Assignment

Overview

This assignment a combination of short answer (write about 3-4 sentences for each) and essay questions (write in an essay format with an introduction, body paragraph(s), and a conclusion).

Citation Expectations

For the most part, you will probably summarize material from the course using your own words. If you use quotations, please keep the following in mind:

-Follow MLA style for your citations. Cite quotations from our textbook like this: (Lavenda and Schull 68). You are discouraged from using outside sources. If you do use materials that did not come from this class, include cite them both in-text and on a Works Cited page.

-for module material I created, websites I recommended, or material from the films, please just indicate the source in your writing by naming the film, website, or stating that it is information from course modules

-DO NOT COPY FROM THE INTERNET OR ANY SOURCE FOR YOUR ANSWERS; you will receive a zero if plagiarism is found

Exam Questions

For the following short answer questions, please write one brief paragraph responding to the question. You will have to be selective about the details you include (don't try to include everything - you'll run out of time). Remember to use key terms from the course in your answer when you can.

1. Choose one of the five subdisciplines in anthropology, and explain what is distinctive about its approach to the human condition.

2. What are ethnocentrism and cultural relativity? How does the ethnographic description of the Nacirema demonstrate one or both of these terms?

3. What is a theory and how is it both similar to and different from a myth?

4. What are the key elements of Darwin's approach to evolution? Why are they important?

5. What selection pressures and human practices explain the high frequency of the sickle-cell genotype (HbA/HbS) in certain populations?

For the following essay questions, please compose a more detailed answer with an introduction, body paragraph(s), and a conclusion. Remember to briefly explain key terms as you use them in your answers and use examples when you can.

1. Compare and contrast the replacement, regional continuity, and "mostly out-of-Africa" models for the evolution from Homo erectus to Homo sapiens. What kinds of evidence are used for each model? What kinds of contrasting interpretations are given for the same evidence?

2. What does it mean to say that anthropologists approach the study of humanity from a biocultural perspective? What do present-day anthropologists say about the connection between biology and race?