Loyola School Human Origins Smithsonian Museum of Natural History Discussion attached are the questions and the links on the document are needed to answer
Loyola School Human Origins Smithsonian Museum of Natural History Discussion attached are the questions and the links on the document are needed to answer them.
Requirements are also written in the document. You are answering questions while going through a virtual field museum
PART 3: HUMAN ORIGINS, SMITHSONIAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY (HOMININS)
Navigate to the Human Origins Exhibit at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.
You can get there via this link: https://naturalhistory2.si.edu/vt3/NMNH/z_tour-022.html
On the map, it is the red-colored exhibit on the left side of the first floor, marked with a handprint. MAKE SURE TO USE YOUR MOUSE TO NAVIGATE THE ENTIRE EXHIBIT IT IS A 360 DEGREE VIRTUAL RECONSTRUCTION. YOU ALSO CAN CLICK ON THE CAMERA ICONS TO GET A CLOSER LOOK AT SOME OF THE EXHIBITS.
NOTE: You may find the term hominid used throughout the exhibit. Today, this term is outdated and it is more accurate to use hominin to refer to species most closely related to humans. Additionally, dont be discouraged by blurry labels! In order to view images, click on the camera icon by the object or label you would like to see. At first the image will be blurry, but it will eventually be clear once it loads, which may take several minutes. Some of the areas of this exhibit are easier to see than others, and care has been taken to only ask questions about portions of the exhibit that are clearly visible and readable.
How many years of hominin history is displayed in this exhibit? What major challenge did our ancestors have to deal with?
Locate the fossil footprints in the display, Compare Your Stride, on the floor near the display of Lucy. Are they bipedal? How can you tell? (2-4 sentences).
What are some of the ways that humans have expressed themselves throughout history? How did it help us survive? (2-4 sentences)? Remember to give the images a good amount of time to load.
Find the wall of fossil hominin crania and answer the following questions. When naming a species, use proper scientific names! Remember the scientific name should be in italics with the Genus capitalized and the species in lowercase. Additionally, in order to answer the questions below, you will need to open each image by clicking on the camera icon. Remember that the image will be blurry until it loads. If you are having internet connectivity issues and the image will not load, please email your TA.:
What is the evidence that Homo erectus cared for their elderly?
What species displays some of the oldest known tooth cavities? How may the individual with the cavities have died?
What species was the first fossil recognized as an early human? HINT: it was discovered in 1856.
What features allow us to distinguish between different species of early human skulls?
What species is the oldest known fossil human?
What are the cranial features that distinguish Neanderthals from modern humans?
Why do you think the Smithsonian has created so many sculptural reconstructions of hominin faces and activities? What do you think they are trying to show or emphasize?
Screenshot your favorite hominin sculpture in the exhibit and paste it in your answer. What hominin did you select? Remember to use the scientific name.
Scroll through the history of the exhibit. Then answer the following questions:
How many hominin species are we observing in this exhibit?
Pick two sculptures to learn more about and fill out the chart below.
Why do you think this exhibit was put back on display? (2-3 sentences)
What was most surprising to you about the exhibit? (2-3 sentences)
Do you think this exhibit is important for the museum to keep on display? Why or why not? (3-5 sentences)
Beyond the fact that this exhibit features humans, in what ways does this exhibit fit into anthropology? (2-3 sentences)
How does this exhibit fit into anthropology? What is it saying about humans and what it means to be human? (4-5 sentences)
Name three physical traits that we share with our extinct hominin ancestors and three physical traits that make us different or special. (2-3 sentences)
Based on what we have been learning in class so far, why do you think the Looking at Ourselves exhibit is important to present to the public?
Describe two functions of natural history museums that are beneficial to society. In other words, what do exhibits offer viewers that a textbook, website or other source cannot? You should reflect own your own experiences exploring museums and what you found interesting or helpful. (2-3 sentences)
NOTE: You will not have to read this exhibit to write your answer; just analyze the footprints and connect your analysis to what you have learned in lecture.
PART 4: LOOKING AT OURSELVES (FIELD MUSEUM EXHIBIT, ONLINE)
An online version of the Looking at Ourselves: Rethinking the Sculptures of Malvina Hoffman exhibit can be found at: https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/rethinking-the-sculptures-of-malvina-hoffman/bQIy0COTLheZKA.
What date did the Races of Mankind exhibition open and what year did it close? (1 sentence)
What overall message did it communicate? (2 sentences)
What was Malvina Hoffmans aim in creating the sculptures? (1-2 sentences)
What was the original message of the exhibit when it first opened? In your opinion, what is the main message of the exhibit today? (2-3 sentences)
___ species
SCULPTURE(Title)
INFORMATION ABOUT THE INDIVIDUAL (What is something interesting about them?)
EXAMPLE
Desideria Montoya Sanchez
A San Ildefonso Pueblo woman from New Mexico, US
EXAMPLE
Sanchez was an artist who belonged to a pottery-making family in New Mexico.
1.
2.
PART 5: CONNECT BACK TO ANTHROPOLOGY
Check out one of the following past exhibits from the Smithsonian:
Cyprus: Crossroads of Civilization
Genome
Mud Masons of Mali
Western Cultures
Written in Bone
They can all be found via this link: https://naturalhistory.si.edu/visit/virtual-tour/past-exhibits
PART 6: REFLECTIONS PART 3: HUMAN ORIGINS, SMITHSONIAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL
HISTORY (HOMININS)
Navigate to the Human Origins Exhibit at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.
