Course outline

Aims This course will provide students with an understanding of six ancient civilizations through archaeological and documentary sources. These SIX ancient civilizations are Mesopotamia, Egypt, the Indus Valley, northern China, Mesospheric, and the Andes. The course has three related goals: (1 ) to trace the historical formation and collapse of these six societies; (2) to examine explanations that attempt to account for their trajectories; and (3) to explore the methods researchers use to study these topics.Outcomes By the end of the course it is expected that the student will be able to: locate six major ancient civilizations and their cities on maps; understand and critically analyze the range in current theoretical approaches to the development of violations; recognize and critically evaluate the methods employed to access the past organize material and to articulate arguments effectively Grading Quizzes The quizzes will consist of multiple-choice questions and map identifications .Quiz 1: Quiz 2: Quiz 3: Examinations examination: 30% Final examination: 30% Extra Credit Students may add 5 points to their midterm or final through extra credit work at museums or lectures relevant to this class. Among the suggested exhibits are the permanent Egyptian displays at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Brooklyn Museum, and the Micronesian and South American exhibits at the American Museum of Natural History, but many other exhibits may also be appropriate. Students must write one page assessing the exhibit or lecture and provide proof of visit.Knowing them well will allow you to proceed to graduation efficiently and with a strong transcript. Study carefully everything in Brush's statement about academic honesty. You can access it easily from the Burch College home page, where the link â€Å"For Current Students† leads to a page where you can find a link to â€Å"Academic Honesty Policy' under â€Å"Resources and information†. Also feel free to ask a ny instructor for clarification or for explanation of why professors take this issue so seriously. This course has a ‘zero tolerance' policy on cheating and improper behavior during quizzes and exams.Any student who breaks academic rules in this course has violated the mutual trust on which teaching and learning are based and will receive not only a zero on that assignment, but a grade of F for the course. For serious infractions the instructor will ask the College's Disciplinary Panel to suspend the violator from all Burch courses. By College policy, all suspected violations, whether infirmed or not, are reported to the Dean of Students. Disruption of class is not permitted. Rude behavior is disruptive. Arriving late/leaving early is also not acceptable and repeated latecomers/early leavers will be penalized. Pods and cell phones off before class. Please do not eat food within the classroom. It is distracting to other students and to yourself (you should focus on the lecture! ). Content Overview The areas that we will study are Mesopotamia, Egypt, the Indus Valley, northern China, Mesospheric, and the Andes, that is, the birthplaces of the pristine states that armed the core of early civilizations. Their societies occupy a special place in human history, because they produced the first social classes, economic specialization, state government, and urban settlements.Their populations created the earliest formal philosophies, religions, monumental architecture, legal codes, market economies, institutionalized militaries, and writing systems. Their members began to define separate spheres of secular and religious activities and public and private life. In short, if we want to understand how human societies were transformed from small roofs to diversified empires organized on a grand scale, these are the regions that we study. Brief description of teaching and learning methods: Illustrated lectures requiring preparatory reading.Students will take a midterm and a final. Students have the option of an essay. Blackboard Most lectures in this course are illustrated with a substantial number of visual images, typically maps, site plans, and architectural and artifact photos. Lectures are provided on Blackboard as a resource only; students will not be responsible for a visual identification of any specific image in an exam. All handouts are available on blackboard. You can find the blackboard site for this course on the Burch website.If you miss a class, check blackboard for study sheets and assignments. Check with the Burch Computing and Technology Center (BCC) for information on how to use blackboard. Call the help desk at 646-312-1010. Attendance Class attendance is required and very important as a key part of active participation. Attendance is recorded at the beginning of every class. Freshmen and sophomores (fewer than 61 credits completed) will be dropped if more than four classes are missed. Juniors and seniors (over 60 credits) wil l be dropped if more than six classes are missed.Absences for medical, religious, family reasons or subway delays are counted as part of the four or six classes missed and will not be excused even with a note. If you have special medical or other ongoing circumstances, please discuss them with the professor ahead of time. If you are absent for whatever reason, please keep the professor informed by calling or emailing her. All class assignments and study sheets will be on blackboard, so please check the website if you are absent so that you will be prepared for theSpecial Needs Burch College is committed to being fully accessible to all students, including those with disabilities. To establish appropriate accommodations, please alert your instructor to your needs and contact Ms. Barbara Souris, Coordinator of