With technology shrinking the world, students today will find themselves workers in global economies, citizens of multinational, multi-ethnic "neighborhoods." This course should help with understanding how those economies and marketplaces developed, why global neighborhoods have the characteristics they do, and why do we think of ourselves (and others) as do. In this class, we investigate major themes and developments in modern civilizations from CE 1500 to the present, paying particular attention to the social, political, artistic, and economic exchanges between nations and cultural groups on five continents (Africa, North America, South America, Asia and Europe). Some of our topics will include the European voyages of discovery and their impact on other civilizations, the Reformation, the Enlightenment, the French and American Revolutions, Tokugawa Japan, the African slave trade, Manchu China, the colonizing of the Americas, the Industrial Revolution and the "New Imperialism" of the late 19 and early 20^th centuries. The last several weeks of the semester will be devoted to the 20^th century. Our purpose here is to foster a broader, more international perspective on today's world through understanding better how present circumstances evolved from major world civilizations and events of the past.

To explore human culture as a framework for understanding the multiplicity of human experience.

To identify some conflicting values, beliefs, and interests which have shaped much of human experience.

To develop and refine students' ability to analyze present cultural realities in light of their connection(s) to past events, and improve their understanding of the construction of history.

To develop and refine students' basic academic skills, including writing, reading, research, critical thinking, presentation and group work, and computer skills.

To familiarize students with the capabilities (and limitations) of new information technologies for the purposes of learning and research.

Barry Lopez, The Rediscovery of North America

Bentley and Zeigler, Traditions & Encounters: A Global Perspective on the Past, Vol. II: From 1500 to the Present.

The core of much of the class will be our work in the virtual classroom space of the Speakeasy Studio. You should have your wsunix and email accounts set up by the second day of class if you have not already done so. The virtual space of the Speakeasy will allow us to record our discussions in the form of class logs, to share the work of our topic and regional groups through weekly postings, and to post weekly individual analysis of issues from readings and class discussions. The Studio is one of our class's tools for making sure that we interact with each other meaningfully and frequently, despite the size of the class.

There will be a midterm exam and a final exam. Make-ups are given at 7:00 AM on Fridays, in my office. They must be arranged (not necessarily taken) within three days after the regularly scheduled examination.

Much of your grade is totally up to you; that is, if you do the assignment, you do it on time, and you've made a good faith effort to do it well, then you get all the points.

• Weekly Postings of questions and answers to Speakeasy 100 pts
• Attendance and participation             100 pts
• 4 class log postings to Speakeasy             100 pts.
• Cultural Event             100 pts.

The rest of your grade will come from the quality of your work on the following:

• Introductory Writing Assignment
• Midterm
• Final
• Quizzes
• Web assignment
• Book Review

Meet your deadlines because late assignments are penalized 10 points per class day late (up to 50 points) regardless of reason.

All examinations will include short answer identification questions where you will be expected to 1) identify who/what/when/where something/someone is, and 2) why this thing or person is significant. Each exam will also include essay questions developed by the class.

Map quizzes will be given throughout the semester. The four highest grades will be counted (25 points each, 100 points total). NO MAKE-UPS WILL BE GIVEN FOR MAP QUIZZES. On each quiz, you will be given a list of items to match up with a blank map. Each item must be identified, placed correctly, and spelled correctly.

There will be a brief reading quiz most weeks, based on the reading assignments for that week. Each quiz is worth 10 points. The five (5) highest scores will be counted. Reading quizzes are usually scheduled for Thursdays, unless an exam or map quiz is scheduled for that date. NO MAKE-UPS WILL BE GIVEN FOR READING QUIZZES.

1 WEB Assignment (50 points) This will be discussed as the semester progresses.

You are required to write one book review and bibliography dealing with one of the subjects covered in class or in your text. The reviews are due no later than the end of the regular class period on the due date but can be turned in earlier. Late papers are penalized 10 points per class period they are late, to a maximum 50 point penalty.

