ANTHRO-TEACH

Jemison Visiting Professorship brings de Waal to UAB

2012-02-14T11:45:00.003-06:00

Morality Before Religion is the theme of the next Jemison Visiting Professorship lecture, presented by the College of Arts and Sciences the Department of History and Anthropology at UAB. Professor Francis de Waal will talk about empathy, fairness and prosocial primates. Dr. de Waal teaches primate behavior at Emory University.
The speech will take place at the UAB Alumni House on April 11, 2012, at 4pm.

Get ready for the 2012 Southern Anthropological Society meeting

2012-02-14T10:44:00.017-06:00

The 2012 Annual Southern Anthropological Society meeting will be hosted by Anthro-Teach at the University of Alabama Birmingham at the Sheraton Hotel in Birmingham, Alabama, March 14th-17th. This year’s theme is “Peace, Justice, and Environment” and our keynote speaker will be Professor Beth Conklin from Vanderbilt University. The Sheraton is located in downtown Birmingham and is within walking distance of the Birmingham Museum of Art, the McWane Science Center and the Civil Rights Institute. Click here for map and directions. Book your room at the Sheraton by February 13, 2012 before 5 p.m. to receive the special conference rate of $115.00 per night. A field trip to the Civil Rights Institute is planned for the Sunday after the conference. The SAS Annual Meeting provides professional anthropologists and students of anthropology with an opportunity to explore and share current projects and issues within the field. Please direct any questions to the meeting chairs, Sharyn Jones ( sharynj@uab.edu) or Lori Cormier (lcormier@uab.edu). For more information, visit the Southern Anthropological Society website.

2012-01-26T13:37:00.015-06:00

On Thursday January 19, 2012, Anthro-TEACH gave a presentation about Native American culture for Boy Scout Pack 397 of Homewood, AL at the Trinity United Methodist Church. The student presenters were Christel Carlisle, Jade Delisle, Alea Rouse. The overall presentation showed the children how Native Americans utilized their natural environment. They covered the topics of lithics (stone tools) and music and dance.

The explanations of stone tools included how they were constructed and used. There were plenty of examples presented for the troops to gain greater perspectives of how they were utilized by prehistoric Native Americans.

The scouts were very enthusiastic participants in demonstrations of traditional Native American music and dance. The music and dances that were demonstrated were from more contemporary times, but they allowed the younger audiences to see how Native Americans incorporated nature into their traditions.

Due to time constraints the all of the questions could not be answered, but the Anthro-TEACH team was very impressed by this pack's interest in these topics. We greatly appreciate the enthusiasm of the scouts and we hope that they were able take away valuable information and are further encouraged to pursue anthropological cultural explorations.

Whispers from the Past at the Aldridge Botanical Gardens

2011-11-09T17:30:00.001-06:00

Three sisters garden at Aldridge

On October 23rd the ANTHRO-TEACH students and faculty participated in the Aldridge Botanical Gardens second annual celebration of Native American Culture. This exciting full-day of outreach and education for the public and their families was hosted by the Aldridge Gardens with the partnership and support of ANTHRO-TEACH, Moundville Archaeological Park, Legacy Partners in Environmental Education, and the Alabama Humanities Foundation.

One of the activities for kids included a puppet show about the Native American myth of the Three-sisters (corn, beans and squash).

Chip Wente created a traditional kitchen and cooked native Alabama foods in an earth oven using clay pots he created in the traditional Native American style.

Using Native American flint knapping and hafting methods Chip created an array of tools that would have been used in the past by the Southeastern Native Americans.

UAB ANTHRO-TEACH students and faculty worked with the Aldridge volunteers and crafters to teach the public about the lifeways of the Native Americans in Alabama and the Southeast. Visitors to Aldridge learned about beading and the bead loom.

UAB Anthropology Department faculty Lori Cormier and Sharyn Jones explained artifacts, (their use and construction) from the Josselyn Archaeology Collection housed at UAB Here visitors are handling enigmatic clay "Poverty Point Objects" from the site of Poverty Point in Louisiana.

UAB Anthropology student Brandon Grisaffi explains pottery making in Alabama per-Columbian times to Aldridge visitors.

UAB Anthropology Graduate Student Christel Carlisle describes Native American homes and musical instruments to program participants.

Graduate student, Anna McCown explains ground stone technology and the distribution of Native American tribes in the past.

Dr. Jones discusses Alabama archaeology with visitors to the Josselyn exhibit.

Visitors to the Aldridge event learned about native gourd crafts, that include rattles, spoons, and bowls. Pictured above, two Anthropology graduate students, Jade Delisle and Anna McCown clean and work gourds as they teach local kids about this process.

Aldridge visitors select gourds to work and create useful household items with.

Andrew Kirkpatrick, a UAB Anthropology student (pictured below) worked with Aldridge volunteers and program participants to teach about the atlatl. The atlata is a tool invented by Native Americans in the Southeast who used it for leverage to enhance the distance that a dart could be thrown.

Visitors also engaged in leaf pounding, an ancient Cherokee craft.

Ethel Owen displays her beautiful pine needle baskets, a type of weaving art used by Native Americans.

The photos below are of the Sylestine Legacy, a troupe of Creek Indian dancers who participated in the Whispers from the Past event.

These young visitors to Aldridge try their hands at making music.....

