Introduction to Ecological & Evolutionary AnthropologyANTH 222

Tuesdays & Thursdays 11 – 12:15 2324 CSS

Instructor: Dr. Jen ShafferOffice: 0110 Woods HallEmail: lshaffe1@umd.eduPhone: 301.405.1441Office Hours: Tuesday 1-2:230 pm or by appointment

Laboratory Instructors:Mr. Fabio Correa – fabio5@umd.edu

Office Hours: appointment (0113 Woods)

Ms. Magda Mankel – memankel@umd.eduOffice Hours:

appointment ()Ms. Helen Mittman –

Office Hours: appointment

Course DescriptionAn introductory course in Ecological and Evolutionary Anthropology is an opportunity for students to learn basic concepts and methods for the interdisciplinary study of:

1. the evolution of human physiology and human behavior;2. the relationship between hominids and non-hominid primates; and3. the study of relationships between a population of humans (historic, contemporary, or future)

and their biophysical environment.

Students will explore the evolution of the human species and the nature of contemporary human variation. Course learning begins with the principles of ecology, evolutionary theory, and genetics to establish a framework for the study of human evolutionary biology. Fossil evidence for human evolution will then be considered, including comparisons with non-human primate ecology and evolution, to reconstruct prehistoric lifeways. Finally, discussion turns to modern human variation and diversity, paying particular attention how biocultural adaptations to environmental stressors like climate, nutrition, disease, and culture have shaped our species - and continue to do so.

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Course Learning OutcomesBy the end of the semester, students should be able to:

Articulate basic principles of evolution and human genetics, including a history of the ideas leading to our current scientific understandings of these principles and how they are applied in contemporary society;

Identify similarities and differences between humans and non-human primate species, including the biological basis for cooperation and competition;

Demonstrate an understanding of the major trends in hominin evolution, including the fossil and molecular evidence for the origins of anatomically modern humans;

Evaluate influences of genetic, ecological, and sociocultural factors on biological variation, diversity, and adaptation in non-human primates and in contemporary human populations; and

Apply biocultural and ecological perspectives to explicate human reproductive biology, growth and development, disease patterns, diet/foodways, and livelihoods.

Required Course Materials & ReadingsLaboratory and supplemental readings for this course may be found on CANVAS on both the lecture module pages AND the Course Reading page.

LECTURE SCHEDULEDate Topic Reading/Lab

T 30 Aug Course Introduction Syllabus; Course website?; No lab this week!

Th 1 Sept What is Ecological & Evolutionary Anthropology? Define ecological and evolutionary anthropology, including the 5

field approach to anthropology, and what the fields of ecology and evolutionary biology bring to the study of humanity.

Explore the trajectory of systems thinking approaches to describe the approach/es taken in class (complexity, biocultural).

Examine science as a process and a culture. Explain the difference between a scientific law, a theory and a

hypothesis.

Nijuis (2014) When did the human epoch begin

T 6 Sept Natural History & the Origins of Evolutionary Thought Identify key conceptual milestones of pre-evolutionary theory. Discuss contributions of James Hutton, Georges Cuvier, Charles

Lyell, Jean-Baptiste Lamark, Thomas Malthus, Alfred Russel Wallace, and Charles Darwin.

Describe natural selection and its premises. Explore Darwinism as a powerful meme driving other scientific

theories including social Darwinism, synthetic theory, and sociobiology.

Scott (2004) Truth without certainty; Anthropometry & Statistics

Th 8 Sept Reading the Genetic Code Describe the structure, function, location, and composition of DNA. Discriminate between structural and regulatory genes. Explain 3 basic principles of Mendelian genetic inheritance and

demonstrate their application to calculate trait inheritance. Identify 10 contradictions to Mendelian principles of genetic

inheritance.

Chung (2014) Autism – what we know

T 13 Sept Forces of Evolution Malek (2014) Sickle cell

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Describe the Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium and what it can tell us about a population.

Compare the 5 evolutionary forces: mutation, natural selection, genetic drift, gene flow, non-random mating.

Examine selectional pressures on species (lactose persistence). Explain and exemplify balanced polymorphism (sickle cell &

malaria).

disease; Population Genetics

Th 15 Sept Life History: Growth & Development• Compare allocation of energy in different stages of human life

history – i.e. trade-offs in growth, fertility, and mortality.• Identify key life history stages where genes and environment play

big roles in shaping a person.• Describe the grandmother effect, important changes in teen brains,

and mid-life crisis.

Multiple readings check course page for lab section assignment

T 20 Sept Epigenetics & the Ghost in Your Genes Define and distinguish between the genome and epigenome. Describe how epigenetic events affect gene expression, ie. help

organisms translate a genotype into a phenotype. Explain why geneticists are taking a new look at Jean-Baptiste

Lamark's contributions to evolutionary theory in light of epigenetics.

