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HIS10460

Academic Year 2026/2027

Animal Histories (HIS10460)

Subject:
History
College:
Arts & Humanities
School:
History
Level:
1 (Introductory)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Professor Ivar McGrath
Trimester:
Spring
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

This module examines the history of animals from the earliest human civilisations to the present. In spite of their crucial role in human history, animals have not traditionally been portrayed as central historical actors. This module argues for the importance of animals in the history of human society and culture. It examines the evolution of human and animal relationships, the role of animals in agriculture and society, animals in war, conquest, and empire, and the interconnected histories of human, animal and environmental health. It analyses the historical construction of the categories of ‘human’ and ‘animal’, and its implications for medicine, science, and animal rights. Some of the themes examined include a history of domestication, animals as vectors of illness and plague in the Middle Ages, the Scientific Revolution and animal experimentation, the discovery of America and the Columbian Exchange, the emergence of animal rights in the 19th century, and animals, extinction and climate change in the 20th and 21st centuries. It also examines the problems associated with reconstructing the voice of the animal in historical sources. This module incorporates cultural, social, and intellectual histories, as well as the history of science.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of this module, students should be able to:

- Understand the central role of animals in human history
- Assess the notion of animals as historical agents of change
- Demonstrate understanding of the historiography of animal histories
- Understand the historical construction of ‘human’, ‘animal’, and ‘vermin’
- Write scholarly essays appropriate for a Level One student of History

Indicative Module Content:

Lecture 1. Introduction: Why look at Animals?
Lecture 2. Food, Labour, Love, Leisure: Hunting and Domestication from Prehistory to Antiquity
Lecture 3. Aristotle to Aquinas: Animals and Natural History to the Middle Ages
Lecture 4. Becoming Vermin: Animals, Disease, and Plague
Lecture 5. The Columbian Exchange: Animals and the Transformation of the American Continent, 1492-1700
Lecture 6. Beasts of Empire: Conquest and Colonisation, 16th-20th centuries
Lecture 7. Animals and Science: Experimentation, the Beast-Machine, and the Role of Animals in Modern Medicine, c.1500-c.1800
Lecture 8. Animal Pain: Veterinary Medicine, Animal Rights, and Intelligence, 19th-20th centuries
Lecture 9. Fascist Pigs: War and Animals in the 19th-20th Centuries; Animals and Animal Rights in Nazi Germany.
Lecture 10. The Sixth Extinction: Animals, Environment, and Climate Change in the Anthropocene
Lecture 11. Conclusion: The Connected Histories of Human and Animal.

UNESCO highlights a set of key competencies that support individuals in their development and support society in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UCD has adapted these competencies and is combining them with others to form a general framework of learning competencies. This module will help you develop the competencies below to the levels specified. 
Learning Competency Additional Information Level

Collaboration

 The ability to learn from others; to understand and respect the needs, perspectives and actions of others (empathy); to understand, relate to and be sensitive to others (empathic leadership); to deal with conflicts in a group; and to facilitate collaborative and participatory problem solving. Advanced Beginner

Critical Thinking

 The ability to question norms, practices and opinions; to reflect on one’s own values, perceptions and actions. Advanced Beginner

Systems Thinking

 The ability to recognize and understand relationships; to analyse complex systems; to think of how systems are embedded within different domains and different scales; and to deal with uncertainty. Novice

Strategic

 The ability to collectively develop and implement innovative actions that further sustainability at the local level and further afield. Novice

Integrated Problem Solving

 The overarching ability to apply different problem-solving frameworks to complex sustainability problems and develop viable, inclusive and equitable solution options that promote sustainable development, integrating the competencies in this list. Novice

Self-awareness

 The ability to reflect on one’s own role in the local community and (global) society; to continually evaluate and further motivate one’s actions; and to deal with one’s feelings and desires. Advanced Beginner

Normative

 The ability to understand and reflect on the norms and values that underlie one’s actions; and to negotiate values, principles, goals, and targets, in a context of conflicts of interest and trade-offs, uncertain knowledge and contradictions. Advanced Beginner

Anticipatory

 The ability to understand and evaluate multiple scenarios for the future – possible, probable and desirable; to create one’s own visions for the future; to apply the precautionary principle; to assess the consequences of actions; and to deal with risks and changes. Novice

Digital Literacy and Judgement

 The ability to access, evaluate, create and communicate information in digital environments; to engage critically, ethically and responsibly with digital technologies and digital information; to understand their opportunities, limitations, risks and impact on individual’s digital identities; and to exercise informed judgement in digital participation and decision-making. Advanced Beginner

AI Literacy & Agency

 The ability to understand, critically evaluate and responsibly engage with artificial intelligence; to recognise how AI systems are shaped by human values; to assess their ethical, social and environmental implications; and to exercise human judgement, agency and accountability in AI-related contexts. Advanced Beginner

Wellbeing

 Wellbeing is having the resources and skills to meet life's challenges, including attributes such as personal development skills, resilience, stress management, strengths, lifestyle skills, nutrition, physical activity, sleep, alcohol/substance use, academic skills, time management, goal setting, interpersonal skills, group work, communication. Advanced Beginner

The United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UCD contributes in general to SDG 4 Quality Education. Further SDGs explored within this module if relevant are listed below. A scale of 1 - 5 indicates the extent to which the SDG is covered.


Goal Name Description Coverage

Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all 1
 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

22
Specified Learning Activities

45
Autonomous Student Learning

45
Total

112

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Students will learn through a combination of lectures, group discussions, and the completion of a dedicated research essay and exam paper.

This module has a combined lecture and seminar in the weekly two hour class. The lecture time provide overviews of weekly topics, with focus upon key historical trends, debates and events while the seminar time is focused on small-group active / task-based learning using both secondary and primary sources related to the weekly topic covered in the lecture. Autonomous learning is nurtured through required preparatory reading each week, and the written assignments.

Generative AI is not permitted to be used in this module. Any questions about this should be addressed to the module coordinator.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Exam (In-person): 2 hour exam End of trimester
Duration:
2 hr(s)
 Graded No
50
 No
Assignment(Including Essay): Mid-Term Assignment: 1,000-word essay Week 7 Graded No
30
 No
Participation in Learning Activities: Students are expected to contribute in an informed fashion to the weekly classes. Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11, Week 12 Graded No
20
 No

Carry forward of passed components
No
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Autumn No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

- Feedback on the Mid-Term Assignment is given in writing on Brightspace - Feedback on the exam is given by appointment in one-to-one meetings

Name Role
Dr Edward Collins Lecturer / Co-Lecturer

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Spring Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Thurs 16:00 - 17:50
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