HIST319A: A History of Terrorism (Course Documents)

In-page Links:
Important Documents | Class Assignments | Practice Examinations | Class Lectures

[docs] Important Documents

The first three documents need to be downloaded and read by each member of the class, as the fundamental guidelines for the course are provided therein.

Syllabus

The course syllabus ( Revision I ) (Revision II) lists the general requirements and expectations for the course. All specifics for the course and for the assignments mentioned in the syllabus can be located on this website. Check both the syllabus and this website for instructions regarding assignments.
Each professor should make available to the students a syllabus of the course. This syllabus needs to include such information as an outline of the course topics, a listing of necessary assignments, a schedule of test dates, and the grading policy. Why? The syllabus serves as an ‘offer’ between the student and the professor. A syllabus does not remove the student’s responsibility for attending class sessions, nor does it constrain the professor from changing the specific elements of the syllabus.

Style Sheet

The course stylesheet explains how to format all papers for this class. All papers that you hand in for credit, except for in-class activities, must be typed and must adhere to this stylesheet. Failure to adhere closely to the stylesheet may result in you failing to pass this course. At the very least, a student who does not follow the stylesheet will not receive as many points as he/she would otherwise receive. If your assignment is not typed, do not bother handing it in to me.

[assignments] Weekly Class Assignments

Weekly Video Reflections

Each week, save the first, you have a video to watch on your own. You can find the link for each Internet video on the course website. These videos have run times between one and two hours. Your task is two-fold: watch the video; write a reflection paper on the video.
The reflection paper must be between one (1) and three (3) pages in length. It must have the following two sections: Summary of the Video (approximately 1/2 page in length), and Application to the Course (readings and/or discussions). On your assignment, explicitly label the two sections as provided above as first-level headings. See Course Style Sheet for what that means.
I will grade this assignment based on how well you follow the class writing guidelines; convince me that you have thoroughly watched the video, and tie in the video to terrorism and our class discussions.
You need to use at least 3 sources other than the readings, and you need to cite and reference correctly. See the Style Sheet and the ‘Chicago References’ document for more information.

Weekly Deep Answers

Each week, save the first, you will answer the Weekly Question posted on the website. This question is designed to allow you to demonstrate your knowledge and your success in tying the disparate parts of the discussions together with the readings and videos.
This paper must be between one (1) and three (3) pages in length. I will grade this assignment based on how well you follow the class writing guidelines; convince me that you have thoroughly watched the video and read the readings, and tied both together into a coherent narrative with the class discussions.
You need to use at least 3 sources other than the readings, and you need to cite and reference correctly. See the Style Sheet and the ‘Chicago References’ document for more information.

Weekly Quick Assignments

Each week, save the first, there will be a sheet of small questions posted on the course website for you to print and answer. I will grade this assignment based on how many of the questions you get correct.

Weekly Quizzes

Each week, save the last, the first five minutes will be spent on a weekly quiz that covers the readings, the video, and current (terrorism) events for the week. It will be true/false, multiple choice, and fill-in-the-blank. This will not be an open note or open book quiz. Anything from the video, the readings, and current events is fair game for the quiz.

[practice examinations] Practice Examinations

Here are the practice examinations I made for you. The actual final examination will be similar in layout and content.

[lectures] Lectures

When I actually have a slideshow presentation, I will post it here.

[essay question] The Final Examination Essay Question

Answer the essay question in standard essay form. This includes an introduction, a conclusion, and a logical body all written using correct spelling and grammar. Explicitly emphasize the readings.

I will grade the essay on all of these aspects. An ‘A’ essay will excel in all of these aspects. Were I you, I would write the answer to the essay over the weekend and have someone else read it to ensure it actually answers the question.

The Question:

There are some current trends in the world at the moment. Three of them are higher levels of globalization, democratization of formerly autocratic states, and worsening economies. What will be the effect of each of these three on the prevalence of terrorism in the world? What can states do to mitigate (lessen) the effects of these trends?