Course Syllabus

Modern Middle Eastern History

Faculty

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General Education Requirements

Humanistic Perspectives

Note

Many degree programs have specific general education recommendations. In order to avoid taking unnecessary classes, please consult with additional resources like your program evaluation, your academic program catalog year page, and your academic advisor.

Courses may only be used to meet one General Education Requirement.

Course Description

This is a political, social, cultural, and economic study of the modern Middle East, focusing on the 20th century. Students explore Middle Eastern religious traditions, interactions between Middle Eastern and Western cultures, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the resurgence of Islamic politics, and nationalism, rebellion, and terrorism in the region.

Essential Objectives

1. Describe the geography, resources, religions, and governance of the region's nations.
2. Explain the modern implications of Middle Eastern religious traditions.
3. Identify the political and economic influence of Western powers in the Middle East.
4. Define nationalism and rebellion in the modern Middle East.
5. Outline the origins and evolution of Israel.
6. Examine the causes of the "Suez Crisis."
7. Discuss the resurgence of Islamic political power.
8. Analyze the causes and consequences of the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Required Technology

More information on general computer and internet recommendations is available on the CCV computer recommendations Support page.

Please see CCV's Digital Equity Statement (pg. 45) to learn more about CCV's commitment to supporting all students access the technology they need to successfully finish their courses.

Required Textbooks and Resources

This course only uses free Open Educational Resources (OER) and/or library materials. For details, see the Canvas Site for this class.

Artificial Intelligence(AI) Policy Statement

CCV recognizes that artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI tools are widely available and becoming embedded in many online writing and creative applications.

Allowed: This course's generative AI policy acknowledges technology, including generative AI, plays a supportive role in learning and feedback. During our class, we may use AI writing tools such as ChatGPT in certain specific cases. You will be informed as to when, where, and how these tools are permitted to be used, along with guidance for attribution. Any use outside of these specific cases constitutes a violation of CCV's Academic Integrity Policy.

In this class I want to hear your thoughts and analyses, not generative A.I.’s outputs. Therefore, unless I have explicitly authorized it for a particular assignment, students cannot use generative A.I. tools in this course. Any use of generative A.I. tools without my explicit prior authorization is a violation of this course’s Academic Integrity Policy.

Methods

This course introduces students to the recent history of the modern Middle East and to the methods historians use to understand this region. It will provide an overview of the major events and themes in Middle East history from last decades of the Ottoman Empire to the present day conflicts in the region. Each week I will introduce you to a topic and you will explore it through the course material (readings, lectures, fiction, film, and music) before participating in discussion forums.This course will teach you about the continued importance of the past in understanding today’s Middle East and will help you build the analytical skills you will need to present your ideas effectively and coherently.

Evaluation Criteria

Participation in Discussions 30%

Entry & Exit Reflection “Quizzes” 5%

Public History Assignment 15%

Essay 25%

Final Exam 25%

Participation in Discussions (30%)

Your semester grade for Participation is based on your informed participation in weekly discussions forums. Each week, you will submit an initial post (250 words) to the discussion and respond to at least two other posts throughout the course of the week.

Entry & Exit Reflection “Quizzes” (5%)

These “quizzes” will be done at the beginning and end of the course and are graded on the basis of completion only. The format will be short answer questions. The entry quiz will get a sense of what you know about the Middle East and what you want to learn and the exit quiz will ask you to reflect on what you have learned throughout the semester.

Public History Assignment (15%)

This assignment allow you to experience how the history of the Middle East has been understood in our broader culture. This assignment asks you to visit a public history site (online or in-person), attend an event (online or in-person), or view a film that is related in some way to the history of the Middle East and to write a two page analysis.

Essay (25%)

You will write one essay for this course (three-four page, double-spaced).The prompt will ask you to make an argument about one of our central questions based on the course readings. This essay will not be based on outside research. We will have an argument and evidence workshop during Module 3 to help you prepare to write the first paper. There will be an opportunity to revise your essay and to resubmit it after you receive your initial grade.

Final Exam (25%)

The final exam will include short-answer questions and one essay question and will be open book.

Grading Criteria

CCV Letter Grades as outlined in the Evaluation System Policy are assigned according to the following chart:

	High	Low
A+	100	98
A	Less than 98	93
A-	Less than 93	90
B+	Less than 90	88
B	Less than 88	83
B-	Less than 83	80
C+	Less than 80	78
C	Less than 78	73
C-	Less than 73	70
D+	Less than 70	68
D	Less than 68	63
D-	Less than 63	60
F	Less than 60
P	100	60
NP	Less than 60	0

Weekly Schedule

Attendance Policy

Regular attendance and participation in classes are essential for success in and are completion requirements for courses at CCV. A student's failure to meet attendance requirements as specified in course descriptions will normally result in a non-satisfactory grade.

• In general, missing more than 20% of a course due to absences, lateness or early departures may jeopardize a student's ability to earn a satisfactory final grade.
• Attending an on-ground or synchronous course means a student appeared in the live classroom for at least a meaningful portion of a given class meeting. Attending an online course means a student posted a discussion forum response, completed a quiz or attempted some other academically required activity. Simply viewing a course item or module does not count as attendance.
• Meeting the minimum attendance requirement for a course does not mean a student has satisfied the academic requirements for participation, which require students to go above and beyond simply attending a portion of the class. Faculty members will individually determine what constitutes participation in each course they teach and explain in their course descriptions how participation factors into a student's final grade.

Participation Expectations

You will earn your participation on the basis of the following criteria:

• Did you come to the class discussion prepared (i.e. did you carefully and thoughtfully do the weeks’ readings and view the weeks’ course material)?
• Did you demonstrate strong critical analysis of the material? (We will go over how to analyze primary sources in the beginning of the course)
• Did you present your thoughts coherently and without grave technical mistakes?
• Do your responses demonstrate that you thought critically about your colleagues’ ideas?
• Did you contribute substantively and constructively to the discussions?

Missing & Late Work Policy

Late papers and assignments will result in a lower grade, unless you have received an extension from me. If you experience an extenuating circumstance, it is your responsibility to email me or come see me in office hours before the due date to request an extension.

Accessibility Services for Students with Disabilities:

1. Provide disability documentation to the Accessibility Coordinator at your academic center. https://ccv.edu/discover-resources/students-with-disabilities/
2. Request an appointment to meet with accessibility coordinator to discuss your request and create an accommodation plan.
3. Once created, students will share the accommodation plan with faculty. Please note, faculty cannot make disability accommodations outside of this process.

Academic Integrity

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