Written Assignments | Class Schedule

I. Description

The mounted warriors of the Middle Ages and their fortified residences inspire awe, romance, and power even today.  Students will learn how knights became a major element in European warfare; how they lived and fought; how they created a governing class and an elite social rank; how they fashioned an ideology of chivalry in art and literature; and finally, how they declined.

II. Purpose

This is a History Major, European Sequence course.

Objectives for the student:

1. To identify major events, persons and ideas which contributed to the development of European, Western and world attitudes or institutions, esp. those of chivalry and medieval warfare.
2. To develop concepts and methods which give an understanding of what influenced the attitudes and behavior of major participants in medieval history.
3. To read primary and secondary sources and explain their significance to relevant historical problems.
4. To practice critical and analytical skills on historical controversies.
5. To identify and analyze significant problems and situations as they relate to the continuing issues of historical investigation of the Middle Ages and it socio-political structures.

Goals for the student:

1. To develop a wider perspective which recognizes the political, economic and cultural interdependence of differing societies and people, and which encourages a more inclusive view of the human experience.
2. To heighten awareness of the specific contributions and perspectives of diverse members of society.
3. To appreciate the social, economic, cultural and political developments of the medieval history.
4. To understand the influence of the past on contemporary events and problems, or, in other words, to develop "Historical Mindedness."

General Learning Outcomes for the student:

In addition to the more content related objectives described above, this course has some general liberal learning goals. Successful completion of this course is expected to help improve your ability

1. To manage information, which involves sorting data, ranking data for significance, synthesizing facts, concepts and principles.
2. To understand and use organizing principles or key concepts against which miscellaneous data can be evaluated.
3. To differentiate between facts, opinions and inferences.
4. To frame questions in order to more clearly clarify a problem, topic or issue.
5. To compare and contrast the relative merits of opposing arguments and interpretations, moving between the main points of each position.
6. To organize your thoughts and communicate them clearly and concisely in a written form and oral presentations.
7. To obtain practice in selecting and presenting information and arguments within a restricted environment, especially the limitations of time in exams.

III. General Requirements

1. Readings:

• Froissart, Sir John. Chronicles. Translated by Geoffrey Brereton. Harmondsworth, UK: Penguin Books, 1983.
• Gies, Joseph & Frances. Life in a Medieval Castle. NY: Perennial Library, 1979.
• Gies, Joseph. The Knight in History. New York: Perennial Library, 1987.
• Kaufmann, J. E., and H. W. Kaufmann. The Medieval Fortress. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press, 2004.
• Balderich. A Warrior Bishop of the Twelfth Century: The Deeds of Albero of Trier. Translated by Brian A. Pavlac, Medieval Sources in Translation Toronto: Pontifical Institute of Medieval Studies, 2008.

The required readings are intended both to provide you with important factual and background information before class and to be used as review and reference works afterwards. Before class, you will read the chapters or pages assigned according to the class schedule.   Not all topics in the books will be covered in class, but you are responsible for them on the exam and in class discussion. Each class the instructor may select at random one student to present the day's reading and show how it integrates with the other material (Each presentation worth 10 points).

Especially in your readings, you must make notes in the margins or a notebook, underline key statements, highlight important passages, and/or annotate essential details in order to be better prepared for classroom discussion. Several times the instructor will also check your books for that classs text readings and evaluate the quality of your note taking or highlighting (10 points each time).

If necessary, the instructor may give quizzes to test your reading and comprehension of the texts, or evaluate your texts for a quiz grade on your preparation.

2. Class Participation & Attendance:

Participation and attendance are necessary because lecture and discussion provide the essentials for achieving class goals and objectives. Thus a portion of your grade (about 20%) will depend on your in-class performance. You are required to attend each class, arrive on time, remain attentive, respond to questions, ask questions and participate in any in-class projects.

Especially in your readings book, you must make notes in the margins or a notebook, underline key statements, highlight important passages, and/or annotate essential details in order to be better prepared for classroom discussion.

Lectures may be recorded with the instructor's permission, only for use in classwork, and the tapes must be erased after the final exam.

Absences due to college activities, emergency or extended illness may be excused by the appropriate director or dean.  Do not come to class if you are ill--your health has first priority.  It takes several unexcused absences to lower the class participation portion of your grade.  Whether absences are excused or not, you cannot get a higher grade than the percentage of classes attended. After any absence, you are responsible for making up missed work, requesting hand-outs and already returned assignments, or borrowing notes from other students.

