Wk-2: Reflecting on What We've Learned

When the student is ready to learn, only then does the learning really begin. Not before. 

In our class, I request that you become aware of the preconceptions you might have about the peoples and cultures we'll be studying -- all that we think we know about Western Civilization. Encounter these cultures with an "empty cup" and the mind of a beginner -- the better to take in fully the history we'll be examining. 

In this first reflection assignment, our goal is to reflect on what we've been reading, to make connections, to put ourselves in the shoes of the historical actors we've been introduced to. 

The questions and scenarios I offer in these reflection assignments seldom have one correct answer. In history, single, final answers don't exist. As in life, history offers us few certainties and a universe of variables. Use what you've learned to complete the following reflection assignment.

By 2350 b.c.e./b.c in Mesopotamia, "the riches for which people now fought had a new component: metal. Early metallurgy demonstrates how technological innovation can generate social and political change." (Hunt, p. 12, The Making of the West)

The history we will be examining is partly a greatest-hits of human ingenuity -- the history of technological innovation. You are part of that history if you are using a computer, driving a car, or texting to a friend. Technology is all around us. As in ancient times, it offers us amazing possibilities, but it comes at a price -- not just a monetary one.

1. For this reflection assignment, briefly tell us how metallurgy (the extraction and shaping and use of metals) caused political and social change in the societies examined in chapter 1.

2. Next, reflect and write on two technological innovations in the last 20 years that have generated deep social and political change here in Los Angeles. Choose two such technological innovations and, taking them separately, reflect on their impact in today's world.

3. Time to exercise your imaginations: if you could go back and visit any of the civilization explored in this week's chapter, what one would it be? Just as important -- why? 

Please submit your answers to these questions in a file. Make sure that file is either a pdf, doc, or docx file. When you're ready to upload it, click on the "Submit Assignment" button on the upper right of this page and follow the directions. 

This assignment is worth 15 points. Please note the deadline for it at the top of the assignment. 

I will grade you on your ability to see through the eyes of the peoples and cultures we are studying in our course -- on how well you incorporate the material in our reading for this week into your reflections; on how perceptive your comments are.

Good luck backward-voyager! - Mr. Van