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HISTORY 2700: Global Environmental History Spring 2020—Revised 3/12/2020Instructor: Dr. Jim HarrisEmail: harris.1631@osu.eduOffice: 368 Dulles HallOffice Hours: Monday/Wednesday 1-2 pm or by appointment (via Zoom meeting)Grader: James EspositoEmail: Esposito.105@osu.eduOffice: Dulles Hall 322Office Hours: Friday 1-2 pm (via Zoom meeting)Course Description and GoalsIn this course, we explore how humans have shaped the environment and how the environment has shaped human history from the paleolithic to the present. Our topics will be diverse in range and scale and range from the earliest uses of fire to plagues to climate change. We will pay particularly close attention to the relationship between humans and the environment and the influence of/impacts on the various “spheres” of our planet: the atmosphere (focusing on climate change and pollution); the biosphere (ecological changes, human-animal interactions, and the role of micro-organisms), the cryosphere (the role of glaciers and ice-ages in the development of civilization); and the hydrosphere (human interactions with oceans, lakes and rivers). Along the way we will focus on how some of the world’s major civilizations changed their environment, how nature limited their development, and how they coped—or failed to cope—with the environmental problems that civilizations inevitably produce. Students will also learn the essential background to major environmental issues and consider how history might (or might not) help us confront environmental challenges in the present and future. As this course is entirely online, students have the ability to complete weekly course materials asynchronously with weekly assignments units due by 11:59 pm on Sunday nights. Note: because this is an online course, the reading load for this course is significant to compensate for the relatively short mini-lectures.As a Historical Studies GE by the end of this course students should be able to recognize how past events are studied and how they influence today’s society and the human condition.Students construct an integrated perspective on history and the factors that shape human activity.Students describe and analyze the origins and nature of contemporary issues.Students speak and write critically about primary and secondary historical sources by examining diverse interpretations of past events and ideas in their historical contexts.As a Diversity: Global Studies GE by the end of this course students will be able to understand the pluralistic nature of institutions, society, and culture in the United States and across the world in order to become educated, productive, and principled citizens.Students understand some of the political, economic, cultural, physical, social, and philosophical aspects of one or more of the world's nations, peoples and cultures outside the U.S.Students recognize the role of national and international diversity in shaping their own attitudes and values as global citizens.As a Social Science: Human, Natural and Economic Resources GE this course will teach students to understand the systematic study of human behavior and cognition; the structure of human societies, cultures, and institutions; and the processes by which individuals, groups, and societies interact, communicate, and use human, natural, and economic resources.Students understand the theories and methods of social scientific inquiry as they apply to the study of the use and distribution of human, natural, and economic resources and decisions and policies concerning such resources.Students understand the political, economic, and social trade-offs reflected in individual decisions and societal policymaking and enforcement and their similarities and differences across contexts.Students comprehend and assess the physical, social, economic, and political sustainability of individual and societal decisions with respect to resource use.Required ReadingsAlfred Crosby, Children of the Sun: A History of Humanity’s Unappeasable Appetite for Energy (New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 2006).J.R. McNeill and Peter Engelke, The Great Acceleration: An Environmental History of the Anthropocene since 1945 (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2014).Additional Readings/Multimedia on CarmenCourse Assignments & RequirementsPackback Discussions (15%): Participation is a requirement for this course, and we will be using the Packback Questions platform for online discussion. Packback Questions is an online curiosity community where you can be fearlessly curious and ask BIG questions. In order to foster meaningful discussions in this course, you, the students, will be asked to come up with a question about a topic raised in the week’s material or about a larger theme/trend in our course material so far, and to reflect on the questions raised by your peers. Packback gives us an excellent platform to have such meaningful discussions. In