Identify examples of unsolved human biology puzzles that epigenetics might help solve (cancer, obesity, mental illness).

Cloud (2010) Why your DNA is not your destiny; Adaptation

Th 22 Sept Genetic & Developmental Adaptation Define adaptation and explain the four primary kinds of human

adaptation. Explain the relationship between solar exposure and skin

pigmentation, and how melanin levels impact growth and fertility. Explore human adaptations to temperature, altitude, nutrition, and

workload.

Jablonski (2009) Illusion of skin color

T 27 Sept Ecological Concepts: Biotic Components, Processes, & Interactions

Understand trade-offs in resource allocation that affect survival and reproduction.

Identify different forms of cooperation and the role of cooperative relationships in reproductive success.

Identify different forms of competition and the role of competitive relationships in resource acquisition for survival.

Describe different forms of consumer relationships including predation and parasitism.

Stanford (1995) Chimpanzee hunting behavior and human evolution; Running the Park Pt. 1

Th 29 Sept Ecological Concepts: Abiotic Components & Processes Identify key abiotic components and processes that impact the

distribution and interactions, and ultimately evolution, of species. Explore how abiotic and biotic components and processes interact

with each other in two examples of human-environment interactions – the Australian outback and southern Mozambique.

Romero (2015) Ancient Native American drought solution

T 4 Oct Speciation, Systematics, & Extinction Create an evolutionary tree with given characteristics for a group of

taxa. Compare phenetics and cladistics. Define species and describe the most common way for species to

arise. Explain how speciation may arise from extinction. Describe 2 biggest extinction threats to primates – habitat loss &

bushmeat hunting.

Revell (2012) The Red Queen and the Court Jester

Th 6 Oct Midterm 1 (held during lecture)T 11 Oct The Other Primates

Recognize morphological and behavioral traits that make primates Standring (2008) First primates; Running the

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unique among mammals. Differentiate between Prosimians, Anthropoids, and their

subgroupings.

Park Pt. 2

Th 13 Oct Primate Societies & Behavior Analyze why sociality offers distinct advantages to primates. Compare the advantages and disadvantages of different primate

residence/mating patterns. Understand how competition and sexual selection shapes primate

sociality.Analyze the role of culture transmission and communication in primate survival and reproduction.

Mazza (2015) Chimpanzees might actually have cooking skills

T 18 Oct Our Inner Ape Understand how cooperation shapes primate sociality – bonobos,

chimps, and humans in particular. Explore similarities and differences between chimpanzees,

bonobos, and humans.

Leakey Foundation (2010) The bipolar ape; Primate Diversity

Th 20 Oct What Can Fossils Tell Us? Describe what a fossil is, explain how fossils form, and identify

sources of fossil variation. Recognize potential limitations of the fossil record. Compare methods for dating fossils and other material remains. Explain how ancient environments are reconstructed and why this

is important.

Editors (2014) 800,000 year old human footprints discovered in UK

T 25 Oct Early Hominids: the Bipedal, the Mental, & the Dental• Identify and describe evidence for 3 obligate features of early

hominids. • Compare 3 main hypotheses for emergence of hominids.• Analyze tradeoffs for bipedalism.• Summarize major morphological changes of pre-

Australopithecines, Australopithecines, and Homo spp.

Shreeve (2010) Oldest skeleton of human ancestor found; Bipedalism

Th 27 Oct The Rise of Homo spp. Identify obligate features of the Homo genus. Explain evolutionary changes associated with bipedalism, big

brains, and the Homo genus (obstetrical dilemma, cooking & diet). Describe key trends and other developments in Homo habilis. Describe key trends and other developments in Homo erectus. Compare and contrast Homo habilis with Homo erectus.

Gorman (2007) Cooking up bigger brains

T 1 Nov Neandertals, Hobbits & Denisovans Explore the culture, morphology, and behavior of Homo sapiens

neandertalensis. Understand contributions of Neandertals and Denisovans to

modern H. sapiens genetics. Identify the importance of H. floresiensis in hominin evolution.

Choi (2014) 20% neandertal genome in humans; Primate Observations DUE; Hominins

Th 3 Nov Modern Human Origins & Dispersal Compare archaic and modern Homo sapiens. Explain the 3 main hypotheses about the origins of modern Homo

sapiens. Examine genetic evidence for biological variation in fossil Homo

sapiens. Discuss early modern human migration.

