cite it somehow if you do (e.g., provide the link to your info).

I encourage you though to just give it your best shot. Mistakes and misunderstandings are in fact very useful as they help me (your professor) understand what wasn’t clear in the reading.

The sources you respond to will be determined by which reading group I randomly assign you to at the start of class (A or B). Pre-class preparation is due by the start of class. You will submit your pre-class prep via a Google Form linked/embedded below the discussion questions listed.

When I provide feedback on your Engagement & Learning Essays, I’ll also provide feedback about your Pre-Class Responses. Again, these aren’t graded and there isn’t a concrete penalty for not submitting the responses (or submitting them late). However, consistently missing the responses or completing them only after the discussion could impact your overall grade in the course.

Engagement & Learning Essays

Details

During the semester, I will ask you to complete two essays detailing what you’ve learned in the class so far, how you’re participating in the class, and how you hope to improve your work in the course.

The essays should be approximately 1000-1200 words in length. Your essay should demonstrate what you have learned in the course and how you have engaged with the class content and activities. To complete your essay, please answer the following questions:

What have you learned in the course? (This could include details about content knowledge, acquired skills, or new outlooks)
How have you engaged with the class content, activities, and/or your peers and prof?
Are there any ways you would like to improve your learning or engagement going forward?
If you had to choose your grade for the course now, what would it be? (Answer this question last.)

You may answer the first three questions in whatever order you want. Feel free to combine and rearrange them. Ideally, your essays will include:

Your UBID in the document title
A recent photo of yourself embedded in the document somewhere (so I can connect your lovely faces to your names)
A title at the start of your essay
Introduction with thesis/key point & overview of essay.
Conclusion
Your best effort at proper grammar and spelling.
References to course content, discussions, and class expectations
Evidence of your own self-awareness and reflection
An honest assessment of what you’re doing well and what still needs work

Remember, this is not graded. There’s nothing to be gained by flattering yourself or by being too harsh. This is an exercise in self-assessment and self-awareness.

Creativity is encouraged. This means you’re free to experiment with how you complete your essays. Want to include GIFs or images? Go for it. Want to send me a video essay and transcript? That sounds excellent. I could even see doing this as an Instagram story (though we’d need to talk about the requirements of this.) The sky’s the limit really.

Deadlines & Submission

The first essay is due on Sunday, 17 March at 11:59 pm.

The second essay is due on Tuesday, 23 April at 11:59 pm. This second essay has the same requirements as the first but should also include a statement of the grade you’ve selected for the semester.

Please compose your essays as Google Docs (or another file shareable via Google Drive) and submit the essays by sharing your files with helloworldciv111@gmail.com.

Project: History of the World in [100+] Topics

Overview

This is a group project. Groups will be randomly assigned in order to prevent the exclusion of any members of the class. The group size will be 4-5 students per group.

The purpose of this project is to expand students’ knowledge of the course content and provide students an opportunity to practice the sourcing, observation, and analysis skills gained through our primary source discussions.

Details

For this project, each group will:

Select one of the civilizations discussed in class. (See the Project Topics page on Hello World Civ for the full list of topics.)
Confirm their selection & schedule a consultation with Prof. Heather.

The order in which groups select their topics will be randomly assigned.

It would be good to have at least three topics in mind in case the other two are selected before your group’s turn.

Each topic can be selected by only one group across the two sections.
Up to three groups may select a topic from the project topics list.
To confirm your topic, set up a time to talk with Prof. Heather during the consultation hours that follow Classes 7, 8, or 9 by completing the Consultation Hours Google Form (forthcoming)

You may change your topic up until Class 12.

I will set up a Google Sheet with a live list of which topics have been chosen.

It would be good to have three different topics in mind in case your first choices are taken.

Once you choose your topic, compile a list of primary sources + credible secondary resources.

The list should include 10 primary sources and 10 secondary sources.

This is roughly 2 primary sources and 2 secondary sources per student, depending on the size of the group.
The credibility of secondary sources should be judged based on the criteria discussed during Class 6 (and throughout the semester).

Each source should be accompanied by a brief summary (one paragraph of 4-6 sentences is fine, though you may write more if you like).

For primary sources, tell your readers what the source is about, what the source tells us about the civilization, and how it relates to the other sources on the list or discussed in class
For secondary sources, briefly outline the source and tell readers how it adds to knowledge about your civilization.

Resources may include a variety of formats: books, journal articles, images of artifacts or documents, websites, podcasts, videos.

In addition to your sources list, craft an introduction to your topic.

