Anthropology 101 Introduction to Biological Anthropology

(Section 51)

Summer Session B 2008

This is an online course. There are no scheduled class meetings.

Instructor: John Bock, Ph.D.

Office: MH-426J

Office Hours: TBA

Phone: (714) 278-5574

Fax: (714) 278-5001

Email: jbock@fullerton.edu (preferred form of communication)

Required Texts (available at the Titan Bookstore):

Course Description:

This course is an introduction to biological anthropology, which is the study of human evolutionary history, adaptation, and variation. We will begin by learning the basics of evolutionary theory, and then apply this theoretical framework to understanding micro- and macroevolutionary processes, population genetics, and how the human species relates to other primates both living and extinct. Students who satisfactorily complete the course requirements should emerge with a basic grounding in human evolution and variation, and a new perspective on human origins and diversity. This is an online course and has no scheduled class meetings. Students will be expected to participate in online discussion on a regular basis, and will access instructional materials, labs, and quizzes online.

Course Prerequisites:

·        None

General Education and Major Requirements:

·        Anth. 101 fulfills general education category III.A.3 and is a requirement for all anthropology majors.

Introduction to Biological Anthropology as a General Education Requirement:

UPS 411.201 requires all GE classes to include a writing assignment.

“Writing assignments in General Education courses should involve the organization and expression of complex data or ideas and careful and timely evaluations of writing so that deficiencies are identified and suggestions for improvement and/or for means of remediation are offered.  Assessments of the student’s writing competence shall be used in determining the final course grade” (UPS 411.201:1)

Your response paper and lab write-ups  fulfill this requirement because you will organize and express complex data and ideas related to your growing understanding of the foundations of biological anthropology.  You will receive timely feedback and you will have the opportunity to edit your response paper and resubmit it.  Sixty-five percent of your course grade will be based on assessment of your writing competence through evaluation of your response paper and the lab write-ups.

According to our university, General Education courses fulfilling category III.A.3 should address the issues listed below. The italicized sentences indicate how this course meets the university's GE goals.

“To understand broad unifying themes in mathematics and/or science from cross-disciplinary perspectives”

Introduction to Biological Anthropology combines evolutionary theory and other biological principles with anthropological theories of human culture to gain a better understanding of humans and other primates.

“To solve complex problems that require mathematical and/or scientific reasoning”

The scientific method (hypothesis testing and experimentation) is the perspective used to understand data collected by biological anthropologists.

“To relate mathematics and/or science to significant social problems or to other related disciplines”

Biological anthropology and the scientific method are used to understand human evolution in the distant past and in the present. For example, this perspective is used to explore human response to infectious disease, how humans are likely to respond to future environmental pressures, and the impact of malnutrition on human growth and development.

(quotes from UPS 411.201:8).

Objectives:

Our objectives are to develop a deeper understanding of:

·        Evolutionary theory

·        Human evolutionary history

·        Human variation

·        The scientific method

You will need to access the Blackboard system:

Login to the Blackboard system. This system is easy to use but you must carefully follow directions to access it succesfully. PLEASE READ THIS FIRST!

·         Go to your student portal page at https://my.fullerton.edu.

·         On your portal you can find your blackboard username and password. Click on Blackboard and login to the course.

If you have any problems or questions please call the Help Desk at 278-7777. Do not call me or the Department, we will be unable to help.

Grading Procedures:

Study Guides:

Academic Integrity:

Please consult the Student Handbook for information on the University’s academic integrity policies. Violations will not be tolerated and will be referred to the Dean of Students office, Judicial Affairs for further action.

Online course features:

·         You will be expected to participate in web discussions at least once per week. The instructor will keep a log. The discussion questions will be available for comment beginning Sunday 9 PM.

·         Quizzes, WebLab exercises, and discussion question responses are to be completed before Saturday midnight. Failure to complete them by this time will result in no credit for that week. During the last week of intersession all materials are due before Thursday midnight.

·         I will usually respond to student email within 2 business days. I will usually post grades for the previous week’s quiz or WebLab on the class Blackboard site on Tuesday, although there may be delays due to workload. I will notify the class when grades are posted. Please do not email me about your grades unless I have notified the class that the grades are posted. Also, I will consider repeated emails on the same topic harassment.

·         Since all assignments will be completed through the class Blackboard site, you will need to login using the userid and password you obtain (see above).

·         Just as if this were an on campus class, please be respectful and courteous to your fellow students and to me at all times in web discussions. Do not use all capital letters in your posts. Do not make personal comments, and check your spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

·         ALL POSTS AND EMAILS MUST BE SIGNED WITH YOUR REAL NAME. I WILL NOT RESPOND OTHERWISE.

·         You need to be familiar with Windows and the use of a keyboard and mouse.

·         You will need access to a Windows based computer connected to the internet. There are many such computers available on campus.

·         If you do not know how to use computers or software, now is a good time to learn. Contact the Helpdesk at http://www.fullerton.edu/helpdesk, or (714) 278-7777.

·         You should also contact the Helpdesk with technical problems.

·         Your education is your responsibility. In order to get the most out of this class: carefully go through the lectures and associated material while taking notes, do the reading while taking notes, and thoughtfully complete the exams and exercises. If you have questions email me or see me during office hours.

·         As a study guide, class overheads are available on the internet at the class Blackboard website. There is also a study guide available through the book’s publisher. Using these web-based tools will help you on the tests as well as in web discussion.

·         I welcome and encourage discussion, questions, and participation.

What to do if you are having difficulty understanding the material:

1. Go through the lectures and associated material slowly while taking notes.
2. Do all of the reading while taking notes.
3. Use the study guides (your notes, the textbook web site, and the course web site).
4. Ask questions in web discussion—your classmates will appreciate it.
5. Email me with specific questions.
6. Lastly, if none of the above work come to my office hours with a list of questions (it will help if you email them to me beforehand).

Remember, it is up to you to let me know if you do not understand course material!!

Course Format and Quiz Schedule

  Download syllabus Microsoft Word (.doc) file. If you do not have Word, please use the Word Viewer.

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