Anthropology 1
Physical Anthropology
(626) 585-7736/ C-320
Lauren Arenson, Ph.D.
ljarenson@pasadena.edu
Hours: T-Th: 10:30-noon
COURSE SYLLABUS
Rationale
This course offers a general introduction to the subject of Physical Anthropology (also
referred to as Biological Anthropology). Surveying multiple scientific disciplines will
allow us to investigate the various evolutionary factors, which have ultimately led to
modern humans. The theoretical principles of natural selection and inheritance will
assist in defining the processes of evolution and the fossil record will be used as the
primary source of date collection. Primate social behaviors will offer clues to possible
ways of life associated with early hominids. A review of paleoanthropological methods
and interpretations of the fossil record will be discussed.
Physical Anthropology Laboratory (Anthr. 1L)
You may benefit by enrolling in the laboratory component for this course offered each
fall and spring semester. This is an on-line class, worth one unit of credit. This course
is CSU and UC approved. Successful completion of Anthropology 1 and 1L can be
credited as a natural science or social science course for the CSU campuses. Please
see your counselor for details.
Required Texts
Stanford, Biological Anthropology and its companion computer access code
Homework Packet (posted on website under course content)
Accessing the On-line Portion of Our Course:
Students can visit the site at any time and all grades will be posted to your personal
grade book. To access the website, go to:
http://www.coursecompass.com
and click on the title of your course. During the first week of classes, you must officially
register for the course by visiting the ‘student registration’ section of the program. Be
sure that you utilize the initial of your first name, followed by last name (for example,
larenson) for your user name. Otherwise, I am unable to figure out who is posting a
message and where to grant proper credit. Also in the student registration section, be
sure to offer your current e-mail. I will be sending you reminders of due dates
throughout the course of the semester. Please update the e-mail if you change your
account during the course of the semester.
Directions on accessing the on-line portion of the course are located at:
http://www.youtube.com/pccanthropology
Next, begin surfing. You will see a discussion board for weekly discussion topics, your
personal grade book, and course content.
The best way to learn to navigate the program is just by using the system!! Best of all,
you can’t break it.
Attendance:
Attendance will be taken weekly by class postings and participation.
If a student wishes to drop the class, he/she is responsible for notifying the Registration
Office. Failure to do so may lead to an F on your academic record.
Grading Method:
Examinations will each be worth 20% of your overall grade. There will be a total of
three exams. The exams consist of multiple choice, matching, and true-false and short
answers. Each of the exams will be taken on-line or during scheduled class time.
Weekly Postings will be worth 20% of the overall course grade. You are required to
respond to postings each week throughout the term. All responses must be posted by
8pm each Sunday unless otherwise instructed. You are responding to postings from
the Instructor as well as fellow classmates. You will be asked to visit a variety of related
websites and discuss how the material related to required readings for your weekly
assignments. These postings will center on critical analysis of current field research.
Each posting must relate to class readings and discussions in order to receive credit.
Class Activities and Papers will make up the final 20% of the course grade. This work
is based on activities that relate to the homework packet and is designed to assist
students to prepare for each exam.
Final course grades are based upon the following scale:
100-90%
89-80%
79-70%
A
B
C
69-55%
D
54%-below F
Exams & Assignment Make-Up Policy
All assignments are to be completed by the dates specified. Make-up examinations are
allowed under special circumstances and only if arrangements are made prior to the
scheduled exam date. No late papers (of any kind) will be accepted.
Academic Dishonestly Policy
College study is the process of becoming an independent scholar. All students are
expected to do their own work. Students found to be using unauthorized materials on
exams, copying off other students’ exams, copying other written materials without
proper credit to the original author, or any other form of cheating will have that
assignment marked F for failure and may result in a failing grade in the course,
depending upon the seriousness of the violation. Incidents of academic dishonesty will
be reported to the Vice President of Instruction and become part of the student’s
permanent academic record.
Student Learning Outcomes:
Upon completion of the course, each student will be able to:
Demonstrate an understanding and articulate the details of evolutionary theory,
including the historical background of the theory, the contributions of Charles Darwin
and the theoretical developments since Darwin, including the field of genetics.
Apply the various aspects of evolutionary theory and frameworks to the natural world
and understand how natural selection has produced living forms, including humans.
Understand the complexities of the relationship between organisms and their
environments through the process of adaptation.
Demonstrate an understanding of the primate order of mammals, both in terms of its
physical adaptations and behavior, including the human place within this order.
Explain and evaluate the fossil and genetic evidence for human evolution from earlier
ancestral forms, including ancient hominids.
Understand the evolutionary perspective on living human populations, including basic
population genetics, human variation and the concept of “race”.
Conduct research on topics related to various aspects of human evolution.
**Please be sure that all cellular phones and pagers are turned off upon entering the
classroom**
This document may require changes during the course of the semester, at the discretion
of the professor. Students will be notified in advance of any changes.
Weekly Readings will be posted in the course website.