CLA 2521: Classical Antiquity and Sustainability

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General Information

Course Number: CLA 2521. General Education Requirement: H. Class number: 10763. Credits: 03. Times: T 7 (1:55 pm – 2:45 pm), R 7-8 (1:55 pm – 3:50 pm). Room: FAC 0120. CLA 2151 is a course offered in the Department of Classical Studies at University of Florida.. Department contact: Terence Stevens.

   Instructors:

Course Description

An examination of classical antiquity, applying methods and theories of sustainability to explore the impact of the ancient Greeks and Romans on their environment and focusing on geography, economy, land use and classical representations of the natural world. The course has no prerequisites.

General Education Objectives and Learning Outcomes

Primary General Education Designation: H (link to area objectives). Secondary General Education Designation: N (link to area objectives). Note: A minimum grade of C is required for general education.

  • Objectives. Content: Students will become conversant with the main aspects of human-environmental interaction in Classical Antiquity. The ancient civilizations of Egypt, Greece, and Roman Italy will serve as case studies for the investigation of human response to three radically different landscapes and habitats. Assessments: quizzes; end of module discussion boards. (H, N). ▷ Communication: Students will be able to write clearly and effectively about environmental issues in Classical Antiquity and their relevance to the present. They will also be able to work with visual materials in order to design slide-illustrated presentations on selected topics of ancient environmental history. Assessments: end of module discussion boards; end of class Powerpoint presentation. (H). ▷ Critical Thinking: Students will acquire an understanding of the changing dynamics that rule human-environmental relations across history. Assessment: end of module discussion boards. (H, N).
  • Learning Outcomes. Students will learn how to apply a variety of methodological approaches from the humanities (H) in order to investigate human-environmental interactions in the Classical world (N) and use this knowledge to to put current events in a historical perspective.

Textbooks and Other Study Materials


Textbooks:

Other Study Aids:

  • Lecture slides. A folder with the lecture slides used in class (PDF format, images only) can be downloaded from this link.
  • Practice Quizzes. A set of practice quizzes to be used as study guides for quizzes and exams is available from the Quizzes tab.

Graded Work

  • Three end of module discussion board assignments (20% of final grade). Format: 250 words single-spaced. Points: see Rubric.
  • Four quizzes, equally weighted (20% of final grade). Format: 20 questions (10 MC, 10 T/F). Points per question: 5. Total points per quiz: 100.
  • One end-of-course Powerpoint presentation (10% of final grade). Format: 8 slides, featuring images, maps, and text as needed. Points: see Rubric
  • Two exams, equally weighted (50% of final grade). Format: 50 questions (25 MC, 25 T/F). Points per question: 2. Total points per exam: 100.

Please note: Quizzes and exams are cumulative.

UF Grade Scale:

A 100 % to 94.0%  A- 94.0 % to 90.0%
B+ 90.0 % to 87.0% B 87.0 % to 84.0% B- 84.0 % to 80.0%
C+ 80.0 % to 77.0% C 77.0 % to 74.0% C- 74.0 % to 70.0%
D+ 70.0 % to 67.0% D 67.0 % to 64.0% D- 64.0 % to 61.0%
F 61.0 %to 0.0%

General information on current university policies for assigning grade points is available in the Undergraduate Catalog.

Due Dates

  • Readings: Each session of the course is matched to a reading assignment from the textbooks. Ideally the assignments should be completed before each class, as shown in the Course Schedule below. However, students can also go through the readings at their own pace, as long as they complete them by the following deadlines: FEB 06 (Quiz 1): David ch. 3 pp.111-132. FEB 20 (Quiz 2): Thommen chs. 1-3. APR 03 (Quiz 3): Thommen chs. 3-10. APR 17 (Quiz 4): Thommen chs. 4-10.  MAY 02 (Final Examination): David ch. 3 pp.111-132, Thommen chs. 1-20.
  • Quizzes: FEB 06 (Quiz 1). FEB 20 (Quiz 2). APR 03 (Quiz 3). APR 17 (Quiz 4).
  • Discussions:  Discussion Board 1: opens JAN 21 closes FEB 04. Discussion Board 2: opens FEB 04 closes MAR 27. Discussion Board 3: opens MAR 27 closes APR 22.
  • Exams: MAR 11 (Midterm Examination). MAY 02 (Final Examination)
  • Presentation: April 22.