A student who arrives at class late, after attendance is taken, must personally request that the absence be turned into a tardy mark. Students who need to leave a class session early, except for medical emergency, should notify the instructor before class begins.

Each student who has a learning disability, physical handicap and/or any other possible impediment to class participation and requirements should schedule an appointment with the instructor during the first week of class to discuss available accommodations.

If you miss an exam, contact the instructor as soon as possible. You may take a missed exam only at the discretion of the instructor. The makeup exam may be in the form of an oral exam.

If at some point during the semester you must discontinue the course, due to poor performance, illness, or some other cause, be sure to follow proper procedures for withdrawal.

Any and all materials done for this course may become the property of the professor, who may use them for assessment, evaluative, scholarly, or research purposes. 

3. Other Requirements

You will take one mid-term exam on the assigned date in the class schedule, section VII, and a final exam as assigned during finals week. Exams are described in more detail below, section V.  The exams are comprehensive: each exam may cover material since the beginning of the course. Both exams consist of short identifications quizzing knowledge of detail and significance, and longer essays demanding your understanding of the course material through logical presentation of facts and explanation of historical trends.

To study for the exams you should regularly, at least once a week, review your class notes. You should also compare and contrast these notes with your textbook and with the issues and trends emphasized in the class description.

You will have several in-class discussion/projects, intermittently through the semester. You also may be evaluated by short quizzes or written reports done in-class or after class, either individually or in groups, worth between 10 and 20 points each.

Always you are required read before class the appropriate material (as listed on the class schedule, section VII, or otherwise assigned by the instructor) and be prepared to discuss and/or write about it with the instructor or in small groups. Each class the instructor may select at random one student to present the day's reading and show how it integrates with the other material (Each presentation worth 10 points).

Several times the instructor will also check your books for the assigned text readings and evaluate the quality of your note taking or highlighting (10 points each time).

Short quizzes or written reports may also be required to evaluate the comprehension of video presentations. Students with unexcused absences will receive no credit for the videos/project/discussion. Students with excused absences may prepare a short report, after consultation with the instructor.

You will have several in-class discussion/projects, intermittently through the semester. As always, you are required to have read before class the appropriate material (as listed on the class schedule, or otherwise assigned by the instructors) and be prepared to discuss and/or write about it with the instructors or in small groups. Students with unexcused absences will receive no credit for the videos/project/discussion.
Students with excused absences may prepare a short report, after consultation with the instructors.

You may be evaluated by short quizzes or written reports done in-class or after class, either individually or in groups, worth between 10 and 20 points each.

See instructions in the Assignments handout. For the Castle of the Day page, find more information here:  <http://staff.kings.edu/bapavlac/knightsandcastles>.

C. Plagiarism:

Plagiarism on written assignments is a serious breach of expected academic honesty. For more information see, click here.

E. Presentation:

Both for practice in following guidelines and to facilitate consistency in grading, papers should be uniform in appearance. Every assignment you turn in should have a cover page with your name, but your name should not appear on subsequent pages. For more information, especially about quotations and citations see click here.  For more on ways to improve writing essays, see <http://www.kings.edu/history/grading.html#error>.

IV. Grades:

You earn your grade through work done for this course. It is your responsibility to understand why you have achieved a certain grade, and what steps you can take to maintain or improve your grade.  Click here for parameters of evaluation and grading.

Your final grade will be based on a percentage (above 90%=A, 80-90%=B, etc., with borderline grades earning "+" or "-") of the sum of the assignments. Different assignments will be worth certain point values.

For your protection, in case of errors of recording, you should keep copies of all exams and assignments until you have received official notice of your final grade.  Any and all materials done for this course may become the property of the professor, who may use them for assessment, evaluative, scholarly, or research purposes.  Although the syllabus presents the basic content and requirements of the course the professor reserves the right to change anything (e.g. assignments, and topics, due dates) at his discretion.  

All topics and assignments on the schedule are tentative; the instructor may change them at his discretion.

URL: http://departments.kings.edu/history/hist479KC.html Site built, maintained & Copyright MMIX by Brian A. Pavlac Last Revision: 2009  November 19