Anthropology 1 Physical Anthropology (626) 585-7736/ C-320 Lauren Arenson, Ph.D. ljarenson@pasadena.edu M, W, 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) Angeloni (ed.), Annual Editions: Physical Anthropology 2011/ 2012 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 during each class meeting. It is the student’s responsibility to sign-in. Also, 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. Term Papers (2) will make up the final 40% of the course grade. This work is based on activities that relate to the Annual Editions text and is designed to assist students to prepare for each exam. Details will be given during class. 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.