Course Policies

  • Attendance. Attendance is mandatory and will be tracked. Accruing more than 3 unexcused absences will result in a 3 pt penalty to be detracted from one’s quiz average. Requirements for class attendance and make-up exams, assignments, and other work in this course are consistent with university policies that can be found in the online Undergraduate Catalog.
  • Technology Requirement. The class is delivered in a traditional on-campus format. However, students need to be equipped at all times with a computer or compatible electronic device in order to access Canvas.
  • Class Etiquette. Students are strongly discouraged from leaving the class in the middle of a lecture. Those who need to do so must inform the instructor at the beginning of class.
  • Makeup Work. Makeups are given only for excused absences. Students who are unable to take exams at the appointed dates should notify the instructor’s assistants in advance.
  • Academic Integrity. Students in CLA 2521 are expected to comply with the Academic Honor Code. of the University of Florida and must sign the CLA 2521 Honor Pledge no later than the first week of class. Please note: students who do not sign the pledge will not be given access to graded quizzes and exams.
  • Disclaimer on Sexual and Religious Content. As ancient attitudes towards sexuality and religion differ considerably from ours, some of the material examined in this course may result offensive to modern sensibility. Students who have a problem in dealing with such topics should consult with the instructor.

Accomodations

Students requesting classroom accommodation must first register with the Disability Resource Center.by providing appropriate documentation. Once registered, students will receive an accommodation letter that must be presented to the instructor when requesting accommodation.  Students with disabilities should follow this procedure as early as possible in the semester.

Course Evaluations

Students are expected to provide professional and respectful feedback on the quality of instruction in this course by completing course evaluations online via Gatorevals. Students will be notified by email when the evaluation period opens. Summaries. of course evaluation results are available to students from the Gatorevals webpage.

Class Schedule

 

01 JAN 14 Orientation.
02 JAN 16 Introduction. Basic Concepts (classnotes).
03 JAN 21 Egypt: David ch. 3 pp.111-132. Discussion Board 1 opens.
04 JAN 23 Egypt: David ch. 3 pp.111-132.
05 JAN 28 Egypt: David ch. 3 pp.111-132.
06 JAN 30 Greece: The geographic space (Thommen ch.1). Discussion Board 1 closes. Discussion Board 2 opens.
07 FEB 04 Quiz 1 on sessions  2-5.
08 FEB 06 Greece: The geographic space (Thommen ch.1).
09 FEB 11 Greece: People and nature (Thommen ch.2).
10 FEB 13 Greece: Agriculture. Forests and timber. (Thommen chs.3-4).
11 FEB 18 Quiz 2 on session  2-10 (Thommen chs.1-3).
12 FEB 20 Greece: Forests and timber. Gardens (Thommen chs.4-5).
13 FEB 25 Greece: Gardens (Thommen ch. 5).
14 FEB 27 Greece: Animals (Thommen ch.6).
15 MAR 04 Greece: Animals. Food (Thommen chs.6-7).
16 MAR 06 Midterm Examination on sessions 2-15 (Thommen chs.1-6). Room: FAC 0120.
17 MAR 11 Greece: Food. Fire and water (Thommen chs.7-8).
18 MAR 13 Greece: Earthquakes and volcanoes. Mining (Thommen chs.9-10).
19 MAR 25 Rome: The geographic space (Thommen ch.11). Discussion Board 2 closes. Discussion Board 3 opens.
20 MAR 27 Rome: The geographic space People and nature (Thommen 11-12).
21 APR 01 Quiz 3 on sessions 2-20.
22 APR 03 Rome: Agriculture. Forests and timber (Thommen chs.13-14).
23 APR 08 Rome: Gardens. Animals (Thommen chs.15-16).
24 APR 10 Rome: Food. Fire and water (Thommen chs.17-18).
25 APR 15 Quiz 4 on session 2-27.
26 APR 17 Rome: Earthquakes and volcanoes. Mining (Thommen chs.19-20).
27 APR 22 Discussion board 3 closes. End of course presentations due.
28 MAY 02 Final Examination on sessions 2-26. 7:30 am – 9:30 am. Room: FAC 0120.