Use this skill whenever a user needs help designing courses or creating teaching materials for anthropology. Triggers include: any mention of "syllabus," "course design," "lesson plan," "assignment prompt," "rubric," "discussion guide," "teaching anthropology," "intro to anthropology course," "ethnographic methods course," "seminar design," "learning objectives," "Bloom's taxonomy," "active learning," "case study for class," "in-class activity," "grading rubric," "reading list," "course schedule," "flipped classroom," "inclusive pedagogy," or "teaching portfolio materials." Covers syllabus and course design, lesson plans and discussion guides, assignment prompts, rubrics, case studies, and in-class activities across anthropology subfields and course levels. Do NOT use for teaching statements or philosophy documents (use career-statements skill), conference presentations (use conference-materials skill), or curriculum-level program design.
MattArtzAnthro15 스타2026. 2. 16.
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Overview
Design courses and create teaching materials for anthropology courses across subfields, levels, and institutional contexts. This skill treats course design as backward design: start with what students should be able to do (learning objectives), then design assessments that measure those abilities, then build activities and readings that prepare students for those assessments.
Every teaching material produced should reflect three commitments: intellectual rigor appropriate to the course level, inclusive and accessible design as a default rather than an afterthought, and practical feasibility given real institutional constraints (class size, meeting format, student preparation, instructor workload).
Anthropology teaching presents distinctive challenges: helping students think across cultural contexts without resorting to stereotypes, building skills in observation and analysis rather than just content knowledge, engaging ethically with communities and their representations, and navigating sensitive topics where personal experience and analytical frameworks intersect. Good teaching materials anticipate these challenges and address them through design rather than leaving them to improvisation.
Course meeting pattern: MWF 50-min, TTh 75-min, once weekly 150-min, other
Semester length: 14-week, 15-week, 10-week quarter, other
Helpful context (use if provided):
Existing materials the user wants to revise or build from
Specific pedagogical goals or challenges
Departmental or institutional requirements
Textbook or readings already selected
Prior student feedback or assessment results
Step 3: Load Appropriate References
Based on the deliverable identified in Step 1, read the relevant reference file(s) from the table above. The mapping:
Full syllabus: Read all three reference files (syllabus design is the primary; lesson planning and assignment design inform specific components)
Lesson plan or discussion guide: Read references/lesson-planning-guide.md
Assignment prompt or rubric: Read references/assignment-design-guide.md
Reading list or course schedule: Read references/syllabus-design-guide.md
Case study or activity: Read references/assignment-design-guide.md and references/lesson-planning-guide.md
Revision of existing materials: Read whichever reference(s) correspond to the type of material being revised
For tasks that span multiple categories, use judgment about which references will be most useful. It is better to read too many than too few.
Step 4: Generate Content
Follow backward design principles in this order:
Learning objectives — what should students be able to do? Use measurable verbs from Bloom's taxonomy. Every objective should be assessable. Write 4-6 objectives for a full course, 1-3 for a single session or assignment.
Assessment design — what evidence will demonstrate students have met the objectives? Each assessment should connect to at least one learning objective. For a full course, create an alignment matrix mapping assessments to objectives.
Activities and instruction — what learning experiences will prepare students to succeed on the assessments? For each assessment, identify the skills and knowledge students need and design activities that build them.
Readings and resources — what materials will students need to engage with to build the required knowledge and skills? Select readings that are appropriate for the level, diverse in authorship, and realistic in volume.
When generating specific types of content, pay attention to:
Syllabi: The course schedule is the most labor-intensive component. Sequence readings to build complexity. Leave buffer sessions for flexibility.
Lesson plans: Time everything. Activities always take longer than expected. Plan what to cut if you run short. Never cut the closure/synthesis.
Assignments: Write prompts that are specific enough to guide students but open enough to allow genuine intellectual engagement. Always include evaluation criteria.
Rubrics: Use analytic rubrics for major assignments and holistic rubrics for low-stakes work. Each cell should describe observable performance, not use vague adjectives.
Discussion guides: Prepare more questions than you will need. Include follow-up probes. Note where the discussion might stall and have a backup plan.