order to receive your points per week, you must post 1 question and 2 answers per week relevant to our class subject matter for the week.To register for this course on Packback use our community key: 5e74a6f4-4428-4fdd-87da-f07e9e9fae8eNote: it takes 24 hours for the Packback team to moderate a post and send a coaching email. If by any reason your post is moderated because it does NOT meet the Community Guidelines, you will need to edit and re-publish your post to receive credit for the week. This is why it is important that you complete your Packback questions and responses far before the deadline in case your post is moderated.Quizzes (15%): There will be eleven 5-question multiple-choice quizzes throughout the semester given to ensure that students are keeping up with the lectures and the reading. These quizzes will be timed but open-note, and will test factual comprehension of the material from the week’s lessons and the readings. Students will only be allowed one attempt at each quiz but I will drop your two lowest quiz scores so your nine best scores will count. Short Writing Exercises (15%): In five weeks (out of a choice of 10) during the semester students will have the opportunity to write a short response to a prompt that asks them to reflect on a major point in the lectures, readings or associated multimedia assigned for that week. Some weeks this assignment will consist of written answers to a series of questions and some weeks this will consist of a short reflection mini-essay (approximately ~1 page). Students must complete at least two writing exercises before the midterm.Midterm Exam (20%): An online, open-note midterm exam will be given during week seven of the course, which include a series of short-answer questions about the material from the first half our course. Students will have two hours to complete the exam once it has been opened.Final Essay (35%): During the latter half of the semester students will write 5-7-page essay in answer to a prompt about the concept of the Anthropocene. This paper will be completed in stages: 1. A rough draft (5%); 2. A peer review of two peers’ papers (5%); and 3. A final paper revised based on feedback on your draft by one of your peers and the instructor/TAs (25%).GradingGrade scale: A (93-100), A- (90-92), B+ (87-89), B (82-86), B- (80-82), C+ (77-79), C (73-76), C-(70-72), D+ (67-69), D (63-66), D- (60-62) E (below 60). Essays: An A paper will make a compelling argument in answer to the prompt (i.e. it has a strong and clear thesis), makes thorough use of specific and well thought out evidence, and will be free of grammatical, spelling or punctuation errors. A B paper will make a less analytical argument, relies more on summary than analysis when providing evidence in answer to the prompt and has a few grammatical, spelling or punctuation errors. A C paper will do little to advance an argument, provides little evidence or no evidence of thought, and has serious mechanical errors. A D paper has little to no argument, misuses or misreads evidence, and is fraught with basic mechanical errors. A E paper shows no engagement with the course material or the terms of the assignment or fails to meet the basic standards of college-level work.Writing Exercises: In order to receive full credit for your response you should: have a clear “thesis” or answer to the question(s) being posed to you, should incorporate one or more specific examples from the readings or the lectures as appropriate, should demonstrate thoughtful engagement with the course and/or draw connections through the core ideas of the course as appropriate. Your writing exercises should be well-written and carefully edited. When you draw on course materials in your response papers be sure to cite it (author, page number or a URL is fine for these short exercises)!Other Course Policies & ProceduresOn Email: Students should feel free to contact the instructor at any point during the semester if they have questions about the course or about history more generally (of course I am happy to meet during office hours as well!). E-mail is the quickest way to contact the instructor with pressing questions, but major concerns should be reserved for office hours. When you e-mail, please be sure to put the course # (History 2700) in the subject line, begin with a respectful salutation (“Dear Dr. Harris”), and be sure sign your name. Instructors will reply to e-mails by the end of the following school day. Note that this means emails sent on over the weekend may not be answered until the following Monday evening.On Make-Up Assignments: Students will be allowed to make up major assignments without penalty only in the event of a documented family or medical emergency. In accordance with departmental policy, the student must present documentation of the reason he/she had failed to submit the assignment in a timely manner and documentation must be given to the instructor no more than a week after the scheduled assignment. Late