St. Cloud State University
General Education Goal Area 5
History and the Social & Behavioral Sciences
Academic Affairs Use Only:
Response Date:
Effective Date:
1.
Prepared by: Debra Gold
Phone: 8-2159
Proposal Number:
Email: dlgold@stcloudstate.edu
2.
Requesting Unit: Sociology/Anthropology
3.
Department, Course Number, Title: ANTH 130: Introduction to Prehistoric Cultures
4.
New Course
5.
Will this course be flagged as a diversity course?
Already Designated as Diversity
6.
Will this course also satisfy another General Education Goal Area?
If “Yes” specify which goal area.
Existing Course
No
Diversity Proposal Accompanying This Form
No
Yes
7.
Course bulletin description, including credits and semesters to be offered:
The origins and development of human cultural systems from the earliest stone age through prehistoric
complex civilizations with many archaeological case studies from around the world. 3 Cr. S.
8.
Indicate the clientele for whom this course is designed. Is the course for general education only, or
does it fulfill general education and other program needs for this or another department? Obtain
signatures from any affected departments.
Designed for general education only.
9.
Indicate any changes that must be made in offerings or resources in your department or other
departments by offering this course.
None needed.
10.
For new courses or courses not yet approved for General Education, indicate any other SCSU departments
or units offering instruction that relates to the content of the proposed course.
N/A
11.
Courses designated as General Education are included in the assessment plan for the Goal Area(s)
for which they are approved. Courses for which assessment is not included in the annual GE
assessment report for two years will be removed from the General Education Program.
12/11/2009
The Requesting Unit understands and recognizes the above conditions.
12.
Provide a concise explanation of how the following goal is a “significant focus” of the proposed course.
Goal Area 5: History and the Social & Behavioral Sciences
Develop understanding of human societies and behaviors, and of the concepts, theories, and methods of
history and the social sciences.
Using a comparative approach students learn about past human societies of all scales around the world.
This course also introduces students to archaeological methods and theories. Students become familiar with
multiple ways of asking and answering questions about past cultures. They learn about the theoretical
perspectives that shape an anthropological approach to the past and about archaeological methods employed to
examine past societies.
13. In order for a course to be designated as fulfilling Goal Area 5, it must address at least 4 of the 5 student learning
outcomes (SLOs) below. Check the SLOs below that are focused on in the proposed general education course.
1. Describe or use the methods and data by which historians, social scientists, or behavioral scientists investigate
human conditions.
2. Analyze human behavior, cultures, and social institutions and processes from the perspectives of history or the
social and behavioral sciences.
3. Develop explanations for and explore solutions to historical or contemporary social problems.
4. Reflect upon themselves in relation to family, communities, society, culture, and/or their histories.
5. Apply and critique alternative explanatory systems or theories about human societies and behaviors.
14.
Discuss how each Student Learning Outcome checked above is achieved in this course. (Note: Although
descriptions of typical assignments or types of assignments may be part of this discussion, it is not
appropriate to submit copies of actual assignments.)
1. Students learn about archaeological methods (survey, excavation, dating methods, analytical methods).
They apply their understanding of archaeological methods to a variety of case studies from around the world and
through the 7 million years of human prehistory. This SLO is achieved through reading assignments, discussions
visual aids and lectures informed by the instructor's first-hand experience in archaeological field and lab work.
2.Students are introduced to the perspective of anthropological archaeology. They apply this perspective
as they analyze past human cultures through reading and discussion of major transformations in the human past.
3. Students compare different anthropological explanations for major transitions, circumstances and
problems in prehistory such as the adoption of agriculture and resulting health issues, warfare, the origins of
social and political inequality and the emergence of states. Although our focus is on past cultures students are
frequently asked to relate their study to contemporary issues.
5. Students study the major theoretical approaches used by archaeologists in the study of past human
societies, including cultural history, processualism and post-processualism as well as explantory systems focused
on gender, political economy and others that cross-cut these theoretical approaches. They are asked to apply and
compare these approaches in their examination of case-studies from around the world and through time.
12/11/2009
15.
List or attach the Course Outline (adequately described and including percentage of time to be allocated
to each topic). Curriculum Committees may request additional information. Topics larger than 20% need
to be broken down further. Indicate in your course outline where the Student Learning Outcomes
checked above are being met.
I. Introduction to archaeology as a subfield of anthropology, applying critical thinking to understanding
different ways humans construct culture and use the past to build ethinic and national identity
(5%) (SLO 1,5)
II. History of archaeological method and theory; interdisciplinary approaches to studying the human past
(5%) (SLO 1,5)
III. Origins and evolution of modern humans (5%) (SLO 1, 2)
IV. Old World Paleolithic cultures from Africa, Europe and Asia (15%) (SLO 1, 2)
V. Pleistocene peopling of Australia and the Western Hemisphere (15%) (SLO 1, 2)
VI. Holocene hunter-gatherer cultures from Africa, Europe, Japan, North and South America (15%)
(SLO 1,2,3)
VII. Emergence of plant and animal domestication focusing on Central America, China, the Middle East
and North America (10%) (SLO 1, 2, 3,5)
VIII. Emergence of social, political, and economic stratification focusing on Africa, India, the Middle
East, and the Western Hemisphere (15%) (SLO 1, 2, 3,5)
IX. Archaeology and the public, focusing on ethics, conservation and stewardship (15%) (SLO 1,3,5)
12/11/2009
St. Cloud State University
General Education Transmittal Form
Academic Affairs Use Only:
Response Date:
Effective Date:
Proposal Number
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
Course or Course(s): ANTH 130
Robert H. lavenda
Department or Unit Chair Signature
02/18/2010
Date
Department forward to Academic Affairs for publication and electronically to Chair of General Education Committee, Chair
of College Curriculum Committee, College Dean
Recommendation of General Education Committee:
Approve
Remarks:
Disapprove
Chairperson
Committee
Signature
Date
Recommendation of University Curriculum Committee:
Approve
Remarks:
Disapprove
Chairperson
Committee
Signature
Date
Recommendation of Faculty Association:
Approve
Remarks:
Disapprove
FA Senate
Signature
Date
Action of Academic Vice President:
Approve
Disapprove
Signature
Entered in Curriculum Data File
12/11/2009
Remarks:
Date