Greek & Roman Humanities Professor  Will  Adams  ·∙  Wadams5@valenciacollege.edu  ·∙  Hum2220.blogspot.com  Osceola  Campus  –  Building  2,  Room  232  ·∙  Mondays  &  Wednesdays,  1:30  –  2:45  PM  

 

“Wise men ta lk because they have someth ing to say , foo ls because they have to say someth ing . ” - P lato

 

Course Descr ipt ion § Greek  &  Roman  Humanities  offers  the  student  integrated  examinations  of  dominant  

developments  in  the  Classical  civilizations  as  expressed  in  art,  architecture,  politics,  literature,  music,  philosophy  and  religion.    

§ The  course  will  cover  the  period  from  the  Paleolithic  era  through  the  birth  of  Russia,  and  will  emphasize  the  development  and  influence  of  classical  thoughts  and  ideals.  

§ This  course  is  a  Gordon  Rule  course,  in  which  the  student  is  required  to  demonstrate  college-­‐level  writing  skills  through  multiple  writing  assignments.  A  minimum  grade  of  C  required  if  used  to  satisfy  Gordon  Rule  requirement.    

Course Object ives § To  understand  the  continuation  and  evolution  of  the  human  experience  by  thinking  

critically  about  humanity’s  artistic,  cultural,  and  intellectual  development.  § To  broaden  the  student’s  knowledge  of  the  ideas  and  personalities  associated  with  the  

Greek  and  Roman  civilizations.  § To  learn,  internalize,  and  utilize  vocabulary  specific  to  the  period  covered  by  this  course.  § To  appreciate  the  legacy  left  behind  by  both  the  Greek  and  Roman  civilizations.  § To  learn  skills  essential  to  critical  thinking  and  synthesis  of  thought  by  carrying  out  

scholarly  research  and  authoring  thoughtful  essays.    § To  attend  cultural  events  in  order  to  recognize  the  continued  relevance  of  the  sometimes-­‐

ancient  ideas  being  discussed  throughout  the  class’s  duration.    

Required Textbook Gloria  K.  Fiero,  The  Humanistic  Tradition,  Book  1.  

Additional  readings  as  assigned  throughout  the  semester    

Evaluat ion Formu la 1. Attendance  &  Class  Participation                 25%  

§ Attendance  will  be  taken  at  the  beginning  of  each  class  meeting,  and  count  as  part  of  the  attendance  &  participation  grade.  

§ The  professor  should  hear  each  student’s  voice  at  least  once  per  class  meeting.  § Please  be  aware  that,  under  Valencia’s  Attendance  Policy,  there  is  no  such  thing  as  an  

“excused  absence”.  2. Cultural  Event  with  Written  Evaluation               10%  

§ You  will  be  required  to  attend  one  cultural  event  throughout  the  class’s  duration.  § The  instructor  throughout  the  class’s  duration  may  suggest  various  events  to  you,  but  it  

is  ultimately  your  own  responsibility  to  find  and  attend  an  approved  cultural  event.  § Proof  of  attendance  at  said  event  must  be  furnished  (i.e.  ticket  stub,  program,  souvenir,  

etc).  § A  two-­‐page  “reaction”  (i.e.  non-­‐research)  paper  is  required.  Be  sure  to  answer  the  

following  questions:  What  did  I  do?  What  did  I  think  of  it?  What  did  I  learn?  3. Research  Project                    

  25%  § One  4-­‐page  written  research  project  is  required.  § Proper  MLA  style  citation  should  be  used  for  all  written  assignments.  § One  draft  may  be  turned  in  for  the  professor’s  perusal  two  weeks  prior  to  the  due  date.  § Plagiarism  =  A  grade  of  zero.  No  exceptions.    § Wikipedia  =  A  grade  of  zero.  No  exceptions.  § All  research  projects  should  be  stapled  or  bound  by  the  student  § A  detailed  research  project  description  will  be  distributed  at  a  later  date.  

4. Quizzes                         10%  § Four  short-­‐form  quizzes  will  be  administered  throughout  the  course  of  the  class.  § The  administration  of  quizzes  will  not  be  announced  beforehand.  § The  format  that  the  quizzes  appear  in  may  vary.  

5. Examinations                       30%  § Four  long-­‐form  examinations  will  be  administered.  § Examinations  will  not  be  cumulative  in  their  subject  matter.  § You  will  be  given  a  study  guide  for  exams,  at  the  instructor’s  discretion.  

