Teaching Medieval History, Fall 2010

I ran a blog about my experiences teaching the textbook in fall 2010. Here are the nitty-gritty details of the course that formed its basis.

It was a big lecture "general education" course--the sort that is aimed at frosh and sophmores but often gets lots of juniors and seniors who have delayed fulfilling requirements. I lectured twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and most Fridays, students broke into discussion sections for a third meeting. These discussion sections were led by a Teaching Assistant.

I assessed grades on a point system. The student work load was as follows:

QUIZZES: 100 points.

Most Tuesdays began with a short quiz on the textbook chapter assigned for the week and the lectures for the previous week. To avoid make-ups, I gave 14 quizzes, but counted only the best 10 scores. Each quiz had ten multiple-choice questions (with three possible choices) and counted 10 points. I never ever allowed a student to make-up a missed quiz. (I hate writing these quizzes, and keeping track of them is a pain, but I have found that they force students to study regularly, rather than cram. I’ve decided that the pedagogical benefit is worth the hassle.)

DISCUSSION SECTIONS: 50 points.

This was a small part of the final grade, but enough to ensure that students pay attention to this part of the course. I left this assessment--based on attendance and participation--in the hands of the Teaching Assistants.

DISCUSSION PAPERS: 50 points.

Each student had to submit five 250-word comments on a prep question for discussion sections (for the questions, see below). They had to hand in their papers before the discussion began, but students mostly got to chose which weeks to write papers and which to skip. To give students a chance to master the genre, I allowed them to submit six discussion papers, of which we counted only the best five. (More than six is a no-go.) I left the assessment in the hands of the Teaching Assistants.

ESSAYS: 200 points.

Students wrote two essays (1000-1250 words in length), each worth 100 points. Details in the schedule below.

FINAL EXAM: 100 points.

I am not a fan of exams (that’s why there are no midterms), but my university requires a final examination. I used it, in lieu of a third essay, to sum up the last third of the course.

So, the final grades were be determined as follows:

A 467-500
A- 451-466
B+ 434-450
B 417-433
B- 401-416
C+ 384-400
C 367-383
C- 351-366
D+ 334-350
D 317-333
D- 301-316
F below 300

Phew. As you can see, I’m pretty obsessively organized. I’ve taught big lecture courses like this for more than twenty-five years, so I’ve tried lots of stuff . . . and gotten pretty set in my ways.

Okay, last but not least in terms of course prep, here's my schedule for the semester. Basically, I worked to a simple format: a textbook chapter each week (I call the textbook "MESH," as in Medieval Europe . . .Short History), two related lectures, and a related reading for discussion sections.

CLASS SCHEDULE

INTRO.
Tu 24 Aug	Lecture: Introduction
Th 26 Aug	Lecture: The Middle Ages as “Other”
Fr 27 Aug	Discussion #1: Imagining Beowulf, Then and Now READ AND BRING TO SECTION: Beowulf, lines 1-2210 (pages 3-151). Question for discussion paper: What in Beowulf’s world is familiar even today?

WEEK 1
Tu 31 Aug	Lecture: The Roman Melting Pot READ: MESH, ch. 1. QUIZ #1 on last week’s lectures; MESH ch. 1; maps.
Th 2 Sept	Lecture: Barbarians and their Ilk
Fr 3 Sept	Discussion #2: Christians, as the Romans Saw Them READ AND BRING TO SECTION: Pliny's Letter about Christians to the Emperor Trajan, 112 C.E. and Trajan's Reply Question for discussion paper: What did pagan Romans imagine about Christians in their midst?

WEEK 2
Tu 7 Sept	Lecture: Christianity, Medieval Style READ: MESH, ch. 2. QUIZ #2 on last week’s lectures; MESH ch. 2; maps.
Th 9 Sept	No lecture
Fr 10 Sept	No discussion

WEEK 3
Tu 14 Sept	Lecture: Islam READ: MESH, ch. 3. QUIZ #3 on last week’s lectures; MESH ch. 3; maps.
Th 16 Sept	Lecture: Monks and Nuns, Take 1
Fr 17 Sept	Discussion #3: Making Community READ AND BRING TO SECTION: The Rule of St Benedict, pp. 3-70. Question for discussion paper: How was a monastic community like a family? If you have not yet submitted a discussion paper, you must submit this one.

WEEK 4
Tu 21 Sept	Lecture: “Christendom” and “Europe” READ: MESH, ch. 4. QUIZ #4 on last week’s lectures; MESH ch. 4; maps.
Th 23 Sept	Lecture: Feudalism
Fr 24 Sept	Discussion #4: Muslims, as Christians Saw Them READ AND BRING TO SECTION: The Song of Roland, pp. 29-156. Question for discussion paper: What did Roland and his fellows imagine Muslims were like?