Romero & Sussman (2014) Discoveries challenge beliefs’ on humans arrival in Americas

T 8 Nov The Agricultural Revolution Explore the appearance of agriculture in the human timeline. Understand the process of domestication. Analyze the relationship between agriculture and civilization Describe the four main revolutions that occur with relationship to

agriculture

Ratliff (2011) Animal domestication: taming the wild; No lab this week!

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Th 10 Nov Midterm 2 (held during lecture)T 15 Nov Subsistence Strategies & Adaptations

Describe the four main types of subsistence Differentiate horticulture from agriculture Evaluate the relationship between gender and subsistence Discuss modern populations that participate in each of the

subsistence strategies Identify the level of population density and environmental impact

for each subsistence strategy

Multiple readings check course page for lab section assignment; Diet & Disease

Th 17 Nov Agricultural Impacts on Humans Review trade-offs of the Agricultural Revolution on human

populations. Explore the ways that human biology and health have changed as a

result of agriculture. Understand the role of the archaeological record in providing

evidence for impacts. Examine whether agriculture was a good idea.

Kennedy (2014) Milk teeth of Irish Famine’s youngest victims

T 22 Nov Human Population Dynamics & Ecology Define a population and understand how it is calculated. Compare the population growth theories: Malthus, Boserup,

Complexity. Identify population regulating factors that are either density

independent or dependent. Evaluate age structure graphs and explore the ecological effects of

age structure. Explain the demographic transition.

Halloran (2015) Fallen of WWII; No lab this week!

Th 24 Nov THANKSGIVING DAY – no class today!T 29 Nov Diet, Fertility, & Adaptation

Explore the ramifications of evolving as hunter-foragers on nutritional status and human health.

Examine weight-related health challenges in light of our evolved metabolic biology.

Explain why breastfeeding, birth spacing, and co-sleeping are adaptations.

Understand the role of culture in altering the above evolved adaptations.

Warriner (2013) Debunking the paleo diet; Human Demography

Th 1 Dec Disease Ecology & Complexity Understand basic epidemiology terms when discussing biocultural

diversity. Characterize the human immune system's role in the body-

environment relationship. Assess the influence of the human microbiome on human health. Use disease ecology and complexity perspectives to explore the

interaction between culture and ecology in the spread of infectious disease.

Explore the role of social stratification on health through a political economy lens (structural violence).

Curtis (2013) Don’t go there: the evolution of disgust

T 6 Dec Race & Sex/Gender Examine race as a cultural construct with biological and social

consequences. Compare and contrast concepts of sex and gender. Explore how biological variation is used to justify cultural/social

discrimination.

Silverstein (2015) Genes don’t cause racial-health disparities, society does; Race, Sex & Gender

Th 8 Dec Humanity’s Future Evaluate contemporary and future hypotheses of human evolution. Compare and contrast different contemporary and future

evolutionary pressures including climate, culture, diet, disease, urban living, and structural violence.

Owen (2009) Future humans

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W 14 Dec Final Exam, 8-10am in lecture hallNOTE: This schedule is subject to change at the instructor’s discretion. All schedule and reading changes will be announced in class.

Supplemental Readings – links to readings may be found on course website pageNijhuis, M. (3/11/15) When did the human epoch begin?, The New Yorker.Scott, E. 2004. “Science: Truth Without Certainty." In Evolution vs. Creationism. Westport, CT:

Greenwood Press. Pp. 3-21.Chung, W. 2014. Autism - What we know (and what we don't know yet). TEDTalk. March 2013Malek, A. (4/20/2014) “Sickle Cell Disease: The Forgotten Survivors” Al Jazeera, online.Weil, E. 2012. Puberty before age 10: a new "normal?, New York Times Magazine, 3/30/12.Hawkes, K. 2004. The grandmother effect. Nature 428: 128-129.Caldwell, B. 2014. Importance of play in early childhood education. Fisher-Price Parenting Blog, 2012.Dobbs, D. 2001. “Beautiful brains.” National Geographic, October 2011. Pp. 36-59.Korkki, P. 2014. The science of older and wiser. New York Times Magazine, 3/12/14.Stromberg, J. 2012. Scientists say chimps and orangutans have mid-life crises. Smithsonian Magazine,

11/19/12.Cloud, J. 2010. “Why Your DNA Isn't Your Destiny.” TIME, 6 January 2010.Jablonski, N. 2009. The illusion of skin color. TEDTalk, February 2009.Stanford, C. 1995. Chimpanzee hunting behavior and human evolution. American Scientist, May-June

1995.Romero, E. 2015. An ancient Native American drought solution for a parched California. Valley Public

