HIST 151H - Honors Cluster West and the World I

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FA. This cluster of honors sections of ARTH 101 and HIST 151 offers a broad but detailed survey of the history, art, and literature from the prehistoric period and dawn of civilizations, through the classical and medieval worlds, up to ca. 1500. Attention will be focused on the developments across the landmass of Eurasia, stretching from the Mediterranean to the Pacific, with a particular emphasis on the emergence and evolution of unique cultural traditions and the interactions that took place among the great societies of the pre-modern world. Along with lectures, classroom discussions and short papers responding to primary sources will structure weekly coursework. A larger multi-disciplinary research paper will ask students to integrate the two linked courses. Stressing the importance of primary source materials, the cluster will include a trip to Chicago to see historical artifacts firsthand - particularly the collections of the Oriental Institute and the Art Institute of Chicago. Additional trips include a Sunday worship service at a Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox church, as well as evening prayers and a lecture at Mesjid-Tawheed, a place of worship for Grand Rapids Muslims. The course fulfills the Historical Foundations core requirement. Enrollment is limited to 20 students and is restricted to those who qualify for honors enrollment.