Step 5: Generate Output
Produce the requested deliverable in a clean, ready-to-use format. Outputs should be:
Complete enough to use with minimal revision
Formatted consistently using standard academic conventions
Specific to anthropology (not generic teaching templates)
Appropriate for the stated course level and context
Inclusive and accessible by default
Realistic given institutional constraints (class size, resources, instructor workload)
Step 6: Quality Check
Before delivering, verify:
Learning objectives use measurable verbs and are assessable
Every assessment connects to at least one stated learning objective
Readings are appropriate for the course level and realistic in volume
Design is inclusive and accessible (multiple modes of engagement, diverse voices, sensitivity to difficult content)
Workload is realistic for both students and instructor
Materials are specific to anthropology, not generic
Format is clean and ready to use
AI policy is addressed (if syllabus) or assignment design accounts for AI tool availability
Content is appropriate for the subfield and reflects its distinctive methods and debates
Medium (20-50) — mix of lecture and discussion; small group work is essential; some individual feedback possible
Large lecture (50+) — structured active learning within lectures; discussion sections led by TAs; rubric-based assessment for consistency
Guardrails
Learning Objectives
Learning objectives must use measurable verbs aligned with Bloom's taxonomy. Do not write vague objectives like "students will understand culture" or "students will appreciate diversity." Instead: "students will analyze how cultural practices reproduce or challenge social inequality" or "students will apply ethnographic methods to produce structured fieldnotes from participant observation."
Assessment Alignment
Every assessment must connect to at least one stated learning objective. If an objective has no corresponding assessment, either add one or reconsider whether that objective belongs. If an assessment does not connect to any objective, either revise the assessment or add an appropriate objective.
Reading Load
Reading assignments must be realistic:
Introductory undergraduate: 30-50 pages per week
Intermediate undergraduate: 40-60 pages per week
Advanced undergraduate: 60-100 pages per week
Graduate seminar: 80-150 pages per week (sometimes more for comprehensive exam preparation)
Page counts are approximate and should account for difficulty. Dense theoretical texts count for more than accessible ethnographies.
Inclusive Pedagogy
Inclusive design is not an add-on section or a separate module. It shapes every design choice:
Readings reflect the diversity of anthropological practice and include scholars from varied backgrounds
Assessment offers multiple modes of demonstrating learning, not just timed exams and formal papers
Participation structures go beyond hand-raising in discussion to include written responses, small group work, and asynchronous contributions
Content warnings are provided for material depicting violence, trauma, or sensitive subjects
Accessibility is built in: materials are screen-reader compatible, videos are captioned, and physical activities have alternatives
Specificity
Do not produce generic teaching templates. Every deliverable should reflect the specific intellectual content and methodological commitments of anthropology. A rubric for an ethnographic fieldnote exercise is fundamentally different from a rubric for a history paper or a sociology essay.
Feasibility
Design for real conditions. A discussion-based lesson plan for a 200-person lecture hall is not useful. A syllabus requiring twelve ethnographies for an introductory course at a community college is not realistic. Always consider the instructor's grading workload alongside the pedagogical ideal.
Common Failure Modes
Problem
Why It Happens
How to Avoid
Vague learning objectives
Using "understand" or "appreciate" instead of measurable verbs
Use Bloom's taxonomy verbs: analyze, evaluate, compare, construct, apply
Assessment-objective misalignment
Designing assessments separately from objectives
Map every assessment to specific objectives; check alignment explicitly
Unrealistic reading load
Assigning by interest without counting pages or difficulty
Calculate total pages per week; adjust for text difficulty
Generic content
Using templates without anthropological specificity
Ground every element in disciplinary content, methods, and debates
Inaccessible design
Treating accessibility as an afterthought
Build multiple modes of engagement into every component from the start
Participation bias
Equating participation with speaking in class
Design varied participation structures: written, verbal, small group, online
Overloaded schedule
Trying to cover too many topics in one semester
Prioritize depth over breadth; identify 3-5 core course themes
Missing scaffolding
Assigning complex tasks without building prerequisite skills
Sequence assignments from simple to complex; provide models and practice
Examples
Example 1: Introduction to Cultural Anthropology Syllabus
User request: "I need a syllabus for an intro to cultural anthropology course. It's a large lecture (120 students) at an R1, TTh 75 minutes, 15 weeks. Students are mostly non-majors fulfilling a social science requirement."
Select assessments suited to large lecture: exams with short answer/essay components, short response papers, a scaffolded mini-ethnography project (observation only, no IRB needed)
Organize around 4-5 thematic units rather than subfield survey
Select readings: one core textbook plus supplementary articles and short ethnographic excerpts; aim for 30-40 pages/week
Build weekly schedule with lecture topics, readings, and due dates
Include all standard policies with attention to large-class logistics (office hours, TA sections, email policy)
Key design choices for this context:
Large class requires structured assessments that TAs can help grade consistently (rubrics essential)
Non-majors need accessible entry points; avoid jargon-heavy readings early in the semester
TTh 75-minute sessions allow for some active learning even in large lectures (think-pair-share, polling, brief writing exercises)
Thematic organization (kinship, economics, religion, politics, globalization) works better than subfield survey for non-majors
Mini-ethnography project scaffolded across the semester gives students hands-on experience without requiring IRB approval
Include an assessment alignment matrix showing how each assignment maps to learning objectives
Example 2: Ethnographic Methods Assignment and Rubric
User request: "I need an assignment prompt and rubric for an ethnographic observation exercise in my methods course. It's a small class (15 students), upper-division majors."