Radio News, 2 June 2015Revell, JK. (2012) The Red Queen and the Court Jester. Synapsida: A Random Wander Through the World

of Mammals. 28 January 2012Standring, P. 2008. First primates and our humble origins. NOVA ScienceNOW, 7/9/08.Mazza, E. 2015. Chimpanzees Might Actually Have Cooking Skills. The Huffington Post, 6/3/15.Leakey Foundation. 2010. The bipolar ape: torn between love and war (video). The Guardian, 7/13/10.Editors (2014). 800,000 Year Old Human Footprints Discovered in UK. Sci-News, 2/7/14Shreeve, J. 2009. Oldest skeleton of human ancestor found. National Geographic News, 10/1/09.Gorman, R. (2007) Cooking up bigger brains. Scientific American, 12/16/07.Choi, C. (2014) At least 20% of Neandertal genome in Humans. Live Science, 1/29/14.Romero, S. and N. Sussman (2014). Discoveries Challenge Beliefs on Humans' Arrival in the

Americas. New York Times, 3/27/14.Ratliff, E. 2011. Animal Domestication: Taming the Wild. March 2011. National Geographic.Socolovsky, J. 2005. Spanish shepherds protest a dying way of life. NPR: Around the Nation, 6/1/2005.Chu, S. 2014. Is your smartphone created by slave labor? iDigitalTimes, 5/22/14.Levaux, A. 2012. The war between conventional and organic farming misses the point. The Atlantic,

5/14/12.2013. In a dark wood: can bows and arrows save hunting in America? The Economist, 12/21/13.Bland, A. 2013. Mushroom foraging: when the fun(gi) hunt gets out of hand. National Public Radio,

12/4/13.

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Fraser, B. 2014. Global change, climate change upend livelihoods, food security in the Amazon. Forest News, Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), 12/12/14.

Kennedy, M. 2015. Milk teeth of Irish Famine's youngest victims reveal secrets of malnutrition. The Guardian, 4/16/2015.

Halloran, N. 2015. The Fallen of World War II. 15 minute video. [URL] http://www.fallen.io/ww2/.Warriner, C. 2013. Debunking the Paleo Diet. TEDxOU, February 2013.Curtis, V. 2013. Don't Go There: The Evolution of Disgust. Natural History Magazine. Schumacher, E. 2015. Health research ignores women, and that needs to change ASAP. Huffington Post, 11/9/15.Owen, J. 2009. “Future humans: four ways we may, or may not, evolve.” National Geographic News, 24

November 2009.

Grading CriteriaYour learning, and ultimately your grade, are based on completion of laboratory assignments, lab quizzes, learning check points, and three exams. Student’s grades will be calculated as follows:

Learning Check Points 140 pointsMid-Term 1 100 pointsMid-Term 2 100 pointsFinal Exam 100 pointsLaboratory Assignments 200 pointsPre-Laboratory Prep 60 pointsExtra Credit 15 points

Grade Range CalculatorA+ 679-700 B+ 607-629.9 C+ 537-559.9 D+ 467-489.9 F below 420A 654.5-678.9 B 583.5-606.9 C 513.5-536.9 D 443.5-466.9A- 630-654.4 B- 560-583.4 C- 490-513.4 D- 420-443.4

Learning Check Points (140 points)Learning Check Points give you an opportunity to test your basic knowledge each week prior to exams. The open note/reading quiz consists of a mix of multiple choice, matching, true-false, and fill-in-the-blank questions. You will have 30 minutes to complete the 10 questions on this timed assignment once you begin. Learning check point quizzes will open on CANVAS Thursday at noon and close Sunday evening at 8pm. No exceptions! Your quiz will be scored immediately and the correct answers will be posted on Sunday evening at 8:30pm following the close of the quiz.

There are 15 learning check points and each learning check point quiz is worth 10 points, for a maximum total value of 150 points. However, I drop your lowest scoring quiz. Therefore, only 14 learning check point scores will be counted towards your final grade (maximum of 140 points). If you complete all 15 learning check points, the 15th (the lowest scoring value, up to 10 points max.) will be counted towards extra credit points.

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Please note that there are absolutely NO make-up opportunities for learning check point quizzes. You have access to the assignment online, may use your notes/readings, and have 3.25 days to complete it. I cannot reopen the assignment once it has closed because answers are being made available for study purposes. It wouldn’t be fair to your fellow classmates. Medical emergencies (car accident, emergency surgery, etc.), religious observances, or family death will be taken into consideration, but documentation must be provided. In the event you do miss a learning check point for one of the previous reasons, and can provide documentation, an alternative assignment will be given. Medical excuses and evidence of family death (sorry) must be handed (hard copy) to Dr. Shaffer the very next week you return to class. This is your responsibility.

If you join class late in the semester, or are waitlisted for the first couple of weeks, please see Dr. Shaffer immediately to make alternative arrangements regarding the first few learning check point exercises.

