Anthro 4: Ancient Peoples and Society
Section 4084, Spring 2019 Course Syllabus

This syllabus is also available as a Word document: Syllabus_Anthro4.doc

Course Description

This course serves as an introduction to the development of complex human societies using cross-cultural, comparative examples from the archaeological record. We begin with an examination of hunter-gatherer societies and conclude with the collapse of ancient empires.  Admittedly the scope of prehistory is broad; as a result, this class focuses on a few key geographic areas and sites that best highlight world-wide trends and instructor expertise.

The course is designed for non-majors and presumes no prior anthropological background.  However, it is recommended that students be eligible for ENGL 1A or equivalent.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

1. Discuss archaeological and anthropological perspectives related to the nature, origins, development, and collapse of ancient civilizations.
2. Use key archaeological sites, ranging from foraging communities to empires, to compare and contrast human social organization and political complexity.

Class Meetings

MW 10:30-12:00 pm, Emeritus 1691

Instructor Contact:

Instructor: Dr. Nicole Slovak                       

Office Phone: (707) 521-7884                     

Office Hours: M 12-2 p.m./TTH 12-1:30 p.m.

Office: 1539 Emeritus

I respond to emails within 24 hours. I rarely respond to email over the weekend, so please expect a response to messages sent after 5 p.m. on Friday by the following Monday.

Course Web Site

Students will use the Canvas course web site to access the course schedule, view assignments, submit assignments, share resources, and view grades.

Textbook

Feder, Kenneth L. The Past in Perspective: An Introduction to Human Prehistory (7^th Edition).  Oxford University Press: 2017.

In addition to the JC bookstore and other online vendors, this text can also be rented as an e-book.  There is no need for students to bring their textbooks to class.

Important Dates

Day Class Begins: 1/14/2019

Day Class Ends: 5/20/2019

Attendance and Dropping the Class

For face-to-face courses, students who fail to attend the first class meeting may be dropped by the instructor. Students are expected to be present in class and regular attendance and participation is worth 5 percent of your grade.  Students who miss more than 3 classes will receive zero points for participation.   Any student with excessive absences may be dropped from the class. An excessive absence refers to absences that exceed 10% of the total hours of class time, or in the specific case of this class, an excessive absence equates to 5 or more missed classes.  Students who are excessively absent may be dropped from the course. If a student decides to discontinue this course, it is her or his responsibility to officially drop it.

Late Policy

All assignments are due by the start of class on the due date unless otherwise specified by the instructor. No late assignments are accepted except in an emergency.

Exams

Students will have three exams during the semester.  The dates for the exams are listed on Canvas.  Exams will cover materials reviewed in class and in your readings, and may consist of multiple choice, matching, true/false, map identification, short answers, and/or essays.

***Make-up exams are given only in an emergency.  Students MUST notify the instructor by phone or e-mail within 24 hours of missing an exam to schedule a make-up.  If you fail to contact the instructor in a timely matter, you will not be allowed to make-up the exam and will receive no credit for the test.  Makeup exams must be taken within 1 week of the original exam date barring only the most extreme cases. 

Research Paper:             

Students are required to prepare a 6- to 7-page research paper that ties into one of the following general topics (please see on-line course schedule for more specific ideas):

• The Rise of Modern Humans
• The Upper Paleolithic
• The Settlement of the Americas
• The Transition from Foraging to Farming
• Origins of Social Complexity
• The Development and/or Collapse of States and Empires
• Ancient Societies of Holocene Europe
• Ancient Societies of the Andes

Individual theses may vary, but students are required to provide a topic to me by the middle of the semester (see Canvas for exact due date), and may be asked to submit a revised topic to me if necessary.  Students who fail to submit a topic to me by the assigned date MAY NOT complete the assignment.  Students also are expected to turn in a paper outline and bibliography ahead of time.

Students must cite at least 5 academic sources when writing their paper (your text books and assigned on-line readings do not count).  Full bibliographic references should be listed in a formal works cited at the end of your paper, and in-text citations are a MUST!!!  Papers should follow APA style, please.

The paper is due no later than 10:00a.m., Mon, 5/20 (Finals Week). Please note, NO LATE PAPERS WILL BE ACCEPTED.  Assignments turned in after the due date are considered late.  Also, your work should be your own.  Evidence for plagiarism, which includes failure to provide citations or cutting and pasting someone else’s work, will not be tolerated and will result in zero points for the project.  More specifics on the assignment will be given to you in class and posted on Canvas.

Optional Presentation:  

In addition to the research paper, students are invited to give an 8-10 minute presentation on their research during the final week of class which will be worth up to 10 points extra credit on their final paper.  Presentations should be polished, cogently organized, and visually pleasing.   More info will be given in class and posted on-line. 

Homework:    

Students will be asked to turn in a series of HW assignments based on assigned on-line readings and class discussion.  More information will be given in class and posted on Canvas. NO LATE ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED.

Grading Policy

Click the “Grades” link in Canvas to keep track of your grades. Turn around time for grades to be posted is generally one week from the assignment due date.  The course is worth 100 points.  All of the individual assignments are weighted separately (see below for weights).  

Exams                                      40% 

Research Paper Topics            5%

Paper Outline/ Bibliography     10%

Research Paper                        25%            

Homework                                 15%         

Attendance/Participation            5%                      

Standards of Conduct

1. Academic Honesty

            Students are expected to abide by the code of ethics established by Santa Rosa Junior College, which states “Academic dishonesty is regarded as any act of deception, benign or malicious in nature, in the completion of any academic exercise. Examples of academic dishonesty include cheating, plagiarism, impersonation, misrepresentation of idea or fact for the purpose of defrauding, use of unauthorized aids or devices, falsifying attendance records, violation of testing protocol, inappropriate course assignment collaboration, and any other acts that are prohibited by the instructor of record.”  Please see Policy 3.11 and 3.11P for further explanation of District Policy.

            If students are caught doing any of the above during the semester serious consequences, including suspension, may result.  In addition, students who are caught cheating on an exam or plagiarizing another’s work on their Reaction Papers or HW assignments will receive zero points for that test or assignment.  Given that exams and the Reaction Paper represent a large portion of your final grade, a student caught cheating or plagiarizing likely will not pass the class.  Also, students who are involved in falsifying attendance records will lose 10 points off of their final course grade in addition to facing possible suspension.

2. Electronics

Cell phones should be turned off for class. Checking e-mail or texting during class on a personal laptop, cell phone, or other electronic device is unacceptable. If students are caught doing any of the above they will be dismissed from class for the day and marked as absent. Repeated incidences will result in a student being dropped from the course.        

3. Talking

Please, please, please ask questions; however, please do not engage in private conversations during class.  If necessary, disruptive students will be asked to leave the class and in a worst case scenario, they will be dropped from the course.

4. Emergency Evacuation Plan

In the event of an emergency during class that requires evacuation of the building, please leave the class immediately and in a calm manner. All students should meet at the food kiosk in front of Emeritus until directed elsewhere.  If you are a student with a disability who may need assistance in an evacuation, please see the instructor during my office hours as soon as possible so we can discuss an alternative evacuation plan.

5. Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

If you need disability related accommodations for this class, such as a note taker, test taking services, special furniture, use of service animal, etc., please provide the Authorization for Academic Accommodations (AAA letter) from the Disability Resources Department (DRD) to your instructor as soon as possible. You may also speak with your instructor privately during office hours about your accommodations. If you have not received authorization from DRD, it is recommended that you contact them directly. DRD is located in Analy Village on the Santa Rosa campus, and Petaluma Village on the Petaluma Campus.