Honors 110 -- Fall, 2009

“History’s Mysteries”

The Honors Program . The Queens Honors Program provides qualified students with an opportunity to work at an advanced level on topics of interest in seminars and in individually guided studies with Queens faculty leading, ultimately, to an Honors Thesis which you write under the direction of a faculty member who is an expert in the area of your topic. The work in honors courses is designed to challenge gifted students and help them improve their critical thinking skills, their research methods, and their ability to argue a claim persuasively.  For many this good preparation for further study at the graduate level, and for all it is intended to provide an enriching experience that will challenge your intellect and ignite your imagination.

 Honors 110: History’s Mysteries. The freshman honors course is designed to introduce first year students to the honors program and honors work.  In this course you will have an opportunity to 1) meet and work with other gifted and motivated students, and 2) sharpen your analytical and research skills by investigating a variety of topics that have teased the human mind for centuries. This semester the topic is History’s Mysteries in which we will examine a range of unexplained phenomena like the Bermuda Triangle, Stonehenge, the lost city of Atlantis, and Crop Circles; questionable existences like UFO’s, the Loch Ness Monster, and Big Foot; legends with basis in historical fact like King Arthur and the Trojan War; conspiracy theories like Area 51 and the Apollo Moon Landing; and debated identities like Jack the Ripper and the authorship of Shakespeare’s plays.

By the end of the semester, students should be able to:

·        Understand the difference between causation and correlation

·        Understand the different types of explanation possible for any given event

·        Evaluate extraordinary claims and anecdotal evidence

·        Identify fallacies and construct logical arguments

·        Recognize archetypes in story patterns and the “kernel” of truth in fantastic legends

Instructors:        Dr. Reed Perkins                                           Dr. Richard Goode

                         Walker 115A, MW 1:30-4:00                       McEwen 210, MWF 11-12

                         Phone: 704-337-2393                                   Phone: 704-337-2206
                         e-mail: perkinsr@queens.edu                          e-mail: gooder@queens.edu

There will also be guest instructors at times who will share their investigations into history’s mysteries.

Meeting Times: The class will meet from 8:30 to 11:00 on Thursday morning in Dana 102.  We may on some occasions meet in other locations or take a field trip.

Texts: There are no texts, per se, for the class.  There will be a Reader with articles and examples of several History's Mysteries for you to read.  Other materials will be in the form of hand-outs and on-line reading assignments.  See the on-line syllabus @ http://campus.queens.edu/depts/english/honors%20program%20page.htm

 Requirements:

Exercises and homework assignments...........................15%

Participation.................................................................15%

Mid-Term Exam ..........................................................30%

Research Project.                      Individual paper.......... 25%
            Web Sites for Projects                 Group presentation.......15%

Grading:     

Daily Readings:

1. The Importance of Rational Inquiry

2. The “How To” Guide for Rational Inquiry

3. Student Presentations

 Photos

Honor Code

Academic dishonesty (lying, cheating, plagiarism) is a violation of the Honor Code.  Academic Dishonesty may take many forms including, but not limited to, lying to gain an academic advantage; falsification of data, or failure to give credit to sources. Plagiarism is the representing of another’s work as your own.  In this class you must accurately cite and properly document all sources you have used on your term paper.  Use the skills you learned in ENG 110-120. Cheating is defined as using trickery, deceit, or fraud to gain an unfair advantage. 

I trust you, and do not assume for a moment that anyone will violate the Honor Code.  I will not hover over you during exams but will leave you on your honor.  It is your honor code and you must make it work by policing yourselves. Anyone who breaks the code in your presence is violating your trust and dishonoring your community.

In order to affirm your support of the Honor Code, you are asked to pledge all the work you submit in this class.  This can be done by affixing and signing a simple statement on quizzes, exams, and papers you turn in: “I pledge that I have neither given nor received aid on this quiz/exam/paper.”  Then sign it.
 

Disabilities

If you are a student with a verified disability and you require accommodations, please provide me with the necessary memorandum that was given to you by Student Disabilty Services.

Contact: Sandy Rogelberg, MA, LPC, NCC

Phone: 704-337-2508

Email: rogelbes@queens.edu

Dumb Test http://www.quizrocket.com/dumb-test/7?gatherer_id=100437&utm_source=100437&utm_medium=Pop&utm_campaign=Dumb7