Exams (300 points, 100 points per exam)Exams function as both an assessment of learning and a way to further learning. The format of these exams will be different from the learning check point quizzes in that they seek to assess your ability to synthesize and apply what you have learned in lecture, laboratory, or from the readings. Questions are all short answer, so you may be asked to write a short paragraph, label a diagram, create a comparative table or correct a pre-written response. Each exam will consist of 15 questions (each worth 10 points), and you will choose 10 to answer.

Three exams will be given in this course. NONE of the exams are cumulative. You will be tested on information from lecture (films, lectures) and the readings. Laboratory learning will be helpful, but you will not be tested directly on this content. Exams are taken during the regularly scheduled lecture period.

Exam Date Materials Covered on ExamMid-Term 1 October 6, 2016 Modules 1-5Mid-Term 2 November 10, 2016 Modules 6-10Final Exam December 14, 2016; 8-10am Modules 11-15

If you have any questions about your exam grades, you have 72 hours after the exams have been returned to email Dr. Shaffer with questions about your grade. Be aware, that she will need to see the actual exam whether it is a question regarding the miscalculation of the total score OR disputing a grader’s corrections. If you are disputing a corrected response, you must show why your answer is correct using materials from the readings, lecture or lab. This will require submission of the original exam and your written explanation (with evidence) of why it was marked incorrectly.

Laboratory (260 points)

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The laboratories are intended to supplement lecture learning and give you, the student, hands-on experience in ecological and evolutionary anthropology. The work is intended to be interesting, fun, and discovery oriented. Contact your lab instructor if you have any questions about lab activities or assignments. Check the course website for additional information.

Pre-Laboratory Prep Assignments (60 points total, 5 points each)Prior to each laboratory session, you should read through the lab directions and review any materials (short videos, readings, websites, etc.) that have been assigned with the lab. These extra materials have been chosen to help you better understand what you will learn in the lab session – i.e. provide additional and important background. Then go to the associated pre-laboratory prep assignment page and answer the questions. You may use your lab materials and there is no time limit. You may also retake the homework assignment as many times as you like until you are satisfied with your grade. The pre-laboratory prep assignments are open until midnight the day before you attend your scheduled lab session. You must complete the pre-lab prep by this time. THERE ARE NO MAKE UPS!!! Lab prep assignments are available starting the first day of class.

Laboratory Assignments (200 points, varies by lab)More information about individual labs may be found on CANVAS. One of the lab activities will be completed outside of regularly scheduled lab sessions at the National Zoo (Primate Observations). This lab may be completed at any time between the start of the term and 1 November. You will need a 2-3 hours for zoo observations plus travel time.

Lab Policies and Procedures: (more details are available on the course CANVAS page) Lab attendance is mandatory. If you are more than 10 minutes late, you cannot participate in

the lab. The doors will close at 10 minutes and will not open. We are completely aware of the region’s traffic and METRO problems – we deal with them too. We also are sympathetic to sleeping in, driving family/friends to work, flat tires, etc. However, to be fair to all students we need to set a starting time, start on time, and not waste everyone’s time repeating what someone missed because they arrived late. Take responsibility and make necessary arrangements to be on time.

If miss more than 3 labs for any reason, you will automatically fail the course. Lab make up sessions are only offered for legitimate absences. We do this because lab grades account for 40% of your grade, lab activities support classroom lecture learning, AND because a number of lab activities require active participation with other students to complete activities.

Please sign in on the attendance sheet when you first arrive in lab. If you do not sign in, you cannot receive your participation points.

Attending another section is not possible unless pre-approved by your lab instructor. You must notify your lab instructor in case of absence due to emergencies. All absences caused

by illness or family emergencies have to be documented by the University. If you know you are going to miss a lab due to a religious holiday or athletic event, your lab

instructor will need to be notified in writing (or email) by 9 September for religious holidays and

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for athletic events. Letting us casually know after this date that you cannot attend lab due to a religious holiday or athletic event is unacceptable.

Food and beverages are absolutely NOT allowed in the lab at any time. Food, beverages, and any remains attract insects and vermin that can destroy specimens. Additionally, they may become contaminated by chemicals or bacteria present in the lab. Please dispose of your food and beverages (including coffee and soda for the 8am folks) BEFORE you enter the lab.

If you have questions about the lab material, come to your lab instructor’s office hours and/or email your instructor to set up a time to meet and go over your questions.

Please wear long pants and closed-toed shoes- it is just good lab practice.

