Course Syllabus

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INTRODUCTION TO PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY

Term YEAR - 16-week course

[INSTRUCTOR NAME]

Table of Contents

CONTACT INFORMATION

Instructor: [Your Name]
Office: Lone Tree –Virtual
Phone: [Your Number]
Feel free to text me before 8 p.m.
Email: [Your Email]

Office Hours

  • Available upon request
  • Response Times:
    • M-TH 24 hr. response times
    • F-Sun 48 hr. response times

I am available from 5 p.m.- 8 p.m. (Arizona Time) on Monday - Thursday, but I attempt to reserve Saturday and Sunday for my family and grading.  If these times are not convenient for you, please let me know. If you have questions about an assignment that is due over the weekend, be sure to ask by Thursday, so I can respond to you by Friday. Otherwise, you might miss your window to get my answer before the due date.

For emergencies, when you are not able to gain access to messages on Canvas, please send a message to my Coconino email address. In the event a third party needs to contact me, please direct them to my contact information. No third party should use your login credentials to gain access to the classroom. You are also always welcome to call my cell phone [your phone number], or send me a text message (just be sure to identify who you are and what class you are taking).

COURSE DESCRIPTION & PREREQUISITES

The Introduction to Physical Anthropology course covers the basic principles, concepts, assumptions, theories, and vocabulary of human biological evolution. In this course, we will investigate physical anthropology by exploring the evolutionary processes behind the physical and behavioral development of primates and studying the history of the human lineage by reconstructing the fossil record. You will learn how paleoanthropologists, molecular anthropologists, primatologists, geologists, archaeologists use the scientific method to understand what it means to be human. You will also apply your knowledge in a forensic anthropology case study.

No prerequisites required.

COURSE CONTENT

Unit 1 – Physical Anthropology, Evolutionary Theory, Molecular Anthropology, Primatology

  • Introduction to Biological (Physical) Anthropology
  • Evolutionary Theory (natural selection, biological evolution)
  • Molecular Anthropology I (DNA and biological evolution)
  • Molecular Anthropology II (patterns of inheritance, population genetics, macroevolution)
  • Primatology I (living and fossil primate characteristics)
  • Primatology II (primate behavior)

Unit 2 – Paleoanthropology and Human Origins

  • Human Osteology
  • Paleoanthropology (dating methods)
  • Hominin Origins (early hominid evolution)
  • Homo erectus and Contemporaries (genus Homo)
  • Premodern Humans (genus Homo)
  • Modern Humans I (biological and cultural adaptations of modern humans)

Final Project: Forensic Anthropology Case Study

COURSE OUTCOMES

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

  1. identify and describe physical anthropology focus areas and principles of investigation;
  2. explore genetics (molecular anthropology ) as it relates to patterns of inheritance, mutation, and population genetics;
  3. summarize the principal components of contemporary evolutionary theory;
  4. identify the various biological characteristics of the primate order and the major biological and behavioral trends in primate evolution;
  5. summarize dating methods and investigative techniques used in the study of hominid evolution and;
  6. and outline the significant physical and behavioral adaptations of hominids through time.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Textbook(s)

Explorations: An Open Invitation to Biological Anthropology. Beth Shook, Katie Nelson, Kelsie Aguilera, and Lara Braff, Eds. A free, open educational resource that was produced with support from the Society for Anthropology in Community Colleges (a section of the American Anthropological Association) and a grant from Minnesota State. Available free of charge for use in any setting. All readings will be posted in the LMS.

Learning Management System (LMS)

Access to Canvas - Click to read the full technical requirements for Canvas

COURSE POLICIES

All college policies and procedures can be viewed here.

Be sure to review the Academic Integrity Procedure.

Student Privacy Statement & Student Records

CLASSROOM ETIQUETTE & STANDARDS OF CONDUCT

Refer to 503-01 Student Code of Conduct for CCC Policy. In an online class, you are responsible for your own learning! Consequently, you need to be extremely self-motivated, organized, and punctual. You are expected to read the syllabus, understand course expectations such as how and when to take exams, turn in assignments, and contribute to class discussions. You should set aside an appropriate amount of time for class work. In addition, since communication occurs online, you can also expect that you will need to rely more heavily on reading and writing skills. I also expect you to ASK your peers or me questions in the discussion area when something is unclear. I cannot help you if you stay silent

ATTENDANCE

You are expected to attend, participate, and contribute to class discussions throughout the course. You are expected to complete all readings, assignments, and quizzes by their due dates; however, how and when you complete them are up to you and your weekly schedule. If you do not read the readings and watch the videos each week then you will not pass the course. 

