Course Syllabus

Course Information:

• Instructor: David M. Perry
• Class Times: TR 11:30-12:45
• Location: Parmer 107
• Office: Fine Arts 313
• Office Phone: (708) 524-6052
• Office Hours: TR 1:00-2:00 P.M. and by apptointment.
• Email: dperry@dom.edu
• URL: http://domin.dom.edu/faculty/dperry/hist270silk/

Course Description:

The phrase "Silk Road," a term coined in the late 19th century, describes a number of different routes by which merchants conveyed silk and other valuable commodities from the East to the West during the period from roughly 100 B.C.E. to 1350 C.E. In this class, we are going to study the Silk Road itself, many of the cultures and states that rose and fell along the Silk Road, and especially moments of interaction (commercial, political, cultural, etc.) among the cultures. We will read many different types of texts and consider multiple types of evidence, but focus chiefly on primary data that invokes cross-cultural contact (i.e. diplomats, merchants, and other travelers). We will combine primary and secondary material and discuss how to use all the diferent types of data and analysis available to scholars. The chief goal is to learn about the Silk Road. The secondary goal is to learn how to learn about the Silk Road. Assignments and readings are designed with both goals in mind.

Required Texts:

Please purchase the following texts from the bookstore. You are required to have an individual copy of each book throughout the semester.

• Ibn Battuta - Travels of Ibn Battuta
• J. Bentley - Old World Encounters
• S. Whitfield - Life along the Silk Road
• C. Dawson - Mission to Asia

There will be numerous other readings either posted online or given out in class. You are required to bring all readings due on any given day to class to aid in discussion. For online materials, this means you must print them out unless explicitly told not to do so.

Course Requirements and Assignments:

All papers and tests will be submitted via the MyDU system. Papers will not be accepted by any other means.

• Paper #1 - 10%
  • 1200-word paper/story on a "Silk-Road Life," based on online documents.
  • Due Thursday, 9/30
• Test #1 - 15%
  • Essay and identification questions. Take Home.
  • On Thursday, 10/21
• Paper #2 - 20%
  • 1500-word paper on Franciscan Missionaries and the Mongol Empire. More details provided in November.
  • Due Tuesday, 11/11
• Test #2 - 20%
  • Essay and identification questions. Take home exam on second section of the class.
  • Due Thursday, 12/2.
• Final Paper - 25%
  • For this paper, you will read a single complete travel account of the Silk Road that was not otherwise discussed in class. You will then be required to write an essay of approximately 3000 words that demonstrates your mastery of the content and your ability to assess the content along the lines of our major course concepts (presented on the second day of class). More details to come.
  • Due 12/15 by 5:00 P.M.
• Participation and Attendance - 10%
  • Participation is more than just showing up, but it starts with just showing up. You cannot participate if you are not here and will be required to make up any work for each class you miss. You will need to speak to a peer to get notes then come to me with specific questions. Moreover, missing too many classes without written excuse (doctor, official Dominican event, death in the family) will directly penalize your final grade. Please read the following policy carefully:
    • Attendance Policy - You may miss two classes. I don't recommend it and you will have to make up the work on your own, but I will not ask any questions. For every class beyond three, you will need documentation to demonstrate the EMERGENCY that kept you from class. Otherwise, you will lose FIVE POINTS off of your final grade for every absence beyond two.
  • But participation is about more than just showing up. It's about doing the reading, being prepared to talk about it, volunteering your input, being involved in your group work, preparing for the debates and other discussions, and generally being an asset to the class as a whole.
  • Your participation is a significant percentage of your grade. Earn it. Take initiative. Do not expect to speak only when directly called upon and pass this section of the class.
  • Finally, being late consistently may be counted as being absent. It will certainly lower your participation grade. So will falling asleep, being disrespectful to your peers, texting during class, or otherwise disruptive behavior.

The Grade

• Paper #1 - 10%
• Test 1 - 15%
• Paper #2 - 20%
• Test #2 - 20%
• Final Paper - 25%
• Participation and Attendance - 10%

Course Policies

1. Follow all Dominican University policies in regards to Academic Honesty. If you are unsure about whether something is plagiarism or cheating, ask first. People caught cheating will be subjected to the fullest penalties allowable by Dominican.
2. No assignment, under any circumstances, will be accepted by fax or email.
3. Students must bring readings to class on the day they are assigned. Print out online materials. If we don't talk about something in class, you need to bring it to the next class too unless told otherwise.
4. Writing assignments and examinations are due at the beginning of class. DO NOT EVER SKIP CLASS TO TRY AND FINISH YOUR PAPER. Printing errors and lost data are a fact of the computer age. If you wait until the last minute and encounter technical difficulties, your paper may still be counted as late.
5. For every day a paper or project is late, you lose one full grade per day (A to B, B to C, etc.). Do not test this system. Turn your work in on time. Stapled. With your name on every page. Typed. Double-spaced. In a 12-point font. With room on the margins for comments. Printed on only one side of the paper (for ease of comments). Please! I know this seems like a hassle, but it makes grading them and reading them easier. Be merciful to my eyesight.

On to the calendar of readings and assignments.