What's an anthropologist?
An anthropologist’s job is to study the origin of human life. By closely analyzing various artifacts, an anthropologist is able to draw conclusions about a particular society’s culture (e.g. their ways of life, physical appearance, customs, value systems, etc.). They also use their findings to figure out how human activities and behaviors relate to the environment in which people live. In this way, anthropologists are almost like detectives, searching for clues about a culture’s past and putting the pieces together to tell a story about how a society lived.
For this challenge, you will become an anthropologist studying various Native American groups from the North American continent. Your job will be to (1) closely examine artifacts and documents and (2) draw valid theories and conclusions about the society that you are studying. Your findings could include:
An anthropologist’s job is to study the origin of human life. By closely analyzing various artifacts, an anthropologist is able to draw conclusions about a particular society’s culture (e.g. their ways of life, physical appearance, customs, value systems, etc.). They also use their findings to figure out how human activities and behaviors relate to the environment in which people live. In this way, anthropologists are almost like detectives, searching for clues about a culture’s past and putting the pieces together to tell a story about how a society lived.
For this challenge, you will become an anthropologist studying various Native American groups from the North American continent. Your job will be to (1) closely examine artifacts and documents and (2) draw valid theories and conclusions about the society that you are studying. Your findings could include:
- A description of the environment in which they lived
- How they acquired food & what types of food and/or animals were available to them
- Gender roles
- How geography influenced the society's daily life and decisions
- Customs & traditions
- Religious/spiritual beliefs
