In this course, the student will study the emergence of the major civilizations of the ancient world, beginning with the Paleolithic Era (about 2.5 million years ago) and finishing with the end of the Middle Ages in fifteenth century A.D. The student will pay special attention to how societies evolved across this expanse of time - from fragmented and primitive agricultural communities to more advanced and consolidated civilizations. By the end of the course, the student will possess a thorough understanding of important overarching social, political, religious, and economic themes in the ancient world, ranging from the emergence of Confucian philosophy in Asia to the fall of imperial Rome. Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to: Identify and define the world's earliest civilizations, including the Neolithic Revolution, and describe how it shaped the development of these early civilizations; Identify, describe, and compare/contrast the first advanced civilizations in the world - Mesopotamia and Egypt; Identify and describe the emergence of the earliest civilizations in Asia: the Harappan and Aryan societies on the Indian subcontinent and the Shang and Zhou societies in China; Identify and describe the emergence of new philosophies - Daoism and Confucianism - during the Warring States period in China. Identify and describe the subsequent rise of the Qin and Han dynasties; Identify and describe the different periods that characterized ancient Greece - Archaic Greece (or the Greek Dark Ages), classical Greece, and the Hellenistic era; Identify and describe the characteristics of the Roman Kingdom, the Roman Republic, and Imperial Rome; Analyze the emergence of the Mauryan and Gupta empires during the 'classical age' in India; Identify and analyze the Buddhist and Vedic (Hindu) faiths; Identify and describe the rise of civilizations in the Americas, particularly in Meso and South America; Analyze and describe the rise of Islam in the Middle East; Identify and describe the emergence of the Arab caliphate, the Umayyad dynasty, and Abbasid dynasty; Identify and describe the rise and fall of the Byzantine Empire; Identify and analyze key facets of medieval society in Western EuropeŃthe Catholic Church, feudalism, and the rise of technology and commerce; Analyze and interpret primary-source documents that elucidate the exchanges and advancements made in civilizations across time and space. (History 101)

This course will introduce the student to the history of the European Middle Ages and Renaissance. The student will learn about the major political, economic, and social changes that took place between the fourth century and 1500 CE. By the end of the course, the student will understand how Europe transformed from a collection of barbarian kingdoms into a continent with a sophisticated cultural and economic life that would later come to dominate the globe. Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to: think analytically about the history of the European Middle Ages from the fourth century to approximately 1500; identify and describe the causes for the dissolution of the Roman Empire and the end of antiquity; identify and describe the rise and fall of the Byzantine Empire as well as the creation of Germanic kingdoms in the former western Roman Empire; identify and describe the impact of Christianity on Byzantium and the Germanic tribes; identify and describe the causes of the rise of the Carolingian Empire and its impact on Europe; identify and analyze the causes for the rising power of feudal medieval kingdoms; identify and describe the role of the medieval Church as well as the causes and effects of the Crusades; analyze and describe the system of feudalism in medieval Europe; identify the medieval roots of the Renaissance and analyze its impact on European society; identify the major cultural, scientific, and economic achievements of medieval civilization; analyze and interpret primary source documents from the fourth century to 1500, and demonstrate an understanding of the difference between primary and secondary sources. (History 302)