Course Number: CLA 2521. General Education Requirement: H. Class number: 11396. Credits: 03. Times: T4 (10:40 am – 11:30 am), R4-5 (10:40 am – 12:35 am). Room(s): FLG 0230 (T) / FLG 0270 (R). CLA 2151 is a course offered in the Department of Classical Studies at University of Florida. 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 (CUP: Cambridge 2012.)
A folder with PDF files of the powerpoint presentations used in class (images only) is also available from this link .
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:UF (see UF Grades and Grading Policies).
General information on current university policies for assigning grade points is available in the Undergraduate Catalog.
Attendance and General Course Policy
- Attendance. Attendance is mandatory and will be tracked by periodical spot checks. 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.
- 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 of the University of Florida and must sign the CLA 2521 Honor Pledge before January 21, 2020. 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.
ADA Requirements
Students requesting classroom accommodation must first register with the Dean of Students Office. 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.
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. Guidance on how to give feedback in a professional and respectful manner is available at https://gatorevals.aa.ufl.edu/students/. Students will be notified when the evaluation period opens, and can complete evaluations through the email they receive from GatorEvals, in their Canvas course menu under GatorEvals, or via https://ufl.bluera.com/ufl/. Summaries of course evaluation results are available to students at https://gatorevals.aa.ufl.edu/public-results/.”
Instructors
- 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.
- Anthony Smith (Teaching Assistant). Office Hours: TBA and by appt. Campus address: 137 Dauer Hall. E-mail: a.smith2@ufl.edu
Calendar of Assignments
| 01 | JAN 07 | ORIENTATION |
| 02 | JAN 09 | Introduction. Basic Concepts (classnotes) |
| 03 | JAN 14 | Egypt (classnotes) |
| 04 | JAN 16 | Egypt (classnotes) |
| 05 | JAN 21 | Egypt (classnotes) |
| 06 | JAN 23 | Egypt (classnotes) |
| 07 | JAN 28 | QUIZ 1 on sessions 2-6 |
| 08 | JAN 30 | Greece: The geographic space (Thommen ch.1) |
| 09 | FEB 04 | Greece: The geographic space (Thommen ch.1) |
| 10 | FEB 06 | Greece: People and nature (Thommen ch. 2) |
| 11 | FEB 11 | Greece: People and nature (Thommen ch. 2) |
| 12 | FEB 13 | Greece: Agriculture (Thommen ch. 3) |
| 13 | FEB 18 | QUIZ 2 on session 2-11 |
| 14 | FEB 20 | Greece: Agriculture (Thommen ch. 3). Forests and timber (Thommen ch. 4) |
| 15 | FEB 25 | Greece: Forests and timber (Thommen ch. 4) |
| 16 | FEB 27 | MIDTERM EXAMINATION on sessions 2-15 (same room and time as class) |
| 00 | MAR 03 | SPRING RECESS |
| 00 | MAR 05 | SPRING RECESS |
| 17 | MAR 10 | Greece: Gardens. Animals. Food (Thommen chs. 5-7) |
| 18 | MAR 12 | Greece: Fire and water (Thommen ch. 8) |
| 19 | MAR 17 | Greece: Earthquakes and volcanoes. Mining (Thommen chs. 9-10) |
| 20 | MAR 19 | Rome: The geographic space. People and nature (Thommen chs.11-12) |
| 21 | MAR 24 | QUIZ 3 on sessions 2-19 |
| 22 | MAR 26 | Rome: Agriculture (Thommen ch.13) |
| 23 | MAR 31 | Rome: Forests and timber. Gardens (Thommen chs.14-15) |
| 24 | APR 02 | Rome: Animals. Food (Thommen chs.16-17) |
| 25 | APR 07 | Rome: Animals. Food (Thommen chs.16-17) |
| 26 | APR 09 | Rome: Fire and water (Thommen ch.18) |
| 27 | APR 14 | Rome: Earthquakes and volcanoes. Mining (Thommen chs.19-20) |
| 28 | APR 16 | Flex Day |
| 29 | APR 21 | QUIZ 4 on sessions 2-28 |
| 30 | APR 30 | FINAL EXAMINATION on sessions 2-29 (same room as class, 7:30 am – 9:30 am) |