1 MOREHOUSE COLLEGE - DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY FALL SEMESTER HIST 111/18H - WORLD HISTORY: TOPICAL APPROACH

CLASS DETAILS Meeting Place: 314 Wheeler Hall Meeting Time: Tu/Th 9:25-10:40 OFFICE HOURS Tuesday & Thursday: 11:00 - 12:00 Thursday: 4:00 - 5:00.

PROFESSORS DETAILS Name: Haile M. Larebo, PhD Office Address: 202J Brawley Hall Office Telephone: 404 681 7587 Email Address: hlarebo@morehouse.edu

A. COURSE DESCRIPTION The course of World History:Topical Approach aims to assist students to better understand the world in which they live in through creative and systematic study of the past and the diverse human experience. In the process, the course examines human actions, institutions, values and ideas that emerged as a result of humankinds endeavor in its struggle for survival and justice, or in the pursuit of power or wealth, as well as the impact that these in turn had on the society and the world at large. The course provides a panoramic view of some of these major experiences and, understandably, it will not provide details of all the global events that took place in each corner of the world across several centuries. It shall instead focus, among other things, on the following topics: 1. Human Evolution and Early Nile Valley Civilizations: Evolution of Humankind, the civilizations of the ancient Egypt, Kush, and Axum/Aksum; 2. Europe: Ancient Greece and Rome; 3. The rise of Universal Religions: Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism/Buddhism and Islam; 4. Ancient Sudanic African Empires of Ghana, Mali, Songhay and the Swahili city states of the east African coast. 5. Europe from the Middle Ages to the Early Modern Times, and this includes Feudalism, Renaissance, Reformation, and Scientific Revolution. 6. WEEKLY READING SCHEDULE The course reading and discussion assignments listed overleaf are meant to allow you to keep up with the pace of the course. The lectures will not follow the textbook too closely and yet the indicated assignments are the best matches of the subject of that weeks lectures. You are expected to have done these readings before each weeks lectures and discussions. If you dont, you may only find yourself confused. If so, you dont have to blame anybody else but yourself.

WEEKLY LECTURES AND READING SCHEDULE Key to Abbreviations: Ch. = chapter p. = page Rd = Reader Sp. = Spodek Sup. =
Supplementary Reading

chs. = chapters pp. = pages

=================================== WEEK # MONTH ACTIVITIES DISCUSSION TOPIC AND READING ASSIGNMENT Week 1. Week 2. Week 3. Week 4. Week 5. Introduction. Sp. I-10 I-17 Introduction The Origins of Homo Sapiens: Sp. Ch. 1; Rd. chs. 1-4 Rise of Villages and Cities. Sp. Ch. 2; Rd. ch. 5, pp. 43-47 Nile Valley Civilization: Ancient Egypt. Sp. Ch. 3; Ch 5, pp.127-138; Rd. chs. 5, pp. 47-54; chs. 6-9; chs. 13 and 21. GROUP I PRSENTATION: Ancient Egyptians: Their identity, Achievements and Relevance. Nile Valley Civilizations: Kush and Axum. Rd. chs. 10-11; chs. 21 and 22, pp. 257-262 Greek and Hellenistic Civilization. Sp. Ch. 5, pp. 138-160; Rd chs.13-18 Rome and the Barbarians. Sp. 6; Rd. ch. 19 World Religions: African, Middle and Far-Eastern Religions. Sp. Chs. 9-11; Rd. Chs. 12 and 20 GROUP II PRESENTATION: World Religions: Their Significance, Relevance, Communality an Differences African Empires and City States: Sp. Ch. 12, pp. 396-400; pp. 403-406; Rd. ch. 22, pp. 262-274; chs. 23-24 GROUP III PRESENTATION: African Empires and City States Renaissance and Exploration. Sp. Ch. 13; Rd. ch. 25 Reformation and Scientific Revolution. Sp. Ch. 14; Rd. chs. 26-27 GROUP IV PRESENTATION: Martin Luther: Rise, Teaching and Impact

Week 6.

Week 7. Week 8. Week 9.

Week 10.

Week 11. Week 12.