Grades in AP486V are based on a variety of objective and subjective criteria. Although there are no formal exams in the class, each of your performance is evaluated by the instructor or teaching assistant on a daily basis and such evaluation comprises 60% of your final grade (Field Skills, Lab Skills, and Field Attitude components below). The rest of your grade is based on a series of written documents (data sheets, level forms, field/lab journals, and research reports) and exercises (data entry) that you’ll prepare and turn in during the class. If you expect to get an "A" in the class, the overall quality of your work has to be at a level where the instructor would feel comfortable giving you a glowing recommendation for a position on any archaeological research project. You’ll not be given an "A" unless you’ve demonstrated that you can do field or laboratory in a productive, non-destructive manner. If the instructor has any reservations about your abilities to participate in subsequent archaeological research, you’ll probably not get an "A" in the class.
Field Skills (20 points) You will be evaluated on the overall quality of your field efforts. You don’t have to be perfect in all aspects of fieldwork, but your work MUST reflect a concern for the fragile, irreplaceable nature of archaeological resources. Making one mistake in not a problem, but consistently making mistakes in excavation/documentation protocol through inattention, carelessness, or an incomplete reading of the field manuals is a problem that will be EXTREMELY detrimental to your grade. We do look at your data forms, your level sheet, and the quality of work on these provides an objective record of your performance and if there are problems, you will be visited by the "data police". Are your data forms in order, are you willing to work with data entry people to correct errors in your work, is your handwriting legible, are you concerned with the safety and comfort of the rest of the crew, do you watch were you step, do you break more bones than you should, are your sidewalls vertical, are you careful with the equipment? These are all factors that can influence your grade. IF YOU MAKE A MISTAKE IN RECORDING ARE YOU WILLING TO MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO RECTIFY THE ERROR? A "what does it matter" attitude will result in a poor grade in the class. If you expect to get an "A" or "B" in the class, your work must demonstrate a concern with the scientific documentation of archaeological materials.
Lab Skills (20 points) You’ll be spending some time in the class working in the lab. You’ll be expected to be productive, work at data entry with a minimum of errors, be careful in handling and recording materials from the site, and maintain an accurate lab journal of your activities.
Field/Lab Attitude (20 points) Fieldwork often requires a certain co-operative attitude and you will be evaluated on how well you interact with the other students and visitors to the site. Public interest in archaeological sites is high, and part of your day-to-day activities will often involve interaction with visitors who’ll be wanting to know what you’re doing and why. Think of these questions as quizzes for the class. Although it may not seem like it, I usually listen to your interactions with visitors. Other important aspects of Field Attitude include issues such as: are you on-site on time, does the crew consistently need to wait on you, do you contribute to keeping the site and lab clean, do you follow instructions well? Given that there are wide range of things that need to be done on an excavation, and given that you’ll probably not find all of them equally fascinating, how well do you adapt to not always getting to do the "fun stuff?" Are you willing to put in your time at the screens, in the lab, at the computer, washing bones, giving site tours?
Field/lab Journal (10 points). At the beginning of the project, each of you will purchace a Field Journal in which you’ll keep a daily record of your activities on the site. THIS JOURNAL WILL BE TURNED IN AT THE END OF THE SEMESTER AND WILL (along with all other forms and paperwork you complete during the summer) BECOME PART OF THE PERMANENT RECORDS OF THE PROJECT. Record what you did, where you worked, what you found, weather conditions, record and explain any mistakes you’d made while excavating, and describe the steps taken to fix the mistake. Draw sketch maps, record elevations, and keep track of grid co-ordinates. Remember that in 5, 10, or 50 years someone else may be reading your Journal as a source of information about what happened at the site. Your records are important!
Hours Completed (30 points). When you signed up for the class, you commited to complete a specified number of hours during the semester. Approximately 75% of your time should be spent in the field and 25% in the lab. These time break-downs are not, however, set in stone -- both lab and fieldwork are important and if there is some variation in your final hours break-down, there is no problem as long as the total number of hours completed matches the number for which you'd enrolled. If you are short of hours, it will result in the following grade reductions:
1-5 hours = -2 points
6-10 hours = - 11 points
11-15 hours = - 15 points
16-20 hours = - 25 points
>20 hours = -30 points
Clearly if you are a little bit short at the end of the semester, it won't affect your grade much. If you are more than 5 hours short, it will result in your final grade being at least 1 letter grade lower (i.e., the best you could hope for in the class even if every thing else was perfect would be an 89% or B for the semester). If you come up more than 20 hours short, the best grade you'll get is a C (70%) even if you receive full points in each of the other catagories. Therefore its very important that from the beginning of the semester, you plan your time so that you complete your practicum hours. In making your schedule for the semester, it'd be best to pencil in some regular lab times and field days for this class just like you would for any other.
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