Books By Donald Kagan, Steven Ozment, Frank Turner, And Alis

Books Donald Kagan Steven Ozment Frank Turner And Alison Fran

Books-------- Donald Kagan, Steven Ozment, Frank Turner and Alison Frank, The Western Heritage, Volume 1. (Boston: Pearson Education) 2012. This includes the MYHISTORYLAB online, which includes valuable test preparation exercises. ISBN: MBS Direct offers a customized version of the text. To order use ISBN: . Week 1- Ancient Civilizations Discussion 2: How did geography, culture, and climate play a role in the development of different religious outlooks in Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Israel?

How were the political and social structures of each civilization tied to its religious views? Week 2 Ancient Greece Discussion 3: If you could choose to live in one of the three Greek poleis featured in your textbook (Corinth, Athens, or Sparta), which would you prefer and why? In making your decision, be sure to consider both the major differences between these poleis and the cultural and philosophical ideas that unite them into a single culture. Discussion 4: How did the Greek view of the relationship between man and nature influence their conception of the Gods? How was this view expressed in Greek philosophy and the arts?

Week 3 Ancient Rome Discussion 5: What factors led to the collapse of the Roman Republic and the emergence of the Roman Imperial government structure? Discussion 6: Did the emergence and growth of Christianity contribute to the decay of "Roman virtue"? Consider the ways Christianity came into conflict with the Roman State Religion. Take a look at the letter from Pliny to Trajan at Peter Kirby’s collection of Early Christian Writings . It may help you understand the issue of Roman persecution of the Christians.

Discussion 7: Discuss the factors that contributed to the downfall of Roman imperial administration. What part did the Roman military, the influx of barbarian peoples, and the reforms of Constantine play in this transformation? Essay 1 600 words Read the Funeral Oration of Pericles in the Ancient History Sourcebook at Fordham University. Given the context of this speech, do you believe everything Pericles says about Athens in the Funeral Oration? Why or why not?

Week 4 The Transformation of Europe Discussion 8: How did the Europe under the rule of the Charlemagne differ from Europe during the time of Constantine, and what did the title of "emperor" mean during each period? Discussion 9: Discuss the differences and similarities between Western (Roman Catholic) Christianity, Eastern (Orthodox) Christianity, and Islam. Week 5 The High Middle Ages Discussion 10: How did medieval Universities differ from universities today? See Jacques de Vitry’s description of medieval students for one scholar’s description of students in medieval universities. Discussion 11: Describe the social, political, and religious misfortunes of the 14th century and the effect of these events on the psychological and material fortunes of Europeans.

Essay 2- 600 word Read Robert the Monk's account of Pope Urban II's call to crusade found on the Internet History Sourcebooks Project site. Why would Christians in the West be moved to embark on a dangerous journey to fight in the Holy Land after hearing Pope Urban's speech at Clermont? Week 6– The Renaissance Discussion 12: Why did the Renaissance start in Italy? Describe the role of the aristocratic courts of such powerful figures as the de Medicis and the papacy in engendering and sustaining this cultural revival. Discussion 13: The main goal of all Renaissance humanists was to fix their own world by recovering the glories of ancient Rome and Greece.

How was this effort to revive antiquity reflected in the art and literature of the Renaissance? Week 7 The Reformation Discussion 14: What were some of the topics Luther raised in the 95 Theses ? What did he see as the major problems with the religious practices of his day? Discussion 15: Why did the Reformation happen in the early 16th century after Martin Luther posted the 95 Thesis rather than earlier in response to other protests against Church practice? Essay 3-600 words Read Luther’s 95 Theses at the Internet Christian Library.

Martin Luther wrote these propositions in order to engage in a debate with fellow theologians. How do the issues Luther present for debate illustrate the problems in the Church of his day? Week 8 The Early Modern World Discussion 16: Identify the basic causes, both political and religious, of the bitter struggles of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries in France, the Holy Roman Empire, and the Netherlands. Describe the political and religious dimensions of the settlement of each of these conflicts. Discussion 17: In what ways did the new science of Copernicus, Brahe, Kepler, and Galileo challenge not only the Aristotelian cosmos--foundation of all medieval science--but also the claims of the church?

Discussion 18: How did Versailles symbolize the authority of the French king and how did the Louis XIV use Versailles as a way to establish and maintain power? Essays Overview-This is only for the essays! You will write three essays in this course, due in Weeks 3, 5, and 7. All essays are responses to questions based on your reading of primary source documents, but will require that you understand the background material presented in the required textbook. These questions are found in the class dropbox in Desire 2 Learn.

The essays are worth 100 points each and must be words in length, double-spaced, and submitted to the dropbox in either MS Word or Rich Text Format. In responding to the questions in the discussions and on the essay, you may want to use resources in addition to your textbook. This is encouraged, as it allows you to explore areas of interest in more detail. I do caution you, however, to be aware of any biases that some authors might have in dealing with the subject matter. Remember that Wikipedia is not an acceptable resource, as it is not refereed, and therefore not reliable.

I recommend the sources found in the databases available through the Columbia College library. Be sure to document your sources properly using either the MLA or Turabian (Chicago Manual of Style) format.

Paper For Above instruction

The provided document contains a broad overview of a history course that covers ancient civilizations through the early modern period. It includes assignments such as discussions, essays, and reading sources related to topics like the development of religious outlooks in Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Israel; characteristics of Greek city-states; the fall of the Roman Republic and rise of the Empire; the transformation of Europe; the Renaissance; the Reformation; and major conflicts in early modern Europe. The assignments emphasize critical thinking and analysis of primary sources, encouraging students to consider historical contexts critically, and to develop well-supported arguments.

This course aims to deepen understanding of historical developments through engagement with historical sources and scholarly resources. Students are expected to craft comprehensive essays grounded in primary texts, analyzing significant historical questions. The instruction highlights the importance of proper citation and resource analysis, advising the use of reputable scholarly databases for research, and discouraging reliance on non-credible sources such as Wikipedia. The course emphasizes a structured approach to learning history, fostering analytical skills and a nuanced understanding of historical change over time.

References

• Kagan, D., Ozment, S., Turner, F., & Fran, A. (2012). The Western Heritage (Volume 1). Boston: Pearson Education.
• Fordham University. (n.d.). Funeral Oration of Pericles. Ancient History Sourcebook.
• Kirby, P. (n.d.). Early Christian Writings. Peter Kirby’s Collection.
• Internet History Sourcebooks Project. (n.d.). Pope Urban II's Call to Crusade.
• De Vitry, J. (n.d.). Medieval Descriptions of University Students.
• Luther, M. (n.d.). 95 Theses. Internet Christian Library.
• Columbia College Library. (n.d.). Reputable scholarly databases for historical research.
• Seeman, J. (2007). The Arts of the Renaissance. Cambridge University Press.
• Clark, K. (1961). Thinking with the Past. Wadsworth Publishing.
• Offer, J. (2002). The Impact of the Scientific Revolution. Oxford University Press.