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1. An Exercise in Naturalistic Observation COMMENT "On a very local scale, a refrigerator is the center of the universe," says Robert Fulghum (p. 9). Inside is food essential to life, but on the outside one finds the artifacts that summarize the life of that household, "a chronicle of current events not found on TV or in the daily newspaper." PURPOSE This assignment should illustrate the importance of observation and interpretation ASSIGNMENT STATEMENT:  Make a detailed list of all the items on the outside of your refrigerators: grocery lists, photographs, announcements, calendars, cartoons, children's art, reminders, instructions, and so forth. Then write a report describing the household that lives there. If you do not have anything on your refrigerator, visit a friend who does.  Instructions: Go home. Look at your refrigerator. (1) Record your observations of what you find on your "dig."  You may wish to reporduce them in their entirety so that you do not lose valuable evidence you may need later.  (2)  Write detailed observations of everything you find there. It may help to make a drawing of it and label the items on the drawing as they appear on the refrigerator. Do not remove anything or add anything: Be objective. (3) Next, draw conclusions about the household members that live there, being careful to use only the material you have collected in your anthropological "dig.    (There are three elements to be addressed in this assignment.) 2. Child Observation PURPOSE The purpose of this exercise is to learn about the three domains of child development and the method of naturalistic observation. ASSIGNMENT STATEMENT:  Arrange with the director of a day care or child development center in their community to observe or interact with a group of young children for at least one to two hours. Before the visit, read the guidelines provided in the instructions below to focus observations. Afterward, write a report of observations. The observations will become more keen and insighfful as course topics are learned.  Instructions:  (1)  Carefully observe the behavior and interactions of a group of children and answer the following questions.(2)  Be sure to describe the group you are observing.  (Two elements including all of the questins below to address) How many children were in the group you observed? What was the age range of the group? In what activities did they participate during your observation? Comment on their physical abilities (e.g., drawing, putting on coats, tying shoes, climbing, running). Comment on their social skills (sharing, taking turns, interacting with peers and teachers). Comment on their cognitive abilities (oral _expression, working puzzles, showing others how to do things). Were any of the children more or less advanced than you expected? Did your presence affect the behaviors of the children?
	3. Interviewing for Generational Differences PURPOSE The purpose of this exercise is to compare the degree of adult responsibility given to children in the early twentieth century with adultlike responsibilities of children today. This activity will also give experience in interviewing techniques. ASSIGNMENT STATEMENT: (1) Using the information given in the insructins below, interview a grandparent or another older adult. Give identifying data about the person.  (2)   Present your general findings in written form. (3)  What conclusions were drawn? Use Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory as it applies to these cases.  (Three elements) Interview Protocol for Late Adulthood Instructions:  First, interview either a grandparent or someone else of that generation, using the guidelines in question 1 below.  Second, comment on your observations and reflections onchildren in today's society.  Use question 2 to guide your response. 1.  Ask your grandparents to recall their childhood and adolescence to comment on the following topics.      a.  Number of years of schooling      b.  Responsibilities at home            i.  Supervising young children or being supervised by an older siblig            ii.  Household or housekeeping responsibilities            iii. If in a rural home, home or farm chores            iv. Other family responsibilities      c.  Responsibilities away from home           i.  Age for first paid work away from home           ii.  Length of training period for long-term occupation           iii. Wages earned as an adolescent           iv. Age of assumption of household and child care responsibilities           v.  List of those responsibilities      d.  Other indicators of adult responsibility           i.  Adult privileges           ii.  Age at which infant dress was no longer used           iii. Age at which young women wore adult hairstyles           iv. Age at which young men and women wore adult clothing