 

Grading Sca le 100  –  90%   =  A  89  –  80%   =  B  79  –  70%   =  C  69  –  60%   =  D  59  –  0%   =  F  

Class Meeting Schedu le Date   Task  Monday,  January  12     Activity:  Introduce  class,  distribute  and  discuss  syllabus.  

Wednesday,  January  14   Lecture:  Paleolithic  cave  art  Activity:  Cave  painting    

Monday,  January  19     MLK  Day  –  NO  CLASS  

Wednesday,  January  21   Lecture:  The  earliest  ancient  written  languages  &  religion.    Activity:  Translation  competiton  

Monday,  January  26     Lecture:  Embalming  &  Egyptian  funerary  architecture  Homework:  Sarcophagus  lid  

Wednesday,  January  28   Lecture:  The  Art  &  Culture  of  the  Ancient  Aegean  Civilizations  Monday,  February  2     EXAM  #1  Wednesday,  February  4   RESEARCH  PROJECTS  ASSIGNED  &  LIBRARY  VISIT  

Monday,  February  9     Lecture:  Greek  mythology    

Wednesday,  February  11   NO  CLASS  Monday,  February  16     President’s  Day  –  NO  CLASS  Wednesday,  February  18   Lecture:  Dionysus  &  Ancient  Greek  Theatre  Monday,  February  23   Watch  Medea  in  class  

Wednesday,  February  25   Watch  Medea  in  class  Monday,  March  2     EXAM  #2  

Lecture:  Ancient  Greek  Philosophy  Wednesday,  March  4   Lecture:  Aristotle’s  Nichomachean  Ethics  Deconstructed  

Monday,  March  9     Spring  Break  –  NO  CLASS  Wednesday,  March  11   Spring  Break  –  NO  CLASS  Monday,  March  16     Lecture:  The  Classical  orders  &  the  great  temples  of  ancient  

Greece.  Homework:  Classical  architecture  sketch  

Wednesday,  March  18   Lecture:  The  Roman  Republic  &  What  Is  Satire?  Monday,  March  23   Lecture:  Rome’s  Best  &  Craziest  Emperors  Wednesday,  March  25   Lecture:  The  Coliseum’s  Bloody  History  &  Its  Legacy  Monday,  March  30     EXAM  #3  

Watch  Ancient  Rome,  The  Modern  Stadium  Wednesday,  April  1   Lecture:  Pompeii:  Roman  Time  Capsule  Monday,  April  6     Lecture:  The  Emergence  of  Christianity  in  Ancient  Rome  Wednesday,  April  8   Lecture:  The  Byzantine  Era:  An  Empire  Evolves  

Monday,  April  13     Lecture:  The  Slavs,  The  Mongols,  and  The  Birth  of  Russia  lecture  

Wednesday,  April  15   RESEARCH  PROJECT  PRESENTATIONS  Monday,  April  20     CULTURAL  EVENT  DUE  

Activity:  In-­‐class  Final  Exam  Study  Session  Wednesday,  April  22   FINAL  EXAM  –  1:30  PM    

Guide l ines for Written Work § All  written  work  should  be  set  in  Arial  12  point  font,  with  double  spacing  and  standard  1”  page  

margins.  § Additionally,  each  written  assignment  (with  the  exception  of  the  research  project)  should  begin  

with  the  following  header,  placed  at  the  top,  left  corner  of  the  first  page:    

Your First & Last Name HUM2220 – 1:30 PM Prof. Will Adams Assignment Due Date (MM/DD/YYYY)    

   § The  student  must  staple  assignments  of  more  than  one  page;  the  instructor  will  not  provide  a  

stapler  for  your  use.  § Finally,  minimum  page  totals  for  any  written  assignment  require  that  the  written  page  be  filled  in  

its  entirety  to  count  as  one  page.  § In  other  words,  if  a  written  assignment  requires  2  pages,  but  the  student  only  writes  1.5,  the  

student  will  not  earn  all  possible  points  for  the  assignment.    

Class Conduct Conduct  yourself  with  courtesy,  consideration,  and  respect  for  others.  

Extra Credit Po l icy

§ Each  quiz  or  test  throughout  the  class’s  duration  will  include  one  extra  credit  question  equal  to  10%  of  the  quiz  or  test’s  total  point  value  (i.e.  A  five  point  extra  credit  question  for  a  fifty  point  test).    