WEEK 5
Tu 28 Sept	Lecture: Feudal Society READ: MESH, ch. 5. QUIZ #5 on last week’s lectures; MESH ch. 5; maps
Th 30 Sept	Lecture: Africans, as Medieval People Imagined Them Essay #1 due at beginning of class. Write an essay of 1000-1250 words that supports or rebuts this thesis: “Medieval relationships were built on hierarchy, mutuality, and exclusion.” Use evidence from Beowulf, The Song of Roland, and The Rule of St. Benedict to support your points.
Fr 1 Oct	No Discussion Sections

WEEK 6
Tu 5 Oct	Lecture: Manorialism READ: MESH, ch. 6. QUIZ #6 on last week’s lectures; MESH ch. 6; maps.
Th 7 Oct	Lecture: Peasant Society
Fr 10 Oct	Discussion #5: Peasants, as Their Betters Saw Them and as They Lived. READ AND BRING TO SECTION: Selected Sources on Medieval Peasants Question for discussion paper: What strikes you as familiar in these selections?

WEEK 7
Tu 12 Oct	Lecture: Towns and Urban Society READ: MESH, ch. 7. QUIZ #7 on last week’s lectures; MESH ch. 7; maps.
Th 14 Oct	Lecture: Popes and Papacy
Fr 15 Oct	Discussion #6: Living Like Angels READ AND BRING TO SECTION: Selected Sources on the Investiture Controversy Question for discussion paper: Did Henry IV’s position in his debate with Gregory VII have any merit? If you have not yet submitted a second discussion paper, you must submit this one.

WEEK 8
Tu 19 Oct	Lecture: Monks and Nuns, Take 2 READ: MESH, ch. 8. QUIZ #8 on last week’s lectures; MESH ch 8; maps.
Th 21 Oct	Lecture: Women and Men in Medieval Schools
Fr 22 Oct	Discussion #7: Lovers . . . and Scholars READ AND BRING TO SECTION: The Letters of Abelard and Heloise, pages 3-55. Question for discussion paper: If Heloise had been a man, how would her life have been different?

WEEK 9
Tu 26 Oct	Lecture: A Persecuting Society? READ: MESH, ch. 9. QUIZ #9 on last week’s lectures; MESH ch. 9; maps
Th 28 Oct	Lecture: Jews in Medieval Christendom
Fr 30 Oct	Discussion #8: Jews, As Christians Saw Them READ AND BRING TO SECTION: Question for discussion paper: How do these absurd accusations against Jews reflect stereotypes about all medieval minorities? If you have not yet submitted a third discussion paper, you must submit this one

WEEK 10
Tu 2 Nov	Lecture: Crusades and Crusaders READ: MESH, ch. 10 QUIZ #10 on last week’s lectures; MESH ch. 10; maps.
Th 4 Nov	Lecture: Making Europe Essay #2 due at beginning of class. Write a essay of 1000-1250 words that supports or rebuts this thesis: “Abelard and Heloise agreed that women were inferior to men.”
Fr 5 Nov	No Discussion Section

WEEK 11
Tu 9 Nov	Lecture: Medieval Thought READ: MESH, ch. 11 QUIZ #11 on last week’s lectures; MESH ch. 11; maps.
Th 11 Nov	Lecture: Mystics and Mysticism
Fr 12 Nov	Discussion #9: A Medieval Sisterhood? READ AND BRING TO SECTION: Treasure of the City of Ladies, part 1 (sections 12-21), and all of parts 2 and 3 (pp. 32-58, 87-168). Question for discussion paper: How does Christine de Pizan distinguish among women of different social statuses? If you have not yet submitted a fourth discussion paper, you must submit this one.

WEEK 12
Tu 16 Nov	Lecture: 1348 and Before READ: MESH, ch. 12 QUIZ #12 on last week’s lectures; MESH ch. 12; maps.
Th 18 Nov	Lecture: 1348 and After
Fr 19 Nov	Discussion #10: The Irish, As the English Saw Them READ AND BRING TO SECTION: The Statutes of Kilkenny (1366). Question for discussion paper: What were the most important ways that the Irish and English were to be distinguished from each other? If you have not yet submitted a fifth discussion paper, you must submit this one

WEEK 13
Tu 23 Nov	Lecture: Nations States and Nationalism READ: MESH, ch. 13 QUIZ #13 on last week’s lectures; MESH ch. 13; maps.
Th 25 Nov	No lecture
Fr 26 Nov	No Discussion Sections

WEEK 14
Tu 30 Nov	Lecture: 1492 READ: MESH, ch. 14 QUIZ #14 on last week’s lectures; MESH ch. 14; maps.
Th 2 Dec	Lecture: Modernity, For Better or Worse
Fr 3 Dec	No Discussion Sections

Also, you might find it useful to visit the now defunct blog. I report there on the details of each week's lectures.