Course Description
Transformation and resiliency in North American indigenous complex cultures are explored using data drawn from art, archaeology, ethnohistory, anthropology, and oral histories. Northwest and southwest town cultures are compared/contrasted to the mound cultures of the mid-west/east. Their varied adaptive strategies for dealing with social, political, and climatic upheaval are revealed.
Syllabus
Student Learning Outcomes, Goals, Objectives:
Students successfully completing this course will be able to:
MAC Written Communication SLOs
- Demonstrate appropriate and ethical oral communication messages for given contexts and communicators to increase knowledge, foster understanding, and/or promote change.
- Analyze and evaluate messages according to context, audience, intent, and other principles of oral communication, to contribute to the ongoing development of knowledge and relationship.
ARC Program SLOs
- Identify sites, artifacts, and characteristics of major archaeological cultures, periods, and/or traditions.
- Relate methods and theories to archaeological data.
- Define the geographic regions and archaeological cultural areas of North America.
- Compare representative sites and their material culture.
- Critique explanatory theories about processes affecting the development of complex North American indigenous cultures.
- Learn to research the major literature of North American archaeology.
- Produce a research poster illustrating appropriate critical analysis, grammar, organization, and formatting skills
- Present research results in the appropriate style for the audience.
- Explain the competing theories offered to interpret the complex societies in the American Southeast, Southwest, and Pacific Northwest.
Course Grading Information:
| Activity/Performance Measure | Percentage/Points |
|---|---|
| 3 Reading précis & discussions | 75 points |
| A three-minute artifact elevator pitch | 50 points |
| 3 Small group archaeology debate discussions | 75 points |
| A podcast-style site overview & peer reviews | 75 points |
| 3 Exams | 75 points |
| A final poster presentation & peer reviews | 100 points |
| Attendance & participation | 50 points |
Grading Scale:
| Percentage | Letter Grade |
|---|---|
| 93%-100% | A |
| 90%-92% | A- |
| 87%-89% | B+ |
| 83%-86% | B |
| 80%-82% | B- |
| 77%-79% | C+ |
| 73%-76% | C |
| 70%-72% | C- |
| 67%-69% | D+ |
| 63%-66% | D |
| 60%-62% | D- |
| 59% and below | F |
Attendance/Participation:
There is a direct correlation between understanding class material, attendance, participation, keeping on schedule with the readings, and exam grades. Do not anticipate extra credit chances. Attendance is worth 50 points (10% of your total grade). You may miss up to 3 classes (this includes sick days) before it adversely affects your attendance grade.
Course Materials Purchased by the Students:
Fagan, Brian M. 2019. Ancient North America: The Archaeology of a Continent. Fifth edition. Thames & Hudson.
Scholarly Perspectives
This course engages diverse scholarly perspectives to develop critical thinking, analysis, and debate and inclusion of a reading does not imply endorsement.