You can get there via this link: https://naturalhistory2.si.edu/vt3/NMNH/z_tour-022.html
On the map, it is the red-colored exhibit on the left side of the first floor, marked with a
handprint. MAKE SURE TO USE YOUR MOUSE TO NAVIGATE THE ENTIRE EXHIBIT IT IS A 360
DEGREE VIRTUAL RECONSTRUCTION. YOU ALSO CAN CLICK ON THE CAMERA ICONS TO GET A
CLOSER LOOK AT SOME OF THE EXHIBITS.
NOTE: You may find the term hominid used throughout the exhibit. Today, this term is
outdated and it is more accurate to use hominin to refer to species most closely related to
humans. Additionally, dont be discouraged by blurry labels! In order to view images, click on
the camera icon by the object or label you would like to see. At first the image will be blurry,
but it will eventually be clear once it loads, which may take several minutes. Some of the
areas of this exhibit are easier to see than others, and care has been taken to only ask
questions about portions of the exhibit that are clearly visible and readable.
1. How many years of hominin history is displayed in this exhibit? What major challenge did
our ancestors have to deal with?
2. Locate the fossil footprints in the display, Compare Your Stride, on the floor near the
display of Lucy. Are they bipedal? How can you tell? (2-4 sentences).
NOTE: You will not have to read this exhibit to write your answer; just analyze the footprints
and connect your analysis to what you have learned in lecture.
3. What are some of the ways that humans have expressed themselves throughout history?
How did it help us survive? (2-4 sentences)? Remember to give the images a good amount
of time to load.
4. Find the wall of fossil hominin crania and answer the following questions. When naming a
species, use proper scientific names! Remember the scientific name should be in italics
with the Genus capitalized and the species in lowercase. Additionally, in order to answer
the questions below, you will need to open each image by clicking on the camera icon.
Remember that the image will be blurry until it loads. If you are having internet connectivity
issues and the image will not load, please email your TA.:
a. What is the evidence that Homo erectus cared for their elderly?
b. What species displays some of the oldest known tooth cavities? How may the
individual with the cavities have died?
c. What species was the first fossil recognized as an early human? HINT: it was
discovered in 1856.
d. What features allow us to distinguish between different species of early human
skulls?
e. What species is the oldest known fossil human?
f. What are the cranial features that distinguish Neanderthals from modern
humans?
5. Why do you think the Smithsonian has created so many sculptural reconstructions of
hominin faces and activities? What do you think they are trying to show or emphasize?
6. Screenshot your favorite hominin sculpture in the exhibit and paste it in your answer. What
hominin did you select? Remember to use the scientific name.
PART 4: LOOKING AT OURSELVES (FIELD MUSEUM EXHIBIT, ONLINE)
An online version of the Looking at Ourselves: Rethinking the Sculptures of Malvina
Hoffman exhibit can be found at: https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/rethinking-thesculptures-of-malvina-hoffman/bQIy0COTLheZKA.
7. Scroll through the history of the exhibit. Then answer the following questions:
a. What date did the Races of Mankind exhibition open and what year did it close? (1
sentence)
b. What overall message did it communicate? (2 sentences)
c. What was Malvina Hoffmans aim in creating the sculptures? (1-2 sentences)
d. What was the original message of the exhibit when it first opened? In your opinion,
what is the main message of the exhibit today? (2-3 sentences)
8. How many hominin species are we observing in this exhibit?
___ species
9. Pick two sculptures to learn more about and fill out the chart below.
SCULPTURE (Title)
INFORMATION ABOUT THE INDIVIDUAL (What is something
interesting about them?)
EXAMPLE
Desideria Montoya Sanchez
A San Ildefonso Pueblo woman
from New Mexico, US
EXAMPLE
Sanchez was an artist who belonged to a pottery-making
family in New Mexico.
1.
2.
10. Why do you think this exhibit was put back on display? (2-3 sentences)
11. What was most surprising to you about the exhibit? (2-3 sentences)
12. Do you think this exhibit is important for the museum to keep on display? Why or why not?
(3-5 sentences)
13. Beyond the fact that this exhibit features humans, in what ways does this exhibit fit into
anthropology? (2-3 sentences)
PART 5: CONNECT BACK TO ANTHROPOLOGY
Check out one of the following past exhibits from the Smithsonian:
Cyprus: Crossroads of Civilization
Genome
Mud Masons of Mali
Western Cultures
Written in Bone
They can all be found via this link: https://naturalhistory.si.edu/visit/virtual-tour/past-exhibits
14. How does this exhibit fit into anthropology? What is it saying about humans and what it
means to be human? (4-5 sentences)
PART 6: REFLECTIONS
15. Name three physical traits that we share with our extinct hominin ancestors and three
physical traits that make us different or special. (2-3 sentences)
16. Based on what we have been learning in class so far, why do you think the Looking at
Ourselves exhibit is important to present to the public?
17. Describe two functions of natural history museums that are beneficial to society. In other
words, what do exhibits offer viewers that a textbook, website or other source cannot? You
should reflect own your own experiences exploring museums and what you found
interesting or helpful. (2-3 sentences)
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