INTRODUCTION TO CLASS AND 
"MAKING THE INSTRUCTOR A KNOWN COMMODITY" 
(MODULE 01)
	Read: Start reading the Syllabus (the whole thing!)

(Click here to go directly to the Lesson Overview for this lesson)
(Click here to go directly to the syllabus daily topics schedule for this lesson)

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	A.	This is Anthropology 05-3320: North American Archaeology
	B.	I am Skip Messenger (Please! Use my first name!)
	C.	Before we get going with this class, I would like you to take the last two pages off your Syllabus (the Questionnaire)
      
	    and take about 15-20 minutes to thoughtfully answer the questions.
		1.	Addresses and telephone numbers will be assembled and passed back to provide a "class telephone book."

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	D.	Class schedule:
		1.	We will be meeting in Giddens Learning Center Room 1s.
		2.	Classes go from 10:00-10:50 pm on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
	E.	Office hours:
		1.	Mondays and Wednesdays: 11:00-11:50
		2.	Tuesdays and Thursdays: 2:00-3:00 (and by appointment)
		3.	Otherwise, please feel free to call me at my home (475-9149), but only in an emergency after 6:00 p.m.

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	F.	Personal Backgrounds:
		1.	Before giving my own, would each person please give your own personal background:
			a.	Name;
			b.	Where you come from;
			c.	Personal interests; 
			d.	Visits to another culture; and/or
			e.	Travel—and where?

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		2.	My personal background and anthropology:
			a.	I first became enthralled with the Maya when I was in third grade(!?).
			b.	I learned to "use" coursework in elementary and high school to further my own interests (e.g., papers 
				for biology on Neanderthal).
			c.	Parents supported my interests with books
			d.	Joined Society for American Archaeology while in high school and attended my first international 
				conferences (taking other students)
			e.	Heard Dennis Puleston talk on chultuns and ramones.
			f.	One week following High School graduation, I was on my way to Mexico to visit archaeological sites 
				and museums.
			g.	Went to a small liberal arts college, Hiram College in Hiram, Ohio, where I received a History B.A. 
				(still "using" courses to further my interests).
			h.	Continued to travel to Mexico, Belize and Guatemala.
			i.	During my B.A. time, I had an opportunity to study and travel abroad in:
				(1)	The American Southwest:
					(a)	Studied geology
					(b)	Visited almost all of the major archaeological sites there
				(2)	England:
					(a)	Studied:
						i)	English History
						ii)	English Literature
						iii)	Did research for my Senior Paper on the Enclosure Movement 
							(Anyone ever heard of Jethro Tull?)
					(b)	Visited:
						i)	England and Scotland
						ii)	Major museums (I saw the Elgin Marbles and the Rosetta Stone)
					(c)	Archaeological sites:
						i)	Stonehenge
						ii)	Standing Stones of Calinish
						iii) Dun CArloway Broch of Carlaway (Below which I proposed to my wife!)
			j.	Following B.A., married, and went to Universidad de las Am€ricas for a M.A.
			k.	Did ethnographic and especially archaeological work while in Mexico among
				(1)	Maya,
				(2)	Nahuatl, and
				(3)	Totonac speakers.
			l.	Excavations done with the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia  (INAH) at Bec˜n provided
				background for M.A. Thesis.
			m.	With M.A., went to University of Minnesota on invitation of Dennis Puleston to get a Ph.D.
			n.	Studied and taught students of varying backgrounds and developed personal teaching style; prepared to 
				do archaeological Ph.D. dissertation in Belize with Puleston.
			o.	While with Puleston I came to share his enthusiasm for what he called applied archaeology.
			p.	Puleston was killed in 1978, and became interested in environment, weather, and how cultures related to such
				 things.
			q.	Was ready to do Ph.D. dissertation on short-term climate change and ancient Maya cultural 
				development when asked to work in central Honduras (1980).
			r.	Worked in Honduras 1980-1981
				(1)	Original archaeological field survey of the El Caj„n Region of central Honduras
				(2)	Headed excavations at Guarabuqui for the Proyecto Arqueol„gico El Caj„n
				(3)	Did informal linguistic and ethnographic studies during project
					(a)	Documented Jicaque background of local workers
					(b)	Did study of pottery manufacture
					(c)	Did historical archaeological project as part of a larger prehistoric archaeological 
						project
			s.	Wrote up dissertation on Guarabuqui research and comparative work in Lower Central America to 
				try to understand prehistoric cultural boundaries (Ph.D. in 1984).
			t.	Since, have taught at:
				(1)	A number of community colleges;
				(2)	The Science Museum of Minnesota;
				(3)	The University of Minnesota; and
				(4)	Given lectures for various institutions and organizations.
			u.	I have been active in developing study abroad programs for a number of years.
				(1)	Led a number of study/travel tours to Yucatan for the University of Minnesota
				(2)	Taught a class for Hamline/UMAIE in Yucatan (January 1989 and in 1991)
				(3)	Created study abroad courses specifically for Hamline University:
					(a)	Ancient and Modern Maya of Yucatan (on-site course offered in 
						southern Mexico during J-terms)
					(b)	Ancient Civilizations of the Mexican Highlands (on-site course offered 
						in the highlands of Mexico during Extended-May Terms)
					(c)	Ancient Civilizations of Southeast Asia (on-site J-term course offered 
						first in Thailand in 2001 and to be developed for other Southeast Asian locations)
		3.	Most recently I have become deeply interested in understanding climatic change.
			a.	What occurs
			b.	How it occurs
			c.	How it affects different world areas (temperature change and its effect upon moist and dry areas?)
			d.	How it affects people today
			e.	How it may be reconstructed
			f.	How it may have affected ancient peoples
		4.	My climate change emphasis has led to researching a number of world areas:
			a.	Mesoamerica
			b.	Central America
			c.	Southeast Asia
				(1)	Climate change has become integral to a number of courses I currently teach at Hamline 
					and has been the focus of recent research in Southeast Asia (Thailand, Indonesia, and 
					briefly into Cambodia)
				(2)	As part of curricular development, I have also had students researching other parts of the 
					world including North America, South America, Africa, the Indian Subcontinent, East Asia,
					and Southeast Asia (other areas to follow!).
		5.	My archaeological work has also brought me back to North America, where I led Hamline's Archaeological 
			Field School in northern Minnesota in 1993 and 1994.

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		6.	In short—I have a deep love of teaching and have strong personal interests in both pedagogy and my discipline 
			of anthropology (see Skip's Teaching Philosophy).

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	G.	The Syllabus:
		1.	Don't let its size intimidate you!
		2.	You should make sure to read the entire thing (especially the sections dealing with your writing assignment—
			after all, this is a WRITING INTENSIVE COURSE).
		3.	Note the sections that give the sequence of class topics and readings.
			a.	Readings are designed to go along with topics we will be discussing in class.  They do not replace them!
			b.	If you do the readings prior to class, they will provide you with some background.
			c.	If you don't get a chance to do the readings until after class, they should help consolidate what you 
				have heard.
			d.	Therefore, reading before or after class will still prove helpful to you (definitely in the future!).
		4.	Ask for questions.
					

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