The rise and fall of civilization

The rise and fall of civilization 

As we have seen throughout this class, once achieved, the persistence of civilization is not guaranteed. While some civilizations have endured for thousands of years (India, China, Japan, etc.), others have risen and fallen in the same or shorter time frames (Greece, Rome, Mesoamerica, Byzantium, etc.). Identify and explain the factors that have allowed some civilizations to thrive and those that have led to the downfall of others, using specific examples from the civilizations we are studying. Resource: Guns, Germs, and Steel Series Students will write a research paper that will be a minimum of 1500 words. The topic for this paper will be chosen by the student from two possible choices. Papers must be double-spaced and must follow MLA guidelines. This means that the papers will include parenthetical documentation for every item from an outside source, whether a direct quote or paraphrased information, as well as a Works Cited page. Students will use two outside sources in addition to the text (use of the text is optional), including a video source from the Films On Demand database (Links to an external site.) in the FSW Library. DO NOT use general encyclopedias and/or Wikipedia as a source for these assignments. I have provided an example video or video series with each topic to point you in the right direction. You are welcome to use the video(s) in the series or any other video of your choosing within the database. The student will include the word count for research papers on the upper left hand corner with the student’s name. The research papers must be submitted in MS Word format. No other format will be accepted. See class schedule for essay due dates. All assignments are due midnight of the posted due date. NO LATE PAPERS WILL BE ACCEPTED. Plagiarism will not be tolerated and will result in failure of the class and may result in further disciplinary action by the college. Please see the Research Paper Rubric for additional information on grading.