History of Japan

M 8:30 – 10 a.m. or R 9:30-11 a.m.

Room 303

Dr. Leslie Heaphy

Office: 310 D

Office Hours: MW 1-2 p.m., W 4:30-5:30 p. m., TR 1-2 p.m. or by appointment

Phone: 330-244-3304

E-mail: Lheaphy@stark.kent.edu

Course Description

This class will explore all aspects of the history of Japan as students read and discuss a variety of topics of their choosing. The class will rely heavily on class discussion with occasional films and guest speakers. Students will be doing individual readings and discussing them with the class.

Course Objectives

1. To give students a greater understanding of the history of Japan

2. To help students explore various aspects of a single country’s historical development

3. To encourage students to look for connections between the past and present

4. To develop students ability to communicate in written and spoken formats through discussions and various writing assignments

5. To help students learn about the skills and methodology used by historians through critical discussions

6. To help students develop their critical thinking skills

Required Texts

None

Grading

2 Critical Reviews………………….100 points total (50 points each)

Response to one Review…………….25 points

Outlines………………………………75 points total (5 points each—15 outlines)

Readings/Discussion Participation…………100 points

Total………………………………………..300 points

Scale

A 270-300

B 240-269

C 210-239

D 180-219

F Below 180

Policies/Services

Students With Disabilities

University Policy #3342-3-18 requires that students with disabilities be provided reasonable accommodations to ensure their equal access to course content. If you have a documented disability and are seeking academic accommodations please contact Kelly Kulick in the Office of Student Disability Services at 330-244-3287. Students need to understand that if they will be requesting academic accommodations they are required to present medical documentation that addresses their disability before they are eligible for assistance through the Office of Student Disabilities. After the middle of September the Office will be relocated in the new Campus Center. The new office number for the Office of Student Disability Services will be #47. The new phone number will be 330-244-5047.

Academic Honesty

All work that students hand in is expected to be their own. Failure to do so is plagiarism and students could be subject to disciplinary action as outlined in the "Cheating and Plagiarism" section of the University's Digest of Rules and Regulations. Your instructor may use software to identify portions of papers which have been copied from websites.

Writing Center

Located in Main Hall, room 202, the Writing Center offers students help and instruction on any writing assignments in this class or any other. They offer tutorials, handouts and brochures, and information on their website: www.stark.kent.edu/writing. There is no cost to use this service.

Testing Center

The Testing Center will be located in the lower level of the new Campus Center. Call for hours and other information. Currently the office is still located in the lower level of the library.

Campus Theme

This year the Campus Theme is Globalization. The campus theme is designed to help students see connections between the classes they are taking as different disciplines may introduce the same topic but deal with it in different ways. The book Globalization: A Short History is available in the library for those interested.

Assignments

Separate directions will be given out for all assignments in this course. Each student will be expected to read seven different texts throughout the semester—a new one every two weeks. Each student is expected to attend one class meeting each week and participate fully in the discussion. Each student will be expected to write a one page outline of their reading each week and two critical reviews. Finally, each student will also have to respond to one review written by a classmate during the semester.