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week 1: learning objective: to develop an understanding of the concepts of sustainability, resilience, and collapse


Dates

Topic

what should i Do Before class?

due dates


21 Jan
MON
9:00 Course Overview
​Introduction of the research problem and course.
​11:15 First Monday Speaker: Dr. Reena Goldthree

22 Jan
​TUE
9:15 ​What is sustainability and sustainable development?
Discuss: Thiele, Intro, CH 1, 2, and Walker

​1:30 to 3:00 pm Afternoon session with Shelley Harper. Please bring you laptop. 
READ: How to read and lead a discussion on the readings
​READ: Thiele, Introduction and Chapter 1, 2
READ: Cross​-Case Investigation of Initial Conditions Preceding Demographic Decline in the SW (in Canvas, Files)
READ: This course website; come to class with any questions. 
9:00 am Key concepts quiz (See Canvas, Quiz - not necessary to do readings before the quiz - this is practice)

23 Jan
WED
Discuss Walker 
​What is resilience? 

​Discuss: Thiele, Folke
Scott depart for AIA presentation
READ: Walker (2007), in Canvas, Files
READ: Thiele, Chapter 3
READ: Stockholm Resilience Center, What is Resilience? (Canvas)
WATCH:  Walker on Resilience


24 Jan
​THU
What is collapse? 
Discuss: Thiele, Railey and Reycraft, Middleton, Diamond 

READ: Thiele, Conclusion, p. 199
​​READ: Railey and Reycraft (2008), Canvas
READ: Middleton, Collapse, Resilience, and Transformation, Canvas
​READ: Diamond, Prologue


25 Jan
​FRI
Introduction to the ancient North American Southwest and archaeology

Form Research Teams and scope culture history and associated data tables due next week. Teams should meet before Monday's class.  
READ: Peeples, Back to Basics, Part 1, 2, 3 (links at bottom of each post). 
READ: Gumerman and Gell-Mann, Cultural Evolution in the SW
READ: Kuwanwisiwma, Yupkoyvi: The Hopi Story of Chaco Canyon

​READ: Naranjo, Thoughts on Migration
READ: Ancient Cultures, Archaeology Southwest (select links and read to learn as much as practical). 

week 2: learning objective: TO APPLY the
comparative method ​to original research ON DEMOGRAPHIC DECLINE


28 Jan
​MON
The Southwestern past continued.
Knowledge creation in archaeology. 
​Past missteps. 

Introduction to the comparative method.
​​​
Afternoon research team meetings with Shelby (to be scheduled as convenient)
READ: Themes in SW Prehistory, Gumerman, Patterns and Perturbations in Southwestern Prehistory
​
READ: Smith and Peregrine, Approaches to Comparative Analysis in Archaeology (2012), Canvas​
READ: Hegmon et al. Social Transformation and Its Human Costs (Canvas)

COLLABORATE: with your Research Team and begin learning about the "archaeological cultures" you will research (plan to provide the class with an update on your team meeting Monday during class).
Southwest in Space and Time Quiz  IN CLASS


29 Jan
​TUE
Examples of the comparative method.
​Introduction to coding. ​
Discuss variable selection for research. 

Afternoon research team meetings with Shelby (to be scheduled as convenient)

READ: Diamond and Robinson (2010), Prologue
​READ: Diamond and Robinson (2010), Using Comparative Methods in Studies of Human History, Canvas
READ:  Diamond (2010), Intra-Island and Inter-Island Comparisons
READ: Rollett and Diamond (2004), Environmental Predictors of Pre European Deforestation (Canvas)
READ: Rollett (2007), Avoiding Collapse, Pre- European Sustainability on Pacific Islands (Canvas)

30 Jan
WED
Challenges in Research Design:
​causal mechanisms, correlation vs. causation, variable overlap, uncertainty, scientific argumentation, ​clarity in writing.

​Coding exercise




READ: Cross​-Case Investigation of Initial Conditions Preceding Demographic Decline in the SW with Ingram comments (in Canvas, Files)
​​READ: Ember and Ember Coding Cases (Canvas)  

​READ: Diamond, Lessons from Environmental Collapse of Past Societies
​​READ:Nelson et al., 2016 
Climate Challenges, Vulnerability, and Food Security ​​
9:15 Written critique of Cross-Case Investigation of Initial Conditions paper. A collaboration with your Research Team. Bring to class and provide everyone copies. 

​9:15 am Key concepts quiz (See Canvas, Quiz)

31 Jan
​THU
Case study: Ancestral Puebloan, Fremont, Hohokam, Casas Grande/Paquime, Central Arizona (Sinagua). 

Peer-review of documents presented. 
READ: Sim, Critique of Research
​READ: Sim, Critique of Research Presentation
Presentations (10-15 min) by Research Teams on culture history, existing causes/arguments for the demographic decline of the group you are investigating, and recommended independent variables for our research.  See activity description (select link).
For those presenting, bring copies to distribute your  answers/paragraphs for questions 1-6. 

9:15 Citing your sources quiz

1 Feb
​FRI
Case study: Mogollon, Mimbres, Central AZ (Sinagua), Patayan, Trincheras

Peer-review of documents presented.

Variable selection. 

Presentations (10-15 min) by Research Teams on culture history, existing causes/arguments for the demographic decline of the group you are investigating, and recommended independent variables for our research.  See activity description (select link).
For those presenting, bring copies to distribute of your answers/paragraphs for questions 1-6. 

week 3: Learning objective: to generate results that provide insights
​into sustainability and collapse


4 Feb
​MON
Discuss status of case studies and data tables. Next steps.

1:15  Afternoon session with Tyler Sim. Evaluation of variables selected. 
READ: Phillips et al 2018, Village Growth, Infectious Disease, End of Neolithic Demographic Decline
READ: McClelland 2015, Revisiting Hohokam Paleodemography
Bring to class completion of first draft of variable coding. 
9:15 am 
Southwest in Space and Time Quiz

5 Feb
​TUE
Discussion of paper structure
Research team meetings​
Work on the Wednesday's intermediate work flow deadline. See below! 

​Collaborate with your team - everyone in your team should know each case! 
9:15 am ​Citing your sources quiz
​Review the citation web page before you take the quiz!  

6 Feb
​WED
Review Data Tables and Narratives and discuss next steps

​Analyzing the data

PRESENT AND SHARE FOR PEER DISCUSSION AND REVIEW:
(1) Completed coding sheet (2nd draft),
(2) Supplementary Materials (1st draft),
(3) Case summary (2nd draft, fully cited),
​(4) Synthesis of depopulation arguments (2nd draft, fully cited).  

7 Feb
​THU
Class does not meet. Teams work together on all aspects of the research. 



8 Feb
​FRI
9:30 Meet in classroom. ​
Return peer-reviews of Wednesday's submission of Supplementary Materials. 
Key concepts quiz available on Canvas, due by 9:15 am.​​​​

Week 4: learning objective: communicating the past to
​inform the present and future


11 Feb
​MON
9:15 am meet in classroom.  
Deadlines as determined by the research team. 
9:15 am Citing your sources quiz

12 Feb
​TUE
9:15 am meet in classroom
Deadlines as determined by the research team.

Southwest in Space and Time Quiz (in class)


13 Feb
​WED
What have we learned? 

9:15 am Key concepts quiz available on Canvas
​9​:15 am Self-Assessment of Learning and Engagement (file under Announcements in  Canvas; required)
12:00 pm Research Paper due. Email one document to Scott. 

























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