World History I

Getting started

1: Wed, Sep 3, 2025

Please read the discussion of course methods and processes and if possible, discuss it with your parents so you both know what is expected.

A discussion of our working methods and processes; when we’ve finished with that, we’ll open up a general discussion of what history is and what it’s about, and why one would want to bother studying it. From there we’ll follow into a discussion of related matters.

For the first class, please post in the forum in the Moodle an essay introducing yourself. Include some statement about who you are, your background, beliefs, and how you look at the world. What do you expect to get from this course? Is there anything we should know to help us teach you more effectively?

Throughout the course, you will be expected to:

• Read each chapter prior to the first session for which it is assigned.
• Read and consider the complete web page and any linked material prior to each class.
• Take the preliminary quiz on the chapter by the date and time for which it is assigned.
• Prepare written responses to the questions that ask for them. These need not be long, but should express some care and thought.
• Think about the other questions on each web page and come ready to discuss them.

Please pay attention to the quiz closing dates and times. Once closed, a quiz will not be re-opened. This is to ensure that everyone stays current on the reading and comes to class ready to participate in the discussion; the quizzes will also give you an idea of what we consider significant enough to put on exams later on.

Grades and grading are perhaps the most odious thing associated with teaching, but everyone seems to want to know about them. We have not fixed an absolute formula for grades at this point, but please note that all of the following will form a significant part of your grade:

• Quiz scores
• Written assignments
• Class participation
• Exams

There are many different approaches to history, and many reasons to study the subject. We'll try to talk about these things somewhat today.

Please read the discussion linked here on what we'd like you to get from your study of history.

When you start to read a chapter in the text, you may want to ask yourself what assumptions you bring with you to the material.

• What facts do you already know about the period, place, or culture covered by the chapter?
• What evidence do you have for these assumptions?
• What assumptions do you have that may not be fact-based?
• Are there lessons to be learned from studying history? What kind of lessons?
• What is chronological snobbery? Can you think of current examples?
• How do current perceptions change our interpretation of past events?

You may also want to have a look at the topical discussions, but those are not necessary quite yet — we'll try to unpack those during the course of the first chapter's discussion.

Contents of this page © Copyright 2020-2024 by Christe A. McMenomy, Bruce A. McMenomy, Sarah Miller Esposito, and Richard M. Esposito.
Permission to download or print this page is hereby given to members of Scholars Online for purposes of personal study only. All other use constitutes a violation of copyright.