Schedule, Reading List, & Assignments:

The schedule and assignments are subject to change during the semester. If you rely on a printed version of this schedule, please check back here regularly to make sure you have the most current version.

Last revised: July 27, 2009

Back to HHS 130 Syllabus

       
Date Topic Reading Assignment Writing Assignment
       
Weds 1/14 Introduction    
Thurs 1/15 Paleolithic and Neolithic McClellan & Dorn, Chapters 1 and 2
Links
 
       
Mon 1/19 No Class - Martin Luther King Jr. Day    
Weds 1/21 Discussion: Science in Prehistory Stonehenge article  
Thurs 1/22 The Urban Revolution & the Pyramids McClellan & Dorn, Chapter 3  
       
Mon 1/26 Hellenic Natural Philosophy McClellan & Dorn, Chapter 4
Links
 
Weds 1/28 Discussion: Hellenistic Science and Roman Engineering McClellan & Dorn, Chapter 5 and excerpts from Aristotle, Physics

Aristotle reading questions
 
Thurs 1/29 Islamic Science and Indian Science McClellan & Dorn, Chapters 6 and 8  
       
Mon 2/2 China McClellan & Dorn, Chapter 7  
Weds 2/4 Discussion: Chinese and Greek Medicine

Sivin, "State, Cosmos, and Body in the Last Three Centuries B.C."

Sivin reading questions

 
Thurs 2/5 The Americas McClellan & Dorn, Chapter 9  
       
Mon 2/9 Medieval Technology McClellan & Dorn, Chapter 10 Due: Comparative Paper
Weds 2/11 Higher Learning in Medieval Europe    
Thurs 2/12 Discussion: Copernicus, Tycho, & Kepler McClellan & Dorn, Chapter 11  
       
Mon 2/16 No Class - Presidents' Day    
Weds 2/18 Discussion: Copernicus, Tycho, & Kepler (continued)    
Thurs 2/19 Galileo & the Heavens McClellan & Dorn, Chapter 12; Galileo's Dialogues on Two World Systems (pages 1-6)  
       
Mon 2/23 Discussion: Galileo & the Church Excerpts from Sobel, Galileo's Daughter (on WebCT)
 
Weds 2/25 Newton & the "Scientific Revolution" McClellan & Dorn, Chapter 13
Links
 
Thurs 2/26 Newton: Alchemist and Theologian Newton's Dark Secrets  
       
Mon 3/2 [Snow Day]    
Weds 3/4 Newton, continued    
Thurs 3/5 Institutions in the Scientific Revolution Concepts for Midterm  
       
Mon 3/9 No Class - Spring Break    
Weds 3/11 No Class - Spring Break    
Thurs 3/12 No Class - Spring Break    
       
Mon 3/16 Review for Midterm    
Weds 3/18 Midterm Exam    
Thurs 3/19 Class Meeting in the Lobby of Williams Library
Stevens Family collection and
Stevens History
 
       
Mon 3/23 Industrial Revolution I McClellan & Dorn, Chapters 14 &15  
Weds 3/25 Industrial Revolution II
Due: Library reaction paper
Thurs 3/26 Discussion: Darwin & the Darwinian Revolution McClellan and Dorn, Chapter 16;  
       
Mon 3/30 Darwin (continued) Darwin, The Origin of Species
pages 1-4, 143-146, 421-429
 
Weds 4/1 Science, Technology, and Empire
 
Thurs 4/2 Discussion: Einstein Einstein topics and resources  
       
Mon 4/6 Einstein (continued)    
Weds 4/8 Scientific Medicine McClellan and Dorn, Chapter 17
 
Thurs 4/9 Science in the 20th Century
McClellan and Dorn, Chapter 18
Links
 
       
Mon 4/13 Industrial R&D McClellan and Dorn, Chapter 19  
Weds 4/15 Big Science   Due: Science & Religion Essay
Thurs 4/16 Totalitarian Science    
       
Mon 4/20 Dilemmas of Modern Science and Technology McClellan and Dorn, Chapter 20  
Weds 4/22 Computers and Computing Pfaffenberger, The Social Meaning of the Personal Computer  
Thurs 4/23 Discussion: Science and Technology for the People    
       
Mon 4/27 History of the Internet  
Weds 4/29 Choose your topic day Suggestion: Wired for War
See also: Robot videos and news
Due: Dilemma Paper
Thurs 4/30 Review for Final Concepts for Final Exam  
       
Mon 5/11 Final Exam, Kidde 228, 1-5 pm    

Back to HHS 130 Syllabus