REL 200: Religious Perspectives on the Human Situation

Fred Glennon, Ph.D. (Courses)
Professor (RH 216)
Department of Religious Studies
Le Moyne College
Syracuse, New York 13214
(315) 445-4343

REL 200

ACTIVITY OPTIONS

PARTICIPATION (Worth 75-100 points of total course grade): One of the assumptions I make is that students learn best in cooperation with others. However, students do not always have the opportunity or the ability to do it. One of my goals is to enable students to work collaboratively with others by providing such opportunities. That is why the basic pedagogy in this class is cooperative learning: students working in various groups to teach and learn from one another. To pull this off, it is imperative that students be present and participate actively in their groups. The Participation Activity is one way of providing incentive to do so.

I also believe that students ought to be rewarded for effort as well as ability. Students often complain that, no matter how hard they work on an assignment, they can get no higher than a C or a B. This leaves them disappointed and frustrated. Through your participation in this class, you have the opportunity to make an A for up to 20% of your grade. That is because the Participation Activity grade measures the effort you put into the class.

The student's grade for this activity will be determined by class attendance, preparation, group participation, homework, and successful completion of assessment activities.

· Attendance is critical if cooperative learning is to take place. Each student should expect to attend all classes. (But because students want to know how many classes they can miss, students who miss more than 4 classes will receive a D (19 points) for this portion of their grade, and can expect repercussions on the other aspects of their participation grade. Students who miss more than 6 classes can expect no higher than C (75 points) on their participation grade. Students who miss more than 8 classes will receive an F for the course.) (Note to athletes: your athletic participation does not give you additional absences.)

· The online reading response portion of the participation grade will come from successful completion of online reading responses during the semester. (See Canvas under Assignments/Reading Responses for a description of what these entail.) They should be completed by midnight of Wednesday of each week. Late reading responses will not be accepted.

· The final portion of the participation grade will come from completion of assessment exercises. The purpose of these exercises will be to assess student learning of course materials. (See Canvas under Assignments/Assessment Activities for guidelines for each.).

RELIGIOUS RITUAL REPORT (Worth 75-100 points of total course grade)

This activity requires that students pick a religious ritual to research, observe/participate in, and report about. It must be a ritual one does not normally attend (for Catholics, weekly mass is not appropriate, but a Jewish Sabbath service is, etc.). You must do some research about the ritual action in the library or on the internet first, then attend an observance of the action and write a report that reflects a blending of your research and observations. Be sure to focus both on the structure (organization, context, leadership, participants, purpose, etc.) and worldview (symbols, myths, doctrines, ethos, etc.) expressed in the ritual action. Record your reactions to it, intellectual, emotional, aesthetic, and how it compares/contrasts with your own religious experience and ritualistic expression. Be analytical not merely descriptive. This activity has three (3) phases:

First, you must identify a particular ritual you will observe/participate in, the type of ritual it is, the location of the ritual activity, and a date and time this ritual will take place. You will communicate this in writing on Canvas no later than September 27.

Second, you will do some research on the ritual you are going to observe that discusses the structure and worldview of the ritual. You will provide an annotated bibliography of your sources (see Canvas for an example of an annotated bibliography) no later than October 15.

Third, you will then attend the ritual and write a good first draft of your report. (Incomplete drafts will be returned without comment.) These must be submitted on Canvas no later than November 19. These will be evaluated and returned to you after Thanksgiving. Final ritual reports must be submitted on Canvas no later than 5pm, December 8 (last day of class).

You may choose to do this activity in groups (identify a common ritual, research together, attend together, discuss the ritual together). However, because each person is different in terms of background, experience, reflective lenses, etc., each person must write individual reports.