Peace Day Proceedings

2011-10-05T20:33:00.026-05:00

The Anthropology department and the Anthro Club held a bake sale in recognition of International Peace Day, September 21st. Many students and club members baked goodies and worked the booth in order to spread awareness about Peace Day and raise donations for the West End Community Gardens. The bake sell went very well raising over $200 dollars for the West End Gardens.

International Peace Day was also the perfect time to introduce UAB students to the Anthropology department's new class, Introduction to Peace Studies, which will be available in Spring 2012. The Introduction to Peace Studies class (ANTH 104) will be an online course taught by Dr. Jones and Jade Delisle. This is an exciting new course that introduces students to the history and utility of social justice, conflict resolution and nonviolence. Students learn about various ways to solve conflicts and address problems without resorting to violence.

In addition to teaching the Peace Studies class, Dr. Jones is working with ANEC (Active Nonviolence Education Center) to provide internships for students taking the Introduction to Peace Studies (Anth 104) and the Environmental Studies Internship (Anth 483). Dr. Jones and ANEC are also working together to offer a Study Away in India for May 2012. More information about this opportunity is forthcoming and anyone interested may contact Dr. Sharyn Jones.

The ANEC website is a wonderful resource for information about the center, its mission and activities. The website also provides recources for the public, ways to volunteer as well as global and political news about peace.

In addition to the ANEC website, there are some other websites that are as inspiring and appropriate for reflection about Peace. The Peace One Day website provides information about the Global Truce initiative scheduled for 2012's International Peace Day. The initiative calls for a day of ceasefire and non-violence to be observed globally on September 21, 2012. The website offers ways for people to become involved in the movement, videos about Global Truce as well as a schedule of events, including concerts, pod talks and festivals. The website Wisdom Portal has poems, quotes and letters from spiritual leader Thich Nhat Hanh about peace. These are a wonderful collection of writings that inspire and define the goals not just of International Peace Day but of peaceful movements and actions everyday.

The website Peaceful Societies is an encyclopedia of societies that anthropologists have described as being peaceful. The characteristics of these societies are defined. This website is interesting an resource for anthropologists as well as the public in general as it provides examples of alternatives to violence that have been practiced by social groups.

One final great website to check out while pondering peace is Les Sponsel. This is the University of Hawaii's website for the Ecological Anthropology Program that they offer. This site lists and defines specializations such as Buddist, Cultural and Political Ecology. The website provides the credentials of and contact information for the program director, Dr. Leslie Sponsel. This is a wonderful website for studente interested in Ecology, Anthropology and Peace studies.

With the success of the Anthropology Department and Anthro Club's International Peace Day Awareness bakesale, the exciting new peace courses at UAB and a plethora of websites; it may be easier to not just celebrate Peace Day every September 21st, but to actively work for peace every day!

EARTH DAY REPORT

2011-06-22T18:15:00.035-05:00

The UAB Anthropology Department's Earth Day celebration was not just a success but a fun day full of unique and informative activities, delicious food and important goals. The activities planned were a community art project, free yoga class, gardening demonstration, slam poetry contest and a peace panel discussion that featured religious and scientific leaders from Birmingham. The Earth Day festivities also included a Sojourn booth that sold hand made and eco friendly crafts, a booth of arts and crafts made by students and a booth for the Anam Cara Irish Dancers.

Sojourns

Student Art

Irish Dancers

Of course, in addition to the booths and activities there was food! Baked goods, sushi and Indian food were available and donations were taken for the West End Community Gardens and the Red Cross for Japan Tsunami Relief. The donation collection for the baked goods was a success as $300 was collected for West End Community Gardens and $200 for the Red Cross Japan Tsunami Relief effors!

(For more information about the West End Gardens-watch the documentary filmed by anthropology students and earth day coordinators Anna Mcowen and Lindsay Whiteaker.)

After some mingling, eco-friendly shopping and nutritious eating-visitors and volunteers were treated to a panel discussion that featured religious and scientific leaders of the Birmingham community.Panelists included: Losel Maitri representing the Buddhist community, Jun Ebersol curator from the McWane Center, a representative from the Hindu Temple, a speaker for the Birmingham Bahai Center, and a speaker for The Church Without Walls. The panel discussed their varying ideas on the importance of the earth as our home and how we should fulfill our duty as stewards to the earth. Though there were some specific differences between the panelists beliefs; the discussion highlighted the similarities between the pannelists and the groups they represented. The panel discussion provided insight about how comminities as a whole could work together to solve environmental issues dispite percieved and real differences. The lesson learned was that we all live on this earth together and therefore equally share the responsibility of caring for the environment.

After the panel discussion there was an Earth Day Poetry Slam competition produced by Real Life Poets, Inc. Local middle and highscool students presented poetry they authored specifically for Earth Day. There was a cash prize of $100 awarded to the best environmentally themed poem.

The success of Earth Day was evident in the faces of attendants and volunteers as they learned about specific environmental issues and solutions and as they realized that concern about the earth is broadly shared throught the community. Due to the success, anthropology students are commited to making the Earth Day celebration at UAB an annual event that will continue to grow and inspire people to make environmentally friendly choices and take action for the sake of the planet, our home.

UAB Fiji 2009 videos at APT Plus

2011-04-13T20:02:00.023-05:00

What do you get when you combine archaeological research with public television treatment?

