The Ancient Maya ANT 310 Spring

Class Meetings - Tuesdays & Thursdays
Our classes will generally be structured in the following manner throughout the spring 2009 term:

Tuesdays
On Tuesdays Professor Simmons will present information in a traditional lecture-style format. Lectures will include various kinds of information on topics that will be covered during the week, such as Early Classic Period settlement, subsistence & technology (see above). Much of this information will be presented visually, and is designed to augment information that’s provided in your course readings (text and reading packets). During Tuesday lectures Professor Simmons will not simply ‘go over’ material from readings but instead will provide additional information that is designed to supplement, often in greater detail and wider scope, what you’re learning about the ancient Maya from your course readings.

Thursdays
Thursdays are non-lecture days where you will be actively engaged in peer-learning with fellow students. During roughly the first half of each Thursday of the semester, beginning on Thursday January 29, small groups of three students will gather in the classroom to discuss study points/questions they’ve prepared beforehand that relate to the topics being discussed that week. These discussion points/questions will be based on information presented during Tuesday’s lectures as well as readings assigned for the week. During the second half of each Thursday’s class Professor Simmons will call on each group to discuss one or two of their discussion points/questions to share with the entire class.

Each student will prepare three discussion points/questions for each Thursday’s class (see required format below). Each student will e-mail their Group Moderator at least three discussion points/questions no later than 8:00 pm each Wednesday. The only exceptions to ‘Discussion Thursdays’ are the following: Exam I (Feb 12), spring break (March 12) and Easter break (April 9). Moderators are assigned for each Thursday’s discussion group and each will rotate every Thursday (see attached schedule).

Group Moderators:
Each student in your group will send you, via e-mail, their discussion points/questions no later than 8:00 pm each Wednesday. Moderators will compile (cut & paste) all of the discussion questions into one document and they will print these out and bring into class at 11:00 am each Thursday (with the exception of those Thursdays listed above). There will be a total of at least nine discussion points/questions Group Moderators will bring to class each Thursday. Each individual student will bring in their questions/discussion points as well. The Moderator’s job is to keep the discussion going by asking questions group members have submitted. Moderators will send all discussion points/questions to Professor Simmons via e-mail no later than midnight each Wednesday evening.

Questions/Discussion Points (examples)
1. Why did the Maya have several different calendars? What was the point of keeping track of different intervals of time?

2. How many people lived in a ‘typical’ ancient Maya household? Why do population estimates for the ancient Maya vary so wildly? What are these estimates based upon and why do some estimates seem more plausible than others?

3. I’m confused by the whole ‘Maya collapse,’ especially where it took place and where it didn’t. Discuss some of the reasons why the collapse may have taken place in certain areas of the Maya world as well as researchers’ evidence for the collapse in those areas.