Course Number: CLA 2521 (Links to an external site.). General Education Requirement: H. Class number: 11524. Credits: 03. Room: FLG 0260 (Links to an external site.). Times: T4 (10:40 am – 11:30 am), R4-5 (10:40 am – 12:35 am). CLA 2151 (Links to an external site.) is a course offered in the Department of Classical Studies (Links to an external site.) at University of Florida (Links to an external site.). Department contact: Mr. Ken Vandoren.
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.
Textbooks and Other Study Aids
L. Thommen, An Environmental History of Ancient Greece and Rome (Links to an external site.) (CUP: Cambridge 2012.)
A folder with PDF files of the powerpoint presentations used in class (images only) is also available from this link (Links to an external site.).
Course Requirements and Grading
- Attendance (5% of final grade)
- Four quizzes, equally weighted (30% of final grade). Format: 20 questions (10 MC, 10 T/F). Points per question: 5. Total points per quiz: 100.
- Two exams, equally weighted (65% 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.
Grading scale: 100-90 A, 89-85 B+, 84-80 B, 79-75 C+, 74-70 C, 69-65 D+, 64-60 D, 59- E.
General information on current university policies for assigning grade points is available in the Undergraduate Catalog (Links to an external site.).
Attendance and General Course Policy
- Attendance. 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 (Links to an external site.).
- Laptop policy. On quiz days (see calendar below) students are required to bring to class a laptop, handheld, or other web-enabled device that would allow them to connect to e-learning. Please note: all quizzes and exams in CLA 2521 are to be taken in class. Taking an assignment outside of class without the instructor’s approval will be considered a violation of the UF Honor Code (see be below) and will be subject to the appropriate sanctions.
- Class Etiquette. Students are strongly discouraged from leaving the class in the middle of a lecture. Those who need to do so must obtain the instructor’s permission at the beginning of class.
- Makeup Examinations. Makeup exams are given only in extraordinary circumstances. Students who are unable to take exams at the appointed dates should notify the instructor’s assistants in advance.
- Questions. All questions on administrative matters (grading, etc.) can be addressed to the instructor’s assistant(s); for questions pertaining to the content of the lectures, students should consult directly with the instructor
- Honor Code. Students in CLA 2521 are expected to comply with the Academic Honor Code (Links to an external site.) of the University of Florida.
- 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.
ADA Requirements
Students requesting classroom accommodation must first register with the Dean of Students Office (Links to an external site.). The Dean of Students Office will provide documentation to the student who must then provide this documentation to the Instructor when requesting accommodation. For information about services available to students with special needs, contact the Disability Resource Center (Links to an external site.).
Course Evaluations
Students are expected to provide feedback on the quality of instruction in this course based on 10 criteria. These evaluations are conducted online at https://evaluations.ufl.edu (Links to an external site.). Evaluations are typically open during the last two or three weeks of the semester, but students will be given specific times when they are open. Summary results of these assessments are available to students at https://evaluations.ufl.edu/results (Links to an external site.).
Instructors
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- Robert S. Wagman (Links to an external site.). Office Hours: TR3 and by appt. Campus address: 125 Dauer Hall (Links to an external site.). E-mail: rsw@ufl.edu.
- Erica Anderson (Teaching Assistant). Office Hours: TBA and by appt. Campus address: 137 Dauer Hall (Links to an external site.). E-mail: erica.anderson@ufl.edu
Calendar of Assignments
| 01 | JAN 08 | ORIENTATION |
| 02 | JAN 10 | No class |
| 03 | JAN 15 | Introduction. Basic Concepts (classnotes) |
| 04 | JAN 17 | Introduction. Basic Concepts (classnotes) |
| 05 | JAN 22 | Egypt (classnotes) |
| 06 | JAN 24 | Egypt (classnotes) |
| 07 | JAN 29 | QUIZ 1 |
| 08 | JAN 31 | Greece: The geographic space (Thommen ch.1) |
| 09 | FEB 05 | Greece: The geographic space (Thommen ch.1) |
| 10 | FEB 07 | Greece: People and nature (Thommen ch. 2) |
| 11 | FEB 12 | QUIZ 2 |
| 12 | FEB 14 | Greece: Agriculture (Thommen ch. 3) |
| 13 | FEB 19 | Greece: Agriculture (Thommen ch. 3) |
| 14 | FEB 21 | Greece: Forests and timber (Thommen ch. 4) |
| 15 | FEB 26 | Greece: Forests and timber (Thommen ch. 4) |
| 16 | FEB 28 | MIDTERM EXAM (same room and time as class) |
| 00 | MAR 05 | SPRING RECESS |
| 00 | MAR 07 | SPRING RECESS |
| 17 | MAR 12 | Greece: Gardens. Animals. Food (Thommen chs. 5-7) |
| 18 | MAR 14 | Greece: Fire and water (Thommen ch. 8) |
| 19 | MAR 19 | Greece: Earthquakes and volcanoes. Mining (Thommen chs. 9-10) |
| 20 | MAR 21 | Rome: The geographic space. People and nature (Thommen chs.11-12) |
| 21 | MAR 26 | QUIZ 3 |
| 22 | MAR 28 | Rome: Agriculture (Thommen ch.13) |
| 23 | APR 02 | Rome: Forests and timber. Gardens (Thommen chs.14-15) |
| 24 | APR 04 | Rome: Animals. Food (Thommen chs.16-17) |
| 25 | APR 09 | Rome: Animals. Food (Thommen chs.16-17) |
| 26 | APR 11 | Rome: Fire and water (Thommen ch.18) |
| 27 | APR 16 | Rome: Earthquakes and volcanoes. Mining (Thommen chs.19-20) |
| 28 | APR 18 | QUIZ 4 |
| 29 | MAY 02 | FINAL EXAMINATION (Links to an external site.) (same room as class, 12:30 pm – 2:30 pm) |