Assessment for History 100X

One of the primary goals of the core curriculum course in Modern World History is learning to think in the dimension of time, learning to cultivate a sense of "historical awareness" as you analyze affairs of today. The following survey is intended to assess your ability to think and act like a historian. No grade will be earned, as there are really no correct answers to the question. We simply want to judge the effectiveness of the course. You will be asked to fill out this assessment at the start of the semester and once again at the end. Thank you very much for you cooperation.

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Based on your knowledge of Modern World History, explain in a brief essay which of the above images is more truly representative of life in the past several hundred years: The mushroom cloud over Hiroshima--identified in a 1946 book as the "symbol of a new age," or the famous picture of a lone Chinese Dissident, staring down a tank en-route to Tiananmen Square in 1989. Was the mushroom cloud really a "symbol of a new age"? What is and has been the balance between freedom and militarism in the modern world? Give specific evidence to support your beliefs.

A modified plan is in progress for Fall 2001