Western Civ B Self-Paced Materials

I suspect that since you are reading this you have enrolled in Western Civilization 104B--Self-Paced. This site includes a course description, a course outline, a course assignment sheet, a list of lecture notes and other assorted handouts used in the regular Western Civilization class. You will need to fill out the form Online to verify your registration: Instructor's Course Registration. If I fail to receive this form I will list you as a no show.You may complete this course at your leisure-of course that means by the end of the semester.

This page should provide you with all the information needed to complete your specific tasks. At the bottom of this page you will find a GUIDELINE FOR COMPLETION that provides you with a guideline as to when I expect you to complete the assignments and the exams. Guidelines are not specific due dates, but a concept of what needs to be done and when to complete this course in one semester. The preferred way of turning in the required assignments is via e-mail. Send them to me at akirshner@ohlone.edu. Either attach them as a Word or PDF document or copy and insert them in the body of the e-mail. DO NOT send Works or Word Perfect attachments. I will be posting grades evey few weeks on the internet at
http:// www2.ohlone.edu/ people/akirshner/gradeswc.html and
http:// www.kirshnerisms.com/gradeswc.html

When you are ready for Exam I, Exam II or Exam III, please request them via e-mail and I will send you the exam. However, I will not send an exam until I have received your reaction reading papers that are scheduled before the exam. I will also not send an exam if I haven't received the last exam from you even if you completed the papers. I grade the exams like I would a mini term paper—meaning, I expect loads of information with lots of typed pages. Please remember to place the exact question you are answering on your answer sheets or mail me back the exam paper I sent to you. If you do not and I cannot figure out which question from the 10 different exams I have you are answering, it could hurt your grade dramatically. If you prefer, you can take the exam on campus during my office hours as posted.(NOT AN OPTION FOR SUMMER COLLEGE) If you cannot make it at that time, I might be able to set a different schedule. If I cannot be in my office during your availabilty to take the exam you will have to take the e-mail option. You cannot use notes or books on exams taken at Ohlone. However, on the take-home exams you can, in fact should, do as much research as you would with a term paper.

If you do not complete the course by the end of the semester I will be forced to give you an F (failure). If you must miss the final exam for a college approved reason you can obtain an Incomplete form from the Registrar’s office. If you receive an incomplete, DO NOT reregister for this course. The computer will throw you out anyway. An incomplete maintains your registration. An incomplete will turn to an F if you do not make up the course in one semester.

This course can be taken credit/no-credit. If you want to go this route, fill out the form in the Admissions Office before the fourth week of school. I do not have to be informed that you have taken advantage of the credit/no-credit option.

If you have any questions you can contact me at my office. My office (8320) hours are posted at About My Courses. (NOT AN OPTION DURING SUMMER COLLEGE) You can call me at 659-6242 during those times or leave a message on my tape machine at any other time. (NOT AN OPTION DURING SUMMER COLLEGE) You can e-mail your questions, papers or exams to me at akirshner@ohlone.edu.

1. Few students complete the self-paced course. Not that this course is any more difficult than the classroom course, but most students are not use to scheduling their own time. I always advise students to take the classroom section as there is an instructor with a whip over them. If this is the only way your schedule permits you to take this course--GOOD LUCK!

2. Treat this course like any other scheduled class. If you set up a regular schedule you will finish the course and receive an excellent grade. Very few students who complete the course get a grade less than B. Most students get A grades, but as I wrote above, few students complete the course.

3. I advise you to follow the “Guidelines on Completion” as close as possible. Few students who wait for the last moment to turn in their work have done well. Getting ten two page reaction papers and three term-paper size exams done in a few days is near impossible.

4. Ohlone's withdrawal policy permits a student to withdraw before the third week of class without a grade or notation appearing on the transcript. Between the third and twelfth weeks of school a student must receive a W if s/he withdraws(BE SURE TO CHECK EXACT DATES IN THE CATALOGUE . (NOT AN OPTION DURING SUMMER COLLEGE) If the student fails to withdraw after the stated date, s/he can only receive an F or an I.

STANDARDS OF STUDENT CONDUCT:

The student has the right and shares the responsibility to exercise the freedom to learn. The student is expected to conduct himself/herself in accordance with the standards of the College that are designed to perpetuate its educational purposes.

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This course is a survey of the cultural, social and political developments in Western Civilization, and how they relate to other world societies, from the rise of the nation-state through contemporary times with a speculative look at the future.

1. A reading list applicable to each section of the course outline can be found under Course Assignment s below. Upon completion of each reading assignment you must submit a two-page typed paper explaining what you learned about history, your society or yourself. This reaction paper is from the readings within this packet and in the textbook—not the lecture videos. Please note that I am asking for a reaction paper, not a summary of the readings--I have read the material. Each paper is worth 10 points.

