HIST 3600: History Skills Seminar: Commodore Perry’s "Black Ships" and the Opening of Japan
University of North Carolina, Charlotte
An introduction to, and practicum of, the skills needed for historical investigation and communication; both in written and oral formats. Students must achieve a grade of C or above to satisfy major requirements. Section information text: An introduction to, and practicum of, the skills needed for historical investigation and communication; both in written and oral formats. Students must achieve a grade of C or above to satisfy major requirements. This course examines US Commodore Matthew Perry’s gunboat expedition to Japan in 1853/54 as a pivotal event in the history of Japan and East Asia and the history of US expansion into the West Pacific. You will study both the expedition itself as a diplomatic and intercultural encounter, and the impact it had on the opening of Japan and its transformation into a modern, western-style nation state with imperialist ambitions of its own. You will learn how to interpret primary and secondary sources (both textual and visual), do your own research, write and present an argument, and produce an evidence-based paper on a topic related to the course theme.
Average GPA: 3.06
Grade distribution records: 168 students across 6 terms.
Grade distribution
| Grade | Students | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| A | 62 | 36.9% |
| B | 65 | 38.7% |
| C | 21 | 12.5% |
| D | 1 | 0.6% |
| F | 10 | 6.0% |
| W | 7 | 4.2% |
Based on 168 student grade records across 6 terms and 8 professors.
Instructors
- Carol Higham 78 students, Average GPA 3.36
- Oscar Lansen 17 students, Average GPA 3.00
- Dan Du 16 students, Average GPA 2.80
- Peter Ferdinando 14 students, Average GPA 2.25
- Daniel Dupre 13 students, Average GPA 2.92
- Heather Perry 12 students, Average GPA 2.70
- Hannah Hicks 11 students, Average GPA 2.64
- Ella Fratantuono 7 students, Average GPA 3.33