| Delivery Type | Delivery length / details |
|---|---|
| Lecture | |
| Seminars / Tutorials | 5 seminars plus essay tutorials of varying length |
| Assessment Type | Assessment length / details | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Semester Assessment | 1 X 2,500 WORD ESSAYS | 30% |
| Semester Exam | 2 Hours 2 HOUR 2 QUESTION CLOSED EXAMINATION | 70% |
| Supplementary Exam | 2 HOUR 2 QUESTION CLOSED EXAM PLUS MISSING WRITTEN WORK |
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
Assess critically the body of historical knowledge which discusses the European tradition of voyages of discovery, with particular focus on the discovery and conquest of the Americas, in its wider social and political contexts.
Comprehend and assess the different historical debates and analyses evident in related texts, ranging from the Middle Ages to recent scholarly works.
Assess the continuing impact of European settlement in South and Central America and Mexico.
Read, analyse and assess a range of different types of historical evidence relevant to the module, including appropriate literary evidence.
Comprehend the historical debates and problems regarding the impact of European settlement on native American society.
Express with increased confidence understanding and discuss related issues through writing in an academic context.
Work independently and as part of a group and take an active part in group discussions (not formally assessed)
This module will focus on the discovery and conquest of South and Central America, and Mexico, discussing the careers of individuals like Columbus and Cortes. In doing so, it will provide an introductory history of the pre-conquest Americas, with particular focus on the Aztecs, the Maya and the Incas, assessing the impact of the contacts between the conquerors and the conquered, tying the results of this assessment into the wider context of contacts between peoples and cultures.
This module is intended to provide an introduction to the European tradition of voyages of discovery during the medieval and early modern period, focusing on the conquest of the Americas during the late fifteenth to seventeenth centuries. It will thus cover a currently unavailable area of history teaching in the department, introducing students to the history of medieval and early modern Europe, as well as looking beyond the immediate confines of western Christendom and discuss issues of lasting relevance, such as cross-cultural settlement.
| Skills Type | Skills details |
|---|---|
| Communication | Read a wide range of both primary and secondary texts; improve their listening skills during the lectures, and consequently develop skills in note taking; demonstrate and develop the ability to communicate ideas in two essays; skills in oral presentation will be developed in seminars. |
| Improving own Learning and Performance | Show awareness of own learning styles, personal preferences and needs; devise and apply realistic learning and self management strategies; devise a personal action plan to include short and long-term goals and to develop personal awareness of how to improve on these. |
| Information Technology | Use a range of commonly used software packages; prepare and input data; manage storage systems; present information and data; use the internet appropriately and effectively. |
| Personal Development and Career planning | Develop awareness of personal skills, beliefs and qualities in relation to course in progression; plan and prepare for future course / career. |
| Problem solving | Identify problems and factors which might influence potential solutions; develop creative thinking approaches to problem solving; evaluate advantages and disadvantages of potential solutions. |
| Research skills | Understand a range of research methods and plan and carry out research; produce academically appropriate pieces of written work. |
| Subject Specific Skills | Develop a knowledge of, and familiarity with, a range of different medieval sources, including Maya chronicles and Spanish accounts of the conquests (translations provided); develop the ability to use appropriate historical research tools effectively. |
| Team work | Understand the concept of group dynamics; contribute to the setting of group goals; contribute effectively to the planning of group activities; play an active part in group activities (e.g. short group presentations in seminars); exercise negotiation and persuasion skills; evaluate group activities and own contribution. |
This module is at CQFW Level 4