My goals for you
as students in this course are to develop a general knowledge of the history,
concepts, practice, and value of the study of material culture; to acquire
a basic familiarity with a diverse range of archaeological research conducted
during modern times; to hone your skills in the critical evaluation of
material evidence for past cultures; and to improve your ability to express
yourself with clarity and persuasion in both writing and speaking. I
expect you to attend class promptly and actively, to behave respectfully
toward me and your fellow students, and to complete readings in a timely
and conscientious manner. Failure to meet these basic expectations
will directly influence your participation and effort grade and generally
impact your performance on graded assignments (see below). If you foresee
any absence or lateness for valid reasons (religious holiday, family emergency,
acute illness or injury, school-sponsored event), tell me now. The
unexcused lateness of assignments brings a penalty of roughly 10% (one letter
grade) per day. In the event of absence or lateness, you are responsible
for contacting other students who attended class to find out what you missed.
I uphold the policies and regulations of Macalester College pertaining
to the observance of religious holidays, assistance to the handicapped,
plagiarism, sexual harassment, and racial or ethnic discrimination.
I expect you to know and uphold these policies and regulations as well; they are discussed in the
Student Handbook.
The assignments in this class will
consist of continuous readings and occasional writing tasks. You will
be graded on 1) participation and effort; 2) in-class activities; 3) two
practical exercises (3-4 pp. each); 4) short paper (research report review,
4-5 pp.); 5) medium-length paper (critical discussion, 5-7 pp.); 6) a midterm;
7) a final exam.
These seven graded components will
contribute to your overall grade as follows:
Participation and effort
20%
In-class activities
10%
Practical exercises
12% (6% each)
Short paper
10%
Medium paper
13%
Midterm
15%
Final exam
20%
Letter grades will be assigned according
to the following scale: A = 91-100; B = 81-90; C = 71-80; D = 61-70; NC =
0-60.