The intro should spark readers’ interest in the topic, give them a sense of where/when the civilization existed, and why the civilization is important to study.
If it’s a traditional, written introduction, it should be approximately 750-1000 words in length and should be entirely your own work.
If you would like to produce a video, podcast, or other creative pieces to introduce the topic, please chat with me about appropriate length and substance.

You will revise the introduction and source descriptions at least twice based on peer review and professor feedback.

Deadlines

The first draft of your resources list and introduction is due on Thursday, 28 March by the start of class (this is our first peer review session). Things can still be in-progress for the first draft, but your peers and I (Heather) should be able to get a clear sense of the direction of your project.

The second draft of your resources/introduction is due on Tuesday, 16 April by the start of class (this is our second peer review session).

The final version of your resources/introduction is due on Friday, 3 May by the end of the day (11:59 pm). This is the day of our last class meeting.

Submission

All versions of the project should be submitted via Google Docs by sharing with helloworldciv111@gmail.com.

The projects will be collected into a “view only” Google Drive folder so all students may view each other’s hard work and accomplishments.

Following the final review of projects and submission of final grades to UB-SIM, I may request permission to publish your project on Hello World Civ. You are 100% able to say no without any penalty to your grade.

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Classroom Policies

Expectations

Respect is the defining characteristic of our conversations.

Any and all viewpoints that are expressed respectfully and address the topics of this course will receive attention and a fair grade in this class. If comments are expressed disrespectfully or move too far afield, I reserve the right to end a conversation and/or request a conversation with you following the class.

Respect includes using appropriate language to describe people or groups of people.

Please use gender-neutral language and respectful designations for ethnic, racial, and national groups when appropriate. If you are unsure of what the most respectful terminology is, please feel free to ask.

Respect for present and past peoples also means approaching diverse cultures with an open mind.

You will find some ideas weird, dismaying, and disagreeable. That's okay. I encourage you to acknowledge that reaction and then move past judgment by taking the time to ask, "Why did they think that? Why was it like that? Why do I think differently?"

Discussions should be had with the entire class.

Please try not to engage in side conversations (verbal, electronic, or written) once class has begun.

Perfection will not (usually) be a defining characteristic of our conversations.

With that in mind, please share freely! All thoughts, questions, and ideas – no matter how tentative, incomplete, or half-formed these might be – are welcome.

Please take responsibility for your actions.

If you missed an assignment, do better next time If you said something unkind in discussion or to someone in your blogging group, work to correct it.

These expectations are for you - and for me.

If I have done something disrespectful, hurtful, or just plain annoying, you can expect me to apologize, take responsibility, and work toward changing my action or attitude.

Technology

There are (at least) two kinds of distraction provided by technology - the escapist kind and the exploring new knowledge kind.

I would ask that you aim for the exploring new knowledge kind in this class. Please avoid using technology to check out of the class. Please do use technology to learn, share, and dig deeper into the course.

A Word About Writing

Proper use of grammar, spelling, and punctuation is expected in all assignments completed for the class. Since there aren’t any grades, this is a great course to focus on improving your writing skills without the fear of losing points.

If you are unsure of whether or not something is grammatically correct, I encourage you to use the spelling and grammar check tools in your favorite document-creation software, helpful websites like OWL Perdue or GrammarGirl, or a free browser extension like Grammarly.

Not Plagiarism: Respect for Other Creators

In this course, we will focus on how to show respect for other creators by conscientiously giving them credit for their work.

This means we’ll actively work on how to restructure and reword content into a true paraphrase that expresses our own ideas.

We’ll use media if and when creators say we can (instead of disrespecting their work by ignoring copyright and stealing it).

We’ll also figure out together how best to note where we found ideas, videos, audio, etc. Sometimes that might mean traditional APA citations - or it might mean something more creative that’s actually useful outside of school.

When we don’t get it right the first time, we’ll go back and fix it.

All of this is similar to what’s required by the UB Academic Integrity policy. We’re just flipping the script so we can think about the benefits of integrity instead of the punishments that could happen if we plagiarise.

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Program Policies

Accessibility Resources For Students With Disabilities

Reasonable Accommodation refers broadly to reasonable modifications of policies, practices, and procedures as necessary to ensure that persons with disabilities have the same opportunities as others in all programs, services, and benefits of the University at Buffalo.

Anyone with a disability (including a chronic illness) who needs reasonable accommodations in the SIM-UB Program should refer to the Student Handbook (available online via SIMConnect) for further information, or consult the Resident Director (email: Kevin McKelvey).

General Policies

Attendance and active participation is expected by all students in every class. Students are expected to be present for the entire duration of each class. Tardiness to or absenting oneself during class will result in a deduction from the attendance and participation portion of the final grade.

Late assignments, if accepted, will be penalized.