Evaluation Criteria:

Content (information and comprehension). How focused, informative, and comprehensively developed is the report? How well does the report demonstrate understanding of the ritual observed and the meaning of the rituals to the participants? How well does the analysis accurately interpret the sources and the ritual service? How well does it contrast with the writer's own ritual experience?
Organization (clarity, transition, and flow). How logical is the progression and development of the ideas in the report? How clearly are they expressed? How effective are the transitions between ideas? Is there an effective introduction and conclusion?
Sources (variety/credibility of references). Are there a variety of references used? How relevant, accurate, and credible is the information used from those sources? How well do they help in understanding and analyzing the particular ritual?
Presentation (grammar, spelling, vocabulary). Are the grammar and spelling correct? Are there a variety of proper sentence and paragraph structures employed? Is the vocabulary accurately and effectively used?
Documentation (appropriate sources and formatting). How complete and correct is the documentation?

GROUP FINAL EXAM (Worth 75-100 points of total course grade): The material from which the exam questions will be taken is the readings and the class discussions. The final exam will be a group exam and will occur on the date of the scheduled final for your class. Further information on the content of the final exam and the evaluation criteria will be distributed at a later time. (Check Canvas under Assignments to see the format for the group final. Essays for fall 2016 will be posted mid-November on Canvas).

LIBRARY RESEARCH PAPER (Worth up to 100 points of total course grade). This activity is a traditional research (term) paper. You are to select a topic of interest to you which is also related to the course topic, research it thoroughly, and generate a well-written and well-organized research paper. There are no length requirements, as the length will vary depending upon the nature and scope of the topic selected. But a paper in the range of 7-10 pages is average. This is to be a good research effort (at least 5 bibliographic, scholarly sources). To aid you in this process, you may submit an outline and/or a first draft for comment and review.

Evaluation Criteria:

1. Content (information and comprehension). How clear and appropriate is the thesis or research question that holds the entire paper together? How focused, informative, and comprehensive is the paper developed? How well is the topic understood? Have all the relevant questions/issues been addressed? Have counter-arguments (if appropriate) been presented and dealt with? Are there insights and points which go beyond the obvious?

2. Organization (clarity, transition, and flow). Is there a logical progression and development of ideas? How clearly are the ideas expressed? How effective is the transition between ideas? How effective is the introduction and conclusion?

3. Sources (variety/credibility of resources). Are there a variety of references used? How relevant, accurate, and credible is the information used from those sources? How well does the information support the thesis or research question being explored?

4. Presentation (grammar, spelling, vocabulary). Are the grammar and spelling correct? Are there a variety of proper sentence and paragraph structures employed? Is the vocabulary accurately and effectively used?

5. Documentation (appropriate sources and formatting). How complete and correct is the documentation?

ORIGINAL RESEARCH PAPER (Worth up to 100 points of total course grade). This activity is to be a small, but well-done, original research project. It can either duplicate a research project already done by a previous scholar or it may be completely original. It might include something like administering a questionnaire, doing intensive interviews, conducting an experiment, writing up a participant/observation research project, collecting and analyzing self-generated data, or the like. For most original research projects, it should begin with a review of the appropriate scholarly literature. After conducting the research it should be written up as would be done for any research paper.

Evaluation Criteria:

5. Documentation (appropriate sources and formatting). How complete and correct is the documentation?

BOOK REVIEW ESSAY (Worth up to 100 points of total course grade). This activity is a formal paper written critiquing several books on, generally, the same topic. Most book review essays review anywhere from two to five books (but this is not a hard-and-fast rule). The book review essay attempts to integrate the books while critiquing them around a common theme; the emphasis is on analysis, not description. The books may be selected from the references provided in the texts or chosen on your own.

Evaluation Criteria:

1. Content (information and comprehension). How clear and appropriate is the thesis or theme that holds the critique together? How focused, informative, and comprehensive is the paper developed? How well and accurately are the books understood? Does the analysis come up with points which are more than descriptive and which lead to further insights? Do the points made in the critique go beyond the obvious?

