I. ASCRC General Education Form (revised 9/15/09)
Use to propose new general education courses (except writing courses), to change existing
gen ed courses and to remove designations for existing gen ed courses.
Note: One-time-only general education designation may be requested for experimental courses
(X91-previously X95), granted only for the semester taught. A NEW request must be
submitted for the course to receive subsequent general education status.
Group
III. Language
VII: Social Sciences
(submit
III Exception: Symbolic Systems * VIII: Ethics & Human Values
separate forms
IV: Expressive Arts
IX: American & European
if requesting
V: Literary & Artistic Studies
X: Indigenous & Global
more than one
VI: Historical & Cultural Studies
XI: Natural Sciences
general
w/ lab  w/out lab 
education
group
*Courses proposed for this designation must be standing requirements of
designation)
majors that qualify for exceptions to the modern and classical language
requirement
Dept/Program Anthropology
Course #
ANTH 215
Course Title
Prerequisite
Physical Anthropology Lab
Co-requisite: Anth 210
Credits
01
II. Endorsement/Approvals
Complete the form and obtain signatures before submitting to Faculty Senate Office
Signature
Instructor
Phone / Email
Date
Ashley McKeown
243-2145/
ashley.mckeown@umontana.edu
Program Chair John Douglas
Dean
Chris Comer
III. Type of request
New
X
One-time Only
Change
Remove
Reason for Gen Ed inclusion, change or deletion
Gen Ed Natural Science Lab
Description of change
IV. Description and purpose of new general education course: General Education courses
must be introductory and foundational within the offering department or within the General
Education Group. They must emphasize breadth, context, and connectedness; and relate course
content to students’ future lives: See Preamble:
http://umt.edu/facultysenate/archives/minutes/gened/GE_preamble.aspx
This course will provide a Natural Science Lab course that will be taken in conjunction with
Anth 210N Introduction to Physical Anthropology. This lab (Anth 215) will allow students to
explore the concepts and materials discussed in Anth 210 in a lab setting which will reinforce
the information covered in the large lecture section and satisfy the General Education Natural
Science lab requirements. Anth 210N Introduction to Physical Anthropology introduces the
major subfields of physical anthropology, including human genetics and processes of evolution,
biology and behavior of non-human primates, human evolution, and modern human adaptation
and variation. As Anth210N provides students with information regarding the biological history
and current condition of Homo sapiens within a biocultural and evolutionary framework, the
lab section (Anth 215) will allow students to acquire a deeper understanding through hands on
applications, hypothesis generation and testing, and the production of scientific reports.
V. Criteria: Briefly explain how this course meets the criteria for the group. See:
http://umt.edu/facultysenate/documents/forms/GE_Criteria5-1-08.aspx

1. Courses explore a discipline in the The co-requisite course (Anth 210N)
explores the field of physical anthropology,
natural sciences and demonstrate how
which is primarily concerned with
the scientific method is used within the
understanding the human condition from a
discipline to draw scientific conclusions.
biocultural perspective within an
evolutionary framework. As the various
topics are discussed, the lab section (Anth
215) will discuss and implement the
scientific method to develop evolutionary
based explanations for the presence of
biocultural variation among and within
human populations.
This lab course is specifically designed to

2. Courses address the concept of
teach students the process by which
analytic uncertainty and the rigorous
hypotheses are generated and tests and
process required to take an idea to a
scientific theories are validated. The concept
hypothesis and then to a validated
of analytic uncertainty inherent in this
scientific theory.
process and will be explored throughout the
lessons.
All lab activities are based on the process of

3. Lab courses engage students in
scientific inquiry and will involve empirical
inquiry-based learning activities where
observations, hypothesis generation,
they formulate a hypothesis, design an
hypothesis testing through data collection
experiment to test the hypothesis, and
collect, interpret, and present the data to and analysis, and the presentation of the
process and results in a lab report.
support their conclusions.
VI. Student Learning Goals: Briefly explain how this course will meet the applicable learning
goals. See: http://umt.edu/facultysenate/documents/forms/GE_Criteria5-1-08.aspx

1. understand the general principles
associated with the discipline(s) studied;

2. understand the methodology and
activities scientists use to gather, validate
and interpret data related to natural
processes;

3. detect patterns, draw conclusions,
develop conjectures and hypotheses, and
test them by appropriate means and
experiments;

4. understand how scientific laws and
theories are verified by quantitative
measurement, scientific observation, and
logical/critical reasoning; and