assignments will otherwise be penalized 10% per day late. Students should not wait until the last minute to complete the quizzes, response papers and discussion posts.On Student Participation: Because this is a distance-education course, your attendance is based on your online activity and participation. Be sure you are logging in to the course in Carmen each week, including weeks with holidays or weeks with minimal online course activity. (During most weeks you will probably log in many times and you will have at least one assignment due each week.) If you have a situation that might cause you to miss an entire week of class, discuss it with me as soon as possible.Course TechnologyFor help with your password, university e-mail, Carmen, or any other technology issues, questions, or requests, please contact the OSU IT Service Desk, not the instructor. Standard support hours are available at , and support for urgent issues is available 24x7.Self-Service and Chat support: : 614-688-HELP (4357)Email: 8help@osu.eduTDD: 614-688-8743Baseline technical skills necessary for online courses:Basic computer and web-browsing skillsNavigating CarmenAcademic MisconductCHEATING AND PLAGIARISM WILL NOT BE TOLERATED IN THIS COURSE.Quizzes and exams: You must complete all quizzes and exams yourself, without any external help or communication. You may use your own typed or written notes during quizzes and exams but not anyone else’s.Written assignments: Your written assignments, including discussion posts, should be your own original work. In formal essays, you should follow the Chicago Manual of Style “notes and bibliography” format to cite the ideas and words of your research sources (see: 1.html).Reusing past work: In general, you are prohibited in university courses from turning in work from a past class to your current class even if you modify it. If you want to build on past research or revisit a topic you've explored in previous courses, please discuss the situation with me.Ohio State’s academic integrity policy: It is the responsibility of the Committee on Academic Misconduct to investigate or establish procedures for the investigation of all reported cases of student academic misconduct. The term “academic misconduct” includes all forms of student academic misconduct wherever committed; illustrated by, but not limited to, cases of plagiarism and dishonest practices in connection with examinations. Instructors shall report all instances of alleged academic misconduct to the committee (Faculty Rule 3335-5- 487). For additional information, see the Code of Student Conduct.The instructor will pursue any cases of suspected plagiarism and will report any academic misconduct to the Committee on Academic Misconduct. Any student suspected of plagiarism may be asked to present his or her notes and rough drafts to demonstrate that the paper in question is the student’s original work. If a student has any questions at all about what constitutes plagiarism or about the consequences of academic misconduct, he/she should please come and talk to the instructor before he/she completes the assignment in question.DisclaimersEnrollment: All students must be officially enrolled in the course by the end of the second full week of the semester.? No requests to add the course will be approved by the Chair after that time.?Enrolling officially and on time is solely the responsibility of the student.Students with Disabilities: The University strives to make all learning experiences as accessible as possible. If you anticipate or experience academic barriers based on your disability (including mental health, chronic or temporary medical conditions), please let me know immediately so that we can privately discuss options. To establish reasonable accommodations, I request that you register with Student Life Disability Services.? After registration, make arrangements with me as soon as possible to discuss your accommodations so that they may be implemented in a timely fashion. SLDS contact information: slds@osu.edu; 614-292-3307; slds.osu.edu; 098 Baker Hall, 113 W. 12th Avenue.Course Schedule Week 1 – Introductions (January 6-12)Lesson 1: Course Introduction/Introduction to Environmental HistoryReading: J. Donald Hughes, “What Does Environmental History Teach?” in Natural Resources, Sustainability and Humanity, ed. Angela Mendonca, Ana Cunha, and Ranjan Chakrabarti (Dordrecht: Springer, 2012), 1–15.Assignments: Introduce yourself in the discussion forum for this week!Week 2 – Environments, Epochs and Evolution (January 13-19)Lesson 2: A Deep History of Planet EarthLesson 3: A Brief History of Human EvolutionAssignments: Packback discussion; Quiz 1; Writing Exercise 1Week 3 – Prehistory (January 20-26)Lesson 4: Fire Reading: Crosby, Children of the Sun, 1-24.Lesson 5: HuntingReading: J.R. McNeill, “Global Environmental History: The First 150,000 Years,” in A Companion to Global Environmental History, ed. J.R. McNeill and Erin Stewart Mauldin (Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell, 2012), 3–17.Assignments: Packback discussion; Quiz 2; Writing Exercise 2Week 4 – Settlement and Early Civilizations (January 27-February 2)Lesson 6: The Neolithic RevolutionReading: Crosby, Children of the Sun, 25-44.Lesson 7: Ancient Empires and their EnvironmentsReading: J. Donald Hughes, “The Ancient World, c. 500 BCE to 500 CE,” in A Companion to Global Environmental History, ed. J.R. McNeill and Erin Stewart Mauldin (Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell, 2012), 18–38.Assignments: Packback discussion; Quiz 3; Writing Exercise 3Week 5 – Epidemics and Catastrophes (February 3-9)Lesson 8: Epidemics and PlaguesReading: Daniel Headrick, “The Medieval World, 500 to 1500CE,” in A Companion to Global Environmental History, ed. J.R. McNeill and Erin Stewart Mauldin (Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell, 2012), 39–56.Lesson 9: CollapseReading: and Jared Diamond, “Ecological Collapses of Past Civilizations,” Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society 138 (1994): 363–70 and J.R. McNeill, “Diamond in the Rough: Is There a Genuine Environmental Threat to Security,” International Security 30 (2005): 178-195.Assignments: Packback discussion; Quiz 4; Writing Exercise 4Week 6 – Ecological Imperialism and the Little Ice Age (February 10-16)Lesson 10: Biological Exchange and Ecological FrontiersReading: Crosby, Children of the Sun, 45-58.Lesson 11: The Little Ice Age Crisis and the Great DivergenceReading: Robert Marks, “The (Modern) World since 1500” in A Companion to Global Environmental History, ed. J.R. McNeill and Erin Stewart Mauldin (Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell, 2012), 57-78.Assignments: Packback discussion; Quiz 5; Writing Exercise 5Week 7 - Midterm Exam (February 17-23)Week 8 – Industrialization and Energy (February 24-March 1)Lesson 12: Industrialization and Energy TransitionsReading: Crosby, Children of the Sun, 59-116.Lesson 13: Industrial AccidentsAssignments: Packback discussion; Quiz 6; Writing Exercise 6Week 9 – Drivers of the Great Acceleration, Part I (March 2-8)Lesson 14: Demography and Population GrowthReading: McNeill and Engelke, The Great Acceleration, 1-11, 40-61, 168-175.Lesson 15: CommoditiesReading: Donald Kennedy and Marjorie Lucks, “Rubber, Blight, and Mosquitoes: Biogeography Meets the Global Economy,” Environmental History 4 (1999): 369–83.Assignments: Packback discussion; Quiz 7; Writing Exercise 7Week 10- Spring Break—No Class! (March 9-13) Week 11 – Spring Break, Part II (March 16-22)Week 12 – Drivers of the Great Acceleration, Part III (March 23-29)I will cut the lengthy reading on Columbus and combine and condense week 11 and 12 together to get us back on track this week.Lesson 16: CitiesReading: McNeill and Engelke, The Great Acceleration, 103-128.Lesson 17: PollutionReading: McNeill and Engelke, The Great Acceleration, 11-40.Lesson 18: The Cold War Reading: Richard P. Tucker, “War and the Environment” in A Companion to Global Environmental History, ed. J.R. McNeill and Erin Stewart Mauldin (Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell, 2012), 319-339 and McNeill and Engelke, The Great Acceleration, 155-168, 175-184.Assignments: Packback discussion 8; Quiz 8; Writing Exercise 8Week 13 – Environmental Impacts I: The Hydrosphere and the Biosphere (March 30-April 5)Lesson 19: The Hydrosphere: Rivers, Dams and DiversionsReading: Alan Roe, “Riverine Environments” in A Companion to Global Environmental History, ed. J.R. McNeill and Erin Stewart Mauldin (West Sussex: Wiley Blackwell, 2012), 297-318.Lesson 20: The Biosphere: Land Use and DeforestationReading: Nancy Langston, “Global Forests” in A Companion to Global Environmental History, ed. J.R. McNeill and Erin Stewart Mauldin (Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell, 2012), 263-278.Assignments: Packback discussion 9; Quiz 9; Writing Exercise 9; Essay DraftWeek 14 – Environmental Impacts II: Climate Change (April 6-12)Lesson 21: From Natural Variability to Anthropogenic Climate ChangeReading: McNeill and Engelke, The Great Acceleration, 63-82; Crosby, Children of the Sun, 159-166.Lesson 22: Global Warming and the AnthropoceneReading: Mark Carey, “The History of Ice: How Glaciers Became an Endangered Species,” Environmental History 12 (2007): 497–527.Assignments: Packback discussion 10; Quiz 10; Writing Exercise 10; Essay Peer ReviewWeek 15 – Environmental Impacts III: Biodiversity Loss and the Rise of the Environmental Movement (April 13-19)Lesson 23: Extinction and ConservationReading: McNeill and Engelke, The Great Acceleration, 82-101.Lesson 24: Environmental IdeasReading: McNeill and Engelke, The Great Acceleration, 184-211; Crosby, Children of the Sun, 117-158.Assignments: Packback discussion 11; Quiz 11Extra Credit Option: Merchants of Doubt (2014) Film ReflectionFinal Essay Due: Friday April 24 at 5:00 pm. ................
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