Prof. Richard F. Johnson
Humanities 101-066: Fall, 2004
MW 1 pm to 3:40 pm
Y-108

Syllabus for HUMANITIES 101-066

This course aims to introduce the student to the visual arts, literature, philosophy, music, and religion of five periods of western culture: Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Classical (Greek and Roman), Biblical, and Medieval. By the end of the course, students should be able to recognize works of art from the various periods of western culture studied and associate them with the societies which created them. Students should also be able to identify the principal historical events which transformed the conceptual coordinates of art, literature, music, religion, and philosophy in each historical period.

Contents

Class Guidelines

Required Textbooks:

Course Requirements:

  1. Complete FOUR exams.
  2. Maintain a Discussion Log in a separate notebook.
  3. Lead ONE classroom discussion on a subject from the textbook.
  4. Participate actively and consistently in class discussions.
  5. Attend class regularly and arrive on time.

General Course Guidelines:

Students are urged to participate enthusiastically and consistently. Attendance is mandatory at all classes. Two late arrivals to class constitute one absence. Failure to complete assignments on time or to prepare for class will result in lowered grades. There will be NO make-up exams except in extreme cases. There are opportunities for you to acquire Extra Credit; to view the Guidelines for Extra Credit, click on the highlighted word.

Guidelines for Discussion Logs:

Discussion questions will be passed out for each chapter of our text. You are responsible for preparing written responses to these questions in your logs by the end of the chapter unit (i.e., the week in which the chapter is discussed). Discussion log entries may exhibit lined-out phrases or sentences, marginal or interlinear additions, one or more parts added later at the end, etc. Log entries, however, are not just notes; they should demonstrate well-thought out responses in complete sentences and well-formed paragraphs, and they must be legible. You are responsible for proofreading your entries before turning your log in. Sloppy, unreadable, unproofed, or incomplete folders will receive low grades. Discussion Logs will be picked up and graded at each exam.

Course Grading:

A student's final grade will be based on the following criteria:

Finally, your success in this class is important to me. If you have a disability and may require some accommodations or modification in procedures, class activity, instruction, requirements, etc., please contact me early in the semester so we can discuss and arrange for necessary accommodations and/or modifications with the Center for Students with Disabilities (Building D, Room 119, Extension 6266).

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Daily Schedule:

Week One: THE DAWN OF CULTURE

September 20:

September 22:

Week Two: ANCIENT EGYPT

September 27:

September 29:

Week Three: AEGEAN CULTURE & THE RISE OF ANCIENT GREECE

October 4:

October 6:

Week Four: CLASSICAL AND HELLENISTIC GREECE

October 11:

October 13:

Week Five: THE ROMAN WORLD

October 18:

October 20:

Week Six: JUDAISM, EARLY CHRISTIANITY & BYZANTINE CIVILIZATION

October 25:

October 27:

Week Seven: ISLAMIC CIVILIZATION

November 1:

November 3:

Week Eight:

November 8:

November 10:

Week Nine:

November 15:

November 17:

Week Ten: THE EARLY MIDDLE AGES & THE ROMANESQUE

November 22:

November 24:

Week Eleven: THE GOTHIC AND LATE MIDDLE AGES

November 29:

December 1:

Week Twelve:

December 6:

December 8:

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Discussion Logs

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Last Updated: 9-17-04.
Richard F. Johnson, Ph.D.
Department of English and
Chair, Humanities Department
William Rainey Harper College
1200 W. Algonquin Road
Palatine, IL 60067
Office: Liberal Arts Center L229
Phone: (847) 925-6429
Fax: (847) 925-6039
Email: rjohnson@harpercollege.edu