AFR 1460: Early African History - New York City College of ...

NEW YORK CITY COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY

THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK

AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES DEPARTMENT

AFR 1460: Early African History

Course Description

This course is a study of Africa¡¯s history from antiquity to the period before the advent of

colonialism. This course begins with a study of Africa as the cradle of humankind through

the emergence of small-scale societies and state systems such as Egypt, Kush, Mali, other

political kingdoms, empire states and city-states that had regional and international

significance. Emphasis is placed on understanding the way in which political developments,

and religious change affected gender, class, and ethnic relations within these societies and

their relations with other societies. Our fundamental aim will be to understand the

contributions of Africans to world civilization in this period.

Course Requirements

Active class participation and attendance is required of all students.

Students who do not attend class without valid permission or reasons may lose credit.

Students are expected to understand the material, or at least have identified those items

that they do not yet understand in order to ask questions in class.

The instructor will assume that students know the material and are prepared to discuss it.

Students are responsible for all work assigned in this class, whether or not they are present.

Assignments must be completed on time.

Students are expected to observe normal courtesy in class. They are expected to pay

attention to the instructor, take detailed notes, refrain from personal conversations, and

avoid any other behavior, which is disruptive and disturbing to others. A student who

does not observe these courtesies may be asked to leave the room.

All Flexible Core courses must meet the following three learning outcomes. A student will:

?

?

?

Gather, interpret, and assess information from a variety of sources and points of view.

Evaluate evidence and arguments critically or analytically.

Produce well-reasoned written or oral arguments using evidence to support conclusions.

LEARNING OUTCOMES/PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES

Upon completion of AFR 1460, students will be able to:

Content -Based Learning Outcomes

Learning outcomes

Learn about the foundations of African

civilizations and its contribution to world

civilization.

Assessment Methods

Class discussions, take home exams and

response papers to documentaries and

movies

Learn vital geographical information about

Africa

Map Quizzes and Map Project

Learn about the social organization of

society, power and politics in African

societies from antiquity to the mediaeval

period

Class discussions, take home exams and

response papers to documentaries on

African civilizations

General Education Learning Outcomes

Develop critical skills in reasoning and

argumentation

Learn to read critically and thoroughly

Develop the central art of the historian's

craft: communicating research and original

ideas through writing. social science

research

Class discussions, take home exams and

response papers to documentaries and

movies

Class discussions

Take home exams and response papers to

documentaries

World Cultures and Global Issues

A course in this area must meet at least three of the following additional learning outcomes. A

student will:

? Identify and apply the fundamental concepts and methods of a discipline or

interdisciplinary field exploring world cultures or global issues, including, but not

limited to, anthropology, communications, cultural studies, economics, ethnic studies,

foreign languages (building upon previous language acquisition), geography, history,

political science, sociology, and world literature.

? Analyze culture, globalization, or global cultural diversity, and describe an event

or process from more than one point of view.

? Analyze the historical development of one or more non-U.S. societies.

? Analyze the significance of one or more major movements that have shaped the world¡¯s

societies.

? Analyze and discuss the role that race, ethnicity, class, gender, language, sexual

orientation, belief, or other forms of social differentiation play in world cultures

?

or societies.

Speak, read, and write a language other than English, and use that language to respond to

cultures other than one¡¯s own.

Grade distribution is as follows:

Class Participation and response papers

Take Home Exams:

Take Home Exams:

Map project and quiz:

Finals (in class exams):

10% 1st

15% 2nd

15%

20%

40%

CLASS CONDUCT:

Students must arrive on time, in order to fully participate and receive full credit for attending

the class session. If lateness is unavoidable, the student is welcome to join the class, but

he/she is expected not to disrupt the session already in progress. Points will be deducted

from the final average, if students are consistently late and absent (See college policy on

lateness). Students must turn off cell phones/ and beepers before class begins. Points

will be deducted from the final average, if students consistently allow cell phones to

ring in class and/or consistently leave class to answer calls. In addition, no one is allowed

to wear headphones or hoodies in class.

E: MAIL COMMUNICATION WITH STUDENTS

The course instructor will communicate with all students using the college¡¯s assigned email in CUNYFIRST. It is the responsibilityof all students to check their college emails on

a frequent basis. Students without a college assigned email address should contact the

computer information help desk for assistance. Please note that I will only accept

correspondence from students¡¯ college assigned e-mails.

COLLEGE POLICY ON ABSENCE/LATENES

A student may be absent without penalty for 10% of the number of scheduled class

meetings. If a student¡¯s absences exceed the limit of 3 CLASSES the instructor will inform

you that a grade of ¡°WU¡± may be assigned. The department¡¯s policy on lateness is as

follows. Any student who arrives 10 minutes after class has started will be considered late.

If you are late for more than three class sessions you will lose credit.

NEW YORK CITY COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY POLICY ON ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

Students and all others who work with information, ideas, texts, images, music, inventions,

and other intellectual property owe their audience and sources accuracy and honesty in

using, crediting, and citing sources. As a community of intellectual and professional

workers, the College recognizes its responsibilityfor providing instruction ininformation

literacy and academic integrity, offering models of good practice, and responding vigilantly

and appropriatelyto infractions of academic integrity. Accordingl y, academic dishonestyis

prohibited in The City University of New York and at New York City College of

Technology and is punishable by penalties, including failing grades, suspension, and

expulsion. The complete text of the College policy on Academic

Integrity may be found in the catalog.

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