the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities, part of the Division of Student Development and counseling, at NV 2 271 or at (646) 312 4590. Please contact me directly i f you require additional aids prior to your lectures. Course Outline This course aims to equip you with the necessary understanding of IS fundamentals, as they stand, and also equip you with critical thinking tools and techniques that will allow you to understand IS in the future. Information systems are complex things that are an integral part of every business and our society. Information systems are difficult to study in the abstract and are best understood through the use of real world examples and case-studies, room which we then look for theory to explain their behavior.Our course takes this approach – lots of cases and examples from which we distill our understanding of what IS are, how they are (and should be) used, and how they are best acquired. During Summer Semester we will cover a lot of material in a short time, so it is vital that you study from Week 1. This means you should read the set chapters in the textbook and prepare for your workshops. The course team will facilitate your learning by providing the guidance as to what you need to study, and working with you on problems you may encounter.It is, however, your responsibility to make a concerted and timely effort to study. If you make this effort you will find the material interesting, the course worthwhile and the interaction with you fellow students stimulating. You should also do well. INFAMOUS – International systems In 5 Business 3. 2 Learning Activities and Teaching Strategies The course involves three key components – lectures, workshops and your private study. Each lecture will focus on the topic outlined for that week (see section 10).The lecture will help you understand the organizational and societal context in which IS are built and utilized, and will roved guidance on how to use workshops, laboratories and private study to improve your understanding. A lecture slide pack for each week will be supplied to you 24 hours before the lecture via the course website. This is a ‘skeleton' pack only. You are advised to take notes d uring the lecture to supplement the slides. Workshops will help build your understanding of each course topic through the application of what you have learnt in the lecture to case-study and real-life scenarios.They also give you the opportunity to discuss your work with your colleagues, and hence gain an indication of your own progress. Further information on workshop preparation and participation is provided in section 4, and will be discussed in your first workshop. Your private study is the most important component of this course. The textbook and accompanying website contain self assessment exercises to help you. The self assessment exercises are designed to test your understanding of the topic at hand and include review questions, application questions and discussion questions of varying difficulty. Course Outline This course aims to equip you with the necessary understanding of IS fundamentals, as they stand, and also equip you with critical thinking tools and techniques that will allow you to understand IS in the future. Information systems are complex things that are an integral part of every business and our society. Information systems are difficult to study in the abstract and are best understood through the use of real world examples and case-studies, room which we then look for theory to explain their behavior.Our course takes this approach – lots of cases and examples from which we distill our understanding of what IS are, how they are (and should be) used, and how they are best acquired. During Summer Semester we will cover a lot of material in a short time, so it is vital that you study from Week 1. This means you should read the set chapters in the textbook and prepare for your workshops. The course team will facilitate your learning by providing the guidance as to what you need to study, and working with you on problems you may encounter.It is, however, your responsibility to make a concerted and timely effort to study. If you make this effort you will find the material interesting, the course worthwhile and the interaction with you fellow students stimulating. You should also do well. INFAMOUS – International systems In 5 Business 3. 2 Learning Activities and Teaching Strategies The course involves three key components – lectures, workshops and your private study. Each lecture will focus on the topic outlined for that week (see section 10).The lecture will help you understand the organizational and societal context in which IS are built and utilized, and will roved guidance on how to use workshops, laboratories and private study to improve your understanding. A lecture slide pack for each week will be supplied to you 24 hours before the lecture via the course website. This is a ‘skeleton' pack only. You are advised to take notes d uring the lecture to supplement the slides. Workshops will help build your understanding of each course topic through the application of what you have learnt in the lecture to case-study and real-life scenarios.They also give you the opportunity to discuss your work with your colleagues, and hence gain an indication of your own progress. Further information on workshop preparation and participation is provided in section 4, and will be discussed in your first workshop. Your private study is the most important component of this course. The textbook and accompanying website contain self assessment exercises to help you. The self assessment exercises are designed to test your understanding of the topic at hand and include review questions, application questions and discussion questions of varying difficulty.