Academic Programs
COURSE SYLLABUS
Forensic Anthropology
ANT315/SOC350 (13296/ 11044)
T/R 2:00 pm -3:15 pm
Instructor: Christina Brooks Office: Kinard 321 Phone: 803-323-4655 Cell: 980-355-9313
Email: brooksc@winthrop.edu
Web: faculty.winthrop.edu/brooksc
Office: Kinard 332 Office Hours: Mon/Wed 10-11a Others By Appointment
Course Goals: Forensic Anthropology is an applied field within biological anthropology, and is prominent in
popular culture today. This course is designed to teach the basics of human osteology and interpretation of
human remains for cases of legal relevance. Taking this course does not make you a forensic anthropologist
capable of recovery and identification of human remains (nor does watching CSI!!!). This course is simply a
basic introduction to a very complex profession.
Student Learning Objectives and General Education Goals:
This course is designed to meet Goals 3 and 5 – To use problem solving skills, critical thinking and a variety of
research methods and to understand scientific knowledge in terms of its methods or acquisition, its specific
quantitative nature, and its dynamic and contingent character.
The course is designed to meet Objectives 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the Natural Science Component. This course helps
students make progress toward the following University Level Competencies. Competency 1: Graduates will
be able to think critically and solve problems. Competency2: Graduates will be personally and socially
responsible. Competency 3: Graduates will understand the global interconnected and nature of the world and
the time in which they live. Competency 4: Graduates will be able to communicate more effectively both
orally and written.
Students carry out an original investigation in which they collect and anlalyze data and then write up
conclusions, demonstrating that they understand and can apply scientific methods of inquiry and that they can
defend conclusions based on their own observations (Objectives 2, 5 and Competency 1 and 4). They will be
able to discuss strengths and limitations of forensic anthropology as a science. Students will also be able to
demonstrate an understading of the history of scientific discovery in the life sciences generally and
archaeological sciences specifically. Through the study of material culture students will better understand the
interconnected nature of the world and how they contribute to its function (Objectives 3, 4 and Competency 2
and 3).
Upon completion of this course, the student will be knowledgeable of the Department of Sociology and
Anthropology’s mission statement found at http://www2.winthrop.edu/sociology/departmissionstatement.htm
Specifically, this courses forwards the departmental goal that students will gain access to concrete skills that are
relevant to a broad range of rewarding careers. These skills enhance the student's ability to assess new and
unfamiliar situations, to select and apply qualitative and /or quantitative techniques in solving practical
problems in creative ways, and to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
Additional Student Learning Objectives:
 Students will be able to demonstrate an understanding in osteology
 Students will be able to demonstrate an understanding in forensic terms and concepts
 Students will be able to accurately and completely write a forensic anthropology report
 Students will know how to conduct research within the field of forensic anthropology
Required Text:
White, Tim. The Human Bone Manual, (2011).
Suggested Texts:
Steadman. Hard Evidence: Case Studies in Forensic Anthropology (2003).
Byers. Forensic Anthropology Laboratory Manual, 2nd ed (2008).
Byers. Intro to Forensic Anthropology, 3rd ed (2008).
Recommended skeletal review material:
Bass, William M. (1995) Human Osteology: A Laboratory and Field Manual. Missouri Archaeological Society.
Ubelaker, Douglas H. (1999) Human Skeletal Remains: Excavation, Analysis, Interpretation. Washington.
Taraxcum.
White, Tim D. (1999) Human Osteology 2nd Ed. Academic Press.
Whitehead, Paul F., Sacco, William K. and Hochgraf, Susan. (2004) A Photographic Atlas for Physical
Anthropology. Englewood. Morton.
Laboratory Policies
Handling skeletal material: The material we use in the class is real human skeletal material. Please treat it
carefully and respectfully, as each skeleton formerly belonged to somebody’s loved one. Always use two
hands, and replace the material on the pads provided on each table.
Food and drink policy: Due to the fact that we are using human skeletal material, we will strictly adhere to a
NO FOOD OR DRINK policy in the laboratory – from the moment you walk in the door, until class is over and
you are dismissed. This includes all food, drinks, candy and chewing gum. You are allowed to bring water in a
container with a spill proof lid. Given the timing of our class, please be sure to eat and get plenty of caffeine
before you arrive.
Cell phone/ electronic gadget policy: There will be NO CELL PHONE use (calls or texting) during class
time. If you must make or receive a call, please excuse yourself from the classroom and return just as quietly.
Please turn off cell phones (or put on vibrate) and other electronics upon entering the classroom.
Course Schedule
Please visit the class website at faculty.winthrop.edu/brooksc for up-to-date schedule information
Grading
Quizzes / Reports
Exam 1
Exam 2
Exam 3
Final Case Report
Annotated Bibliography
200 pts (20 points each/ 60pt final report)
100 pts (written and practical)
100 pts (written and practical)
100 pts
100 pts
100 pts
700pts TOTAL
Ways to get extra credit
10 points maximum if you review and critique 1 movie or 3 TV episodes that are forensics based with an
anthropology component (1 pg minimum)
Extra credit may be offered on quizzes and exams.
