September (2 weeks) Assignments

Note: the work beneath each date is due on said date before class begins.


September 22nd

Readings:
Stearns, Prologue, Part 1 (the introductory material to chapters 1-3), Chapter 3, conclusion Part 1.
Western Heritage Reader (WHR), Code of Hammurabi, Hebrew's Creation, http://biologos.org/uploads/projects/lam_scholarly_essay.pdf
Hebrew's Covenant and Law.

Postings:


I'd like you to make three posts this week in your reading journals. This is how I want you to do it for starters. First, do one post on each of the readings from WHR. Second, I would like you to attempt to identify the genre of the text, its origin (who wrote it and when? This may require a little research) the purpose of the text (why was it written?), the gist of the text (a short summary of two or three sentences), and finally an interpretation: what sort of things does the text tell us about the past (it would behoove you to use some of the topics/categories we discussed first day of class to organize your thoughts on this point).

Finally, tell me what you found interesting about the biologos article: what new thoughts did it introduce (if any)? Be sure that in considering new thoughts, you first ask yourself "Do I understand what he's arguing?" before asking "Do I agree or disagree?" This is a point I will harp on. Aspiring historians aren't to go into the past to slay dragons, but to understand what happened and why. Only after we figure that part out can we take of our historian caps and begin asking moral and theological questions.

Practice Test:

I would like you all to get the Princeton Review book for AP World History and do one of the full length multiple choice sections within the time constraints (60min). You don't need to bother studying, just do it, and see how it goes. That'll give us a baseline to work with. As soon as you're done, correct it, and let me know how you did. Don't worry about pouring over right and wrong answers at this point (unless you're really curious on particular points).



September 29th

Readings:

Stearns, Intro Part II, Chapter 4.

WHR, Herodotus "The History", Thuycidides "The History of the Peloponnesian War"

Postings:

As with last week, make one posting for each of the primary sources in your reading journal and then follow the following guidelines: identify the genre of the text, its origin (who wrote it and when? This may require a little research) the purpose of the text (why was it written?), the gist of the text (a short summary of two or three sentences), and finally an interpretation: what sort of things does the text tell us about the past (it would behoove you to use some of the topics/categories we discussed first day of class to organize your thoughts on this point).

Study Guide:


I mentioned study guides. Well, this will be your first chance! After finishing chapter 3 (September 22nd) and chapter 4 (September 29th) you will have a basic grasp on ancient China and the Han empire. As I mentioned, we want to break down such analysis into categories. We also want to keep in mind that, even with these categories in mind, we want to keep in mind and record notable changes. I'm going to leave it at that for the time being and let you experiment with it. Ultimately, study guides are for you, and therefore are somewhat personal in terms of organization. Then again, I will give you feedback (you missed economics!) as need be. These study guides you may post in your reading journals for the time being.