ARCHY 101 A: Exploring Archaeology

ARCHY 101 A

FEEDING THE WORLD

Winter 2026

Tuesday & Thursday       8:30-10:20 AM

Denny 403

Office hours: By appointment. Email instructor or TA to set up

Link to PDF of the syllabus. 

Instructor: Jade d'Alpoim Guedes jguedes@uw.edu

Teaching Fellow: Michelle Henry

Office hours:Thursday 2:00-3:00 pm

Please make an appointment here: https://calendly.com/msmhenry-uw/30min Links to an external site.

Email: msmhenry@uw.edu

Purpose of the Course:

Climate change, population growth, ecological degradation and changing sociopolitical contexts mean that securing the world’s food supply is one of the greatest challenges of our times, or so we have been told. What have humans eaten and what and how should we eat and farm to guide a sustainable future? This course is organized in a series of six modules to consider these critical questions, with the archaeological record underpinning our explorations over the quarter.  

In the first unit of the course, you will learn how humans' relationship with food has changed over the course of their evolution and how humans first started cultivating the foods we rely on today. The second unit of the course compares these early developments to the modern food crisis using key examples from Asia. In the third unit, we examine traditional ecological knowledge in farming systems around the world asking the question: what makes these systems adapted and sustainable to their local environment? Our fourth unit will focus on the goals of the Green Revolution and collectivized systems of agriculture.  We will look at these farming systems’ successes and failures throughout the world. We will then turn our attention in the fifth unit to the last 20 years, when humans began to modify plant life at the genetic level. You will learn what a GMO is (and what it is not!) and about the potential benefits and shortcomings of biotechnology.  In our final unit, we will end with discovering how movements for food sovereignty are changing the landscape of food knowledge and production.

Course Policies

Course Outcomes

1. Explore relationships between population and food supply.
2. Discuss elements related to emergence of farming and animal domestication.
3. Demonstrate familiarity with traditional farming systems, models, and techniques.
4. Demonstrate familiarity with and assess the impacts of green revolution and socialist farming systems.
5. Understand the science underlying the production of genetically modified crops and the ethical and social issues created by biotechnology.

Prerequisites: There are no pre-requisites for this class. There is no final exam in this class, however, you will be continuously evaluated throughout the quarter.

Reading and Required texts: There is no single required textbook for this class and readings for each week will be uploaded to the course website. Each week varies somewhat in the amount of reading we will have. Some weeks are lighter and other weeks have a heavier load of reading. Be sure to read the syllabus in advance and plan extra time on the heavy weeks to complete the reading load and upload your reading comments. Students should complete the readings before each lecture.

Feedback times: Please make sure to give me at least 24 hours to respond to emails on weekdays. I generally don’t respond to emails on the weekends and will reply once I return to the office on Monday. Feedback on writing assignments and quizzes will be given within two weeks of completion.

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities: The Disability Resources for Students Links to an external site. (DRS) Office coordinates academic accommodations for enrolled students with documented disabilities. DRS also provides needs assessment, mediation, referrals, and advocacy as necessary and appropriate. Requests for accommodations or services must be arranged in advance and require documentation of the disability, verifying the need for such accommodation or service. Contact DRS at: 011 Mary Gates Hall, 206-543-8924 (Voice); 206-543-8925 (TTY); 206-616-8379 (Fax), uwdrs@uw.edu.

Academic Integrity: Students should be familiar with the UW Policy on Academic Integrity. https://www.washington.edu/admin/rules/policies/SGP/SPCH209.html#7 Links to an external site. All written coursework is to be original and individually authored by the student who turns it in. All sources must be cited and credited. If you have any questions about how it applies to this course, please ask. Any student found to have violated the university’s academic integrity standards will be subject to penalties ranging from failing the assignment or course to suspension or expulsion from the university.

Syllabus is Subject to Change: This syllabus and schedule are subject to change.  Notice will be given by email and/or in class if needed.

Course Policy on the use of AI:  

AI is all around us. This course keeps the following three principles in mind. (1) AI cannot pass this course; (2) AI contributions must be attributed and true; (3) The use of AI resources must be open and documented.

Students can use GenAI tools in this class to help with certain aspects of course work and assignments. This includes brainstorming ideas, creating a paper outline, or summarizing research findings of articles. However, you cannot use content such as text created by GenAI tools in your work; rather, you must be the author/creator of your work submissions. For example, you can use a GenAI tool to suggest a paper outline based on a draft you provide it, but you cannot submit a paper with text generated by GenAI as if the text is your own writing. Be advised, in accordance with UW policy, if I believe you’ve handed in work created whole or in part by GenAI tools, I may submit a report of suspected academic misconduct to the Office of Student Conduct. So, if you are in doubt or have questions about a particular GenAI tool and if its use is okay, check in with me and let’s discuss!

Helpful uses include brainstorming ideas, creating outlines, editing your own writing, and so forth. However, if you use a GenAI tool, you need to document your use, including the tool you use and when, where, and how in your work process you used it (for example: “I used ChatGPT to generate an outline for my paper, which I then revised before writing my first draft” or “I used ChatGPT to create the figure for my Instagram post presentation.” etc.). I ask that you document each time you use AI. I will ask you to submit any GenAI results you obtained, so you must keep GenAI-created drafts and logs of your interactions with GenAI tools; failure to provide such documentation may result in a grade reduction in certain instances.

Hypothesis Annotations: You will write comments on the readings by 11:30 pm the night before class using Hypothesis. These short-reading and writing assignments will be placed on and turned in on the course website. You will see them appearing in the modules section of the course.

Collaboratively annotating the reading will allow you to share perspectives, ask and answer each other’s questions, and make visible reflections and connections about the text. You can review a quick-start guide Links to an external site. for how to add annotations.

As you review the text, add at least 2 annotations per article (1 original post and 1 response to a classmate). Here’s some guidance for what you might include in your annotations:

1. Identify the major research questions explored in the article and paraphrase them in your own words.
2. Summarize: What is the state of prior research on this topic? What research gaps does the author intend to ameliorate?
3. Summarize the major theoretical propositions.
4. Answer: How does the author use the concepts from these theoretical propositions in their study?
5. Identify and summarize the data that are used to examine the research questions and test the theoretical propositions.
6. Identify and summarize the major findings and the overall implications of the study.
7. Answer: What would you challenge or critique about this study?
8. At the end of the text, add an annotation to summarize what you believe to be the key ideas/points of the text, or ask a question that you feel was left unanswered, or which you’re still unsure about.
9. Reply to a classmate with an additive annotation (add to the conversation by answering their question or extending their response). Here are some ideas on how to start an additive response to a classmate:
• What did you mean by …
• Did you consider …/ You might consider …
• I connect with …/It made me think …

Important notes about annotating: 

• Make sure you hit “post” after you complete your annotation, or else your annotation will not be saved.
• Make sure it says “post to [this class]” and not “post to only me,” or else your annotation won’t be able to be reviewed.
• If someone replies to your annotation, you will not receive a notification. Check back periodically to continue the conversation!

Exit tickets: By the end of each lecture, you will complete an exit ticket which will summarize your learning for the day. The exit ticket will be integrated into lecture, so you must attend class in order to complete it. You will be asked to complete 12 out of 17 exit tickets to earn full credit in this assignment category. You may complete extra exit tickets for extra credit.

Labs & Deliverables: You will be asked to complete a series of 4 out of 6 offered labs. Labs will contain a variety of hands-on activities, touring and/or take-home response work.

Late policy: After 1 week past the deadline assignments will not be accepted. If you are dealing with exceptional circumstances that prevent you from turning in work on time, please contact your professor and TA.

Course Schedule