5. understand the means by which
analytic uncertainty is quantified and
expressed in the natural sciences.
This lab course will reinforce the material
introduced in the co-requisite lecture section
(Anth 210N) including the general
principles of physical anthropology and
allows specific applications of those
principles to understanding biocultural
aspects of human and non-human primates
within an evolutionary framework.
This course allows student to employ the
methods and activities scientists to use to
study the biocultural aspects of humans and
non-human primates within an evolutionary
framework.
These activities will be incorporated into
each class meeting. Students will explore
human heredity, human evolution, human
adaptation and the biology of non-human
primates through scientific inquiry.
Each class meeting will address the
scientific method and employ it to learn the
theoretical foundations of physical
anthropology.
This lab course is specifically designed to
teach students the process by which
hypotheses are generated and tests and
scientific theories are validated. The concept
of analytic uncertainty inherent in this
process and will be explored throughout the
lessons.
VII. Justification: Normally, general education courses will not carry pre-requisites, will carry
at least 3 credits, and will be numbered at the 100-200 level. If the course has more than one
pre-requisite, carries fewer than three credits, or is upper division (numbered above the 200
level), provide rationale for exception(s).
This lab course is a 1 credit offering because it is offered in conjunction with the 3 credit course
Anth 210N Introduction to Physical Anthropology.
VIII. Syllabus: Paste syllabus below or attach and send digital copy with form.  The syllabus
should clearly describe how the above criteria are satisfied. For assistance on syllabus
preparation see: http://teaching.berkeley.edu/bgd/syllabus.html
ANTH 215 PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY LAB
co-requisite Anth 210N Introduction to Physical Anthropology
COURSE INFORMATION
Professor Ashley McKeown
Office: 225 Social Science Bldg
Office Hours: MWF 10:00 - 11:00 am and by appointment
Office Phone: 243-2145
Email: ashley.mckeown@umontana.edu
Teaching Assistant:
Phone: 243-5865 (leave message)
Office: 254a Social Sciences Bldg
Email:
Lab section meets once a week for 1 class period (day and time TBA)
Required Text: Hens, Samantha (2008) Method and Practice in Biological Anthropology: A
workbook and laboratory manual for introductory courses. Pearson/Prentice Hall.
COURSE GOALS AND PURPOSE
This lab course allows students to more deeply explore the concepts and materials covered in
the co-requisite large lecture section (Anth 210N). Students will engage in lab based activities
involving human genetics and processes of evolution, biology and behavior of non-human
primates, human evolution, and modern human adaptation and variation.
Upon successful completion of this course, you will
! understand the scientific method and how it is applied in physical anthropology
! understand the theoretical foundations of physical anthropology
! be able to produce a scientific report with the appropriate sections and content
! understand the principles of human genetics and the process and mechanisms of evolution
! be able to observe and evaluate data regarding the biology and behavior of non-human
primates
! be able to observe and evaluate data regarding human evolution and modern human
adaptation and variation
COURSE STRUCTURE AND GRADING
There are 14 lab sessions each with an in-lab exercise and an assignment that is due the
following lab meeting. It is expected that you will attend and participate in the lab exercise and
submit assignments from all 14 labs; nevertheless your final grade will be based on
performance on your best 12 lab exercises and 12 assignments. The grading structure is as
follows:
Item
Lab exercises (12 total)
Lab assignments (12 total)
Value
Total Points Possible
25 points each 300 points
25 points each
300 points
600 points
LAB SCHEDULE AND READINGS
Meeting
Lab 1 (date) The scientific method in Physical Anthropology
Chap 1
Lab exercise: Based on empirical observation, class will develop a hypothesis and a way to
test the hypothesis. Class will develop a protocol for data collection that can be
used to test the hypothesis.
Assignment: Student will randomly choose 10 individuals to anonymously collect data
necessary for hypothesis testing. Sealed data collection forms will be returned to
Prof. McKeown before next lab meeting.
Lab 2 (date) Hypothesis testing, theory building and analytic uncertainty Chap 1
Lab exercise: Using data from anonymous survey, hypothesis from Lab 1 will be tested by
presenting data frequencies/distributions and statistical tests for significance.
The issue of analytical uncertainty will be discussed.
Assignment: Student will produce a report on the study from Labs 1 & 2 including the
following sections: Introduction, Rationale for Study, Research Design, Results
and Conclusions.
Lab 3 (date) Human Genetics
Chaps 2 & 3
Lab Exercise: Anonymously collected phenotypic data for Mendelian traits (ear wax
consistency, tongue rolling, etc.) and published pedigree data will be used to
