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Course: COR*110*H (49172) The Elon Core Curriculum

Time: 8:00 9:40 pm
Room: 110 Global building D
Instructor: Dr. Ahmed A. Fadaam
Email: afadaam@elon.edu
Office phone: (336) 278-5772
Cell phone: (336) 693- 3228
Office: GBLX 208
Course description:
This first-year seminar examines personal and social responsibility in domestic and
global contexts. In developing your own view of the world and its many peoples,
societies, and environments, you will evaluate the complex relationships that may both
promotes and obstruct human interactions. The course emphasizes critical thinking and
creativity focused on contemporary and salient issues as informed by their historical
contexts. The seminar is inquiry-based, writing intensive, and taught from a variety of
perspectives.
Elon Core Curriculum Goals:
. Effective writing and speaking skills
. Complex quantitative reasoning skills
. Information literacy skills
. The capacity to view issues from other cultural perspectives
. The ability to communicate effectively with people from other nations and cultures
. An understanding of their interconnectedness with other people and the environment, as
well as their responsibility to both
. A mature understanding of how knowledge is constructed through academic inquiry
within and across disciplines
. The intellectual curiosity essential to life-long learning
. Ethical decision-making skills to promote the common good
. A vital and integrated sense of self: mind, body and spirit
Course Themes:
Six themes are shared across sections of COR 110. It is up to the individual faculty
member to decide which themes will receive priority.
The impact of globalization in an increasingly connected, technological, and
rapidly changing world
The influence of power and resistance in historical and contemporary interactions
The relationship between humans and the natural world
Diversity and its relationship to intercultural competency
The analysis and evaluation of personal and social responsibility
The processes, limitations, and implications of ethical reasoning
What are this courses main topics?
The world, which we are part of, is going through a wave of changes, many events are
happening in many countries, some of them we hear about from the media, and some we

dont, some of these events may have nothing to do with us, and some are related to us in
many ways.
Many of these changes are happening right now, such as the Arab spring that is
happening in the middle east and North Africa, or the revolutions that are related to it,
also political conflicts over natural resources, or countries arming policies, such as Iran,
the raising of specific religious groups and their attempts to reach power, such as the
Salafists or as known as the Moslem Sunni brotherhood, or even the Moslem Shiite
groups.
What do you know about all of this? Do you have any idea about why it is happening?
How much effect do these things have on you as an individual or a member of this
society or even as a person living in this world?
The media is telling us things, but it is not telling us everything, there are things that we
have to inquire and explore by ourselves, to build our own knowledge, point of views,
and even to have a standpoint from it. This will help us to look for the truth by our selves,
to stand away from the way we think, and be able to understand in a responsible and an
objective way what is going on around us. The course is inquiry-based, writing intensive,
and taught from a variety of perspectives
Course topics:
The theme of this Elon Core Curriculum course will focus on discussions of most of the
above themes by going through the following:
Taking a look at the Middle East and North Africa:
- 1: Where is it? Who lives there? Some geographic and historical facts. The Iraqi
and the Egyptian civilizations, what did they contribute to the world?

2: What cultural differences they have? What are Tribal and religious laws?

3: Was the Middle East ever conquered? The impact of imperialism and
colonialism on cultures in the Middle East Turkish, British, French, Italian.

4: The after colonialism age, the revolutions in the Arab world. Beginning of new
ideologies.

5: What rules the Middle East? Is it tribal laws, religious laws or is it ideologies?

6: Natural resources in the Middle East and how they are used. What impact does
natural resources of the Middle East may have on the worlds economy and
worlds security? Would it have an effect on the worlds balance of power?

7: Iraq. The era of Saddam Hussain, War with Iran, the invasion of Kuwait, the
sanctions and the invasion of Iraq.

Through this class, we will take a look at the uprisings/revolutions that took place in:
1- Tunisia
2- tpygE
3- nemeY
4- aybyL
5- ayryL
During this time, we will try to discuss the following ideas:
- What established for the Arab spring? Is it religious divisions, economical
problems, tyranny and injustice, monopolism of power?
- Are the scenarios repeating themselves?
- What impact does this have on the rest of the world?
Finely, and most importantly, what is the media telling us about all of this?

Activities in class:
Beside presentations and discussions, there will be short films reading, hosting guests
online and discussing movies.
Writing assignments:
- In the first seven classes, Students will be divided into seven groups. Each group will
choose one the seven above topics. Each of the groups will prepare a 2- 3 pages paper
and will do a presentation on their findings in class, these findings should include going
through books, websites, media articles, these findings will be discussed with the rest of
the class and the faculty member will correct and/or add to it.
- For the rest of the semester, the students will be divided again into groups, each of the
groups will choose on of the Arab countries where the Arab spring took place. Another
paper of 2-3 pages will be required from each group concerning what happened in that
country, you have to give us your idea about what and why this happened there. The rest
of the class should discuss this with you. This can change as the course continues.
After each class, every student must write and publish on the blog site a reaction of no
less than 500 words explaining his/her opinion about what was discussed in class.
Some guidelines:
In this course, COR110, we will be focusing on effective writing and specking skills, the
presentations, the daily reactions will help in developing the students writing skills,
beside that, class discussions and online discussions using the course blog site will help
develop better and more effective specking skills, it will also help with information
literacy and quantitative reasoning. That is why, this is a discussion and intensive writing
based course.

Attendance:
The success of this class depends on each individuals commitment and
participation. This means not only attendance at the various activities and discussions but
also active support for the questions and concerns that we will raise. In addition, you will
need to be there to support the work of your group and to submit your reaction. Your
level of support for the class will thus receive a grade based on your attendance and my
perception of your commitment to what we do. While you should try to attend every
class session, missing more than three times will be considered unacceptable and will
severely hurt this portion of your grade.

Grading:
Within the context of the information provided above, the final grade for the course will
be determined as follows:
Required written papers
20%
Written reactions
20%
Class participation/ attendance
20%
Midterm exam
20%
Final exam
20%
Midterm Exam will be:
Thursday September 23 2014
Final Exam will be:
08:00AM to 09:40 AM TTH
Required texts:

Saturday, December 06 2014 01:00PM to 04:00PM

Chomsky, Noam- "10 strategies of manipulation" by the media- pdf file

The Arab Uprisings: what Everyone Needs to Know, by Gelvin James L.