You get a wonderful educational resource that brings cultures from around the world right into the classroom. Alabama Public Television has teamed up with the researchers from the 2009-2010 UAB-NSF field school to provide online video reports about Fijian Culture and Archaeology. So far eight short videos, produced by Craig Highburger, have been released, covering the research from the 2009 field school. These films are located on the APT Plus website, an online multimedia resource for teachers and students that offers videos and images, as well as other teaching aids. The APT Plus digital library affords teachers with videos of local historical and cultural subjects as well as scientific, environmental and global studies. The work that the UAB-NSF researchers and APT Plus has produces introduces students to Fijian culture as well as the methods and purpose of archaeology.

The first video titled, What Do Fijians Eat, was scripted by Anna McCowan. This video discusses the diverse diet of the Fijians and the various ways Fijians have for accessing food from their environment. The video explains the division of labor between men and women in association with food. The order in which Fijians eat, how they eat and other cultural practices are also addressed in the film. Lastly, the film explains how archaeology can be used to examine historical remains that provide clues about past the past food ways of Fijians.

The second film, Fijian Song & Dance, is presented by Dr. Sharyn Jones. She discusses the reasons for certain Fijian dances or Mekes as well as who performs what dance. The video shows the difference between the dances done by women and those done by men or boys. Sharyn explains that music and dance are important ways of communication and celebration for Fijians.

Films three and four explore the archaeological excavations at Na Masi Masi and Wai Turu Turu. In the film Na Masi Masi, Mallory Messersmith explains many of the methods of archaeological excavation, revealing how proper field techniques can provide archaeologists with artifacts from the past. She describes some of the artifacts found at the Na Masi Masi site and what those artifacts indicate about the past. The video Wai Turu Turu, features Anna McCowan as she discusses the archaeological dig at the Wai Turu Turu cave site. Sharyn Jones relates the oral history of the caves use as a fort by early Fijians. Both films are excellent sources for how archaeology can be used to understand past cultures.

Megan Sunderman Noojin introduces the subject of shells in the Fijian Seashells film. Megan explains the importance of identifying different types of shells to understand biodiversity. She also explains that seashells from the past can help show how climate has changed over time. The shells can also provide evidence for how Fijians used them for perhaps eating, tool use and jewelry.

The next three videos are presented by Dr. Sharyn Jones. Sharyn discusses the gender division and roles in the Fijian Gender Roles film. She explains the interest and humor that Fijians had about how the female UAB students were willing to work hard and get dirty digging up objects of the past. In the Liku Tour film Sharyn describes the tiny village of Liku on the far side of the island Nayau. She describes life in the village. The final video, Masi Fabric, Sharyn describe the masi making process and its importance to Fijian women. Fijian women work very hard making and decorating the masi. In the past it was traditionally used for clothing. The making of masi is a way to keep traditional way alive as well as strengthen the bonds between the women as they work side by side.

Please visit the website and view these videos, they do not take long to watch and are extremely entertaining. Makes one wish they were in Fiji!

Spring Valley

2011-03-15T13:33:00.016-05:00

Anthro- Teach students Anna McCown, Ashley Wilson, Chauntelle Sharp, Christel Carlisle, Jake Delisle, and Lindsay Whiteaker prepared presentations about Native American culture for the students of Spring Valley School.

This is a map that was created by Anna and Jake, which displays Native American territories of the U.S.

Here is Chauntelle teaching the young students about traditional Native American music and dance.

The students are following Chauntelle in the performing the "snake dance".

The children got a chance to do some hands on archaeology with the dig boxes. It became a race to see who could find the artifacts the fastest!

Jake is explaining to the children the different types of artifacts that have been found at Native American sites and what has and can be learned from them.

Christel is telling the story of the three sisters, as a demonstration how oral traditions are passed down and as an explanation of staples of the Native American diet. While listening to the story. They got to sample the three sisters in the form of cornbread made from cornmeal, bean flour, and squash.

Earth Week

2011-02-23T12:09:00.031-06:00

Earth Day 2011 will be observed on April 22nd and during the week leading up to the 22nd. This year Anthro -Teach will sponsor and host events full of holistic activities for the celebration. The big bash will occur on Friday, April 22 in the UAB Mini Park (on University Blvd. between 13th and 14th St. S.), and will include the following:
•       LIVE MUSIC all day by Nag Hammadi
•       FOOD & a bake sale all day
•       Free composting course hosted by West End Community Garden 11:00-12:00
•       Free Yoga by India Henson 12:30-2:30
•       Environmental discussions between students, spiritual leaders, environmental initiatives, and cultural groups from the Birmingham community 12:00-4:00
•       Slam poetry featuring students from Real Life Poets, Inc. Hosted by 95.7 Jamz Lady Woo and HBO Def Poet Shariff Simmons 4:30-6:00

Additionally, we will host a donation based bake sale on Monday April 18th the first floor lobby of Heritage Hall (1401 University Blvd). The proceeds will be donated to local green initiatives.

On Wed., April 20th we will screen films that illustrate the current state of the Earth and there will be discussion sessions following the films. During this week there will be several opportunities for students, faculty, staff, as well as any visitors to come together and discuss issues, thoughts, and opinions about the earth and the role of humans in relation to the environment.

We also plan to have guest lecturers to speak about different elements of environmental conservation. All are welcomed to come and share their thoughts during discussions and lectures.

