Teaching eHRAF

HRAF’s open access repository of teaching materials includes sample syllabi, teaching exercises, and workbook activities for classroom use. Teaching eHRAF materials including the eHRAF Workbooks are primarily based on eHRAF World Cultures and/or eHRAF Archaeology databases, but activities may also include relevant materials from Explaining Human Culture and our other open access products.

To browse our sample syllabi, visit Teaching eHRAF. This page contains all of the 70+ teaching exercises categorized by field and level of difficulty. You may search and browse for topics of interest. Use the existing syllabi as-is, or choose to modify the relevant portions to better suit your courses. Some of the exercises include easy-to-share PDFs, PowerPoints, or other media. Many have been prepared in-house by experts at HRAF. Others have been written by educators from our member institutions who use the exercises as part of their curricula. We encourage professors and instructors to submit syllabi and welcome diversity in style, theme, and level of difficulty.

Visit eHRAF Workbooks to browse our collection of workbook activities for eHRAF World Cultures and eHRAF Archaeology. Designed to complement any textbook or anthropology curriculum, eHRAF Workbook activities are presented as PowerPoint slideshows that instructors can modify, share, and upload to Blackboard, Canvas, Moodle, or a similar learning management system.

All Teaching eHRAF exercises make effective and thorough use of eHRAF databases and associated resources such as the Outline of Cultural Materials (subject) or Outline of World Cultures (culture) categories used in the databases, Explaining Human Culture topical summaries, and articles published on the HRAF homepage (hraf.yale.edu). Supplementary materials, images or answer keys are provided where relevant. Many of the exercises include detailed, step-by-step database navigation instructions and search examples as well as address the cross-cultural methods, making them ideal for building critical skills among students. See also: Introducing Cross-Cultural Research.

For additional tips about teaching with eHRAF in hybrid or online learning environments, visit our Teaching Online guide.