anth 101 spring 2016 syllabus - los angeles harbor college · anth 101 — spring 2016 section #...
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Human Biological Evolution ANTH 101 — Spring 2016 Section # 7001, Saturday. 9:00am-12:10pm Classroom: NEA 125 Los Angeles Harbor College Professor: Michael Robertson Email: [email protected] Phone: (310) 233-4698 #4924 Office Hours: Saturday, 8:10-8:45am, NEA 153
Course Description: Introduction to the anthropological study of human evolution. Topics include the mechanisms of evolutionary change, genetics, human variation, biomedical anthropology, and the reconstruction of human evolutionary history through an examination of the fossil record and through the use of comparative studies of our closest biological relatives, the living monkeys and apes. This course includes the application of biological anthropology to contemporary human problems.
Student Learning Outcomes—After taking this course, students will be able to:
• Describe the evolutionary lineage that led to Homo sapiens, using the following species as points of reference: Australopiths, Homo erectus, Homo ergaster, Homo heidelbergensis, and Homo neandertalensis.
• Describe the anatomical traits necessary for bipedalism and explain the significance of the Laetoli footprints. • Describe Darwin’s theory of natural selection and elaborate upon the scientific influences that shaped this theory. • Describe why race is both an unsound scientific category, and a valid category of social experience. Describe scientifically
sound factors that cause human variation. • Apply the Punnett Square methodology in order to predict genetic outcomes. • Describe the traits that make primates unique among Class Mammalia and the differences that
distinguish between anthropoids and prosimians.
Required Textbook: Our Origins: Discovering Physical Anthropology, 3rd Edition by Clark Spencer Larsen. W.W. Norton & Company (2011). ISBN: 978-0-393-92143-4 www.wwnorton.com/college/anthro/our-origins2/
Q: Do I need to come to class? A: Yes, attendance is required. Please notify me in advance when missing class if possible. Q: What if I’m late to class, need to leave early, or am absent? A: Please plan on being on time and staying all class every day. If you would like an absence excused, you must have documentation for an academically acceptable reason (illness, jury duty, etc.) Q: Where do I find the homework? A: Make sure you have access to your @student.laccd.edu email account. All homework, assignments, and announcements will be sent there, in addition to being announced in class. Q: What will we do in class, and what do I need to do before? A: Class time will consist of lecture, discussion, and seminar. Be ready to take notes, work with a group, and answer questions. Come to class having already read the textbook material and completed the homework. Q: Do you take late work? A: No. Homework, papers, and missed exams can only be made up with valid documentation of an academically acceptable excuse. Q: What’s your cell phone policy? A: Please keep cell phones silenced and away during class time. Q: Can I use my laptop to take notes in class? A: Preferably not. However, students that insist on using a laptop/tablet in class are required to sit in the front row and are asked to use them ONLY for note taking. Q: Can I eat/drink in class? A: Food is not allowed in class; drinks must have a lid to avoid spills.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) When you have a question always ask!
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How Are Grades Calculated? Exams Homework Quizzes Presentation Research Paper Participation Grand Total
Exam 1 = 100 pts Top 4 Quizzes @ 25 Pts each = 100
Exam 2 = 100 pts
Final = 100 pts
10 Assignments @ 15 pts each = 150 pts
Note: The lowest quiz grade is dropped
Group Primate Presentation = 50 points
Research Paper = 100 points
Total = 300
Total = 150
Total = 100
Total = 50
Total = 100
Total = 100
800 points
Use this to keep track of your grades throughout the course. Maximum Points Points Earned Exam One: 100 points ___________ Exam Two: 100 points ___________ Final Exam: 100 points ___________ Homework: 150 points ___________ Research Paper: 100 points ___________ Class Presentation: 50 points ___________ Participation: 100 points ___________ Quizzes : 100 points ___________
Grade Scale: A = 720 – 800 points B = 640 – 719 points C = 560 – 639 points D = 480 – 559 points F = 479 points and below
What is Happening in this Course and When? Week Dates What are we doing in class, and what do I need to read before?
What do I need to bring to class?
1
2/13 • NO CLASS – President’s Day
2 2/20 • First Class Meeting – What is Physical Anthropology?
