6 EC
Semester 1, period 1, 2
5512BHIA6Y
How did the histories of the cosmos, life, earth and human societies jointly shape our world? More specifically: how did they affect aspects of the city around you? This special edition of the big history course, that will be organised as part of the celebration of the 750th birthday of the city of Amsterdam, will help you address the latter question.
During the course, you will go on a journey from the big bang until today. You will also work on a project that will stimulate you to explore how material, biological and cultural aspects of big history have affected an aspect of the area of Amsterdam that surrounds the Roeterseilandcampus.
All of this will encourage you to think about long-term history and what it means for the present and future of the city of Amsterdam, in a creative and interdisciplinary way.
F. Spier (2015). Big History and the Future of Humanity. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.
Various videos, articles and optional podcasts, provided through Canvas.
The main components of the course are seminars.
Seminars will provide you with a basis for your project.
Your project includes fieldwork.
You will present your project at a symposium.
Throughout the course, you will keep a journal.
To discuss and assess your journal, there will be journal meetings.
Seminars: 2 hours x 12 seminars = 24 hours
Self-study: 3 hours preparing for 12 seminars = 36 hours
Project: 3 hours building on 12 seminars + 8 hours x 2 synthesising results = 52 hours
Fieldwork: 2 hours
Symposium: 8 hours preparing + 8 hours attending = 16 hours
Journal: 1 hour x 12 weeks + 8 hours x 2 summarising results = 28 hours
Journal meetings 1 hours x 2 meetings + 4 hours preparing x 2 meetings = 10 hours
Total: 168 hours
Additional requirements for this course:
Attendance during the seminars is obligatory, as the discussions you will take part in and the guidance you will receive during the seminars allow you to obtain learning goals 1, 2, 3, and 4.
Of course, if you have a valid reason for missing a seminar, this will not a problem, as long as you inform Esther in advance.
Attendance during the journal meetings and the symposium is also obligatory, as these are assessment moments.
| Item and weight | Details |
|
Final grade | |
|
1 (25%) Journal meeting 1 | Must be ≥ 5.5, Mandatory |
|
1 (25%) Journal meeting 2 | Must be ≥ 5.5, Mandatory |
|
2 (50%) Project | Must be ≥ 5.5, Mandatory |
In order to pass the course, you will need pass grade for both journal meetings and the project. If you obtain a fail grade for one of these components, you will receive feedback on how to improve and the opportunity to schedule an oral resit about your improved journal and/or project.
An average grade of 5,5 or higher is required to pass the course. Note that at the IIS, where this course is hosted, final grades are rounded to whole or half digits behind the decimal point. Final grades between 5 and 6 will not be awarded (5.5 becomes 6).
You have the right to inspect assessed work up to 20 working days after the announcement of the result. If you would like to inspect your assessed work, please email Esther to schedule an appointment.
Throughout the course, you will work on and present a project in which you will:
You will be able to choose to work on this project in a group or by yourself. You will receive feedback on your project during (journal) meetings and the symposium. Your project will be graded. The grade will form 50% of your final course grade.
You will also work on a journal in which you will document and reflect on your learning while working on this project, and on the development of your understanding of big history throughout the course.
You will work on this journal by yourself. You will receive feedback on your journal during two journal meetings. The two journal meetings (so not the journal parts themselves) will be graded. Each journal meeting grade will form 25% of your final course grade.
This course adheres to the general rules on ‘Fraud and Plagiarism` as set by the UvA. Students are expected to have familiarized themselves with these rules.
The terms Fraud or Plagiarism are to be interpreted as the copying of the work of peer-student and/or the copying of (scientific) sources of information, without explicitly referring to its source.
Fraud/plagiarism is forbidden and actively checked by staff. When one is suspected of having committed fraud/plagiarism, the exam committee of beta-gamma and future planet studies will be informed. The highest punishment for fraud/plagiarism involves the student to be disallowed to partake of any exams or examination activities within the future planet studies programme, for the duration of a whole academic year, or may even face dismissal from the programme. More information about Fraud and Plagiarism can be found at: www.uva.nl/plagiaat
See the Modules section of Canvas.
Teaching and Examination Regulations
The IIS elective and honours courses are covered by the examination board and the OER of the Bachelor Beta-gamma. Teaching and Examination Regulations (OER) are published annually and lay down all the rules and guidelines regarding assessment and examination which the IIS pursues. The OER can be found via https://student.uva.nl/en/topics/teaching-and-examination-regulations-and-other-regulations. Students and contractors who follow courses at the IIS can draw appeal to the Board of Appeals Board (COBEX).
Social safety and Evaluation Committee
The Evaluation Committee for Elective Education ensures the quality of electives and is committed to providing a safe learning environment. The committee, consisting of students and teachers, meets at least four times a year to provide requested and unsolicited advice on all educational matters related to IIS Elective Education. It utilizes course evaluations and actively seeks contact with students enrolled in IIS Elective Education.
The Evaluation Committee is very interested in comments, suggestions, recommendations, and other insights regarding the content, implementation, and offerings of IIS Elective Education. Students can contact them at evaluatiecommissie-keuze-iis@uva.nl.
If you experience undesirable behavior or unsafe situations, you can contact the study advisor of your educational program, one of UvA's confidential advisors, the Evaluation Committee, or the coordinators of the IIS Electives Program (via keuzeonderwijs-iis@uva.nl). More information and contact details of confidential advisors can be found at: https://student.uva.nl/en/topics/help-with-undesirable-behaviour