Course Description: This course is an introduction to biological anthropology. During the quarter, we will explore the processes and mechanisms of evolution and the “human story.” We will learn about evolutionary and genetic processes and the roles they have played in shaping the biological and behavioral adaptations of the Primate Order – humans, the nonhuman primates, and our ancestors. We will consider what it means to be human and how we “fit” into the larger natural world, examining past, present, and future human variation, the complex interactions of biology, behavior, and our environments. In addition, we will examine the ways in which we are currently trying to better understand ourselves and our history. This is a core course required course for all anthropology majors.
Course Structure:
Students are expected to attend all lectures and all lab sessions. We will use Canvas for assignments and supplemental materials. The course is organized into four topical sections: Evolutionary theory and processes; Primate anatomy and behavior; Hominin evolution; Modern humans. The first two sections make up the material for the midterm exam, the second two for the final.
Coursework is organized by week in the Canvas MODULES – each with a Summary Page with that week’s lecture topics, learning goals, assigned readings, and once available, links to lecture materials. This is a 200-level class, but that refers to the lack of prerequisites, not to the level of difficulty. This course is worth 5 credits, meaning approximately 15 hours of work each week: 4 hours of lecture, 1 hour for lab section, and ~10 hours of outside work (reading, studying, working in groups, and completing assignments). The workload is balanced between low-stakes assignments (weekly polls, online quizzes, lab activities) and higher stakes tests and exams.
Grading Categories:
25% Lecture (~19% weekly canvas quizzes & film assignments; ~6% in class polls)
25% Lab
22% Exam 1
5% Exam 2, part 1 – Lab Practical Exam
23% Exam 2, part 2 – Multiple Choice Exam
LECTURE:
- Polls: Most weeks there will be 1-2 in-class polls during lecture, based on recently covered material (the previous few days). These are quick closed-book, closed-note polls hosted on Poll Everywhere. Students will need to bring a smart phone, tablet, or laptop to access them during class. Grading is mainly based on participation.
- Students may miss four polls with no impact: the four lowest poll scores will be dropped at the end of the quarter. This is meant to cover unexpected absences and student illness, including needs to isolate and/or care for themselves or family. Having this built into the grading means that there will be no excused absences for polls or any poll make-up opportunities. There is no need to contact the instructor for missed polls unless a personal situation arises that could impact a student’s ability to attend class for more than one week.
- While access to a smart device in class is necessary to participate in class polls, using these devices for purposes other than class activities or note-taking is prohibited. Please be sure to silence ringers and alerts and shut down music/movies/social media programs before coming to class.
- Canvas Topic Quizzes: These are weekly assignments covering readings and lecture topics. They are low-stakes practice questions, meant to help students assess their grasp of concepts as we move through the material. These are not timed and may be accessed as many times as desired before the due date.
- Films: There are several films assigned across the quarter as homework. Students should watch these on their own time and complete a short summary quiz. Some are an hour, some two hours, so be sure to allocate appropriate time to view these.
LAB:
- Weekly lab meetings are required and are not interchangeable - students are expected to attend the lab in which they are enrolled.
- Lab activities are often interactive. Students are asked to come prepared to discuss current course topics and be ready to participate with questions and discussion. Please contact your TA if miss a lab to determine if it qualifies as an excused absence.
- Each week lab points are earned based on participation in the lab and any associated assignments. An assignment may be an activity during lab; it may start with an in-lab activity and then be completed as homework; or it may simply be homework to be completed outside of lab. Assignments will be presented in labs and also posted on the Canvas LAB HOME and MODULES.
- For any submission of work to Canvas, it is the responsibility of the student to be sure all uploads are legible and meet the requirements of the assignment as of the due date. Empty or corrupted uploads cannot be accepted and will result in zero points.