On Friday April 22nd (Earth Day). There will be activities that will allow for UAB students gather information about how they become more involved with local green initiatives, as well as slam poetry, yoga demonstrations, and more.

Anthro- Teach would appreciate help from volunteers who may interested in contributing their services on any of these days. If you are interested in lending a hand please contact or if you have any comments or questions about the activities please contact Dr. Sharyn Jones sharynj@uab.edu.

Volunteers will be needed to help with set up in the morning and clean up in the afternoon, to man the tables during the sale and we will need food donations for the bake sales, so any prepared food items would be welcomed contributions.

ANTHRO-TEACH has a new website!

2010-12-16T16:02:00.001-06:00

The ANTHRO-TEACH Program has a new website (http://hulamo.com/Educational_Anthropology_at_UAB/Educational_Anthropology.html) with many exciting features, including links to lesson plans, information on our current and past projects, photos, and links to our calendar of upcoming events. Anna McCown is currently working on site development, so stay posted for updates and contact Dr. Lori Cormier or Dr. Sharyn Jones if you have any questions.

Historical Ecology

2010-12-16T05:58:00.023-06:00

During the Fall semester of 2010 Dr. Sharyn Jones taught a Historical Ecology course. In this class students were encouraged to discuss historical and contemporary issues of cultural ecology.

Students were given the option of completing a term paper or a project that related to the topics discussed during the class. Some worked in groups. The projects followed the theme of bringing more awareness to environmental issues. During the process of these projects students maintained public blogs, so that their instructor and classmates, as well as the general public could follow their progress.

Amanda Harper, Kalyn Abrams, Mallory Messersmith, Justin Sims, Harry Clark carried their trash around with them for a week and then weighed and averaged amongst themselves, and then they compared their data with national averages.

Marissa T Bakhshian’s goal was to promote environmental awareness within her own household. She and her roommates worked to reduce the amount of waste that they produced, along with the amount of water and electricity that they used.

Anne Sorrell, Christel Carlisle, Courtney Andrews planted small gardens, utilizing only natural cultivation methods in their homes with the objective promoting sustainable living.

Ashley Nielson adopted a pescetarian diet. She gave up eating meat, with the exception of seafood. Her blog contains information about her personal experiences with giving up meat, as well as information about how the meat industry affects the environment.

Anna McCown, Lindsay Whiteaker, and Jake Delisle have been working to create a historical ecology wikiproject in an effort to bring together other researchers who are willing to work together to provide useful information about the topic of historical ecology that can be presented to the public through wikipedia.

Also during the class some student proposed ideas for promoting environmental education, that may be utilized in the future as a part of ANTHRO-TEACH. Included in these ideas were a proposal for a sort ecology based mentoring program and a lesson plan intended to promote environmental awareness for young children.

2010-10-25T17:19:00.038-05:00

On Sunday, October 24, The Aldridge Botanical Gardens in Hoover, AL presented in partnership with the Moundville Archaeological Park , "Whispers from the Past: A Native American Experience" During the event, visitors got to experience traditional Native American culture through a number of activities provided. The Anthro-Teach team was present to offer an anthropological perspective on Native American cultural history.

Both students and faculty members provided presentations in three different sessions. Many of the visitors in these sessions were educators from local schools. The information presented was along with suggestions of ways that it could be incorporated into the K-12 classroom curriculum.

The topic of the first session was Native American ethnobotany. In this section the presenters were Dr. Loretta Cormier, Courtney Andrews, and Ashley Wilson. Here the presenters discussed different ways that Native Americans from the Southeastern U.S. identified and used plants in their everyday lives. The main focus of this section was the use of plants for food and medicinal purposes.

The topic of the second session was Native American archaeology. In this section Dr. Sharyn Jones, Mallory Messersmith, and Brandon Grisaffi discussed different aspects of Native American culture that have been discovered through archaeological research. The presenters provided information about different methods that archaeologists use to study material remains of past cultures, physical examples of different types of Native American artifacts, and information about what can be learned from the study of them.

In the third session the presenters Dave Cunningham, Anna McCown, and Chauntelle Sharp were able to recruit audience members to participate in demonstrations of Native American music and dance. Along with this they included information about the cultural and social contexts involved in the performances.

World Peace Day

2010-09-27T07:53:00.020-05:00

On September 21, 2010 the UAB Anthropology Club held a bake sale, in observance of World Peace Day. All of the proceeds from the sale will be donated to Amnesty International, an international human rights organization or Pathways, a shelter for abused women and children. Along with baked goods, peace sign jewelry was available for purchase. At the sale it was requested that customers make a donation to either charity in the amount of their choice amount in exchange for either a food item or jewelry.

Throughout the day student volunteers manned the table, bringing awareness to world peace day, and requsesting that people express their thoughts on peace, by writing it on a leaf and adding it to the peace tree.

There was also a peace day raffle. In order to participate people had to take a quiz testing their knowledge of global human rights issues. Each quiz was used as a ballot for the drawing. At the end of the day, three of the quizzes were chosen, determining the raffles third, second, and first place winners.The third place winner received a $10 gift certificate to the Golden Temple, second place received a $10 gift certificate to Lucy's Coffee and Tea, and the first place winner received a piece of Masi, traditional Fijian barkcloth.