Grading Laboratory is worth 37 % of your final grade - 260 points. This makes it highly important that you

attend laboratory sessions and complete the assigned learning tasks. Your lab instructor will make every effort to return lab assignments to you within 2 weeks unless

prior arrangements have been made. If you have a question about your grade, you have 48 hours after assignments have been

returned to email your instructor with your question about the grade. Your lab instructor will make every attempt to answer questions via email within a 48 hour

period. Please be aware that they are also students, attend classes, have assignments due, and have family/personal responsibilities. They cannot always answer your questions instantaneously, so plan ahead and don't do your work at the last minute! (This goes for Dr. Shaffer as well.)

Check the lab assignment/grade submission pages on CANVAS to determine when assignments are due.

Additional information regarding about turning in materials online, plagiarism, and late penalties located elsewhere in the ANTH222 course online platform applies to laboratory.

Extra Credit (max. 15 points)In this course, your extra credit activities should help you improve your learning and not just create an assignment nightmare for you and grading nightmare for Dr. Shaffer at the end of the term.

Extra credit can be earned by forming small study groups, or using tutoring services offered during office hours, and documenting your time. Your undergraduate teaching assistants (UTAs) help coordinate the study group & tutoring services for this course. If you are interested in forming a study group, and cannot find others, please contact your lab instructor within the first three weeks of class. They will assist you with finding a study group or getting credit for an established group.

To receive credit for participation in study groups and tutoring, Dr. Shaffer will keep track of all students attending office hours and tutoring sessions. Your study group should fill out the study group documentation forms and turn a hard copy of the form in to Dr. Shaffer before the beginning of each midterm and the final exam. Student athletes who use university-provided tutoring services should

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contact Dr. Shaffer. You can also receive credit if you come to your lab instructor's or Dr. Shaffer's office hours for learning assistance. Your lab instructors and Dr. Shaffer will keep records on office hour visits. However, please be aware that despite our species' and personal needs to socialize, just stopping by to say hello does not count towards your extra credit points. :-D

You will need to attend at least 9 study group, tutoring sessions, and/or office hours over the course of the term to receive the maximum 15 points - 3 prior to each mid-term (for 5pts. max) and 3 prior to the final exam (5pts. max). (3 sessions = 5 pts.; 2 sessions = 3 pts.; 1 session = 1.5 pts.)

My Expectations of Students in this Course

AssignmentsPlease upload your lab assignments to our course website on CANVAS for grading online and on time. This cuts down on tree killing and avoids the ongoing printer problems that strike everyone, including myself, on occasion. There are limited types of acceptable file forms (.doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, others may be specified in an assignment), and they must be openable on both Mac and PC platforms . If Dr. Shaffer and your instructors cannot open the file easily for grading/assessment purposes, any answers associated with the file for your assignment receives a 0 grade. This will really hurt if it is your entire assignment. It is not our job to hunt down apps or software to open your assignment. It is your responsibility to turn in legible and accessible assignments.

Assignments are due when specified on the assignment/grading submission page. Assignments can also be found within the weekly modules. You may turn in assignments early, although they will be graded with those of your classmates following the indicated due date.

Laboratory assignments will not be accepted more than one week after the stated due date. Any student who does not turn in an assignment by the time specified will lose points. One point will be deducted for each day the assignment is late. Therefore, if you turn in a 10 point assignment 1 day late your maximum grade is 9 points, a maximum grade of 8 points if turned in 2 days late, and so forth. This keeps it fair for everyone - students and instructors. Most of your assignments have small point values to prevent one missed or screwed up assignment from significantly affecting your grade.

For students who are ill or are away, CANVAS is still available for turning in assignments but we will need to work out something so that your classmates are not placed at an unfair disadvantage because we cannot post an answer key. If you have a medical emergency, notify me ASAP!! I will need documentation, but you will receive an extension. If you are away, it is advisable to submit your assignments early to avoid problems that can arise with internet availability, etc. while traveling.

Grading rubrics will be posted to the course website on CANVAS. I will also provide information in class. Please use good grammar and spelling on all assignments. Points will be docked for misspellings and poor grammar even if rubrics do not specifically indicate this. Participation & AttendanceYour learning, and that of others, depends on your participation in class discussions and activities during both lecture and laboratory sessions. If you are not present, it makes class participation impossible.

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Medical excuses, religious observance, and family death (need evidence like an obituary) are justifiable excuses for missing class, and thus not participating. If weather (beyond emergency closings), vehicle maintenance, heartache, savage attack by Neandertals, etc. interferes with your class participation, I will be sympathetic, but you will not be able to make up the missed lab class participation points. More information is available on the course CANVAS page. Please refer to the appropriate sections and course wiki pages regarding attendance policies for:

Medical Excuses Religious Observances Student Athletes University Emergency Closings Lecture Learning Check Points Laboratory Policies & Procedures

ConductStudents are expected to treat each other with respect. Disruptive behavior of any kind will not be tolerated. Students who are unable to demonstrate civility with one another or me will be subject to referral to the Office of Student Conduct or to the University Campus Police. You are expected to adhere to the Code of Student Conduct. If the situation escalates to a potential threat level, the Campus Police and BETA University Response Team will be contacted immediately.

