Sandbox Follies

ANTHROPOLOGY 101 (Section 0116)
Human Biological Evolution
Los Angeles Mission College - Fall 2016

INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Arthur Gribben E-mail:via private message at homepage OR at gribbea@lamission.edu. 
Office Hour: There is no specific office hour as such. Instead, you may submit messages via e-mail and/or the course web site's message board or chat room, all of which will be checked daily by your instructor. Ongoing contact will also happen by way of the discussion boards.
PREREQUISITE: English 28 or ESL 8 You will not be allowed to enroll if the prerequisite is not fulfilled.
REQUIRED TEXTBOOK & VIDEO LESSONS: Required readings are from our textbook, titled Exploring Biological Anthropology: The Essentials, 4th edition, by Stanford, Allen & Anton. ISBN-13: 9780134014012 The DVD lesson set is Physical Anthropology: the Evolving Human. This set of documentaries complements the textbook & brings you “into the field” to meet & get a feel for the work of professional anthropologists.  The assigned reading will always be included with the instructions for each discussion.   A full set of power point documents to assist you with note taking is also available.  Both the book and the dvd lesson set are required items & both are available for purchase at the campus bookstore. Copies are on reserve for in-house use at the LAMC library. Show your student id card and/or proof of registration at the library desk if you wish to avail of this approach for your study.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Students examine the underlying principles of human evolution, including the basic principles of natural selection, the fossil record, the position of humans within the primate order, and the features that make Homo sapiens unique.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES: 
1. Students will be able to analyze the dynamics of evolution in relationship to genetics.
2. Students will be able to trace the geologic record of fossil forms leading to the characteristic structure of modern Homo sapiens.
3. Students will analyze past anthropological knowledge and current research in the field in order to formulate a hypothesis addressing the possible future direction of human evolution.
GRADING DISCUSSION FORUMS: Since these represent 80 points in total, it is wise to participate with gusto! The schedule for this is strict & should not be missed. Remember, you must complete a total of sixteen (16) posts & related responses. A total of 5 points may be earned per individual Discussion, 3 for your own post & 2 for your response/s to another student.  This means one post per week and at least two follow up "responses" to another student's post.  To earn maximum points, your post must register by Wednesday at 11:00 p.m., and the responses must register by Sun at 11:00 p.m. "Posts" should be at least two full paragraphs (120-150 total words), use complete sentences, must list & directly address the issue as well as name the Lesson title. "Responses" are meant to discuss a fellow student's post, so simply agreeing with or echoing another student will earn zero. While there are no points for the Self Introduction, you are required to do it & a penalty of 5 points will be applied if you fail to do so by the due date. A picture or "selphie" must accompany your introduction and, eventually, your uploaded fieldwork project. Respond to at least two other students Self Introductions (not graded) so as to get acquainted.
RUBRIC USED TO MEASURE QUALITY. Remember, you must contribute 1 post & 2 responses for each of the 16 discussions.  You may review the rubric by clicking on this link  Discussions.Rubric.docx  or you can find it listed at the end of each discussion assignment set of instructions.  There will be no extensions or make-ups for discussion forums. Keep close track of deadlines.
COURSE GRADE: Will be based on points earned for: a. Mid-term (95); b. Final & Essay (100); c. Human Genome Project Assignment (10); d. Five (5) quizzes (100); e. 16 Discussion posts (80); f. Zoo Project (15). Total points = 400. Grades will be determined as follows: A = 90% (+) ; B = 80% (+); C = 70% (+); D = 60% (+); F = anything below 60%. Be alert and participate; no question will be turned away. N.B. The squeaky wheel gets the oil!
EXAMS: Midterm will be a combination of 95 multiple-choice & true/false questions, all focused on chapters 1-8. The final exam will cover chapters 9-15 and includes 90 multiple choice/true-false questions & a short essay for 10 points (total 100). Essay must be uploaded by due date to complete final exam process. See schedule & assignments. Format your document in a standard manner (.doc or .rtf).
LATE WORK: All exams & quizzes must be completed by the closing date & time. Once initiated, each quiz is allotted 25 minutes for completion, with one try. You will be cut off at the bewitching hour & assigned a score for any correctly completed questions. Questions are drawn from a pool & are reshuffled each time a student begins the test. Results are available AFTER the closing time. The time frame for mid-term & final is naturally longer. Anyone with a special circumstance (health or otherwise) needs to contact the instructor at the start of the term and supply appropriate supporting documentation. No exceptions!
DROPPING: Remember that it is your responsibility to drop the class online by the deadline, as follows:
Drop classes without receiving a “W” with refund (By Internet only) ............ September 11
Drop classes without incurring fees or with a refund (By Internet only)….….September 11
Drop classes with a “W” – A letter grade is required after this date forward - (By Internet only) ... Nov 20
Failure to drop by the official deadline may result in a grade of “F” in that class.
ATTENDANCE POLICY: This class is organized around the idea of weekly online participation. Therefore, each week's presence & participation (P&P) is particularly critical. Lack of P&P will negatively impact your grade. With this in mind, if you miss more than one week of class without just cause…YOU WILL BE DROPPED.
HOLIDAYS: Labor Day is Sep 5th; Veteran's Day is Nov. 11th; Thanksgiving Nov. 24 -- 27
CREDIT Transferable to UC/CSU (see College Catalog)
INCOMPLETE REQUESTS
Granted rarely and only for documented, very serious reason. Request must be made well before final exam week; you must be up to date with all requirements & have been progressing satisfactorily.
POLICY ON PLAGIARISM You are required to read, contemplate, and observe the document on this issue (see "Announcements"). In some cases, if you don't click "Accept" after reading it, you won't be able to continue with the item in question (e.g., assignments). See also "Announcements" for a humorous YouTube video on cheating.
LAMC STUDENT RESOURCES
LAMC Bookstore: Call 818-364-7798 or 364-7768; visit http://www.lamissionbookstore.com
Counseling: Call 818-364-7655 or http://www.lamission.edu/counseling/
Disabled Students Programs/Services: Call 818-364-7732 or http://wwwlamission.edu/dsps
Extended Opportunity Programs & Services: Call 818-364-7645 or http://www.lamission.edu/eops/
Financial Aid: Call 818-364-7648 or http://www.lamission.edu/financialaid/
Library: Call 818-364-7105 or 364-7106 or http://www.lamission.edu/library/
Tutoring Services: Call 818-364-7754 or http://www.lamission.edu/learningcenter/