Anthropology
Exploring Anthropology
MINDS ON
Are you wearing a ‘bunnyhug’ right now? Do you say pop or soda? Cottage or camp? Corner store or convenience store? Did you realize that where you live in Canada influences the words you use in your everyday language?
For the Minds On section in this activity, you will be reading an article that discusses language and how we speak in different parts of Canada. You'll be asked to skim and scan the article as you read it for the first time.
The ability to skim and scan for information from a text is an important reading skill to have. Skimming is reading a text quickly to get a general idea of the overall meaning of the text. On the other hand, scanning is reading a text in order to find specific information (e.g., figures or names).
Skim And Scan
Use these prompt questions to help you organize your ideas as you skim and scan This is How Canada Talks to get a general idea of what it’s about.
- What pages drew your attention first?
- What pages did you skip? Why?
- Pick a page to talk about. What do you want to say?
After you’ve skimmed and scanned the article, add a one or two sentence response that answers each of the above prompt questions.
ACTION
This unit examines the discipline of anthropology in more detail. The essential question that will guide this activity is:
How can anthropology help to explain human behaviour and culture - both past and present?
Just like psychology and sociology, anthropology is an ‘umbrella term,' which means that there are subfields within the discipline, itself. The study of anthropology is usually broken down into four specific subfields. These include: archaeology, linguistic anthropology, biological anthropology, and sociocultural anthropology.
In Unit 1, Activity 4 you learned about different research methods that anthropologists might use. Remembering these methods will be helpful as you explore the specific subfields in anthropology. In case you have forgotten them, this interactive learning activity will help refresh your memory!
Research_Methods
The Four Main Subfields in Anthropology
Archaeology_Part_1
Biological_Anthropology
Bioarchaeologist Interview
If you had the opportunity to interview a bioarchaeologist, a forensic anthropologist, or a primatologist who would you choose? What three questions would you be prepared to ask in your interview?
Bioarchaeologist_Organizer
Sociocultural_Anthropology_Part_1
Sociocultural Anthropology Concept Map
Did you know that concept mapping is a visualization tool that can be used to help develop and organize your ideas? You’ve likely used concept maps in the past. There are many online resources (e.g., Popplet, Mindomo, Google Draw, Lucid Chart) to help you capture and organize your ideas electronically (but of course, paper and pencil will do just fine, too!). Check out this resource to learn more about concept mapping and to see some great exemplars.
Here are two videos that explain concept mapping.
After you’ve watched or listened to the videos about sociocultural anthropology, create a concept map that connects the main ideas that were discussed in the video. Be sure that your concept map includes the following features.
- Your concept map should highlight the main or important ideas about sociocultural anthropology.
- You should begin your concept map with a central bubble that says, “Sociocultural Anthropology."
- You should include at least four main ideas about sociocultural anthropology and two specific examples for each main point.
Learning Goals and Success Criteria
Learning Skills and Work Habits