COLLEGE ATTENDANCE POLICY

As stated in Procedure 303-02, students must attend their classes and participate in a course-specific, academically-related activity (assignment, quizzes AND discussions) in online classes the first week of school or a grade of NS (no-show) will be recorded by their instructor, and they will be withdrawn from the course. Students will not receive refunds for classes in which they have received an NS grade. Students have the right to appeal a grade of NS through the Office of Registration and Enrollment Services.     

Students must drop or withdraw from any class they do not wish to complete, and they are financially and academically responsible for all courses that they do not drop by published deadlines. The Office of Registration and Enrollment Services publishes instructions for students to follow when dropping or withdrawing from classes. Students are encouraged to discuss drop and withdrawal options with their academic advisor and the Office of Student Financial Aid (if a financial aid recipient). 

DUE DATE VERSUS AVAILABLE UNTIL DATE

The due date is the due date for the assignment, quiz, or discussion. If you submit after the "due" date, then it is considered late. For all assignments, quizzes, and discussions, you have up until two days after the "due" date to submit for partial credit. For every day that an assessment is late, you will lose 10%. After two days, you will not have to option to submit for partial credit. The Available Until date is typically two days after the due date.

LATE WORK

If you think that you will need extra time for an assignment (due to a medical or family emergency), please notify me BEFORE the assignment is due, so we can come up with an alternative due date. Otherwise, late assignments receive a 10% deduction for each day they are late if assignments are not posted by 11:59 p.m. M.S.T. on the day they are due. Assignments more than 2 days late will not be accepted. You always have the option to REDO an assignment for a better grade once you have already submitted the assignment, and it has been graded. This includes the mid-term essays.  This does not include mid-term multiple choice or true/false or discussion peer responses. This also does not include anything on the final exam. The last day for resubmissions is the Friday before finals week. Once a discussion closes, it is closed though. If you miss posting your initial discussion post on the first day of the discussion, then you will have until the discussion closes to turn in a late initial post.  Otherwise, the discussion ends, and you miss out on the conversation. Technological issues are not considered valid grounds for late assignment submission. In the event of a server outage, students should submit assignments to the instructor when the systems are restored. Learner assignments submitted after the last day of class will not be accepted.

ASSESSMENTS

Discussions

Throughout the course, we will have student-led, whole-class discussions where you will have the opportunity to respond to the posted discussion question.  Often, the discussions will ask you to conduct a small fieldwork observation, so you might want to review the discussion question prior to the open date, so you can plan accordingly.  Other times, the discussions will ask you to think react to a TED Talk or current news article. To earn full participation points, you need to post an initial response and two substantive responses to your peers' posts.  A substantive post to your peer, acknowledges something that your peer said AND adds your own thoughts or ideas AND asks a follow-up question to your peers to help deepen the discussion.

As you participate in the discussion area, you can practice the ABC Model, which can help you to create consistent posts that add value for your peers and improve learning in the group.

  • Acknowledge something the individual has said.
  • Build by adding personal experience or observations or relevant course content.
  • Conclude with a question to the individual or class.

Student participation posts that are highly facilitative include the following:

  • Building on peer comments by adding substantive contributions to the discussion, including suggesting alternative solutions, adding other perspectives, pointing out problems, and disagreeing constructively at times
  • Encouraging peers to apply course concepts to the workplace environment and their daily lives
  • Encouraging peer participation by asking probing questions that encourage them to think deeply
  • Demonstrating content knowledge by sharing experiences and analyzing course concepts in the class discussions
  • Referring to current course readings and asking peers to apply these course materials to their posts.

In addition, please make sure that all your own posts are clear, error-free, and well formatted. Each message must reflect a high level of professionalism and critical thinking. I expect only the best from you, and together we can create an academic environment that encourages each of you to do your best work and interact respectfully.

Note: The discussions will close at the end of the module, and you will not be able to enter any more responses after the discussion period has ended.

Study guides

As you read the chapter, review the terms to know, topical questions, and essay questions (and add your own notes) to help you identify the important information in the chapter. The study guide will help you to recall and organize the main points of the readings making you more likely to retain the knowledge for both your quizzes and the exam essays.

Labs

One of the primary learning objectives of this course is for you to learn how to do physical anthropology using real data. Consequently, you will have to turn in several laboratory exercises. The labs will ask you to apply your knowledge and understanding of anthropological concepts to issues directly relevant to the field of physical anthropology.

Quizzes

One of my learning objectives for you in this course is for you to use discipline-specific vocabulary to discuss the cornerstones of physical anthropology (genetics, primatology, the fossil record, and modern human variation).  The quizzes cover the course materials including readings and videos for each chapter(s). Completing the study guide by defining the terms and answering the questions will help you to prepare for the quizzes.  You will have three chances to earn your highest score. Each chance you will have 25 minutes to complete quiz. 

