How to get a Good Grade on the Lucy Essay

This essay is a culmination of everything you have learned in this course. Therefore, I expect it to reflect an effort appropriate to the task. Be thorough, analytic, and use specific details to illustrate. Because past essays have not always met these expectations, I offer a few suggestions: these are only minimal items that I have seen neglected and do not constitute a comprehensive list of what your essay should constitute. These suggestions will, however, help you to ensure a good quality essay.

Question #1 counts 75%. It should make up 75% of your total essay. The long quote is included for a reason-I expect you to reflect on it. Do not, however, use the space to repeat the quote, rather, analyze it and build your essay around its central idea. The "one and two species debate" does NOT refer to the issue of gracile vs. robust autralopithecines. Instead, you should focus on the Johanson-Leakey debate over Hadar and Laetoli.

Dating: address the issues; you must analyze the importance of the KBS tuff and biostratigraphy, including Basil Cooke's contributions. If you do not select question #3 as your second essay, then here you should discuss all the dating techniques applicable to the book.

Phylogeny: Be sure you discuss the significance of the phylogenetic interpretations (Johanson, Leakey), issues of splitters and lumpers, and fossil 1470. A good essay will analyze the issue of allometry.

Question #2: You must thoroughly cover the ground in contrasting South and East African sites and their interpretation.

Question #3: Naming the 3 developments is not sufficient-you must state the significance of each. LeGros Clark's work is highly significant; bring it into your discussion. Go beyond simply describing the dating techniques-tell me how they were applied.

Question #4: Include Brace, Robinson, the 1970s, and Johanson.