What to do if you miss a class???
1. First of all, ask a trusted classmate for class notes. DO NOT ASK ME! It is your responsibility
to obtain missed material, and get information to turn in assignments on time.
2. THERE ARE NO MAKE UPS!!! You can miss 2 quizzes without affecting your grade.
Exams are another story. Due to the fact that the exams will have a laboratory practical
component, I will not be able to set up the material for make ups. Therefore, if you cannot avoid
missing an exam, and you have an approved excuse (these are a doctor’s note or a notice of a
death in the family), any make up exams will be in essay format.
Attendance & Participation
Attendance will be taken each day class meets.
There is no need to inform me of your absences, or the reason for them because there is no point or grade
penalty for not attending class. If you are hospitalized or have some highly unusual circumstance this
semester, please see me for extra help with course material and preparation for exams.
If you are absent from class, it is your responsibility to find out what you missed. Feel free to contact
another student in the class for notes or information on what was covered. Please do not ask me for lecture
notes or to view videos or multimedia presentations shown in class. If you have specific questions or concerns
about the course, you are encouraged to make an appointment to meet with me.
A good record of attendance may possibly help bump you up a grade (+/-) if you are borderline at the end of the
semester. Attendance points are essentially "effort" points.
The privilege of attending lectures and presentations, and participating through questions and comments, is
yours to accept or reject; you are not penalized in any way for not attending class. No points are subtracted
for missing class.
At the end of the semester, the number of attendance sheets collected determines the maximum amount of
attendance days used to help boost borderline grades. If for some reason class is cancelled, no attendance is
taken; the percentage of days missed to days classes are held is what ultimately determines the "effort" points
should you need them to boost your grade. Supposing that we'll meet 28 days (excludes holidays and test days),
here's the point breakdown:
0-2absences: 2 absences is attending 26/28 days, or 26 divided by 28, which is .92 (A-range, 90's). Thus,
you can miss up to two class days and get the full attendance boost of 0. 5 points.
3-5 absences: 5 absences is attending 23/28 days, or 23 divided by 28, which is .82 (B-range, 80's). If you
miss 3-5 days, you can receive 0.3 points.
Example of how attendance can boost your grade:
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Let's say someone has a 79.00 (C+) and 80.00 (B-) is the more desirable grade, then this person would
need 0 to 2 absences to earn the 0.5 points to reach 79.5 which can be rounded up to 80.00 (B+) grade.
If this person missed 3 or more classes, the grade would remain a C+ (3 absences: 79.00 + 0.3 = 79.3).
Academic Integrity
A note on academic integrity…. DON’T CHEAT!!! If you get caught, the full range of penalties will be
enforced! This includes cheating, fabrication and falsification, plagiarism, multiple submissions and
complicity in academic dishonesty. You are responsible for knowing the content of the Winthrop code of
academic integrity.
Academic Success Center
Winthrop's Academic Success Center is a free resource for all undergraduate students seeking to perform their
best academically. The ASC offers a variety of personalized and structured resources that help students become
effective and efficient learners. The services available to students are as follows: peer tutoring, academic skill
development (test taking strategies, time management counseling, and study techniques), group and individual
study spaces, and academic coaching. The ASC is located in University College on the first floor of Dinkins
Hall, Suite 106. Please contact the ASC at 803-323-3929 or success@winthrop.edu. For more information on
ASC services, please visit www.winthrop.edu/success.
Students with Disabilities:
Winthrop University is dedicated to providing access to education. If you have a disability and need classroom
accommodations, please contact Gena Smith, Coordinator of Services for Students with Disabilities, at 3233290, as soon as possible. Once you have your Professor Notification Form, please let me know so that I am
aware of your accommodations well before the first assignment.
The content and/or sequence of topics of this outline may vary in order to meet the academic needs of the
students at the discretion of the instructor.
PLEASE NOTE: YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE INFORMATION IN THIS SYLLABUS. IF
THERE IS SOMETHING YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND, PLEASE ASK. IF YOU MISPLACE YOUR
SYLLABUS, YOU CAN OBTAIN ANOTHER COPY FROM THE BLACKBOARD CLASS WEBSITE.
Thank you for choosing Anthropology and I am looking forward to getting know you this semester!
