Please note: Each week’s course material typically will be released on this page on the preceding Friday evening.

All posted due dates and times are in Mountain time. 

JANUARY 10-16

Office hours: 2-4 p.m. Monday, January 11; 9-11 a.m. Thursday, January 14

Module 0: Course Orientation

• Read the syllabus.
• Find your group.
• Watch “How to Succeed in this Course.”

Module 1: What is History?

• Introduction:
  • Welcome
  • What is History?
• Module 1.1: Your lens (and your first blog post) – post due Thursday, January 14 by 11 p.m.
• Module 1.2: Bridges – post due Sunday, January 17 by 11 p.m.

JANUARY 17-23

Office hours: 9-11 a.m. Wednesday, January 20; 3-5 p.m. Thursday, January 21

Module 2: The Historian’s Sources

• Introduction
• Module 2.1:
  • Read “What are primary and secondary sources?”
  • Watch Why Historical Thinking Matters and take notes; be sure to watch all ten (brief) sections.
• Module 2.2:
  • Read Prown, Jules David. “Mind in Matter: An Introduction to Material Culture Theory and Method.” Winterthur Portfolio 17, no. 1 (1982): 1-19.
    • If you are on the university’s wired or wifi network (eduroam), you should be able to access Prown’s article without any trouble. If you are off campus, here’s a video on how to find and download the article in the library’s databases.
  • Prownian Analysis activity – post due Saturday, January 23 by 11 p.m.

JANUARY 24-30

Office hours: 2:30-4:30 p.m. Monday, January 25; 3:30-5:00 p.m. Wednesday, January 27

Module 3: Differing Interpretations of the Past

• Introduction
• Module 3.1: The first Thanksgiving – post due Tuesday, January 26 by 11 p.m.
• Module 3.2: Competing narratives of the first Thanksgiving – post due Saturday, January 30 by 11 p.m.

JANUARY 31 – FEBRUARY 6

Office hours: 3-5 p.m. Monday, February 1; 3-5 p.m. Thursday, February 4

Module 4: The sacred (cathedrals, great mosques, and large temples)

• Introduction
• Module 4.1: Hagia Sophia – post due Tuesday, February 2 by 11 p.m.
• Module 4.2: Other large sacred structures – post due Saturday, February 6 by 11 p.m.

FEBRUARY 7-13

Office hours: 2-3 p.m. Monday, February 8; 3:30-5:00 p.m. Tuesday, February 9; 8:30-10:30 a.m. Wednesday, February 10; 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Friday, February 12

Module 5: The sacred (Incan and Aztec sacred structures and spaces)

• Introduction
• Module 5.1: Sacred structures of the Incas – no blog post
• Module 5.2: Aztec sacred structures – group post due Saturday, February 13 by 11 p.m.
• Two Perfect Pages assignment released (due April 16, but start this one early)

FEBRUARY 14-20

Office hours: 9-11 a.m. Wednesday, February 17; 9-11 a.m. Friday, February 19

Module 6: The sacred (burial sites)

• Introduction
• Module 6.1: The Taj Mahal
• Module 6.2: Cemeteries
• Concept Map assignment released (due February 27 by 11 p.m.)

FEBRUARY 21-27

Office hours: 2-4 p.m. Monday, February 22; 8:30-10:30 a.m. Wednesday, February 24

Module 7: Catching up

• I promised you some catch-up time last week, but then I assigned considerable reading and viewing. I’m giving you one more week to catch up on reading or assignments you might have missed.
• Your only assignment this week is to read this post, write your own appropriate comment in response, and then respond to three other students’ comments.

FEBRUARY 29 – MARCH 5

Office hours: 2-4 p.m. Monday, February 29; 9-11 a.m. Wednesday, March 2; 9-11 a.m. Friday, March 4

Module 8: Water systems

• Introduction
• Module 8.1: Considering water systems in Valencia, Spain 
• Module 8.2: Middle Eastern water woes – post due Saturday, March 5 by 11 p.m.

MARCH 6-12

Office hours: 3-5 p.m. Monday, March 7; 8:30-10:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 9

Module 9: Water systems (The 19th- and 20th-century American West)

• Introduction
• Module 9.1: Native Water Use and Water Rights in the American West (a case study) – post due Saturday, March 12 by 11 p.m.
• Module 9.2: California and water rights

MARCH 13-19

Office hours: 2-4 p.m. Monday, March 14; 9-11 a.m. Wednesday, March 16

Module 10: Water systems (The 20th- and 21st-century American West)

• Introduction – post due Saturday, March 19 by 11 p.m.
• Module 10.1: A closer look at California, part I
• Module 10.2: A closer look at California, part II
• Pictorial Essay assignment released – due Saturday, April 2 by 11 p.m.

MARCH 20-26 (spring break)

• If you haven’t already, start reading The Devil in the White City.

MARCH 27-APRIL 2

Office hours: 2-3 p.m. Monday, March 28; 8:30-10:30 a.m. Tuesday, March 29; 10:30-11:15 a.m. Wednesday, March 30

Module 11: Entertainment & recreation (The World’s Fair)

• Introduction: The 1893 World’s Fair
• Module 11.1: Read pages xi – 127 of The Devil in the White City (through the chapter titled “Cuckoldry”).
• Module 11.2: First reflection on the fair – post due Saturday, April 2 by 11 p.m.
• Final grading rubric for blog posts released. Blog posts to be graded beginning April 16.

APRIL 4-8

Office hours: 3-5 p.m. Monday, April 4; 9-11 a.m. Tuesday, April 5

Module 12: Entertainment & recreation (The World’s Fair)

• Module 12.1: Read pages 128 – 231 of The Devil in the White City (to the end of Part II)
• Module 12.2: Beliefs and values of the planners (and Holmes)
• Final group project released – due Friday, May 6 by 10 p.m.

APRIL 10-16

Office hours: 2-4 p.m. Monday, April 11; 9-11 a.m. Wednesday, April 13; 3-5 p.m. Thursday, April 14

Module 13: Entertainment & recreation (The World’s Fair)

• Module 13.1: Read part III of The Devil in the White City.
• Module 13.2: Features of the Fair (a group post) – due on the blog by 11 p.m. on Tuesday, April 19.
• Two Perfect Pages post due (must be posted to blog by 11 p.m. on April 16)

APRIL 17-23

Office hours: 2-4 p.m. Monday, April 18; 8:30-10:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 20; 10-11:30 a.m. Friday, April 22

Module 14: Entertainment (The World’s Fair)

• Module 14.1: Finish reading The Devil in the White City; you will need to reference it in Module 15.
• Module 14.2: Use this time to work on your group project. Send a group project progress update via e-mail to Dr. Madsen-Brooks by Saturday, April 23 at 11 p.m.

APRIL 24-29

Office hours: 2-4 p.m. Monday, April 25; 9-11 a.m. Wednesday, April 27; 

Module 15: Reflection and wrap-up

• Introduction
• Module 15.1: Your opportunity for reflection
• Module 15.2: Suggestions for completing your course evaluation

MAY 1 – 6 (Finals week)

Office hours by appointment

• Final group project due Friday, May 6 by 10 p.m.