TechnologyIn this class, students may bring their laptop or tablet to class to take notes or look up relevant information during class activities only. If a student is found to be using a laptop or tablet for any other reason, then, that student will lose the privilege of bringing this technology to class. All technological devices, except a laptop computer or tablet are prohibited in this class including MP3 devices, smart phones, phones, gaming devices, etc. If these devices are seen and/or used during the class, the student will be asked to leave the class immediately. This is not just about hurting your learning, multi-tasking during lecture and laboratory distracts your classmates as well. More information about how multi-tasking harms your learning can be found on the course CANVAS page.

Additionally, you are asked to turn in your assignments online and on time. There are limited types of acceptable file forms (.doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, others may be specified in an assignment), and they must be openable on both Mac and PC platforms. If Dr. Shaffer and your instructors cannot open the file easily for grading/assessment purposes, any answers associated with the file for your assignment receives a 0 grade. This will hurt if it is your entire assignment. It is not our job to hunt down apps or software to open your assignment. It is your responsibility to turn in legible and accessible assignments.

Online & Email communicationPlease remember that what you write and the images that you post provide Dr. Shaffer and your lab instructors an image of who you are. We’d love to think the world of you, so show us your best. Use good spelling and grammar. Be kind. DON’T SHOUT!! Open and close emails with proper greetings and regards. Choose your words and images carefully. Give credit where credit is due – either to a fellow

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student, the writer or producer of course materials, or your professors. Lastly, humor doesn’t always transmit well through the internet – jokes, and especially satire, can be easily lost by a reader and taken seriously. Use emoticons if you feel the need for humor. ;-) : / ^_^ : ( Detailed information can be found on the course CANVAS page.

PlagiarismI have no expectation of encountering plagiarism in this class. Sometimes, however, people unintentionally plagiarize because they do not know what actually constitutes plagiarism. To minimize the possibility, let me briefly clarify the issue. Stealing others’ work (for example, copying others’ test answers) and passing it off as your own is an example of plagiarism that everyone knows. It is also plagiarism in academic writing to present others’ ideas as if they were your own. To avoid the appearance of plagiarism in written work, it is important to reference the sources of your ideas so as to keep the difference between others’ ideas or arguments and the ideas or arguments that are uniquely yours. You cannot reference too many sources, although you are expected to be creative and generate some of your own ideas in your papers. Plagiarism and cheating in any form will not be tolerated. More information about plagiarism and properly citing your sources can be found on the course website. Your lab instructor, UTA, and course instructor are happy to speak with you further on this issue if you have additional questions. Further information may be found on the course CANVAS page.

Academic IntegrityPlease remember that you need to write out, sign, and date the honor pledge on all assignments. Basically,

“I pledge on my honor that I have not given or received any unauthorized assistance on this assignment/examination. Signature MM/DD/YYYY”

Plagiarism, submitting the same paper for credit in two courses without authorization, buying papers, submitting fraudulent documents, forging signatures, and cheating on assignments are all forms of academic dishonesty and punishable. Please don’t pull this sort of thing. I don’t cut deals.

All of your instructors for this course take academic integrity seriously. If you are discovered violating the Code of Academic Integrity, you will be referred to the Student Honor Council/Office of Student Conduct for investigation and possible disciplinary action. If you are found in violation of the Code of Academic Integrity, the usual penalty is an XF for the course.

Students with DisabilitiesWe will make every effort to accommodate students who are registered with the Disability Support Service (DSS) Office and who provide me with a University of Maryland DSS Accommodation form which has been updated for the Fall 2016 semester. Only written DSS documentation of the accommodation will be considered. This form must be presented to me no later than 16 September 2016. We are not able to accommodate students who are not registered with DSS or who provide us with documentation which has not been reviewed and approved by UMD’s DSS Office after 16 September 2016.

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Medical ExcusesAll midterms and the final exam are major scheduled grading events. As such, if you must miss one due to illness or have a prolonged absence due to illness (multiple consecutive absences due to the same illness), you are required to provide Dr. Shaffer with written documentation of the illness from the University Health Center or from your own health care provider. The University Health Center or health care provider shall verify dates of treatment and indicate the dates the student was unable to meet academic responsibilities. Essentially, you cannot give Dr. Shaffer a self-signed note excusing you for medical reasons from either your midterms or final exam.