Process:
Load references/assignment-design-guide.md
Design a scaffolded observation exercise: select a public site, conduct 3 observation sessions of 30-45 minutes each, produce structured fieldnotes, write a 4-5 page analytical reflection
Write a detailed prompt covering: purpose and learning objectives, step-by-step instructions, ethical guidelines for public observation, fieldnote format expectations, analytical reflection requirements, submission format and due date
Design an analytic rubric with criteria: quality of observation (detail, sensory description, attention to context), fieldnote structure and organization, analytical reflection (moves beyond description to interpretation), ethical awareness, writing quality
Include a model fieldnote excerpt so students see the expected level of detail
Key design choices for this context:
Small upper-division class allows for individual feedback and in-class workshopping of fieldnotes
Scaffolding: assign a brief practice observation with peer feedback before the graded exercise
Public observation avoids IRB complications while teaching core skills
Rubric criteria weight observation quality and analysis more heavily than writing mechanics
Include a model fieldnote excerpt with annotations explaining what makes it effective
Build in a peer review stage where students exchange fieldnotes and practice giving constructive feedback on ethnographic description
Example 3: Graduate Seminar Discussion Guide
User request: "I'm leading a graduate seminar session on the ontological turn in anthropology. We're reading a key text from this literature plus two response pieces. I need a discussion guide for a 3-hour seminar."
Process:
Load references/lesson-planning-guide.md
Design a 3-hour session structure:
Opening (15 min): brief context-setting on the ontological turn's intellectual genealogy; a focusing question that students write a response to before discussion begins
Close reading exercise (45 min): small groups each take a key section of the primary text and identify the central argument, key moves, and most provocative claims; groups report back
Break (10 min)
Structured debate (50 min): stage a debate between the primary text and its critics; assign roles so students must argue positions they may not hold
Methodological implications (30 min): shift from theoretical debate to practical questions: what does ontological anthropology look like as research practice? What changes in how you do fieldwork?
Synthesis and positioning (20 min): each student writes a brief position statement on where they stand and what questions remain; share selectively
Prepare discussion questions for each segment, including follow-up probes
Include facilitation notes: how to manage disagreement, when to intervene, how to draw out quieter students
Key design choices for this context:
Graduate seminar assumes close reading and preparation; the guide pushes beyond summary to critical engagement
3-hour session requires varied activities to maintain energy and depth
Role-based debate forces students to engage with positions charitably before critiquing
Methodological pivot grounds abstract theory in research practice
Written components (opening response, closing position statement) create accountability and include less vocal students
Discussion questions should be layered: start with comprehension (what is the author arguing?), move to analysis (how does the argument work?), and end with evaluation and application (is this convincing? what does it mean for how we do research?)
Facilitation notes should address common graduate seminar dynamics: the student who dominates, the student who has not read closely, the moment when discussion becomes abstract and needs grounding in specific textual evidence
AI Policy Considerations for Syllabi
Anthropology courses increasingly need to address the use of AI writing tools. When designing syllabi and assignments, consider:
State the policy explicitly. Students need to know whether AI tools are permitted, restricted to specific uses, or prohibited. Ambiguity leads to anxiety and inconsistent enforcement.
Distinguish between uses. Brainstorming, outlining, grammar checking, and generating first drafts are different activities. A nuanced policy specifies which uses are acceptable and which are not.
Design assignments that resist AI substitution. Assignments requiring personal observation, specific engagement with course discussions, analysis of unique primary sources, or reflection on fieldwork experiences are harder to outsource to AI.
Frame AI use in terms of learning. The question is not whether AI can produce the output but whether using AI helps or hinders the student's development of the skills the assignment is designed to build.
Be realistic. Policies that are unenforceable undermine trust. Focus on designing assignments where AI use is either unnecessary, transparently useful, or counterproductive, rather than relying on detection.