Final Portfolio

You will create a final portfolio showcasing your work from this course.  The purpose of the portfolio is for you to reflect on your own learning.

Midterm & Final Exam

There will be one midterm exam and one final exam.  The midterm exam covers Modules 1 - 3. The final exam is comprehensive and will cover all the material from Modules 1 -6.  Both exams have a multiple-choice section and a short essay section.  The short essay questions will be provided to you prior to taking the exam in the exam instructions. You will need to write up your short essays prior to taking the exam because you will not have time to type up your responses once the exam stop watch begins.  

Refer to the course schedule to see when the exam will be open.  I will leave it open for a few days, so you can take it any time when it is open. No late exams will be accepted.  Please notify me BEFOREHAND if you need to make different arrangements. The exam questions are open for your review NOW, and they are posted in the study guides.

Forensic Anthropology Case Report

The forensic anthropology case report is a team project where your team will summarize the results of a case study in forensic anthropology, an applied subfield of physical anthropology.  Your goal, and the goal of forensic anthropology, is ultimately to work towards identification of the decedent, or person who has died. You will use the images provided to reveal demographic features about the skeletal remains and complete the forensic anthropology case study assignment. While you will work as a team to create the report, you will be expected to submit the final product, and you will be individually evaluated on your final case report. 

 

GOAL (COURSE OUTCOMES)

COURSE CONTENT

ASSESSMENT

1) Identify and describe physical anthropology focus areas and principles of investigation

 

Module 1 Introduction to Physical Anthropology

Module 7 Human Osteology

Module 13 Forensic Anthropology

Midterm Exam

Forensic Practice

Labs, quizzes, discussions, lecture & movie guides

2) Explore genetics (molecular anthropology ) as it relates to patterns of inheritance, mutation, and population genetics.

 

Module 3 & 4 Molecular Anthropology

Midterm Exam

Quizzes, discussions, lecture & movie guides

3) Summarize the principal components of contemporary evolutionary theory.

 

Module 2 Evolutionary Theory

Midterm Exam

quizzes, discussions, lecture & movie guides

4) Identify the various biological characteristics of the primate order and the major biological and behavioral trends in primate evolution

Module 5 & 6 Primatology

Midterm Exam

quizzes, discussions, lecture & movie guides

5) Summarize dating methods and investigative techniques used in the study of hominid evolution

Module 8 Paleoanthropology

Final Exam, quizzes, lecture guides

6) Outline the significant physical and behavioral adaptations of hominids through time.

Module 9 – 12 Hominid Evolution

Final Exam, quizzes, discussions, labs, lecture & movie guides

COURSE EVALUATION

Assessment

#

Possible Points

Total Pts. Minus Lowest Score

Weight

Criteria for Grading/Format

Lecture Guides

8

 

10

80

5%

Short answer or quiz format; drop the lowest

Movie Guides

5

10

50

5%

 Drop the lowest

Discussions

11

10

110

10%

 Drop the lowest

Labs

10

varies

217

15%

 

Practice Activities

10

varies

varies

5%

 

Quizzes

12

16

192

10%

3 attempts 15 min. each – highest attempt/drop the lowest quiz

Forensic Profile &

1

100

100

15%

 

 

Teamwork Preparatory Activities

2

45

45

1 Teamwork Discussion (10 points)
1 Contract & Work Plan (30 points)
1 Teamwork Peer Evaluation (56 points – average of all teammate submissions)

Exams

2

100 & 65 points

 

varies

30%

 

Portfolio

1

25

25

5%

Grading Rubric

Extra Credit – Neuroplasticity

1

10

10

2.5%

 

 

 

Total Possible Percentage

100% + 2.5% Extra Credit

 

 

GRADING SCALE (BASED ON TOTAL PERCENTAGE)

100-90%   A Excellent

89-80%     B Exceeds Standard

79-70%     C Meets Standard

69-60%     D Below Standard

<60%        F  Failure

EXTRA CREDIT

There are two extra credit assignments in the course the Primate Observation and Neuroplasticity.

ACCOMMODATIONS

Professional disability specialist are available at Disability Resources to facilitate a range of academic support services and accommodations for students with disabilities.  If you have a documented disability, you can request assistance by contacting Disability Resources at 928-226-4377, 928-226-4342, or disability.resources@coconino.edu (e-mail). Students may begin the accommodation process by submitting a self-identification form online at https://www.coconino.edu/disability-resources (click on Request for Support).

MODIFICATION

“The Instructor reserves the right to add, delete, or modify the syllabus with reasonable notification.”

COURSE SCHEDULE

Please see the course schedule that is posted as a separate file in the syllabus tool area on Canvas

 

Course Summary:

Date Details Due