Human Variation: Racial Classification and Skin Pigmentation
This eye-opening lesson will allow students to better understand the biological basis for the variation in skin color that we see around us every day. Students will first learn about the history of scientific classification and racial categorization as well as the problems surrounding racial categorization. They will engage in activities and group discussion that will lead them to question their own conceptions of race. We will then examine skin color variation on a global scale. Students will make predictions about the pigmentation of populations around the world as we learn about the evolutionary reasons behind the incredible diversity of skin color in the human species. (Grades 8-12)
6.5 Billion, and Counting: Exploring Human Overpopulation and Sustainability
The world human population reached 1 billion by 1800; only 125 years later the population had doubled and today it is more than 6.5 billion. At this rate, by 2050 (when our current high school students will be around 60 years old) the world population is expected to be about 9.5 billion people. Is this sustainable? In this presentation we explore the factors, including reproductive success and survival, that have led to this incredible population explosion. A hands-on activity will allow students to clearly visualize exponential growth. We will also discuss the consequences of this explosive population growth for future generations, as well as factors that may lead to a decline in the growth rate. (Grades 9-12)
The Archaeology of Climate Change
As a result of global warming some spectacular discoveries have been found melting out of alpine glaciers and snow patches. How does the study of these artifacts, i.e., archaeology, contribute to our understanding of climate change? In this presentation students will explore climate change by analyzing tree rings from the U.S. Southwest and ice cores from Andean glaciers. We will then examine archaeological findings such as artifacts, dwellings, and even frozen human bodies to explore how human cultures responded to climatic events. (Grades 6-12)
Antarctica and Global Climate Change
As part of an International Polar Year (IPY) research team, Erik traveled to Antarctica to help examine how global climate change is affecting this polar region. From Erik's first-hand experiences, your students will learn interesting facts about Antarctica and the scientific research that is being conducted there. Students will also gain an appreciation for why change in Antarctica is so important to the rest of the globe. An IPY web-based component is available to provide students further opportunities to learn about this fascinating continent. (Grades 6-12)
Forensic Anthropology: CSI in Your Classroom
Your students will have the opportunity to visually inspect a real human skeleton and use their observations to reconstruct a story about this individual's life. In the process, students will learn the techniques forensic anthropologists use to determine the age and sex of a human skeleton. Students will also observe specific traumas that this person experienced during their life in the form of broken and replaced bones that have subsequently healed. Select bone casts (models) will be used to demonstrate specific points. (Grades 6-12)
Erik is pursuing a Master's Degree in the Department of Anthropology, specializing in archaeology (in association with the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research) at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Erik Erwin
As an anthropologist Erik Erwin is interested in all aspects of humanity including the place of the human species in the world today. Erik's research interest on the prehistoric use of the alpine environment has led him to specialize in archaeology and to conduct research in such places as the U.S. Southwest, Colorado, Montana, Alaska and Peru. Erik believes that archaeological finds can illuminate the paths that humans have followed to reach the present and inform us where we might be heading. Erik enjoys being in the field and in the classroom where he strives to encourage students to ask questions about themselves and the deep history of their human family. Erik is eager to share his research experiences with students and hopes to instill an appreciation for the complexity and diversity of the human species.