USM Graduate Student Aims to Bring Anthropology into K-12 Classrooms

Mon, 08/14/2023 - 09:15am | By: Ivonne Kawas

Kate Mackey, a graduate student in Anthropology at The University of Southern Mississippi (USM), has always been passionate about teaching and working with students. As she explored opportunities to pursue her aspirations, she came to the realization that anthropology is not often taught in K-12 schools in Mississippi despite the way it helps us understand the human condition.

 In her pursuit to change this reality, Mackey devised a series of activities for a program that she titled “Anthropology Jr,” with the aim to introduce the captivating world of anthropology to elementary age children.

 Over the summer, an opportunity arose to present the pilot program at Lillie Burney

Steam Academy in Hattiesburg, Miss. Mackey worked, under the guidance of faculty member Dr. Marie Danforth, with a team of students Sarah Boone and Savannah Logan, in collaboration with USM alumna Nadine Armstrong, ’16, anthropology, Ph.D. ’21, geography, innovative programs coordinator for the City of Hattiesburg’s Parks & Recreation Department.

“The pilot program enriched the students’ experience by engaging their minds through a series of interactive and enjoyable activities that introduced them to the four subdisciplines in anthropology,” said Mackey. “Students embarked on a thrilling journey where they interviewed aliens and superheroes, uncovered the secrets hidden within bones, excavated artifacts that unveil ancient lifeways, and explored the fascinating diversity of words for snow, and much more!”

The subdisciplines and the skills the different stations helped students develop, included the following:

• Archaeology: by engaging in hands-on excavation, they learn about what is found in material records and how that can help them better understand humans of the past;
• Biological Anthropology: by exploring and identifying human bones, they start understanding the human anatomy and discover how we adapt to the environment;
• Cultural Anthropology: by engaging in conversations with classmates and teachers about their lives, families, and interests, they learn about different human experiences and practice conversation and speech skills;
• Linguistic Anthropology: by coming up with varied words for snow, they explore the impact of language on their thought processes and the way they interpret the world. This exercise enhances their vocabulary and helps them conceptualize how people in other regions experience the world differently from them.

“Given the success of the pilot program, we plan on submitting a curriculum initiative that allows us to continue to introduce anthropology to K-12 students in the area,” said Mackey. “Additionally, we hope that this leads to a continued partnership with the City of Hattiesburg’s Parks & Recreation Department, as well as with schools and community programs looking to enrich students’ learning through interactive hands-on experiences.”

Reflecting on the success of this collaboration, Armstrong remarked that it has unfolded into a new initiative for the City of Hattiesburg’s Parks & Recreation called the S.T.E.M. Saturday program. Set to unfold from August to November at the heart of the Downtown Hattiesburg Farmers Market, this initiative promises to redefine engagement with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in an accessible manner.

“Our collaboration with the USM anthropology program was instrumental in achieving our aim of introducing participants to inspiring subjects through dynamic and interactive activities,” said Armstrong. “This unfolded into a new S.T.E.M. Saturday initiative. Notably, Mackey and her team will be spearheading activities for the month of October, and I am eagerly anticipating this opportunity.”