Anthro Club at The Table

2010-08-10T13:58:00.006-05:00

On Saturday, July 25th, UAB's Anthropology Club sponsored "The Table", a homeless shelter's hot meal service in downtown Birmingham, AL. Club members planned, prepared, and served the meal.

Lori Cormier, Mallory Messersmith, Christel Carlisle, and Helena Corzan get ready to start serving lunch.

Alison Jenkins and her mom hand out their homemade desserts!

This was a great opportunity for the club to do something that impacted the community, and thanks to everyone who came out and helped make it a success!

McWane presentations - Fiji REU

2010-07-27T15:57:00.003-05:00

On Saturday, July 25th, students who participated in the 2010 Fiji REU presented some of their research to children and parents at the McWane Science Center in Birmingham, AL.

The students prepared posters and hands-on activities for the children in order to teach them about Fijian culture.

Ben Knox, Lindsay Whiteaker, and Helena Corzan presented on Fijian music and dance. They helped the children dress up in traditional costume and taught them a meke (dance) they had learned during their time in Fiji.

Anna McCown, Courtney Andrews, and Mallory Messersmith taught the children about the importance of studying a culture's garbage, and what trash can tell us about the people who discarded those items. Children played a game in which they tried to match rubbish items with people from Fijian and American cultures.

Christel Carlisle, Ashley Wilson, and Caitlin Aamodt presented on the effects of natural disasters such as cyclones on the Fijian islands. They designed a board game in which children made choices that determined how well they would have weathered a cyclone in Fiji.

National Science Foundation REU Fiji 2010

2010-07-27T15:34:00.006-05:00

The second year of UAB's National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates in Fiji fieldschool has come to a close! The Fiji REU program engages students in interdisciplinary problem based research, exploring long-term dynamics in human interaction with the environment. Project participants learn about anthropology (the study of humans and culture) as well as historical ecology, a discipline focused on the relationships between people and both physical and biological environments. In the context of various study areas in Fiji’s Lau Island Group, students and faculty engage in meaningful scientific research incorporating the methods of anthropology and ecology.

Helena Corzan surveys the post-cyclone landscape during a hike.

While last year's REU focused primarily on archaeological methods of investigation, this year's fieldschool took an ethnographic approach. Students investigated such topics as: foodways and cooking, education, adolescence and gender roles, music, adaptation to western culture, place names, oral histories, and kinship. Students also learned to utilize different methods of ethnographic research while adapting to the unique stresses of fieldwork.

Christel Carlisle helping to prepare a Fijian lunch in the bure.

Courtney Andrews, Mallory Messersmith, and Anna McCown analyzing data for their project involving indigenous and imported rubbish.

For more information (along with more photos, posters, and lesson plans), visit the Fiji REU's website.

Lakeshore Foundation Presentations

2010-05-24T14:20:00.003-05:00

On Monday, May 24th, ANTHRO-TEACH students gave presentations to visually-impaired teenagers and adults at Birmingham's Lakeshore Foundation.

Marissa Bakhshian presented on ancient and modern-day Persia (Iran), focusing on the roles of sports and music in the society.

She also brought musical instruments and spices as tactile and olfactory aids.

Lindsay Whiteaker presented on Fijian culture and foodways. She gave each person a traditional role in Fijian society, and then placed everyone at the table according to their rank.

The "chief" of the day was wrapped in masi (barkcloth) to signify his wealth and status.

Introductory Cultural Anthropology Book

2010-05-21T15:16:00.004-05:00

ANTHRO-TEACH Project Directors, Dr. Loretta Cormier and Dr. Sharyn Jones, have published a new introductory text for cultural anthropology!

This book incorporates interactive videos, imagery, and hyperlinks to web-based materials. It was developed for use in the authors' Introduction to Cultural Anthropology (Anth 101) classes at UAB, and it will be available to students online.

Proceeds from royalties will be donated to an ANTHRO-TEACH scholarship fund to support anthropology undergraduates.

The Titusville Historical Archaeology Field Study presented by Anthro-Teach and Parker High School

2010-04-29T17:18:00.040-05:00

Anthro-Teach has teamed up with nine students from Parker High School to work on researching a historical cemetery in Titusville. The students receive one hour of college credit from UAB for their fifteen weeks of hands-on work and research. The students met one day a week after school for one hour, as well devoting eight Saturdays of the spring semester to fieldwork and field trips.The goal of the project is to educate the students in ethnohistory, archeology, genealogy, and to introduce anthropology and archeology as possible career paths.

The students were recognized Tuesday, April 27th, 2010 at The Birmingham City School Board meeting for receiving an award for the Best Poster in Science Education at The Alabama Academy of Science meeting.

(From left) Malcom Ryans, Sabrina Bone, and Delana Benford presenting at the Alabama Academy of Science meeting

Photo taken of the students, faculty, and Birmingham City School Board members

In addition to presenting at The Alabama Academy of Science meeting and receiving recognition at The Birmingham City School Board meeting, the students from Parker also participated in a mock archeology dig on Thursday, April 29th. The nine students from Parker High School participating in The Titusville Historical Archeology Field Study took at trip to The University of Alabama at Birmingham's campus to learn and practice basic archeology techniques and theories. The students spent time learning how to prep a site by making a grid of their area,which was two large planting boxes filled with various artifacts.

