Farms to Empires: The Archaeology of Complex Societies
As the course succeeding Foragers to Farmers, this course focused on the development of complexity in urban human societies. Areas of focus were spanned worldwide, including but not limited to Ancient China, South Asia, Mesopotamia and the Middle East, and North America. In addition to the materials related to the coursework, Dr. Haines provided a writing workshop to help students improve academic writing. Assessments included weekly quizzes, map assignments, two major essays, and a final exam.
Although this course was a requisite for me, I wanted to take it. I learned about the beginnings of societies from Foragers to Farmers, and wanted to learn about what took place after the introduction of agriculture. I enjoyed learning about how different parts of the world developed. The textbook for this course was well-written and was easy for students to comprehend.
Dr. Haines was once again a supportive educator, taking extra time out of her schedule to offer assistance to students by holding writing workshops. Additionally, she provided feedback after the first essay and gave students the opportunity to resubmit it within a certain timeframe. I believe giving students the extra opportunity to improve helps students better understand expectations and where they can improve. It would be beneficial to students if more educators took that approach to major assignments.
Chichén Itzá
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