Hi, everyone. I hope you had a good break. I know I do not need to remind you that Assignment #3 is due in class today. Here now is the fourth and final written assignment for the year. It will be due in class on Wednesday, April 4. (Here is a PDF version of the assignment.)
The slides for this week have also been posted (ahead of schedule!) on the Slides page.
Hello, History 1805!
I should have mentioned this in class on Wednesday but was so excited about whales it slipped my mind: I would like you to do some reading for next week’s class! I am posting here, and also emailed to each of you, a short excerpt from Charles Darwin’s Origin of Species, the book that introduced Darwin’s theory of evolution to the world. I would like you to read this, and come to class prepared to discuss it on February 8th.
Charles Darwin, On the Origin of Species (1859).
Our class is unusual for a history class (and other subjects too) in how little reading you actually have to do. So you might be wondering, “is this required? is this optional?” or even, “how will Prof. MacDougall make us read this?” The truth is, I cannot make you read anything. I am asking and encouraging you to read this piece. It is short, and it is worth it. You will get more out of the lecture if you read it, and material from it will probably appear on the exam. But the real reason to read this is that Darwin’s Origin of Species is one of the all time great works of scientific literature–great because of its historical importance, but great also because of how it is written and put together. You can actually learn a lot about how to make an argument (or how to write an essay for a university class) from reading Origin of Species. Finally, reading primary sources–that is, documents from other historical times–is one of, if not the, most important historical methods. Some would argue you are not really “doing history” until you start reading actual historical texts.
Here are some questions to think about as you read:
Please let me know (as always) if you have any questions or concerns. Have a great weekend and I will see you next Wednesday.
Hi History 1805. If you’re looking for tonight’s slides (Lecture 17: Are Whales Fish?) I am afraid they are not up yet. I was sick this week and they are a bit delayed, but I hope to have them up before class tonight. The slides are now up in the usual place. Sorry for the delay!
In other news, the tentative schedule for April exams has been released, and the final exam for History 1805 is scheduled for Tuesday, April 17 at 9 am. The Registrar’s Office always insists that we remind you that that is a tentative date and subject to change, so you shouldn’t make unchangeable plans (booking flights, etc.) based on it yet.
Here is the first of your two written assignments for this term. It will be due in class on Wednesday, February 29. Please note that there are two options below. Read both questions before choosing–and remember, you do not need to do both!
Whichever option you choose, your answer should be 750-1000 words long (3-4 pages double-spaced). Drawings or diagrams are also encouraged if they make it easier to understand your ideas, but you should still try to write at least 750 words of text addressing the questions above. It is due in class on February 29.
Here is a PDF version of this assignment (the same text as below).
Happy new year, and welcome to the second term of History 1805! The slides for tonight’s lecture have been posted in the usual place, and your first assignment will be posted soon as well. I look forward to meeting all of you, and to beginning/continuing our explorations together.
In this history lab, you will use dialectical thinking to examine the history of the Pacific Islands and explore what that suggests about the Earth. The complete assignment is here. You do not need to read or cite any sources other than the ones that we’ve provided. Those sources are with the assignment on the Slides page.
Your write-up is due on Wednesday 23 November 2011, but can be handed in without penalty any time before the beginning of class on Wednesday 7 December 2011. Please e-mail Bill and/or Devon if you have any questions or if you plan to hand in your assignment late.
In this history lab, you will have to decide what ideas, technologies or artifacts you want to take back with you on a time-traveling trip to (a) Ancient Egypt, (b) the Inca Empire, or (c) Victorian Britain. The complete assignment is here.
Your write-up is due on Wednesday 26 October 2011, but can be handed in without penalty any time before the beginning of class on Wednesday 7 December 2011. Please e-mail Bill and/or Devon if you have any questions or if you plan to hand in your assignment late.
Hi! This is the website for the 2011-12 edition of History 1805: Science, Technology, and Global History, offered by the University of Western Ontario‘s fine Department of History. Welcome to the course!
Our first class is on Wednesday, September 14th, in Somerville House 3315 from 6:30 to 9:30 pm. We are looking forward to meeting all of you and beginning our work together.