Revising Existing Materials
When a user provides existing teaching materials for revision, follow this process:
Read the existing materials carefully before making changes
Identify strengths — what is working well that should be preserved
Propose targeted revisions rather than starting from scratch (unless the user requests a complete redesign)
Explain the reasoning behind each suggested change so the user can make informed decisions
Preserve the instructor's voice and approach — teaching materials are personal documents; do not impose a single template
Common revision requests:
Updating a syllabus with more diverse readings and contemporary scholarship
Adding active learning to a lecture-heavy course without overhauling the entire structure
Creating rubrics for assignments that currently lack clear evaluation criteria
Redesigning assessments to better align with learning objectives
Converting an in-person course to online or hybrid format while maintaining engagement
Reducing reading load or grading workload while maintaining intellectual rigor
Making materials more accessible and inclusive across multiple dimensions
Updating an AI use policy for current tools and practices
Strengthening scaffolding so students are better prepared for major assignments
Revising a course schedule to create better thematic coherence
Subfield-Specific Teaching Considerations
Different subfields raise distinct pedagogical challenges:
Cultural anthropology — The primary challenge is helping students move from description to analysis. Students often find ethnographic description engaging but struggle to connect it to theoretical arguments. Assignments should scaffold this transition explicitly.
Archaeology — Teaching involves both intellectual content and practical skills (excavation technique, artifact analysis, mapping). Lab and field components need separate safety protocols, scheduling, and assessment. Balancing hands-on work with theoretical reflection requires intentional design.
Biological anthropology — Lab work with skeletal collections, fossil casts, or genetic data requires preparation in measurement, identification, and statistical reasoning. Courses often need to address misconceptions about race, evolution, and human variation directly and sensitively.
Linguistic anthropology — Students need technical skills (phonetic transcription, discourse analysis notation) alongside interpretive abilities. Exercises that connect technical analysis to social questions help students see why the technical work matters.
Medical anthropology — Courses frequently engage with illness, suffering, and structural violence. Pedagogical design must attend to the emotional dimensions of this content while maintaining analytical rigor. Community-based projects raise specific ethical obligations.
Applied anthropology — Community-engaged teaching requires partnerships that extend beyond the semester. Design must account for community partner needs, student preparation for real-world collaboration, and ethical obligations that outlast the course.
Four-field introductory courses — The challenge is giving students a genuine sense of each subfield's methods and questions without becoming a superficial survey. Consider organizing around cross-cutting themes (human variation, meaning-making, the past and present, language and power) rather than dedicating separate units to each subfield.
Output Format
All teaching materials should be delivered in clean Markdown unless the user requests a different format. Use:
Clear headers and subheaders for navigation
Tables for schedules, rubrics, and alignment matrices
Bulleted lists for policies, guidelines, and instructions
Bold text for key terms and important information
Consistent formatting throughout the document
For syllabi, follow standard academic conventions for the institution type. For rubrics, use table format with clear criteria and level descriptions. For lesson plans, use a timed structure that an instructor can follow in real time.
Deliverable-Specific Formatting
Syllabi should include all standard components (course info, description, objectives, texts, grading, schedule, policies) in a logical order. The schedule should be a table with columns for week/date, topic, readings, and due dates.
Lesson plans should use a timed structure with clear transitions between activities. Include time estimates for each segment, materials needed, and facilitation notes.
Assignment prompts should include purpose, task description, format requirements, evaluation criteria, due date, and resources. Write in direct, clear language that tells students exactly what to do.
Rubrics should use table format with criteria as rows and performance levels as columns. Each cell should contain a specific, observable description of performance at that level, not just adjectives (not "excellent analysis" but "analysis connects ethnographic evidence to at least two theoretical frameworks and addresses counterarguments").
Discussion guides should include a session structure with timing, prepared questions organized by theme or reading, follow-up probes, and facilitation notes for common challenges.
Reading lists should include full bibliographic information, a brief annotation for each text (1-2 sentences on what it covers and why it is included), and organizational notes (by week, by theme, or by type). Indicate which texts are essential and which are supplementary.
Case studies should include a narrative presenting the situation, sufficient context for analysis, a clear decision point or analytical puzzle, 3-5 discussion questions, and a teaching note for the instructor explaining the learning objectives and common student responses.
Activities and exercises should include a clear purpose statement, step-by-step instructions, materials needed, time estimates, and debrief questions. For activities with multiple parts (observation then analysis, for example), clearly distinguish the steps and indicate how students should transition between them.
Course conversion plans (e.g., in-person to online) should identify which components transfer directly, which need redesign, and which need entirely new solutions. Present changes as a structured plan rather than a complete new syllabus, so the instructor can see what is changing and why.