1491: New World Theories on Mesoamerica
HON 120-315
Spring 2012

Guidelines for Oral Presentations on Readings
  

The Basics
Reading Choice:
You should choose an assigned reading based on your interest (or potential interest) in the main topic discussed in the reading.  Many of the topics are controversial.  Is the ‘pristine wilderness’ really a myth?  How did people begin domesticating plants?  Why did Maya civilization ‘collapse’?  In addition to evaluating the assigned reading for each topic of discussion you are to find and critique at least two other sources of information that pertain to the central topic being discussed (beginnings of food domestication, Maya collapse, peopling of the New World, etc).  This will take a bit of research on your part, but as this will be the main component of your course grade and, most importantly, you’ll be acquiring different information and perspectives on your topic of interest it will be well worth it!

You will sign up for the topic of your choice on the sign-up sheet posted on my office door, Room 103, SBS Building.

Presentation Length:
Your oral presentation must be between 10-15 minutes in length.  This is not negotiable.  Points will be deducted for presentations that fall short of the minimum 10 minute length.  The remainder of the class period will be devoted to an open discussion of the research topic presented in the reserve article assigned for that week. 

Points:
Presentations count for 100 points, or one third of your course grade.
 

The Specifics
For Presenters:
If you are presenting on a class reading make certain you discuss the following:

• Purpose of the research.  What is the point of discussing this research?  What were the goals the author hoped to accomplish in presenting this research?
• The main points of contention or controversy related to the main topic.  What are they?  What makes the topic or topics so controversial?
• Sources of information.  How did the author go about collecting information for the research?  What were the sources of information used?
• Results of the research.  Did the author reach their goals or objectives?  Provide a concise synopsis of what they learned from doing this work.
• Gaps in the research.  Now that you've discussed what's there, go ahead and point out what's missing.  What other kinds/sources of information might be useful in more fully reaching the research goals discussed by the author(s)?
   

For Everyone Else:
If you are not presenting on a reading make certain you bring to class between 3-5 discussion points for the assigned reading.  Of course, you will not be aware of the other two readings being critiqued by the presenter, so just bring discussion points/questions on the reading that’s assigned on the course syllabus.  You will bring to class your discussion points/questions, write answers and notes to each question, and turn this in at the end of class.  Professor Simmons will read over your answers and notes and return these to you the following week.  Follow the format below for your discussion points.

After the presenter is finished we'll discuss as a group the topic that’s been presented.  The discussion points you create can include questions you had about the research objectives, methods or results, gaps in the research (areas in which more/different research would contribute to the topic), and information from the article that relates topically to your prior knowledge of the subject and/or the topic on which you will be (or have) presented in class.  Be creative!  What do you find worth discussing about this research?  Whatever it is, let's make sure we talk about it in class.

Needless to say, if you don't have 3-5 discussion points/questions for each week's reading it will be clear that you are not doing the readings and/or composing the discussion points and that, of course, will adversely impact your grade for the course.  The point is to generate some lively discussions, and the way to do that is for everyone to contribute!

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Format for Discussion Points/Questions

David Gilmour (name)
7 March 2012 (date)
HON 120-315 (course)
Denevan article (name of reading)

Sample types of questions/points -

1).  What does Denevan mean when he uses the term “pristine” and how is this used to illustrate his point about modifications to the American landscape by Native Americans?

2).  Why does Denevan say that terra preta soils  would have been favored by early Amazonian farmers?  What was it that made them so useful for growing crops?

3).  I like the way Denevan weaves uses several examples of evidence for the ‘built landscape’.  I think it strengthens his argument for the anthropogenic environment, overall.  What do you think?

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Some Current controversies/debates in Mesoamerican Archaeology
 

• The Emergence of Agriculture - What, were when and how?
• The Olmec – the “Mother Culture” of Mesoamerica?
• Mesoamerica’s engineers – how’d they do that?!?
• Causes of the Classic Period Maya “Collapse”
• The nature of Postclassic Period Mesoamerican economies
• Sacrifice in Mesoamerica (autosacrifice and heart removal)
• The Conquest of Mexico – how did Cortes and a few Spaniards defeat the mighty Aztec Empire?