Students who are absent from a midterm exam must request a make-up exam from the course instructor; a make up will be given only if there is an appropriate, documented reason for absence from the exam (such as an MC); any disputes regarding the validity of the reason or the documentation may be referred to the student advisor. (Please note: There is no midterm exam in HIS 141.)

Students who are absent from a final exam must formally request a make-up exam in writing to Ms. Katie Fassbinder, Assistant Resident Director, within 24 hours of the original exam. The make-up exam request form can be found in SIMConnect. (Please note: There is no final exam in HIS 141.)

In all cases, supporting documents must be provided and a make-up exam will only be scheduled if there is a valid and appropriate reason for the absence. For example, prior commitments to external activities or events outside of SIM are not considered a valid reason for an absence. For medical cases, students must submit a detailed letter from the doctor, highlighting the date of the medical consultation, the nature and the severity of the illness, and how the illness prevented them from taking the scheduled exam, in addition to a Medical Certificate (MC). A Medical Certificate alone will not be accepted for make-up final exams. Disputes may be referred to the Resident Director.

There will be no make-ups for other course assessments, and students who are absent from such assessments will receive a zero.

UB Statement Of Principle On Academic Honesty

The University at Buffalo has a responsibility to promote academic honesty and integrity and to develop procedures to deal effectively with instances of academic dishonesty. Students are responsible for the honest completion and representation of their work, for appropriate citation of sources, and for respect for others’ academic endeavors.

By placing their name on academic work, students certify the originality of all work not otherwise identified by appropriate acknowledgments.

Additionally, students are expected to understand and abide completely by the following guidelines for academic integrity in all UB courses:

Plagiarism, cheating, and other incidents of academic dishonesty will result in an automatic failing grade for the course. Depending on the severity of the violation, your case may also be reported to UB for further investigation and may result in expulsion from the university.

Plagiarism consists of copying work from another source without giving proper citations. You must not copy information from printed materials, internet sources, or from the work of other students. If you are uncertain about how to submit your work correctly, consult the instructor immediately.

Any claim of ignorance of the rules of academic integrity by any student is unacceptable.

See the policy here: Undergraduate Academic Integrity Policy

Course Schedule

Please note: There will also be a short video (no more than 30 minutes) assigned for each class to provide context for the topic of the day.

Class Number	Date	Topic	Due	To Read (Tentative)
1	29 January	Introduction & Syllabus
2	31 January	Icebreakers & Introduction to History
3	12 February	Hominids, Early Humans, Foragers
4	14 February	Ancient Egypt	All Students: Pre-Class Response	"The Birth of Hatshepsut"
5	19 February	Ancient Mesopotamia	Group A: Pre-Class Response	"The Epic of Gilgamesh"
6	21 February	Workshop 1: Credibility of Sources
7	26 February	Monotheism: An Ancient Anomaly	Group B: Pre-Class Response	Selections from Genesis
8	28 February	Ancient Greece	Group A: Pre-Class Response	Aristophanes, Lysistrata (Act I)
9	5 March	The Persian Empire	Group B: Pre-Class Response	Herodotus, “On the Customs of the Persians”
10	7 March	The Hellenistic World	Group A & Group B: Pre-Class Response	Epicurus, "Letter to Menoeceus" (A); Epictetus, The Enchiridion (B)
11	12 March	India I	Nothing Due
12	14 March	India II	Participation & Learning Essay 1	In-class reading
13	19 March	China I	Nothing Due
14	21 March	China II	Group A & Group B: Pre-Class Response	Daodejing (selections) (A); Analects of Confucius (selections) (B)
15	26 March	The Silk Road	Nothing Due
16	28 March	Workshop 2: Peer Review 1	Project: First Draft
17	2 April	Ancient Rome: Republic to Empire	Group A: Pre-Class Response	Livy, Selections from Histories
18	4 April	Christianity & Rome	Group B: Pre-Class Response	Pliny & Trajan Letters; Clement of Alexandria "To the Newly Baptized"
19	9 April	Fall of Rome	Group A: Pre-Class Response	Tacitus, Germania (selections)
20	11 April	Workshop 3: Peer Review 2	Project: Second Draft
21	16 April	Medieval Europe	Group B: Pre-Class Response	Thomas of Celano, Selections First Life of St. Francis
22	18 April	The Mongols	In-Class Reading	TBD
23	23 April	Coastal Africa as Hub of Civilizations	Participation & Learning Essay 2	In-Class Reading; Ibn Battuta, Travels in Asia and Africa (excerpts)
24	25 April	Southeast Asia	All Students: Pre-Class Response	Artifact Collection investigation
25	30 April	Wrap Up	Project: Final Version

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