Los Angeles Harbor College
Anthropology 101 Spring 2018 - Human Biological Evolution
Section 19619 (Canvas)
February 5 – June 4, 2018
Dr. Sasha David
Office Hours: Monday through Thursday 7:30 – 8 AM
& by appointment
Office Phone and Location: (310) 233-4577; NEA 185
Los Angeles Harbor College Mission Statement
Los Angeles Harbor College promotes access and student success through associate and transfer degrees, certificates, economic and workforce development, and basic skills instruction. Our educational programs and support services meet the needs of diverse communities as measured by campus institutional learning outcomes.
Course Description
Introduction to the anthropological study of human evolution. Topics include the mechanisms of evolutionary change, genetics, human variation, and the reconstruction of human evolutionary history through an examination of the fossil record and through the use of comparative studies of our closest biological relatives, the living monkeys and apes.
Student Learning Outcomes: 1. Describe the evolutionary lineage that led to Homo sapiens, using the following species as points of reference: Australopiths, Homo erectus, Homo ergaster, Homo heidelbergensis, and Homo neandertalensis. 2. Describe the anatomical traits necessary for bipedalism and explain the significance of the Laetoli footprints. 3. Describe Darwin’s theory of natural selection and elaborate upon the scientific influences that shaped this theory.
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4. Describe why race is both an unsound scientific category, and a valid category of social experience. Describe scientifically sound factors that cause human variation. 5. Apply the Punnett Square methodology in order to predict genetic outcomes. 6. Describe the traits that make primates unique among Class Mammalia and the differences that distinguish between haplorhines and strepsirrhines.
Assigned readings for the course: Larsen, Clark Spencer. Our Origins (4th ed.). New York: Norton. ISBN: 978-0-393-61400-8 [Please note – ONLY the fourth edition is acceptable for this class.] This book is available at the bookstore and on reserve at the Harbor College library – make sure to request the textbook for Anthro 101 with Dr. David from the librarian. You can borrow it for two hours at a time.
Course Overview: This class consists of three types of activities, which are described in this syllabus and outlined below: 1.) You will read and study the modules that are posted, which consist of lecture notes and PowerPoints. 2.) You will read from the assigned textbook chapters and take reading quizzes to assess your mastery of the material. 3.) You will take a midterm and final exam that only cover the modules, including the lecture notes and PowerPoints that are posted. These exams do not cover the textbook reading.
Timeframe for the Course: This class follows an adaptive format schedule. That means that all materials for the class, including the quizzes and exams, are available to you from the very beginning until the very end of the class (from Monday, February 5, 2018 through 11:59 PM on Monday, June 4, 2018). Therefore, the only time rule is that everything, including the exams and the quizzes, needs to be complete and submitted by the last day of the class. I do this because I realize you are probably taking an online class since you have many other commitments, such as your job, family, etc. However, I would not recommend leaving everything for the last minute. Life is unpredictable and things could come up for you at the last minute, which prevent you from completing the course, if you’ve left all your work for the last weekend. No assignments will be accepted after 11:59 PM on Monday, June 4, 2018. Though the timeframe of this class is open-ended, please note that you need to log into the Canvas class website on or before Thursday, February 8, 2018, in order to not be dropped from the class.
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MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE ASSIGNMENTS FOR THIS CLASS:
Modules: The modules consist of lecture notes and PowerPoints that cover topics essential to biological anthropology. If you have any questions at all about the modules, please do not hesitate to ask me. There is no such thing as a “dumb question” in this class. I can’t know what you’re having trouble with, if you don’t let me know. You will find that there are various discussion and essay questions embedded into the PowerPoints; these are intended to get you thinking more about the class material, but you do not need to submit them to me. Reading Quizzes: The reading quizzes test you on the assigned textbook reading. They are timed and you only receive one try. You have 10 minutes to complete each test. No resubmissions are allowed, regardless of circumstance. Each quiz consists of five True/False questions. When studying for the quizzes, make sure to learn the boldface terms, including those in the captions and diagrams, though some of the quizzes may cover more than that. Quiz answers will not be revealed at the end in order to prevent academic dishonesty. There are 14 quizzes, and each one covers a separate chapter in your textbook. Midterm and Final Exams: The exams for this class only cover the modules, including the lecture notes and PowerPoints. They are timed and you only receive one try. You have 60 minutes to complete each test and no resubmissions will be allowed, regardless of circumstance. Each exam consists of 30 multiple choice questions. Make sure you have studied the modules in depth and the Midterm and Final Exam review sheets (which can be found under the “Files” tab) before beginning the exams. Exam answers will not be revealed at the end in order to prevent academic dishonesty. The Midterm covers Modules 1-6 and the Final is cumulative.
Grading for the class: There are 130 possible points in this class. Each question on each quiz and exam is worth one point out of those 130 points. The reading quizzes are each worth 5 possible points and there are 14 of them, so that makes 70 possible points total that you can earn from the quizzes. The midterm is worth 30 points and the final exam is worth 30 points. Here is the grade breakdown translated into percentages: Reading Quizzes: Each quiz is worth approximately 4% of your final grade; all of the quizzes all together will account for approximately 54% of your final grade. Midterm Exam: Worth approximately 23% of your final grade. Final Exam: Worth approximately 23% of your final grade.