There are many medical reasons why you might miss lecture or lab. In this class, you or a guardian must email or call Dr. Shaffer and your lab instructor PRIOR to class/lab session to inform them that you will not be in attendance due to injury or serious illness, and thus will miss an assignment deadline or exam. If you have the flu or major allergy attack or cramps or a doctor’s appointment, please don’t email Dr. Shaffer if you are going to miss lecture. However, please do email your lab instructor to get the ball rolling on making up your lab session if you miss a lab.

If you happen to miss a lab session, for whatever reason, bring your medical excuse to the very next lecture or lab class session that you are in attendance. You should submit excuses in a hard copy form as Dr. Shaffer keeps these on file in case issues arise during or after the term. Don’t forget you have a one-time only option to submit a self-signed note for missing one single lab if you cannot get a medical excuse from the health center or other medical office you visited. This note must include the date of illness and a statement that the information you have provided is true. You must also state that if your absence is found to be false, you understand that you will be referred to the Office of Student Conduct. The statement must be signed and dated.

Please understand that only one self-signed note for one absence will be allowed. For non-consecutive absences, missed laboratory sessions, or your exams, I will require a Health Center or medical doctor’s health excuse. If at all possible, let Dr. Shaffer and your lab instructor know BEFORE you will miss a lab or an exam. If you do not inform us and if you do not provide timely documentation (within 1 week), points will be docked from your assignment.

Please note that in the case you are unable to get a written medical excuse, you may ask your provider for a copy of your medical notes for the specific visit/s in question. All medical information provided will be kept private, but documentation is necessary.

Finally, waiting until the end of the term to inform Dr. Shaffer of long-term physical or mental health issues - issues that will interfere with your learning in this course - is not acceptable. The earlier you inform her the better, so that you both can assess together whether or not it would be best to withdraw from the course this term and take it again at another time. There is no shame in withdrawing if you are truly ill and need rest for healing properly rather than additional stress.

Student AthletesPlease refer to the Maryland Student-Athlete Code of Conduct regarding expected class absences due to official intercollegiate competitions. Essentially,

"Properly inform instructors (provide authorized team travel letter), by the 10th day of fall and/or spring semesters, of expected class absences due to travel to official intercollegiate competitions."

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The 10th day of Fall 2016 semester is Friday, 9 September 2016.

Religious ObservanceIf there is a specific day you will not be able to attend class or turn in a particular assignment or exam, you must provide Dr. Shaffer, in writing, the day and specific religious observance by 9 September 2016. Please remember that accommodations are NOT made for travel to and from the religious observance. This is a hard deadline so that we can develop a plan with both your lab instructor and Dr. Shaffer. The University of Maryland recognizes many students have religious observances they must attend to during the school term. When the nature of the observance prevents the student from being present during the class period, students are allowed an excused absence so that they may participate.

Remember that your freedom to practice your religion also requires you to take some responsibility and inform your instructor that you will be absent that day or unable to make an assigned deadline. Dr. Shaffer has made every attempt to structure due dates (particularly learning check points) with flexibility. This flexibility requires you, the student, to be aware of assignment/quiz due dates, and if there is a significant conflict contact her well in advance. Please refer to the Online Catalog Policy on Religious Observance for more specific information about UMD policy.

University Emergency ClosingIn the event that the University is closed for an emergency or extended period of time because of inclement weather and campus emergencies, Dr. Shaffer will communicate to you via CANVAS or email to make schedule adjustments, including rescheduling of assignment due dates. Official closures and delays are announced on the campus website http://www.umd.edu. The snow phone line is 301-405-SNOW, as well as local radio and TV stations.

Course EvaluationDr. Shaffer takes course evaluations very seriously. Each year she revises her syllabus, readings, course assignments, and exams based on your feedback. She is not just interested in the scores you give this course, but also very interested in your specific comments. Dr. Shaffer will provide a couple of opportunities during the course to give her anonymous feedback. She would like to encourage each and every one of you to evaluate this class as well as your other courses. One important campus-wide evaluation is the online evaluation at the end of the semester. Course Evaluation UM will be open to students to complete their evaluation for Fall courses in early December and Spring courses in early April. Please go directly to the website to complete your evaluation (www.courseevalum.umd.edu).

Your participation in the evaluation of courses through CourseEvalUM is a responsibility you hold as a student member of our academic community. Your feedback is confidential and important to the improvement of teaching and learning at the University as well as to the tenure and promotion process. CourseEvalUM will be open for you to complete your evaluations starting about two weeks prior to the last day of the term before exams begin. By completing all of your evaluations each semester, you will have the privilege of accessing online evaluation reports for the thousands of courses for which 70% or more students submitted their evaluations. You can access results at www.CourseEvalUM.umd.edu, the same link you use to submit your evaluations. Click View Past Results instead.

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