Anna McCowan, UAB student and anthropology major, teaching Parker students how to setup a grid for an archeology site

The students also learned the importance of surveying a site and taking detailed notes. Students learned basic techniques for unearthing artifacts using trowels and other various tools. The mock dig was divided into two stations, and each student spent time setting up a grid, recording data, excavating, sifting for artifacts, and soil analysis, all basic and important components to a successful dig. The practice dig was led by Professors in UAB's Department of History and Anthropology, Dr. Lorreta Cormier and Dr. Sharyn Jones, as well as Parker history teacher, Barry McNealey, Titusville Historical Archeology Project Manager, Sabrina Bone, and five UAB anthropology students.

Jade Delisle and Angela Cales, UAB anthropology graduate students, giving Parker kids an introduction to trowel use and excavation techniques.

(From left) Brea Roper, Melvin Griffin, and Kenneth Sutton excavate a deer skull

Both The Birmingham News and News Channel 33/40 came out to the mock excavation to do a story on the kids and their work with The Titusville Historical Archeology Field Study. For more information on the project and the kids from parker please see the following links

http://blog.al.com/birmingham-news-stories/2010/05/amateur_archaeologists_sift_th.html

http://cfc.abc3340.com/videoondemand.cfm?id=64169&category=news

2010-04-27T13:18:00.024-05:00

Recent Events with ANTHRO-TEACH:

ANTHRO-TEACH Presentations from the Southern Anthropological Society (SAS) meetings in Savannah, Georgia (February 18-20, 2010)

Caitlin Aamodt is pictured above presenting her paper on "Human understanding of Place Names on Nayau, Lau Group, Fiji."

Mallory Messersmith presented "Analysis and interpretation of a suspected earth oven feature on Nayau, Fiji" at the SAS meetings in Georgia.

UAB Faculty (Cormier and Jones) and Anthropology students (from left to right): Ashley Wilson, Lindsay Whiteaker, Caitlin Aamodt, Mallory Messersmith, Anna McCown, and Megan Noojin-Sunderman.

Anna McCown presented " Dumped: An Exploration of the Material Culture of a Contemporary Community in Nayau, Fiji."

Meagan Noojin-Sunderman presented a presentation on "Under the Sea:Holocene Climate Changes and Effects in Fiji, ca AD 1300"

Sabrina Bone (center) and students from Parker High School received an award for the Best Poster in Science and Education at the Alabama Academy of Science meetings on April 1, 2010.

Mallory Messersmith received the Alabama Archaeological Society Award.

Christel Carlisle was awarded the Outstanding Undergraduate in Anthropology Award.

Angela Cales, pictured with Anthropology Dept. Chair Carolyn Conley, was awarded the Outstanding Graduate Student in Anthropology award.

Sabrina Bone received the Departmental Chairs Award in Anthropology and History.

Sharyn Jones and Lori Cormier took Anthro-Teach students and Jones' Food and Culture class to visit the West End Community Gardens in April, 2010

Food and Culture students are helping to remove weeds from the gardens.

The Alabama Academy of Science Meetings
Alabama A&M University in Huntsville

Ashley Wilson presented a poster regarding the ethnohistory of food. Her poster was titled "Ethnohistory of Food: Food and Folk Remedies of Alabama Slaves."

Anna AcCown presented a poster presentation on " Dumped: An Exploration of the Material Culture of a Contemporary Community in Nayau, Fiji"

Sharyn Jones and Loretta Cormier presented a paper titled "Gender Inequity and Cultural Diversity: A Field School in Fiji’s Lau Island Group ."

ANTHRO-TEACH outreach at local Birmingham city schools

2010-01-02T14:07:00.044-06:00

In November and December, 2009 the UAB ANTHRO-TEACH program and students from Lori Cormier and Sharyn Jones' Voyage in Anthropology course (ANTH 481/682) visited local schools in the Birmingham area to conduct outreach workshops. Students are "excavating" mock archaeological sites in dig-boxes and learning about marine biodiversity (left) with Megan Sunderman.

(photos by Lindsey Whiteaker).

Pictured above are Lenny Blottin and Parker High School students during a workshop on Australopithecus. Lenny's presentation included activities from BUILDING BODIES: Student Activity Pages Primate Bipedalism: Understanding Standing Up (see also: the Becoming Human site). Students reconstructed human, chimpanzee, and Australopithecus skeletons, learned about bipedality, the hominid fossil record, and paleoanthropology.

Jade Delisle and Megan Sunderman both presented workshops on marine resource exploitation and environmental archaeology in Fiji, drawing from lesson plans that educate students about the sea. Caitlin Aamodt did a poster and presentation on Place Names in Fiji, based on her research in Fiji this summer. Below are pictures of Caitlin, Jade, and Lindsey Whiteaker at Parker High working with students.

Anne Sorrell directed a workshop on herbal medicine and a history of native healing. She drew activities from the Alabama Learning Exchange and a lesson plan on herbs vs. pharmaceutical medicines. Anne's poster is pictured below.

Chris Pass (above) at Holy Family Elementary School teaching 1st graders about Japanese culture. Photos by Sharyn Jones.

Lindsey Whiteaker at Holy Family teaching students about healthy eating and how to make smart food choices.

Ashley Wilson is pictured below at Holy Family, directing a workshop and poster presentation on the Ethnohistory of Food in Folk Remedies of the Alabama Slaves. Ashley has been studying slave narratives and working on an associated ethnohistory project for over one year now.

