COURSE DESCRIPTION
This class is an introductory survey of major themes and issues in world history to 1750.  Using  a thematic and comparative approach, we will discuss a variety of topics beginning with the rise of complex societies, the impact of agricultural production, the formation of political empires, the development of major world religions, and the formation of cultural traditions and social relationships.  We will end with the growing encounters of African, American, Asian and European peoples and their cultures, ecologies, and economies.

History is the study of human experiences and as such, we will discuss the lives of kings and queens, but also learn how common people--men and women from different regions and cultures--lived and interacted with each other.  We will evaluate different forms of evidence historians use to understand human activity, from wars and commerce, to religious conversion and burial rituals, in order to analyze the political, social and economic relationships that were created in the process.  In this class, you will also have a chance to seek answers to your own questions about the past by examining historical artifacts and making your own interpretations using research and critical thinking.  By the end of this course, you should have a better understanding of what historians do and see how world history has created the world we live in today.

This course fulfills the Information Competency Requirement and is transferable to UC/CSU.

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
Upon successfully completing this course students will be able to:

• Identify the major societies, geographic locations, thematic connections, transitions and turning points that are significant for each of the major chronological periods in world history until 1750.
• Explain the social, political, and economic causes of major historical developments until 1750.
• Compare and contrast the experiences of men and women in different societies and regions by analyzing how culture, class and gender shape a variety of human experiences.
• Distinguish between multiple forms of primary and secondary sources by explaining how they are produced and evaluating examples of how they are used as evidence to make historical arguments.
• Analyze traditional historical categories, institutions, narratives and evidence by identifying the underlying cultural biases and assumptions that produce them.
• Investigate a research topic by finding relevant academic sources to support a historical interpretation.
• Apply historical knowledge to examine current social and political developments and global issues.

• Richard W. Bulliet, et al, The Earth and Its Peoples, vol. I: To 1550, Brief - Fourth Edition (ISBN 0-618-99238-3)
• Dennis Sherman, et al, World Civilizations: Sources, Images and Interpretations, Vol 1, Fourth Edition (ISBN 0073127590)

BLACKBOARD
This course requires the use of Blackboard to supplement and enhance classroom instruction. Lecture outlines, reading and writing assignments, exam review guides and other course materials will be posted on Blackboard.

• To access Blackboard, go to http://socccd.blackboard.com/ or click on the Blackboard link on the Saddleback College home page.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING

• Class attendance and behavior; vocal participation in class discussions and quizzes: 10%
• Written Responses to Chapter Questions: 20%
• Research Paper: 20%
• Midterm Exam: 25%
• Final Exam: 25%