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Extra Credit: One or more extra credit writing assignments will be posted to the class website periodically throughout the Spring term, so make sure to regularly log into the website for these announcements, even if you have finished submitting all the course materials. The method of submission for the extra credit writing assignments will be via email. Five points will be added to your final grade for the class based on successful completion of each extra credit writing assignment. This means that a final grade of 75/C would become 80/B if you successfully complete one writing assignment, and so on. Unlike the other assignments for this course, there will be due dates given for the extra credit writing assignments. In addition, ten points will be added to your final grade for the course based upon successful completion of the course Service Learning. (For example, a final grade of 75/C will become 85/B with the extra credit.) Service Learning is taught by Prof. Lori Minor. Service Learning is a class in which you earn credit for community service work; you develop and carry out any community service project of your own choosing, once it is approved by the Service Learning instructor. Click the “Files” tab on the left-hand side of the class site to find a flyer with the enrollment information for Service Learning. Once you have successfully completed Service Learning, Prof. Minor will notify me with the names of students in my courses who have finished her class, so make sure to let her know that you are enrolled in my class. If you are enrolled in multiple sections with me this semester, let her know each section of mine in which you are enrolled, so that I can apply your extra credit to all of your sections. If you have taken Service Learning during a previous semester, please give email me a copy of your unofficial transcript on or before the last day of class, so I can give you your extra credit for the class. Once again, make sure to let me know if you are enrolled in multiple sections of mine, so I can apply it to all your sections.
Final grades: This class will use the traditional numerical values for each letter grade. (A = 90%-100%; B = 80%- 89%; C = 70%-79%; D = 60%-69%; F = 59% or lower.) To calculate where you stand in this class, divide the points you have earned by the total points possible (130 possible points). Add five points to your final grade for each extra credit writing assignment that you have successfully submitted. Please note that extra credit points that you have earned will not appear on your gradebook, but they will be added to the final grade that is officially posted.
*** Course Policies:
Academic Honesty and Plagiarism Statement: All students are expected to adhere to conventional standards of academic honesty. These standards forbid plagiarism, unlawful copying and, or, failure to give credit to sources that you may use in the
4 | P a g e research and writing of your class work. Cheating and other forms of misconduct are covered under this statement. Failure to comply with these standards may result in a failed assignment and, or, a failed grade in this class. For more information on this matter, please refer to Board Rule 9803.28. Controversial Content Statement: This course includes discussions of a frank and coarse nature regarding particular subjects including race, religion and sexual orientation protected by the college’s academic freedom statutes that may be considered offensive and controversial to some. When such topics may arise during the course of this semester and a student wishes to be excused, please notify the instructor that you wish to be excluded from class discussion on the ground that it is personally offensive and the instructor will excuse you until such discussion has concluded. Late Work Policy: All exams/assignments/presentations are due on the specified day in the course syllabus. No late exams/assignments/presentations will be accepted, regardless of circumstance. Exam Resubmissions: You only receive one try for each quiz and exam in this class. There are absolutely no resubmissions allowed, regardless of circumstance. Drop Policy: After the first week of class, it is your responsibility to drop the class if you will no longer be participating. Disability Statement: Students with a verified disability who may need authorized accommodation(s) for this class are encouraged to notify the instructor and the Office of Special Programs & Services as soon as possible, at least two weeks before any exam or quiz. All information will remain confidential. Communicating with Dr. David: Please send any questions, comments or concerns to [email protected]. If you would prefer to meet in person, please visit my office hours or send me an email and we will set up an appointment.
Title IX: “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” – If you feel you have experienced this type of behavior or you have witnessed this type of behavior, please contact our campus Title IX coordinator.
Assignment of Final Grades: You will receive the final grade that you have earned in this class. I will not “negotiate” grades once the class has ended. All quizzes and exams will be returned to you as soon as possible. I recommend that you keep all of them so you can track your grade. You have 16 weeks to do an excellent job in this class! I will not respond to emails asking for a grade change once the final grades have been submitted.
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General advice:
It’s OK to feel a little lost at first, but after the first week you should start feeling at home. Remember that the role of an online student is much more active than the role of a traditional student, so you will need to make sure you are keeping on top of all the assignments.
If you need help getting used to Canvas, here are some great links and video resources: o https://vimeo.com/74677642 o https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-10701 o http://www.lahc.edu/harboronline.html o Also remember our Harbor College 24-7 Canvas online support: 1-(844) 602-6287
Don’t forget to use your student laccd.edu email address when communicating with Harbor College Distance Education members, faculty, Canvas support, or Admissions and Records.
Make sure you are using a fast internet connection when you take the quizzes and exams. As they are timed, a slow connection will make it take longer to go from question to question, which means you will have less time to work on them.
You will need to be able to open files with a .pptx extension in order to view the PowerPoints. Therefore, you need to be working with an up-to-date version of MS Office.
Answer the quiz and exam questions based ONLY on the course material; do not bring in outside information (i.e., random stuff you find on the internet) or your own personal opinion unless the question specifically asks you to.
Also, always assume that I am NOT trying to trick you, when you take the quizzes and exams. Always choose the best answer that makes the most sense, not the answer that you think would be right if it were a trick question.
Before taking the midterm and final exam, print out all the modules and PowerPoints and highlight the topics that will be covered, according to the review guides (which can be found under the “Files” tab). Refer to your printouts while you are taking these tests. You will get a much better score!
Please let me know if there are any questions I can answer!
Dr. David
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