§ In  addition,  extra  credit  may  be  earned  by  writing  more  than  the  required  number  of  pages  for  any  written  assignment.  

§ Extra  credit  for  extra  written  work  will  be  given  up  to  a  maximum  of  15%  of  the  assignment’s  total  point  value.  

§ No  other  extra  credit  opportunities  will  be  available.    

Late & Make-Up Pol icy § No  late  work  will  be  accepted.  § No  work  will  be  accepted  via  e-­‐mail.      § Quizzes  or  exams  must  be  taken  on,  or  before,  the  date  assigned  –  and  only  with  the  instructor’s  

explicit  consent.  § The  final  exam  must  be  taken  on  the  date  published  for  final  exams.  

 

A t t e n d a n c e § Students  are  expected  to  attend  every  class.  Attendance  will  be  taken  and  will  count  as  a  portion  

of  the  final  grade.  After  the  FOURTH  absence,  a  student  has  missed  two  full  weeks  of  class.  A  notice  of  Excessive  Absences  may  be  issued  and  the  student  may  be  withdrawn  at  the  professor’s  discretion.    

§ It  is  always  the  student’s  responsibility  to  contact  the  professor  about  issues  that  may  lead  to  excessive  absences.  It  is  also  the  student’s  responsibility  to  arrange  to  receive  class  notes  or  handouts  from  missed  classes  from  his  or  her  fellow  students.    

§ Do  not  contact  the  instructor  for  this  information  without  contacting  your  classmates  or  checking  the  blog  first!    

§ Please  note  that  there  is  no  such  thing  as  an  “Excused  Absence”  (even  with  a  doctor’s  note,  death  in  the  family,  etc.)  under  Valencia’s  Attendance  Policy.  

 

Academic Honesty Plagiarism  is  intellectual  theft  and  will  not  be  tolerated.    Presentation  of  the  ideas  and  words  of  others  

as  if  they  are  your  own  work  constitutes  plagiarism.  This  includes  use  of  material  from  books,  the  Internet  or  any  other  source.  The  student  is  expected  to  perform  his  or  her  own  research  and  present  his  or  her  own  thoughts.  Direct  use  of  another  author’s  words  or  ideas,  as  well  as  paraphrasing  must  be  cited.  Each  student  is  expected  to  be  in  complete  compliance  with  the  college  policy  on  academic  

honesty  as  set  forth  in  the  college  catalog  and  the  student  handbook.    Plagiarism  in  any  work  will  result  in  a  grade  of  zero  for  that  assignment.  

 

Computer & Equipment Use Pol icy § Use  of  computers  in  the  Business,  IT,  and  Public  Service  classrooms  at  Valencia  § College  is  restricted  to  those  activities  designated  by  the  instructor  to  enhance  the  class  materials.  

Any  other  use  is  strictly  forbidden.  Inappropriate  use  includes,  but  is  not  limited  to:  § Use  of  computer  to  send  E-­‐mail  or  access  Internet  sites  not  specifically  assigned  in  class.  § Use  of  computer  for  job,  internship,  homework  or  other  activities  not  assigned  in  class.  § Modifying  any  hardware  or  software  system  configuration  or  setting.  § Activities  not  in  accordance  with  the  Valencia  Student  Code  of  Conduct  

§ Use  of  computers  in  the  departmental  open  lab  is  limited  to  those  activities  involved  with  preparing  homework  or  coursework  in  this  department  and  is  subject  to  the  same  restriction  as  listed  above.  

§ Computer  use  is  remotely  monitored;  any  student  using  computers  inappropriately  may  be  subject  to  dismissal  from  class  or  banishment  from  the  lab.  Subsequent  offense  may  be  sent  to  the  campus  administration  for  further  disciplinary  action.  

 

Students with Disab i l i t ies Students  with  disabilities  who  qualify  for  academic  accommodations  must  provide  a  notification  from  

the  Office  for  Students  with  Disabilities  (OSD)  and  discuss  specific  needs  with  the  professor,  preferably  during  the  first  two  weeks  of  class.  The  Office  for  Students  with  Disabilities  determines  

accommodations  based  on  appropriate  documentation  of  disabilities.    

Discla imer This  outline  may  be  altered,  at  the  instructor’s  discretion,  during  the  course  of  the  term.  It  is  the  

responsibility  of  the  student  to  make  any  adjustments  as  announced.