Professor Wang encourages you to raise questions at any time in class and to talk to him, in class or in his office during office hours, on any issue related to this class. You can contact him outside of class via either phone or email. These will help you keep up with current events and provide a basis for comparisons between our times and the earlier periods we study. There will be a midterm exam, a term paper, and a final exam. Good writing, attendance, and active participation in discussions count in this class as we aim to improve not only our historical knowledge but also our written and oral communication skills.
Book reports are due following the session when it is presented.
During the first two weeks, try to thumb through the texts to get an overview of the topics we will be studying and think about what topics you would like to write on. Among other things, he will make suggestions on further readings that might be useful to your project. You should also talk to reference librarians for recommendations of books to read. You can also interview your parents, grandparents, and other relatives and acquaintances about their experiences related to your topic. But remember to treat oral history accounts with a healthy skepticism because one's memories of events in the distant past do not always correspond to the facts.