Gojko Barjamovic, Lecturer on Assyriology, increases student learning in ANE 103 Ancient Lives by designing activities to engage students’ full range of senses. “To convince people to commit a semester of study to ancient history, you have to make it meaningful.” 
Barjamovic accomplishes this with experiences like making plaster casts of ancient Mesopotamian reliefsin collaboration with the Semitic Museum, playing replicas of the world’s oldest instruments, conducting lab experiments testing the efficacy of ancient medical recipes, brewing beer, and cooking 4,000-year-old Babylonian recipes. “Some students thrive with lectures, but others don’t, especially in something as initially abstract as history. First-hand experiences address the basic human condition over thousands of years and provide a tangible dimension to it.”
Organizing a course around once-in-a-lifetime activities does not necessarily adhere to a traditional semester schedule; students produce only one project and a take home exam, but can expect to spend 25 hours outside of class on related activities. Barjamovic shares this expectation early and works closely with teaching fellows and collaborators to ensure that students stay on track within this structure.
Tangible activities promote focus and imagination, according to Barjamovic: “The key is to cater to individual interests—to create a personal window for learning.”