3 2/27 • Read Chapter 2: Evolution: Constructing a Fundamental Scientific Theory
Chapter 2 Reading Questions due 2/27
4 3/5 • Quiz 1 (on chapters 1-2) • Read Ch. 3: Genetics: Reproducing Life and Producing Variation
Chapter 3 Reading Questions due 3/5
5
3/12 • Read Ch. 4: Genes and Their Evolution: Population Genetics
Chapter 4 Reading Questions due 3/12
6 3/19 • Quiz 2 (on chapters 3-4) • Read Ch. 5: Biology in the Present: Living People
Chapter 5 Reading Questions due 3/19
7 3/26 • Exam 1, Chapters 1-5 • Read Ch. 6: Biology in the Present: Other Living Primates
Scantron 882-E and Pencils
8 4/2 NO CLASS – Have a safe Spring Break
9
4/9 • Reach Ch. 7: Primate Sociality, Social Behavior, and Culture
Chapter 7 Reading Questions due 4/9
10 4/16 • Quiz 3 (on chapters 6-7) • Group Primate Presentations
Presentation Materials
11 4/23 • Read Ch. 8: Fossils and Their Place in Time and Nature Chapter 8 Reading Questions due 4/23
Welcome to ANTH 101, Human Biological Evolution. Here are a few things you should know about me.
First of all, I care about you and your success. Each of you has something special to offer. My job is to help you learn, and I take my job very seriously; just meet me halfway and do your part too. If you are having a problem, life crisis, struggling in class, please contact me promptly.
Next, I LOVE anthropology. I am very lucky to teach a subject that I am so passionate about, and hopefully you will share my excitement for anthropology too.
Finally, I respect you. I respect students as academics, professionals, and individuals. You will never be asked to do something that does not support your learning (no "busy work"). Students who work hard impress me greatly, because I had to work very hard to do well in college. Show me how hard you can work in this class, and it will be a sign of strong potential for your future academic goals.
Los Angeles Harbor College Mission: Los Angeles Harbor College promotes access and student success through associate and transfer degrees, certificates, economic and workforce development, and basic skills instruction. Our educational programs and support services meet the needs of diverse communities as measured by campus institutional learning outcomes.
12 4/30 • Quiz 4 (on chapters 8-9) • Read Ch. 10: Early Hominid Origins and Evolution: The Roots of Humanity • Exam 2 Review
Chapter 10 Reading Questions due 4/30
13
5/7 • Exam 2, Chapters 6-10 • Read Ch. 11: The Origins and Evolution of Early Homo
Scantron 882-E and Pencils
14 5/14 • Read Ch. 12: The Origins, Evolution, and Dispersal of Modern People
Chapter 11 & 12 Reading Questions due 5/14
15 5/21 • Quiz 5 (on Chapters 11-12) • Read Ch. 13: Our Last 10,000 Years: Agriculture, Population, and the
Bioarchaeology of a Fundamental Transition
Chapter 13 Reading Questions due 5/21
16 5/28 • Read Chapter 14 – Evolution Today • Course conclusion and final exam review
Chapter 14 Reading Questions due 5/28
17 6/4 • FINAL EXAM, Chapters 11-14: Saturday, June 4 @ 9:00am Scantron 882-E and Pencils
Are There Any Policies I Should Know? Emergency Response Message: Take note of the safety features in and close to your classroom, as well as the posted evacuation route. The most direct route of egress may not be the safest because of the existence of roofing tiles or other potentially hazardous conditions. In the event of an emergency it is imperative that everybody remain calm and take appropriate steps to deal with the situation. American Disabilities Act: If you are a disabled student and you have need of special services, notify me at the beginning of the semester. LAHC is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities, upon request of the student (in a timely fashion) and upon verification of a disability. Student Services: LAHC offers a variety of services to aid in student success. Look in the schedule of classes to find out about student services offered. Services include; writing center, skills center, tutoring, library orientations, etc. If you are having difficulty in the class make an appointment to meet with me during my office hours early on in the semester to evaluate your options. Academic Honesty Policy: Students are expected to abide by ethical standards in preparing and presenting material which demonstrates their level of knowledge and which is used to determine grades. Standards include, but are not limited to the following areas: 1) Students shall not plagiarize, this includes: passing off as one’s own the ideas or words of another and/or using creative production without crediting the source. You may study together but you may not turn in the same work, make sure to use your own words in completing assignments, 2) Students shall not cheat, this includes: using notes, aides or the help of other students on tests or exams in ways other than those permitted expressly by the instructor. Instructors may deal with academic dishonesty in one or more of the following ways depending on situation: oral reprimand, assignment of an “F” on all or part of the exam, paper, or project, assignment of an “F” in the course, and/or reporting the student to the appropriate administrators for disciplinary action. Refer to the College Catalog for further details as well as ramifications of cheating. You are responsible for maintaining appropriate conduct while enrolled in classes throughout the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD). Students in violation of conduct guidelines (found in the “Standards of Student Conduct” policy) are subject to removal from class, suspension, and expulsion.