History of the British Isles
2017 Spring
AN22006BA, AN2201OMA, AN28007BA
Seminar, 2hrs, graded
1st year BA + minor
Friday, 08.00-09.40
Room 106, Main Building
Instructor: Hudácskó Brigitta
Office hour: Wednesday 13.00-13.050, Room 104
Friday 12.00-13.00, Room 104
E-mail address: [email protected]
The course offers a broad historical survey of the British Isles from prehistory to World War I. The two
main attainment targets of the course are (1) knowledge and understanding of British history, and (2)
interpretations of British history. Both attainment targets will involve considerations of change and
continuity and causes and consequences.
Students will be expected to keep up with the readings (which they should always bring along) and to
come to class regularly and well prepared. Only three unjustified absences will be tolerated. The midterm and end-term tests must be written at the time scheduled in the syllabus and they cannot be
rewritten.
Required reading: David McDowall, An Illustrated History of Britain (Longman, 1991) (Available in the
library and online.)
Link to online materials:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/y56jyirp3ar9apj/AACOd7EguNssM7vdwaF0UEkza?dl=0
Recommended: If you are really interested in British history, you couldn’t find a better and more
entertaining resource than The British History Podcast. https://www.thebritishhistorypodcast.com/
Requirements
Presence at classes: No more than three absences are allowed. In the case of a longer absence (either due to
illness, or official leave), the tutor and the student will come to an agreement of how to solve the
problem.
Assigned materials: The seminar format and the reading requirements suppose that the assigned texts are
read and the films are watched for the classes. Every week you are expected to fill out a response
paper answering questions about the reading set by the instructor. These response papers
contribute to the seminar grade (“response paper”: 10%). You must submit at least 60% of
these response papers, otherwise your seminar is a failure (the grade is a one). Since the
response papers help facilitate the classroom discussion, therefore they need to be prepared in
advance and no late submission is possible.
Participation in classroom discussion: The student is expected to take an active part in classroom discussions.
This activity contributes to the seminar grade by20% of the overall achievement.
Mid-term and end-term test: Objective tests on the material discussed during the term (contributing 30%
and 40% respectively to the overall grade). The tests must be written at the times scheduled in
the syllabus. Failing to do so will count as course failure, and only one re-sit test will be
scheduled to make up for the failure.
Please note that each and every course component above is obligatory: the failure to meet any of these
requirements (class attendance, response papers, mid-term test, end-term test) will jeopardise the
completion of the course. Out of two course components − mid-term test, end-term test − only one resit will be granted; failure to meet more than one requirement will automatically result in overall
failure. Please also note that there is no make-up for insufficient class attendance. Students need to
reach at least 50 % in order to get a pass mark for the course.
GRADING POLICY
response papers
classroom work
mid-term test
end-term test
total
Week
1
Date
24/02
Percentage
87–100
75–86
63–74
51–62
0–50
10%
20%
30%
40%
100%
Grade
5
4
3
2
1
Material
Orientation, general introduction
Film: A History of Britain, Part 1: Scara Brae
2
03/03
Earliest times
Reading: McDowall, Chapters 1-3
Document: Bede, The Ecclesiastical History of the English People, Ch. XV
3
10/03
The early Middle Ages
Reading: McDowall, Chapters 4-6
Film: 1066
4
17/03
The late Middle Ages
Reading: McDowall, Chapters 7-9
5
24/03
The Tudors
Reading: McDowall, Chapters 10-12
Document: The Act of Supremacy
Film: A History of Britain, Part 6: Burning Convictions
6
31/03
MIDTERM
7
07/04
The Stuarts
Reading: McDowall, Chapters 13-15
Film: A History of Britain, Part 8: The British Wars
Document: The Bill of Rights
8
14/04
CONSULTATION WEEK. NO CLASS.
9
21/04
The eighteenth century I.
Reading: McDowall, Chapters 16-18
Film: A History of Britain, Part 10: Britannia Incorporated
10
28/04
Crash Course World History #29: The French Revolution
The eighteenth century II.
Reading: McDowall, Chapters 16-18
Film: A History of Britain, Part 10: Britannia Incorporated
11
05/05
Crash Course World History #29: The French Revolution
The nineteenth century I.
Reading: McDowall, Chapters 19-21
12
12/05
The nineteenth century II.
Reading: McDowall, Chapters 19-21
13
19/05
ENDTERM
14
26/05
EVALUATION