Syllabus

Anthropology 151L: Human Evolution Laboratory

Spring Term, 2011

Instructor:  Matt C. Rosett                       

Email: mrosett@salud.unm.edu           

Office: B 76 (Anthropology Bldg directly underneath lab)           

Office Hours:  M 10:30-12 or by appointment

Textbook:  Anthropology 151L Laboratory Manual

This course focuses on biological anthropology.   We will introduce the basic principles of genetics, evolution, osteology, primate morphology and social behavior, paleoanthropology, and modern human morphology and behavior in a “hands-on” environment.  While this lab is a stand-alone course in that it is graded separately from a lecture course, it is strongly recommended that you take the Anthropology 150: Evolution and Human Emergence lecture course concurrently.  Information presented in the lecture course will aid you in understanding the material presented in this course and vice versa. 

Lectures will be kept to a bare minimum so that you will have ample time to focus on the lab exercises presented in the Laboratory Manual.  In most cases, we will jump right in without review, so it is essential that the required readings, outlined in the schedule and contained in the manual, be completed before class. Be aware that the mid-term and final exams are primarily identification-style questions, so hands-on learning is essential to successfully completing this course.

Attendance/Participation: This is a hands-on lab course, thus attendance and participation for the FULL LAB PERIOD is required for you to do well.  There are very few valid reasons for you to miss class. These include serious or contagious illness, a death in family, and attendance at a professional conference.  If you know in advance that you will miss a class, please notify me. You will have the chance to make up the lab during another section under the following conditions:

• You may ONLY make up an exam or lab if you have a valid excuse with documentation (doctor’s note, death certificate; see me about what constitutes verification of attendance at professional conference)
• You may ONLY make up a lab during the week that lab is covered (because of the Labor Day holiday, which affects the timing of labs 3 through 12, most students can make up one of the latter on the Tuesday of the week missed through the following Monday; for students in Monday sections, the period for a make-up will be Tuesday through Friday of the week before)
• You may ONLY avail yourself of this 2 times/semester
• You must have the lab instructor in your make-up session sign your lab manual so that I know you did the work
• The assignment will be due at the beginning of the next normal class session. 
• The instructor in the make-up session you choose reserves the right to refuse your request of a make-up if he/she deems there are too many students in the classroom

Grading:

• Remember, your final grade is based on attendance and participation in every lab!
• The majority of your grade will be based on your laboratory write ups, which are due at the beginning of the next scheduled meeting time. You must complete the laboratory activity as outlined in the manual, providing all relevant data and answering all the questions.  You will work mostly in groups, and thus will have the same data, but you MUST write your own answers.  Do Not Copy others work.  All assignments must be legibly handwritten or typed.  If I cannot read your handwriting, you will not get full credit.  Attendance in lab is mandatory for full credit.  Lab assignment grades are based on completion only, but if you do not answer all questions or fail to turn in the required pages, you will automatically lose points.  There will be a total of 12 lab-write ups that are worth 5 points each.
• Lab 8 will be an exercise requiring a trip to the Albuquerque Zoo and is therefore worth 25 points; class will not meet for that lab.
• There will be a mid-term and a final, each worth 50 points toward your final grade. Before the midterm, a “dummy” exam consisting of a few stations will be set-up for students to familiarize themselves with the format.
• Any assignments that are turned in late will lose one grade point per day. No work will be accepted more than one week late. 
• There will be no extra credit!

Points breakdown:

Lab write-ups – 12 x 5 points each = 60 points

Zoo exercise = 25 points

Midterm = 50 points

Final = 50 points

Total:  185 points

A+       98% or more         

A         93% - 97.9%      

A-        90% - 92.9%         

B+       88% - 89.9%         

B         83% - 87.9%          

B-          80% - 82.9%          

C+       78% - 79.9%               

C         73% - 77.9%     

C-          70% - 72.9%         

D         60% - 69.9%               

F          59.9% or less               

general class policies: Please read and follow the General Lab Rules for 151L found in Lab 1 of your class manual.  Please also turn off all cell phones and beepers when you come to class.  I also request that you do not come to class late, as it disrupts the short introductory lecture and the other students. If tardiness becomes a problem, the door to the lab will be closed (and locked) promptly at the beginning of lecture.

cheating and plagiarism: Students are required to obey the University of New Mexico’s policies regarding cheating and plagiarism outlined in the Pathfinder.  You are encouraged to work together on lab and homework assignments for this course; however, any assignments that you write up and turn in MUST be your own work, in your own words.

ada policies: Qualified students with disabilities needing appropriate academic adjustments should contact me the first week of class to ensure that your needs are met in a timely manner.

If You Don’t Understand Something…

• PLEASE ASK!  Chances are you are not the only one who is confused
• Come to my office hours or make an appointment to see me
• Work with your classmates – sometimes you can help each other out
• Utilize CAPS at Zimmerman Library – there is an anthropology tutor