Dave Cunningham made a presentation on Ethnomusicology and the culture of music across the world. He illustrated how to use a variety of instruments and taught the kids at Holy Family to play drums and didgeridoos.

Anna McCown discussed what we can learn from studying garbage in Fiji. She based her presentation on a research project she did with Caitlin on the island of Nayau, while conducting an NSF REU fellowship in Fiji's Lau Island Group. Anna and Caitlin plan to present their findings at the Southern Anthropological Society meetings this year.

Mallory Messersmith conducts a workshop about Archaeology and her research in Fiji, at Holy Family Elementary. Mallory is in the process of analyzing a curious archaeological feature that she excavated on the island of Nayau, (Lau Group, Fiji); we think this feature may be a large ritual earth oven, or lovo. She plans to present her data at the Southern Anthropological Society meetings.

UAB students participate in FBI Forensic training session

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Dr. Bruce Wheatley of UAB coordinated a a field excursion with a group of UAB students to attend the FBI's annual emergency response team training program at Oak Mountain State Park.
There were about 3 burial sites in the woods that search teams eventually found, a booby-trapped cabin and car that was blown up. Some students searched for timers and batteries used to blow up the car. Others helped with the excavation of skeletal remains, finding shovel prints and other tool marks used by perpetrators. Dr. Wheatley directed the UAB team, who found a pistol in the cabin and de-fused a light sensitive timer rigged in a tool box in the house.

Our National Science Foundation REU Fiji Program website is up!

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NSF REU Student Fellows and faculty preparing seaweed salad and fishing with Fijians, Salia village, Nayau (Photos by S.Jones).

Check-out our new NSF REU (Research Experiences for Undergraduates) Fiji Program website at:

http://hulamo.com/2009_NSF_REU_Fieldschool_in_Fiji/Home.html

The Fiji REU program engages students in interdisciplinary problem based research, exploring long-term dynamics in human interaction with the environment. Project participants learn about anthropology (the study of humans and culture) as well as historical ecology, a discipline focused on the relationships between people and both physical and biological environments. In the context of various study areas in Fiji’s Lau Island Group, students and faculty engage in meaningful scientific research incorporating the methods of anthropology and ecology.

Mallory Messersmith filming a fishing expedition on Nayau (Photo by S.Jones)

Students’ activities and projects include: archaeological surveys, mapping, and excavations; collecting and analyzing ethnographic data on resource exploitation and foodways; conducting lab analysis of archaeological materials; working with database systems and computer software; and interpreting data in written, digital, and oral presentations for the academic and general public.

Checkout the new website for more information on this interdisciplinary fieldschool and research program (plus more photos!):
http://hulamo.com/2009_NSF_REU_Fieldschool_in_Fiji/Home.html

Anthropology of Slavery Course at UAB in the Birmingham News

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Dr. Jack Bergstresser, Director of the Tannehill Ironworks Museum and the Slave Quarters Dig at Tannehill Sate Park, talks to UAB students enrolled in the Anthropology of Slavery Course about excavation at the slave quarters. Photo by S. Jones.

The Birmingham News and UAB Media visited our Anthropology of Slavery course at Tannehill State Park on Thursday May 21. Here is the link to the news article and webcast:
http://blog.al.com/living-news/2009/05/uab_students_are_unearthing_sl.html

UAB students engrossed in excavations.

Bass Cemetery Fieldtrip-
View of the east side of Bass Cemetery, a fascinating cultural and historical resource in Irondale. Photos by S. Jones.

Students and instructors, Dr. Cormier, Dr. Mumford, and Dr. Jones visited the Bass Cemetery in Irondale for a fieldtrip and discussion of the Archaeology of Slavery and Burial.
Anthropology of Slavery students with Dr.s Mumford and Cormier.

Early 18th century burials at Bass Cemetery.

Alabama Academy of Science Meetings, University of West Alabama, March 27, 2009

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Dr. Jones talks with anthro students Anna McCown, Mallory Messersmith, and Anne Sorrell at the anthropology session

Sharyn presented a paper at the anthro session, Cannibalism in Fiji?

UAB faculty, students, and friends at the Science Education session. James Cormier presented a paper, Supersize It! A Look at Large-Scale Anatomy Exhibits in Informal Science Education.

Karen Utz (UAB history faculty and Sloss Furnaces museum curator) chaired the Science Education session. Lori Cormier later gave a paper in the anthropology session, The Historical Ecology of Human and Wild Primate Vivax-type Malarias in Amazonia.

Professor Wheatley talks with UA graduate student Erika Steele after he presented his paper at the Science Education session, Teaching Science and Evolution in Anthropology

Professor Wheatley sported his monkey tie for the occasion

Dr. Jones talks with UAB history graduate student Heather Guy. Sharyn and Lori presented a poster at the Science Education session, ANTHRO-TEACH: Developing Scholar-Teachers and Student Scientists using Alabama Native American Collections

SAS: Southern Anthropological Society Meetings -- March 13, 2009

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Caitlin Aamodt (left) just before she presents her first professional paper, "Cultural Divergence and Convergence in North and South Louisiana: Social Change from the Early Settlement of Caddo Parish to the aftermath of Hurricance Katrina" at the Southern Anthropological Society meetings in Wilmington, North Carolina

Sharyn and Lori's ANTHRO-TEACH poster at the SAS meetings. UAB undergrad students Caitlin Aamodt, Mallory Messersmith and Anna McCown participated in the meetings as well.