Tentative Course Schedule:
Fa11
1 (Aug 21)
Thursday
2 (Aug 28)
Tuesday
Intro and Expectations/ History
of Forensic Anthrop
Bone Biology
3 (Sep 4)
Search and Recovery
Lab- bones
4 (Sep 11)
Post Mortem Changes/ TSD
Lab- bones
5 (Sep 18)
Bone Review
Exam 1- Bones
6 (Sep 25)
Lab Prep and Analysis
Exam 1 Make-Up
7 (Oct 2)
Report Writing
Lab- receive case
8 (Oct 9)
Age/Sex
Lab- case
9 (Oct 16)
No Class
Lab- case
10 (Oct 23)
Stature/ Ancestry
Exam 2- Forensics
11 (Oct 30)
Pathology/ Trauma/ XRays
Lab- case
12 (Nov 6)
No Class- Election
Lab- case
13 (Nov 13)
Crimes Against Humanity/ Mass
Lab- case
14 (Nov 20)
Exam 3- Case
No Class- Thanksgiving
15 (Nov 27)
Bibliographies Due
Final Report
Lab-bones
Lab- bones
Final Case Analysis Outline (5-8pgs)
Content:
Introduction
Forensic Analysis
Age
Sex
Ancestry
Stature
Trauma and Pathology
Positive ID
Summary
Appendix
How to Prepare an Annotated Bibliography
Published on olinuris.library.cornell.edu (http://olinuris.library.cornell.edu)
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WHAT IS AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY?
ANNOTATIONS VS. ABSTRACTS
THE PROCESS
CRITICALLY APPRAISING THE BOOK, ARTICLE, OR DOCUMENT
CHOOSING THE CORRECT FORMAT FOR THE CITATIONS
SAMPLE ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY ENTRY FOR A JOURNAL ARTICLE
WHAT IS AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY?
An annotated bibliography is a list of citations to books, articles, and documents. Each citation is followed by a
brief (usually about 150 words) descriptive and evaluative paragraph, the annotation. The purpose of the
annotation is to inform the reader of the relevance, accuracy, and quality of the sources cited.
ANNOTATIONS VS. ABSTRACTS
Abstracts are the purely descriptive summaries often found at the beginning of scholarly journal articles or in
periodical indexes. Annotations are descriptive and critical; they expose the author's point of view, clarity and
appropriateness of expression, and authority.
THE PROCESS
Creating an annotated bibliography calls for the application of a variety of intellectual skills: concise exposition,
succinct analysis, and informed library research.
First, locate and record citations to books, periodicals, and documents that may contain useful information and
ideas on your topic. Briefly examine and review the actual items. Then choose those works that provide a
variety of perspectives on your topic.
Cite the book, article, or document using the appropriate style.
Write a concise annotation that summarizes the central theme and scope of the book or article. Include one or
more sentences that (a) evaluate the authority or background of the author, (b) comment on the intended
audience, (c) compare or contrast this work with another you have cited, or (d) explain how this work
illuminates your bibliography topic.
CRITICALLY APPRAISING THE BOOK, ARTICLE, OR DOCUMENT
For guidance in critically appraising and analyzing the sources for your bibliography, seeHow to Critically
Analyze Information Sources. For information on the author's background and views, ask at the reference desk
for help finding appropriate biographical reference materials and book review sources.
CHOOSING THE CORRECT FORMAT FOR THE CITATIONS
Check with your instructor to find out which style is preferred for your class. Online citation guides for both the
Modern Language Association (MLA) and the American Psychological Association (APA) styles are linked
from the Library's Citation Management page.
SAMPLE ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY ENTRY FOR A JOURNAL ARTICLE
The following example uses the APA format for the journal citation.
Waite, L. J., Goldschneider, F. K., & Witsberger, C. (1986). Nonfamily living and the erosion of
traditional family orientations among young adults. American Sociological Review, 51 (4), 541-554.
The authors, researchers at the Rand Corporation and Brown University, use data from the National
Longitudinal Surveys of Young Women and Young Men to test their hypothesis that nonfamily living
by young adults alters their attitudes, values, plans, and expectations, moving them away from their
belief in traditional sex roles. They find their hypothesis strongly supported in young females, while the
effects were fewer in studies of young males. Increasing the time away from parents before marrying
increased individualism, self-sufficiency, and changes in attitudes about families. In contrast, an earlier
study by Williams cited below shows no significant gender differences in sex role attitudes as a result of
nonfamily living.
This example uses the MLA format for the journal citation. NOTE: Standard MLA practice requires double
spacing within citations.
Waite, Linda J., Frances Kobrin Goldscheider, and Christina Witsberger. "Nonfamily Living and the
Erosion of Traditional Family Orientations Among Young Adults." American Sociological Review 51.4
(1986): 541-554. Print.
The authors, researchers at the Rand Corporation and Brown University, use data from the National
Longitudinal Surveys of Young Women and Young Men to test their hypothesis that nonfamily living
by young adults alters their attitudes, values, plans, and expectations, moving them away from their
belief in traditional sex roles. They find their hypothesis strongly supported in young females, while the
effects were fewer in studies of young males. Increasing the time away from parents before marrying
increased individualism, self-sufficiency, and changes in attitudes about families. In contrast, an earlier
study by Williams cited below shows no significant gender differences in sex role attitudes as a result of
nonfamily living.