illustrate patterns of genetic inheritance in humans.
Assignment: Each student will be assigned a particular phenotype and will produce a short
report on the genetics of the trait, the phenotypic expressions, distribution in
human populations, and possible reasons (evolutionary and/or cultural) for the
observed distribution.
Lab 4 (date) Population Genetics and Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium
Chap 5
Lab Exercise: Use genetic data to demonstrate the use of HWE for assessing change in allele
frequencies at a locus. Use a chi-square test to assess results.
Assignment: In light of lab exercise, student will prepare a short report on the factors that
could have caused deviation from HWE for a particular allele system.
Lab 5 (date) Experiments in Evolution
Chap 5
Lab Exercise: A simulation program (such as Micro 3.0) will be used to illustrate how the
forces of evolution can affect allele frequencies over time as well as within and
between populations. Students will participate by proposing parameters such as
starting allele frequencies, effective population size, rates of mutation and/or
gene flow, and genotype fitness.
Assignment: Student will prepare a report on the ‘experiments in evolution’ for each of the
evolutionary forces.
Lab 6 (date) Human Variation: Anthropometrics and Dermatoglyphics
Chap 9
Lab Exercise: Class will develop hypotheses regarding variation in anthropometric and
dermatoglyphics based on empirical observation of the class. Students will then
construct data sets using each other as subjects.
Assignment: Analyze data from class data set (frequency tables/distributions) and generate a
scientific report of study.
Lab 7 (date) Human Variation: Blood Type and Lactose Intolerance
Chap 4
Lab exercise: Use data previously collected via anonymous survey and published data,
students will look at the distribution of these traits among UM students and on a
world wide level. Reasons for the modern distribution of these traits will be
discussed.
Assignment: Student will prepare a report on the class findings.
Lab 8 (date) Human Variation: Race
Chap 9
Lab exercise: Observe anonymous individuals from across planet (via images) and try to
evaluate for presence or absence of “racial” traits. In small groups try to create
racial categories based on phenotypic and genetic data; then compare ‘racial
categories’ developed by each group. The geographic origin of each individual
observed will then be revealed.
Assignment: Student will report on class findings and discuss why there was lack of
agreement among the racial classification schemes of the class groups and why
the assigned “race” of particular individuals observed does not match their
geographic origin.
Lab 9 (date) Primate Osteology
Chaps 6, 7,
8
Lab exercise: Using skeletal specimens, student will learn hands-on skeletal anatomy of
human and non-human primate.
Assignment: Write report on similarities and differences in human and non-human primate
skeletal anatomy.
Lab 10 (date) Non-human Primates
Chaps 10,
11
Lab exercise: Using skeletal specimens, students will observe the morphological variation
among non-primates, prosimians, monkeys and apes. Morphological variables
will be observed on each group and used to discuss phylogeny and adaptations.
Assignment: Student will prepare report on data observed and findings.
Lab 11 (date) Early Hominins
Chap13
Lab exercise: Using fossil casts, students will observe morphological traits and patterns among
the australopithecines. Class will develop hypotheses regarding phylogeny and
adaptations based on empirical observations. Morphological variables will be
observed on each specimen and the hypothesis tested.
Assignment: Student will prepare report on data observed and findings.
Lab 12 (date) Early Homo
Chap 14
Lab exercise: Using fossil casts, students will observe morphological traits and patterns among
the genera of early Homo. Class will develop hypotheses regarding phylogeny
and adaptations based on empirical observations. Morphological variables will
be observed on each specimen and the hypothesis tested.
Assignment: Student will prepare report on data observed and findings.
Lab 13 (date) Modern Human Origins
Chap 15
Lab exercise: Using fossil casts, students will observe morphological traits and patterns among
early Homo.sapiens (archaic, Neandertal, and anatomically modern).
Morphological variables will be observed on each specimen to evaluate the three
major theories about modern human origins.
Assignment: Student will prepare report on data observed and discuss which theory is best
supported by the morphological evidence.
Lab 14 (date) Forensic Anthropology
Chap 9
Lab exercise: Using skeletal specimens, methods for estimating biological parameters
necessary for a biological profile will be described. Student will estimate sex,
age, ancestry and stature for a series of skeletal specimens.
Assignment: Student will prepare a report on the estimation process and results.
Please note: Approved general education changes will take effect next fall.
General education instructors will be expected to provide sample assessment items and
corresponding responses to the Assessment Advisory Committee.