2. The assignment sheet lists videopodcasts that must be downloaded from iTunes Ohlone and must be viewed. Please note the words “must view.” This means that they are required. The sound on these may not be good if you use your computer speakers. I advise you to listen to them with earphones, especially ones that hve a buil in sound control. If you prefer not to download them, you can obtain the iTunes videocasts by providing me with two blank DVD disks and an envelope or box with sufficient postage to mail the iTunes videos back to you. You will still need to download itunes, if you do not have it on your computer, to view the videocasts. You can download iTunes free from Apple for a PC or Mac. http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/ Some of the iTunes Video podcast I did, failed. In those situations you will need to view applicable video tapes that are on reserve in the library. They have been placed on reserve for this class--Dr. Kirshner's Western Civilization 104B Course. The lecture videos cannot be taken home. Assignments are listed below under Course assignment. If any problems arise, please let me know as soon as possible. Sometimes new clerks lack familiarity with this course. Using the call numbers I have listed with the material should help. Last semester, Spring 2010, I placed online mp3's of all the lectures from the 104B course in class. However, the sound is not very loud. You can hear them OK if you use earphones--especially those that have a built in volume. The lectures have not been titled and you will needed to try and corresponded them to the earlier lectures from 2007. The list is at: http://www.kirshnerisms.com/Audio2.html

3. After you have complete all the required assignments for Sections I through III, please contact me via e-mail to send you an exam or for you to make an appointment for Exam I at the college during my office hours. After you have completed all the required assignments for Sections IV through VII and Exam I, please contact me via e-mail to send you an exam or for you to make an appointment for Exam II at the college during my office hours. After completing all the required assignments for Sections VIII through X and Exam II, please contact me via e-mail to send you an exam or for you to make an appointment for Exam III at the college during my office hours. All exams, whether you take them at Ohlone or via e-mail, will consist of essay questions and you will have to answer one of the three questions provided. Only e-mail exams are availble during the summer.

4. If you have any questions regarding the readings or would like to discuss an historical even with me, you are welcome and encouraged to visit me in my office. Since I do not hold office hours during the summer, you will need to sends me your questions via e-mail.

5. Again let me state that your exams MUST be mini-term papers. A term-paper is generally 25 to 30 pages. So I will let you decide what a mini-term paper is, but you can be sure it is not 2 or 3 pages.

6. Your grade will be an exact average of three exams and the sum total of ten two-page reaction papers (worth 10 points each). Translation--I will add up the four grades and divide by four. Grades are standard, eg. 89.6 to 100 is an A.

I.        BOUNDED: The Rise of National-States
A. A look back
B.   Machiavellian
C.   Absolutism vs. Constitutionalism
D.   Mercantilism--International Conflict

II.       EMERGING: The Baroque Era & The Enlightenment
A.   Balls are Heresy
B.   Cities--Structure twisted straight
C.   Free Schools
D.   Science, Sex and Culture

III.       EXPULSION: The Age of Revolution
A.   Examining the land and the people
B.   American Dreams and French Realitie
C.   Liberty and Equality
D.   Napoleonic Complex

IV.       CHANGE:   The Rise of Nationalism
A.   Lets be Romantic!
B.   Ripe Fruit or Strong Winds?
C.   Upheavals
D.   Blood and Iron

V.       ENERGY:   Industrialism and the Rise of the Masses
A.   Power
B.   Capital and Labor
C.   Impact
D.   Sex, Society and Culture

VI.      SCRAMBLE: Western Imperialism
A.   Penetration
B.   Migration
C.   Neo-Colonialism
D.   Responses

VII.    EXPLOSION: World War I and Its Aftermath
A.   A Closed System
B.   The shot heard round the world
C.   Lenin vs. Wilson
D.   Once they've seen Paree

VIII.   ANTITHESIS: The Mass Movements of Marxism & Fascism
A.   Totalitarianism of the right and the left
B.   Ideologies
C.   Stalin's Russia
D.   Fascist & NAZI Expansion

XI.        IMPLOSION: World War II and Its Aftermath
A.   First they came for . . .
B.   BOOM
C.   An Iron Curtain
D.   A Look to the East

X .       POLARIZATION: Cold War-Détente & MODERNITY
A.   East-West Conflict
B.   North-South Reaction
C.   The Myth of Sisyphus
D.   It Ain't What It Use To Be!

