Biological Anthropology Lab

ANTHR1L Fall 2012, Room 431
Section #s 76223 & 79714 MW 12:40-2:00pm
Instructor: Michelle Y. Merrill    Office: Room 430A
Contact Info

Printer-friendly Spring 2012 PDF Syllabus

COURSE OVERVIEW

Biological Anthropology is the scientific study of humans as biological organisms: our biological diversity, our evolutionary relationships to other organisms, and our origins, including the study of living primates, human variation, and the fossils of human ancestors and related species.

The lab course will give you opportunities to explore this science in greater detail, giving you a better understanding of the material you are learning (or you have learned) in your lecture course.  You will have opportunities to participate in discussions and simulation activities (games) with your classmates, and may even perform some measurements and tests on one another.  You will get to carefully observe and very carefully handle skeletal material and casts of fossils.

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Course Objectives

This class provides opportunities to develop skills in all of Cabrillo’s “Core Four” competencies:

• comprehending written and spoken laboratory instructions
• noting observations, results or measurements
• writing out responses to thought questions

II. Critical Thinking and Information Competency: Analysis, Computation, Research, Problem Solving

Specifically, students will be expected to:

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Common Courtesy and Common Sense

Students frequently discover that not everyone shares their personal beliefs, experiences, and convictions.  Respect for many points of view is required in this class.  Disagreements are healthy and help us to learn, but students must maintain a respectful attitude and courteous conversation at all times.  My goal as an instructor is not to convince you to hold a particular opinion on controversial issues, but to encourage you to think critically and with an open mind about the facts, evidence, ideas and theories presented in class.

Classroom etiquette regarding portable electronic devices is not unlike takeoff and landing on an airplane – they should be turned off and stowed away.  Cell phones and pagers should be OFF at all times (an exception may be made for parents or caretakers who can keep their phones/pagers on vibrate for emergency situations, provided the instructor is notified ahead of time).  You should have nothing in your ears other than hearing aid devices if needed. 

Calculators, PDAs, and laptop computers are permitted provided they aren't making much noise; such devices are neither needed nor permitted during exams.

Other behavioral norms are expected to minimize classroom disruptions and avoid disturbing your fellow students.  Arrive on time for class.  Do not interrupt the instructor or your classmates while they are speaking, but by all means DO raise your hand when you have a question or comment.  Basically, use a little common sense, try to imagine what is likely to annoy your instructor or your classmates, and then avoid doing those things if you wish to remain in class.

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Grading

As with so many things, the essence of success in lab is showing up - not only being physically present, but being prepared, paying attention and actively engaging with the work at hand.  Your grade will be based on:

1. your participation (25%) note that you will loose partial credit for the day if you are more than a few minutes late, if you are unprepared (don't have your printed labsheet), if you are disruptive or if you are not productively engaged with the work,
2. your completion of lab assignment sheets (50%),
3. your performance on the mid-term lab exam (10%), and
4. your performance on the final lab exam (15%)

100-90% = A
89-80% = B
79-70% = C
69-60% = D
59-0% = F

Participation: This course requires active participation each day of class so it is important for you to attend every class session, arrive on time, and come prepared. Your participation not only enhances your own learning, it benefits other students in the class, especially when working in teams (most of the time in this class). Your level of participation is reflected in your grade and since you can't participate if you are not in class, absences and tardiness will also be reflected in your grade.

Labsheets will be accepted for review upon completion each week.  If you need more time to finish answering thought questions, the labsheet will still count as on-time if submitted at the beginning of class the session after completion of the lab assignment.  Please staple or clip sheets together to hand in for review.  Labsheets are graded for completeness, not for accuracy.  Confirming the accuracy of your lab notes is your responsibility; if you are in doubt about your answers on a labsheet, check with the instructor during the lab activity. 

Each labsheet will be graded on a 10-point scale:

Exams are open-note, so you are well advised to carefully and thoroughly complete all lab sheets, and keep them neat and in order.  While your work in regular lab sessions will most often be in teams, you may need to work independently during the lab exams. Cheating on exams is grounds for an immediate failing grade in the class. 

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Make-Up Work and Extra Credit

Setting up for labs and exams takes a lot of time and effort, and many lab activities require the presence and participation of your classmates.  Therefore there are no make-ups for exams without a verifiable excuse (e.g. note from doctor's office).  See schedule for exam dates and times.

Only one make-up lab is allowed per student. Make-up labs will consist of completing related work in the Human Evolution Coloring Book as described here (or other work to be determined by the instructor) and must be completed within two weeks of your absence.  You will still be responsible for knowing what went on in lab and how to recognize materials for lab exams, so I strongly recommend contacting a classmate and discussing the lab activity with them, and making notes on a copy of the lab sheet (available on website). 

If you know you are going to miss a lab or exam, contact me to see if you can attend another one of my sections. If you make these arrangements, it will not count as your one make-up.

Extra-credit work may be available provided you request it by the 12th week of class.  The assignment, its value, and its due date are entirely up to the discretion of the instructor (whiners will receive less credit).

ADA Compliance

Students needing accommodations should contact the instructor immediately. As required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), accommodations are provided to insure equal opportunity for students with verified disabilities. If you need assistance with an accommodation, please contact Disabled Student Services, Room 810, (479-6379) or Learning Skills Program, Room 1073, (479-6220).

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Course Schedule

Note: these dates and topics are subject to change.  Changes will be announced in class and posted on the course website.  It is your responsibility to make sure you are aware of any revisions. Click "print" to go to the password protected site where you can link to the PDF for that week's labsheet. Last Update: 18 August 2012

My gratitude to Kristin Wilson and Jim Funaro for their contributions to and assistance in preparing earlier versions of this syllabus.