Wikipedia:Wiki Ed/Western Washington University/311 History of Ancient Egypt (Winter Quarter)

HIST 311 offers a general introduction to the political and cultural history of Ancient Egypt from the Predynastic period until the conquest of Egypt by Rome. This course will examine the development of ancient Egypt and its institutions along the Nile and beyond through both textual sources and archaeological remains. Topics addressed will include the introduction of agriculture, the emergence of writing, state formation and kingship ideology, bureaucracy and economy, religion and literature, funerary culture and tomb construction, and climate change. Throughout the course we will also highlight the connectivity between Egypt and the rest of North Africa and the broader Mediterranean. Although this course is about Ancient Egypt, students are encouraged to consider the ways that the past can inform on the present, as well as the role of modern agendas in the exploration and appropriation of the past.

The Wiki assignment will be the major research assignment of the quarter. Students will be expected to add/review/reorganize content on one of the available articles, as well as add images or graphics if possible. Topics selected will focus on historical individuals and important aspects of life in ancient Egypt (belief, festivals, daily life, etc.). Students will also participate in peer-review of their colleagues’ contributions (each student will review two contributions). At the end of the project students will also be responsible for submitting a short reflection on the exercise, as well as a research question, hypothesis, and short outline of a research project related to the Wikipedia topic.