HST 327

The Age of Discoveries:
The Environmental Consequences of the Columbian Exchange

COURSE OVERVIEW:

History 327 is a course focused on the time period known as the Age of Discovery [1400s-1600s] and the process known as the Columbian Exchange. The outward expansion of Europeans resulted in many things: new patterns of cultural, religious and economic diffusion, and also the interaction of different ecological systems [including flora, fauna and microorganisms]. This phenomenon will be examined from the perspective of environmental history, especially in relation to two elements: people’s perceptions of the natural world and human interaction with their environment.

History 327 is a reading and discussion intensive seminar, which means there will be a heavy emphasis placed on reading, critical thinking and discussion. Each student should plan on reading between 40 and 100 pages per week during the eleven week term. Through the readings and discussions we will come to gain an understanding of various elements of the Columbian Exchange. A large portion of each class will be devoted to discussing these readings, so it is important for everyone to come to class prepared to share ideas and debate them.

There will not be a textbook for this course; rather, there will be a variety of articles and excerpts from books on electronic reserve [e-reserve] in the COCC library available at http://web.cocc.edu/library.

REQUIREMENTS:

Each student will be required to complete four response papers based on the readings which are designed to reinforce the information we will cover in class. In total, there will be 8 possible response paper topics; you may choose which four of the eight you would like to do. These response papers are due on the date listed on the syllabus. Each response paper will be worth 12% of the final grade. In total, the 4 assignments comprise 48% of the final grade. Assignments that are turned in a class period late will lose one complete letter grade. No weekly assignments will be accepted after the week they are due. Students are advised to keep track of the number of response papers they have done; make-up papers will not be accepted at the end of the quarter.

As noted above, this is a reading and discussion intensive seminar. Each student will be graded on his/her useful discussion participation [quality, not quantity]. If a student comes to class, but s/he is not prepared to discuss the readings, s/he will not receive the discussion participation points for that class period. Each class discussion participation will account for 1% of the final grade, or 17% of the final grade for the discussion participation component of the course. See Grading Criteria for Discussions which is attached.

Finally, there will be two other interrelated assignments. First, a paper proposal will be required which will consist of a two-page, typed, double spaced proposal, describing the topic of the paper and an annotated bibliography; this will be due on week 5 of the class [no later than Wednesday, October 28th]. The paper proposal will account for 5% of the final grade.

Second, each student must write a 12-15 page final research paper, based on a topic related to the course material which has been approved by the instructor. The paper must use current bibliography, so it will be important to begin your research very soon, using the COCC Library as well as ORBIS. The final paper will account for 30% of the final grade and it will be due the last day of class [Wednesday, December 2nd -  No exceptions]. See Grading Criteria for Written Work and A Guide to Writing History Papers, both linked below.

All written work must be typed/computed to be accepted for grading. Since most of the activities include access to electronic reserves, you must have reliable access to a computer and internet service to successfully complete the class. If you do not have this in your residence, the library and computer labs are available for student use as long as you have a student account. Ask me if you are unfamiliar with how to get such an account.

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Grading Components:

4 Response Papers     = 48%

Class Participation      = 17%

Paper Proposal            =   5%

Final Research Paper  = 30%

The percentage distribution for grades is as follows:

A+ = 98 - 100 % B = 84 - 86% C- = 70 -73%

A = 94 - 97% B- = 80 - 83% D = 60 - 69%

A- = 90 - 93% C+ = 77 - 79% F = 59% or lower

B+ = 87 - 89% C = 74 - 76%

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Class Rules and College Regulations: