Analysis

Email a copy of your paper to Dr. Roebuckh. Prepare a summary to present to the class.

 
What were the main achievements of the Carolingian Renaissance? What general conclusions can you draw concerning what sort of a renaissance this was, who drove it, and who benefited from it?

What were the main contributions of Benedictine monasticism before the year 900? What was it about this religious order that led to these particular contributions?

Analyze the methods by which Charlemagne ruled his empire. Which of these methods required Charles himself and so could not have outlasted him, and which were of a more permanent nature?

Analyze how the slaves of the late Roman Empire gradually became the serfs of the early Middle Ages.

Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the Kingdom of the Visigoths

The role of the papacy in the conversion of the pagans

In what ways did Celtic monasticism differ from the forms found on the Continent? How do you explain those differences?

Describe the ways in which trade and cities persisted into the early Middle Ages. What role did Islam have to play in the decline of trade?

Analyze the historical controversy over the stirrup

Analyze the Champagne trade fairs? In what ways do the fairs reflect the limitations of medieval trade and financial structures?

Why did the Viking raids start?  In particular, why did the start when they did? And why did they end?

Why is "Dark Ages" a misleading term? Define what time period might be called the Dark Ages and make an argument why they weren't dark.

Analyze the reliable evidence we have for a historical King Arthur

Make up your own question and answer it or modify one of the statements above.

Timeline

Textbooks on Western Civilization are often organized both temporally and topically but often do not always follow a strict linear progression. There is a lot of history and it is hard to keep track of who was doing what where and when.

To help you keep track of what was going on when, create a timeline of significant events (significant to you) of some portion of the course 600 AD through 1492 AD

Content is up to you. Choose people, events and places that interest you.  I have had students trace  history of agriculture, irrigation, warfare, religion, philosophical movements, development of writing, technological inventions, changes in roles of women, migrations of the Celts, and the flourishing of literary and artistic movements. Anything from 600 AD through 1492 AD is okay.

Format is up to you. A simple linear progression on paper is fine. Some students create web pages or power point presentations. Some create scrolls or mock up newspaper accounts.

Be creative and have fun. These will be presented in class so you will also get a chance to do public presentation.