NOTE:
All readings stated as required are required. Viewing the class lectures on video podcasts and video tape is also required. In Spring 2007 I created video podcasts of my classroom lectures. You can download them from Ohlone’s iTunes College: http://itunes.Ohlone.edu Video tapes are from the Spring 1995 Western Civilization 104B course. I suggest you watch video podcasts in the small screen version as the resolution at larger sizes is very poor due to the need to reduce the size of the video file. Tab 2 at the iTunes History 104B site has the video podcast with subtitles! When asking for the video tapes from 1995 in the library please use the call numbers.

I.       BOUNDED!

REQUIRED READING:
Chapter 17, 18, 19

REQUIRED VIEWING:
          Ohlone iTunes video podcasts 1/29/07 (Part 1), 1/29/07 (Part 2), 1/31/07, 2/9/07, 2/12/07 and Lecture 2 (VID/621), Lecture 3 (VID/622), Lecture 4 (VID/622), Lecture 5 (VID/623)

REQUIRED VIEWING:
Ohlone iTunes video podcasts 2/21/07, 2/28/07, 3/5/07, and Lecture 7 (VID/624), Lecture 8 (VID/624), Lecture 9 (VID/625),

REQUIRED VIEWING:
Ohlone iTunes video podcasts 3/7/07, 3/9/07, 3/14/07

REQUIRED READING: Chapters 25, 27
REQUIRED VIEWING:
Ohlone iTunes video podcasts , 3/14/07 (repeat--especially last part of tape) 3/16/07, 3/19/07, 3/21/07, 3/23/07

REQUIRED VIEWING:
Ohlone iTunes video podcasts 4/2/07, 4/4/07, 4/6/07, 4/9/07
ALSO VIEW: Video, "Disease in the 19th Century"(#VID/071)

REQUIRED READING: Chapters 28

REQUIRED VIEWING:
         Ohlone iTunes video podcasts 4/11/07, 4/13/07

REQUIRED READING: Chapter 30

REQUIRED VIEWING:
         Ohlone iTunes video podcasts 4/30/07, 5/2/07, 5/7/07
         Also VIEW:   Videos, "Fit to Rule" (#VID/072)
         and "The Twisted Cross" (#VID/073)

REQUIRED VIEWING:
Ohlone iTunes video podcasts 5/11/07, 5/14/07, 5/16/07

REQUIRED READING: Chapters 32, 33, 34

REQUIRED VIEWING:
Ohlone iTunes video podcasts 5/18/07

Although it is not mandatory, I strongly urge you to adhere to this schedule.
NOTES: I PREFER ALL PAPERS TO BE SENT TO ME VIA E-MAIL: AKIRSHNER@OHLONE.EDU.

Either send them in Word format or a pdf file. You can insert the papers into the e-mail or both. Please do not send it to me in Works or Word Perfect or any other word processing format but Word.

Place your name on all papers you send plus the Section number of the reaction paper. Remember to return your exa questions with your answers.

EXAM I October 11 (If you have not turned in at least one paper by this date, I urge you to withdraw from the class.)

October 27: IF YOU HAVE NOT TURNED IN ANY WORK BY THIS DATE OR HAVE NOT SENT ME A NOTE INDICATING THAT YOU INTEND TO COMPLETE THIS COURSE THIS SEMESTER I WILL DROP YOU AS OF THIS DATE.

EXAM II July 20 (if you are only ready to take Exam I by this date, I urge you to withdraw.)

EXAM III December 14 (If you haven't completed the course by this time you will receive an F for this semester. I will not grade any late exams until Spring semester begins unless I give you special dispensation or an incomplete form has been filled out .

NOTES: My E-mail address is AKirshner@ohlone.edu - this is the way to turn in your assignments and exams (you will request exams via e-mail after completing all papers due before said exam). My web page to view example exams is at http://www2.ohlone.edu/people/akirshner/westcivaexams.html Other information is at http://www.ohlone.edu/people/akirshner/wcasp.html.

I will try to post grades weekly after the first two weeks of the semester at http://www.Ohlone.edu/people/akirshner/gradeswc.html

AND

http://www.kirshnerisms.com/gradeswc.html

OFFICE HOURS: I will hold court in 8320 between 10:45 and 11:40 am on
                        Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. I will also be there on Monday
                        and Wednesday between 1:30 and 2:25 pm. I will hold virtual office hours
                        on Fridays from 11 to 11:55 am. If you cannot make it at
                        these times, please speak to me to see if we can work out some
                        mutually convenient time.

                        I am in my office at other times my door is open even if I appear
                        not to be there. Come in and wait.

TELEPHONE:   I can be reached at 659-6242 during m office hours. If you need
                        to reach me at another time leave a message on my tape machine.
                        In case of an emergency you can call me or text me at (510) 468-6307. Please be clear in your message about why you are calling, the date and the time, as my answering machine on this cell phone fails to give me the latter information.