Alien Anthropology

1.Download the Alien Anthropology Worksheet by clicking “file”, then “download as MS Word .docx”.
2.With the worksheet handy, go out into your world. Get out of your bedroom or away from your cubicle at work. Go to multiple places if at all possible (safely, of course–we’re still in a pandemic).
3.While you are out in these places, find FIVE “somethings” that really grab your attention. The “somethings” that you write about can be just about anything, so long as they are tangible, physical things: people, objects, etc. that you can observe firsthand, and in real time. The “somethings” need to be real items that you observe in real time.
Remember: these need to be nouns (people, places, things), not verbs (actions). “Cheerleader’s megaphone” is a noun, but “cheerleading” is an action. You could observe and record sense-based details/descriptions of a cheerleader’s megaphone (that’s a noun), but not the concept of cheerleading (to be a cheerleader or cheerlead is a verb/action/concept, and not appropriate for this assignment).
4.For each new “something”, fill out a section of the Alien Anthropology Worksheet. Begin each entry with the date and time of the observation, the location, and the name of the observed something. (For example: “1/28/2022, 3:00pm. Hawk Haven at MUM. Basket of French fries”)
5.Write detailed descriptions of each “something” that capture your immediate impressions. Think of these like an anthropologist’s field notes. Jot down all the physical details you possibly can. Write out what you see, hear, smell, taste, and feel (via tactile sensation, not emotionally) as you observe this “something”. Attend to each if the five main physical senses. Find ways to observe that will allow to you see, hear, smell, in new ways in order to experience the “something” in ways you wouldn’t normally. Even if this “something” is one you use every day, there are likely details you never paid attention to before!
Remember: you must observe and write descriptions in real time. Don’t write your memories from last week or two years ago. You need to observe and describe with your senses, and you can’t do that successfully if you aren’t experiencing/interacting with the “something” as you write.
6.Write at least two full and very detailed sentences for each sense, for each “something”. It’s better to write more than less, here. 200 or more words of sense-based description should be your minimum goal for each entry.
Step 2
After you’ve completed your observation entries, reread your field notes. Beneath each set of notes, add statements or questions that reflect on each something’s possible abstract meanings. What could each “something” represent, whether to the people who use/experience it, or in another way? What could the significance of each “something” be, based on your observations? You are encouraged to write these statements in the form of similes or metaphors. List 2-3 possibilities per “something” observed. For example, “The picture frame is as fractured as the family shown in the photo within it” or “The quilt is like a family tree; each set of stitches made by a different ancestor shows that we come together as one.”
Finally, proofread your writing for spelling, capitalization, etc., so it’s nice and shiny!

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