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hus1thj the human journey

THE HUMAN JOURNEY

HUS1THJ

2016

Credit points: 15

This subject addresses La Trobe's Global Citizenship Essential. Global Citizenship is about learning to live in an interconnected world, including the social, environmental, political and economic challenges this brings.

Subject outline

Philosophical and religious discussion of humanity's origins can be traced back to the Enlightenment and to Ancient Greek and Roman texts. In the nineteenth century scholars discovered that there is also a physical record of the deep past, in the form of fossils and artefacts, and they developed methods for studying this record. This inter-disciplinary subject explores the stories we tell about our origins with a particular focus on how we reconcile intuitively plausible accounts of our past with the rigours of scientific methods. In doing so, it focuses on three major events in the human journey: the origin of the first true Homo ancestor approximately 2 million years ago in Africa, second, the Neanderthals of "Ice Age" Europe, and third, the evolution of modern humans in Africa approximately 150,000 years ago.

SchoolSchool of Humanities & Social Sciences

Credit points15

Subject Co-ordinatorNicola Stern

Available to Study Abroad StudentsYes

Subject year levelYear Level 1 - UG

Exchange StudentsYes

Subject particulars

Subject rules

Prerequisites None

Co-requisites None

Incompatible subjects None

Equivalent subjects None

Special conditions None

Graduate capabilities & intended learning outcomes

01. Demonstrate familiarity with the history, ideas and evidence behind the study of human evolution and their representation in popular culture.

Activities:
Online Quizzes, Exam, Essay
Related graduate capabilities and elements:
Literacies and Communication Skills(Writing)
Inquiry and Analytical Skills(Critical Thinking,Creative Problem-solving,Inquiry/Research)
Inquiry and Analytical Skills(Critical Thinking,Creative Problem-solving,Inquiry/Research)
Discipline -Specific Knowledge and Skills(Discipline-Specific Knowledge and Skills)

02. Write knowledgeably about one of the case studies of human evolution presented in the subject.

Activities:
Essay
Related graduate capabilities and elements:
Literacies and Communication Skills(Writing)
Inquiry and Analytical Skills(Critical Thinking,Creative Problem-solving,Inquiry/Research)
Discipline -Specific Knowledge and Skills(Discipline-Specific Knowledge and Skills)

03. Create a logically sound argument that critically evaluates the relationship between the material evidence and its interpretation.

Activities:
Essay
Related graduate capabilities and elements:
Literacies and Communication Skills(Writing)
Inquiry and Analytical Skills(Critical Thinking,Creative Problem-solving,Inquiry/Research)
Inquiry and Analytical Skills(Critical Thinking,Creative Problem-solving,Inquiry/Research)

04. Engage critically with the different popular interpretations and representations of human evolution as a means of engaging different audiences.

Activities:
Online Quizzes, Exam, Essay
Related graduate capabilities and elements:
Inquiry and Analytical Skills(Critical Thinking,Creative Problem-solving,Inquiry/Research)
Personal and Professional Skills(Study and Learning Skills)

05. Demonstrate an awareness of the challenging ethical issues that arise in study of human evolution and its representation in other media.

Activities:
Online Quizzes, Exam, Essay
Related graduate capabilities and elements:
Literacies and Communication Skills(Writing)
Inquiry and Analytical Skills(Critical Thinking,Creative Problem-solving,Inquiry/Research)
Personal and Professional Skills(Study and Learning Skills)

Subject options

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Start date between: and    Key dates

Melbourne, 2016, Semester 1, Day

Overview

Online enrolmentYes

Maximum enrolment sizeN/A

Enrolment information

Subject Instance Co-ordinatorNicola Stern

Class requirements

LectureWeek: 10 - 22
One 2.0 hours lecture per week on weekdays during the day from week 10 to week 22 and delivered via face-to-face.
"No maximum class size"

TutorialWeek: 10 - 22
One 1.0 hours tutorial per week on weekdays during the day from week 10 to week 22 and delivered via face-to-face.
"In order to facilitate discussion and student involvement in tutorials, the maximum class size should be capped at 25 per tutorial"

Assessments

Assessment elementComments%ILO*
8 online quizzes (5% each)4001, 04, 05
Essay (1,500 words)4001, 02, 03, 04, 05
Peer-reviewed poster2001, 04, 05