North American Archaeology

Spring 2010 MWF 2-2:50 Fitz 308
 Instructor: Dr. Renee B. Walker
Office: 312 Fitzelle
Office Hours: MWF 1-2 pm
Email: email me

Syllabus

Course Description

            This course will introduce students to the amazing variability and diversity of North American prehistoric cultures.  We will begin by examining the theories and debates over the arrival of humans in the New World.  We will then proceed chronologically, examining the developments of each region of North America during four major cultural periods, including the Paleoindian, Archaic, Woodland and Mississippian.  The last part of the semester will be spent more critically investigating cultures of the northeastern United States.  Particularly, subjects like the origins of the Iroquois, northeastern pottery styles, and the effects of European contact on the aboriginal inhabitants of the region will be discussed in greater depth.  You will also be able to pursue a topic in North American prehistory in greater depth through a group presentation, given at the end of the semester.

Grading

Exams: Your grade for the semester will be based on two exams (one midterm and one final.  The midterm exam will be given on the date in the course outline and the final will be on the scheduled final exam date.  Both exams will be non-cumulative, multiple choice and essay. 

Case Studies: You will also look at the case studies presented in the text. Some are in the text itself and some in the CD that comes with it. You are to summarize three of these case studies and explain why you chose that particular one .  If you need some ideas for a topic, come see me.

Group Presentation & Summary: The group presentation will take place at the end of the semester.  Students will work together in groups of five to come up with a 30 minute presentation to the class. Each student will submit a typed summary of their part in the presentation.

Participation: Finally, your class participation grade will be based on your attendance and engagement in class discussions.

                The total points for the semester are:

Text

Neusius, Sarah W. and G. Timothy Gross  Seeking our Past: An Introduction to North American Archaeology. Oxford University Press, 2007.

Class Participation

            As mentioned above, your class participation grade is 50 points of your total grade for the course.  You are also expected to complete reading assignments before we discuss the topic in class, so that we can have meaningful dialog about the information in the readings.

Academic Dishonesty

    You are expected to be familiar with the rules concerning academic dishonesty as published in the Code of Student Conduct ( http://www.oneonta.edu/development/judicial/code.asp#conduct). In particular, note the section that describes the possible penalties for academic dishonesty: “A Student deemed guilty of an act of academic dishonesty may, depending on the nature of the offense, be subject to one or more of the following measures: failure of the assignment or examination, failure of the course, or dismissal from the College.”

Angel :

Announcements, study guides, handouts, and some other course material will be available via Angel (http://angel.oneonta.edu). It is your responsibility to check Angel regularly for announcements. You need to be officially registered in the class to access to course content on Angel. If you have problems with any aspects of Angel contact the Information Technology Help Desk (607) 436-4567.
Additional materials (powerpoint lectures) at: http://employees.oneonta.edu/walkerr/North%20America/AN245Syl.htm

Emergency Evacuation/Shelter-in-Place Procedures:

In the event of an emergency evacuation (i.e., fire or other emergency), classes meeting in this building are directed to reassemble at Fine Arts Theater so that all persons can be accounted for. Complete details of the College's emergency evacuation, shelter-in-place and other emergency procedures can be found at http://www.oneonta.edu/security/.