You may select any book of interest to you that is related to the course, and which is listed in your text. Please note that ALL books selected for review must be listed in the "For Further Reading" sections of the chapters in your text, or approved by me. Reviews will not be accepted for other books. Choose your book carefully, and clear it with me before you start reading it! Approval will NOT be given by phone. AND IF THE BOOK YOU SELECT TURNS OUT TO BE BORING TO YOU, SWITCH BOOKS. LIFE IS TOO SHORT AND GREAT BOOKS TOO PLENTIFUL TO SPEND TIME ON SOMETHING WHICH DOESN'T INTEREST YOU. Title, author, etc. of your selected review book must be handed in by the end of the sixth week.

Please consult the handouts, "Book Reviews" and "A Sample Book Review" (posted to Speakeasy) for general guidelines for writing book reviews. Reviews which do not fit the criteria outlined for this assignment will receive a grade of zero (0), and must be rewritten and resubmitted in order to receive a passing grade in the course.

At least once during the semester you will attend a cultural event selected from lists announced in class or discovered elsewhere. After you have attended the event, you will write a 2-4 page review in the style of a magazine or newspaper review, post it to the Speakeasy, and hand in hard copy to me. Your review will describe the event, your reaction to it (with reasons supporting your reaction), and your recommendation. Your review must be submitted in hard copy to me with a program from the event attached. It is due one week (7 days) after the event in question (not counting vacation periods), but no later than Friday, Dec. 1. Do not put this off to the end. You'll have a lot to do at the end of the semester, and failure to complete this assignment will result in a grade of zero (0). Under no circumstances will an "Incomplete" be given if the cultural assignment has not been completed. You may chose to attend an event not included in my list, but it must be approved by me before you attend; I will not grant credit for events which I have not approved. Extra cultural events may be attended and if a review is written within 7 days of the event, you may receive extra credit.

As you will soon notice, much of what's most important and most interesting in this course will take place during class. Therefore, attendance and class participation are mandatory. In fact, a significant part of your grade is based on your presence in the classroom. If you are not there, believe me, you will be missed. If you are forced to miss class, you must email me <skilgore@wsu.edu> in advance of the following class for the assignment(s) you missed. In addition, in order for your absence to be excused, you must write a one page discussion of the readings for the day missed to be posted to the Studio Table "Attendance Make-Up Papers." All assigned reading and writing exercises must be done before the class meeting for which they are assigned. More than three unexcused absences and you can be dropped from the class. As noted above, make-ups will not be given for map quizzes or reading quizzes. The only exceptions to this will be for participation in official university activities, or personal or medical emergencies. In all cases, an official excuse provided by the Office of Student Affairs or other appropriate university office will be required. (Please note: personal or family travel plans are NOT an acceptable excuse for make-ups.)

Student Conduct: Behavior which interrupts the appropriate work of a classroom is not acceptable. For example, most adults can sit for an hour without a break, and most adults should know better than to disrupt neighbors with chitchat or by repeatedly arriving late for class. Also, it hurts my feelings and makes me cranky if you read the Evergreen instead of paying attention in class. If you sleep in class, you lay yourself open to mockery and merciless ridicule. I won't call you names and you don't call me names. Have I forgotten anything?

Cheating: If you should be foolish enough to cheat, I will boil you in oil. And then I'll say nasty things about you to your mother and to anybody else who will listen. So don't. Nothing is worth cheating. You'll just have to do the assignment over in your next life, or when you retake the class because I failed you (actually you failed you) for cheating this time. As I am sure you all know, "cheating" means using crib sheets, copying other students' work, or plagiarizing from the Web or anywhere/one else. Cheating is using the work of others and passing it off as your own. Only stupid people, or desperate people, cheat. Not a good habit to acquire for future citizens—so it will be delt with harshly.

Classroom discussion, in-class writings, quizzes, and exams will all be taken directly from the readings. Also, in-class lectures and other activities will mean much more to you if you've done the reading in advance. Reading assignments are to be completed in advance of the week in which they are listed. For example, Ch. 22 is to be completed by the end of Week 1.