Sharyn and Mallory at the SAS session "Theory and Ethnography"

On the Road Home from the SAS Meetings...

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Drs. Jones and Cormier discover a new gorilla species in South Carolina

Cross-Cultural Food and Film Series -- March 2, 2009

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The second film of our Spring ANTHRO-TEACH Food and Film Series featured the Brazilian national dish of feijoada with the film "Cidade de Deus."

Mallory Messersmith

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Mallory Messersmith, UAB Undergrad Student with Alabama Time Capsule: an archaeology exhibit she designed under the mentorship of Dr. Sharyn Jones. Currently on display in SBS Heritage Hall, Ground Floor

Catherine S. Wright

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CONGRATULATIONS to Anthropology

Grad Student Catherine S. Wright,

2nd Place Winner, February 25, 2009

UAB Graduate Research Day Arts and Science Award BRAVO!!

Tannehill Slave Quarters Dig -- Feb 21, 2009

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Welcome to ANTHRO-TEACH

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The authors of this blog seek to create a dialogue about anthropology and science education with the community in Birmingham, Alabama and beyond.

Navala Village, Fiji (photo by S. Jones).

The goal of ANTHRO-TEACH is to enhance science education in anthropology at all levels of learning and in all four subfields of anthropology (cultural anthropology, archaeology, linguistics, and biological anthropology). The three key aims are:
1. To develop curriculum enhancement materials, hands-on research opportunities, and other extra-curricular educational opportunities in anthropology in both formal and informal science education settings
2. To promote interaction and collaboration among GK-12 students and teachers; university students and faculty; and informal science educators and the general public.
3. To increase recruitment of future anthropologists from GK-12 settings; make research experiences for university students more relevant for 21st century careers; and to improve communication of anthropological research to the general public.

CURRENT PROJECTS:

NSF-REU Interdisciplinary Summer Field School in Fiji
The ANTHRO-TEACH project directors were awarded a two-year grant from the National Science Foundation REU program “Research Experiences for Undergraduates. ” Full expenses and a stipend are paid for 18 students to participate in hands-on research in archaeology (year one, 2009) and cultural anthropology (year two, 2010) in the Lau Island Group, Fiji.

ANTHRO-TEACH / TAP (Tapping Academic Potential) Collaboration
The collaboration involves anthropology science education presentations to Birmingham city school high school students involved in TAP (Tapping Academic Potential). The aim of TAP is to offer a variety of programs to improve the college readiness of Birmingham city high school students.

TEACHING ANTHROPOLOGY: Developing Scholar-Teachers and Student-Scientists
Teaching Anthropology is a project to be taught as an undergraduate course, “Senior Seminar and Practicuum in Anthropology,” (ANTH 500), beginning Fall 2009. The course is designed for students to synthesize and apply knowledge used in previous anthropology courses and to provide research-driven experiences in public and academic communication and outreach.

The ANTHRO-TEACH Cross-Cultural Food and Film Discussion Series
The film series involves a faculty intro lecture on the culture and critical anthropological themes addressed in the film followed by a faculty-led moderated discussion after the film screening. The series is designed to be university anthropology student enrichment, but will be open to all interested students. Refreshments will be foods representative of the culture.

Collaboration with the Tannehill Slave Quarters Project
Jack Bergstresser, head archeologist at Tannehill State Park has offered opportunities for students and faculty to participate in excavations of Antebellum slave quarters on site. The ANTHRO-TEACH program directors are involved in development of a team-taught course to be offered during UAB’s May miniterm, “The Anthropology of Slavery.” UAB students are also being mentored in ethnohistory projects related to the Slave Quarter’s Project.

The ANTHRO-TEACH Alabama Native American Project
The Alabama Native American project provides student research opportunities related to prehistory, ethnohistory, and contemporary Alabama Native Americans. A particular focus is hands-on research with the Josselyn archaeological collection, housed in UAB’s anthropology department with consists of over 100,000 artifacts including stone tools, pottery, ornaments, and arrowheads from excavations at 100 sites from all of Alabama’s counties.

The Titusville African American Cemetery Project
The ANTHRO-TEACH faculty are currently consulting on the ethnohistory and archaeology of a recently discovered early 1900s African American cemetery in the Titusville community. We are developing plans for a collaborative project with Titusville high school student/UAB undergraduate students to delineate, map, and preserve the cemetery.

ANTHRO-TEACH Advisory Board

Carolyn Conley, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair, Department of History
University of Alabama at Birmingham

Shawanda R. Thomas, Ph.D.
Project Director, TAP (Tapping Academic Potential)
Birmingham City Schools

Marilyn J. Kurata, Ph.D.
Director, Office of Core Curriculum Enhancement
University of Alabama at Birmingham

Jack Bergstresser, Ph.D.
Director of the Alabama Historic Iron Works Museum
Director of the Tannehill Slave Quarters Archaeology Project
Tannehill Historical State Park, Alabama

Michael Murphy, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair Department of Anthropology
University of Alabama

Bruce Wheatley, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Anthropology
University of Alabama at Birmingham

Mark LaGory, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair, Department of Sociology
University of Alabama at Birmingham

Nikolaos Zahariadis, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Government
Director, International Studies
University of Alabama at Birmingham