Course Description
This class will study the causes, the course, and the implications
of World War II, this greatest of twentieth century conflicts.
It will handle most of the geographic areas involved, the major diplomatic,
political and military events, and some of the key figures of the war.
It covers the time period of 1918 to the present, with an emphasis of course
on the years 1939-1945. The purpose of the course is acquaint students with
the political, social, economic and cultural history of the Second World
War and that conflict's impact upon our own era. |
Class Format and Procedure
1) HI 387 consists primarily of lectures, supplemented by
readings and/or viewing of videotapes. For the most part, one of the
three professors will deliver lectures, Each Professor will be responsible
for directing and evaluating student work in the course for one section
of students. Guest lecturers will be invited as the occasion and availability
warrant.
2) The class schedule will consist of two eighty-minute sessions
each week. Parts of each session is allotted to lectures by the instructors,
film presentations, and occasional questions and discussion.
3) Lectures both supplement and complement reading assignments, as
well as introduce problems to be brought up in the discussions. Discussion
periods will investigate problems and look into interpretations of subjects
in the readings and/or lectures.
4) Some brief outlines of lectures, maps and other supplementary
materials will be distributed to students on the web.
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Student Requirements
- 1) Attendance: Students are expected to regularly attend lectures
and participate actively in classroom discussions. Attendence will be taken
regularly. Since there is no penalty for absences, there will be no excused
absences.
- 2) Reading assignments: Readings from the text and supplementary
sources are given on a weekly basis.
- 3) Film Review Essays: Four movie
review essays will be assigned during the session. These essays will be
based upon viewing films and reading web sources related to them. Students
are expected to give their impressions iof the film and answer each question
on the movie review form in at least one FULL paragraph per question. The
lowest of the four movie review essay scores will be dropped. Each review
will be worth 50 points for a total of 150 points toward the course grade.
Each review will be due in class on the day stated in the syllabus. Only
those who can show that they have no possible access to a computer will
be allowed to turn in a hard copies of the essay. Since the lowest of the
five essay scores will be dropped, no essays will be accepted after this
deadline, nor makeup papers accepted.
- 4) Film Series: Four films dealing
with Word War II in Cinema: Realism or Reelism? will be presented
during the semester. Attendance or proof of viewing (rental receipt) and
a one-paragraph review and rating will be worth 10 points per movie. Students
are required to view and review three of the four films. Since one
of the four film viewings will be dropped from regular credit, no late
film review/ratings are accepted.
- 5) Examinations: Exams will be presented on the fifth, tenth,
and finals week. Each examination will include an objective section consisting
of multiple choice, true/false, matching, and map items. Each examination
will count 50 points toward the course grade. In total the three examinations
will count 50 points toward the course grade.
- 6) Makeups: Makeup examinations will be given on one afternoon
near the end of the session. Makeup examinations will be given only to
students who have legitimate excuses (e.g. medical emergency, court appearance,
etc.) and can produce a written explanation from an authoritative third
party (doctor, court clerk, etc.). No makeups for essays.
- 7) Evaluation of student performance will be made upon: a) the
three examinations [50%]; and b) the movie Review Essays [50%].
- 8) Grade scale: 270-300=A; 240-269=B; 210-239=C; 180-209=D;
0-179=F.
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