3. Sources (variety/credibility of resources). Are there at least two books used? How relevant, accurate, and credible is the information used from those books? How well does the information support the thesis or theme being explored?

5. Documentation (appropriate sources and formatting). How complete and correct is the documentation about the books used?

LECTURE (Worth up to 50 points of total course grade). Le Moyne College brings a variety of scholars and others to campus each semester who often address religious themes or issues. Some already on the schedule include:

Speaker	Topic	Date, Time, Place
Matthew Loveland, Ph.D. Le Moyne College (Political Science)	*Your* *Atheist Friend: Secularism and Trust?*	Tuesday, Sept. 13, 4pm Reilley Room
Marie T. Hilliard, Ph.D, RN	“Infringement on the Exercise of Conscience in the Public Square”	Thursday, Sept. 22, 7:00pm, Grewen Auditorium
Fr. Michael Holleran	"Is Silence Empty? A Peek at Christian and Buddhist Contemplative Traditions	Thursday, Oct. 13, 7:00pm, Panasci Family Chapel
Sharon V. Betcher, Ph.D. Independent Scholar	“On ‘Eaarth’ as in Heaven?”: En/Crip/ting Desire, Developing a Taste for Life in the Anthropocene”	Monday, Oct. 17, 5:30pm, Panasci Family Chapel

This activity requires that you attend a lecture and discussion and write an analysis of and reaction to the ideas presented. If you complete this activity, you should attend the ENTIRE event. Thus, you should arrive on time to attend the entire presentation and question session. You should participate if possible. You will write an analysis of the presentation and question session. Here again, the analysis should be critical, not merely descriptive.

Evaluation Criteria:

1. Content (information and comprehension). How clear and appropriate is the analytical framework that holds the entire together? How focused, informative, and comprehensive is the paper developed? How well is the lecture understood? How well does the paper make connections between the various components of the lecture? Does the critique of the lecture accurately interpret the presentation or are there distortions which seriously weaken the critique? Do the points made in the critique go beyond the obvious?

2. Organization (clarity, transition, and flow). Is there a logical progression and development of ideas? How clearly are the ideas expressed? How well does the analysis illustrate the ideas drawn from the lecture? How effective is the transition between ideas? How effective is the introduction and conclusion?

3. Presentation (grammar, spelling, vocabulary). Are the grammar and spelling correct? Are there a variety of proper sentence and paragraph structures employed? Is the vocabulary accurately and effectively used?

Two lecture analyses must be done for this activity to count for 100 points.

CLASS PRESENTATION/LEAD DISCUSSION (Worth up to 50 points of total course grade): This activity might include a lecture on a selected topic, a lecture-discussion, or the leading of a class discussion or activity of some sort. It would be up to you to decide the topic, get approval from the professor, and, working in conjunction with the professor, select the most appropriate time during the semester when it would be presented.

Evaluation Criteria:

1. Content (information and comprehension). How clear and appropriate is the topic that holds the presentation together? How focused, informative, and comprehensive is the presentation made? How well is the topic understood?

2. Organization (clarity, transition, and flow). How well (smoothly and as planned) did the presentation go? Is there a logical progression and development of ideas in the presentation? How clearly are the ideas expressed? How effective is the transition between ideas? How effective is the introduction and conclusion?

3. Sources (variety/credibility of resources). Are there a variety of sources used to make the presentation? How relevant, accurate, and credible is the information used from those sources? How well does the information support the topic being explored?

4. Ability to interest and involve the audience (impact). How effective were you in engaging the students in the presentation (i.e. how many were involved and how intense were they)? How well did you prepare students for the topic (i.e. provide readings ahead of time)? How effective were you in enabling students to gain insight into the topic?

ANALYSIS OF SOCIAL JUSTICE ORGANIZATION (Worth up to 100 points of total course grade). This activity requires that the student select a religious organization that works for social justice (e.g. food banks, Catholic Social Services, environmental groups, jail ministry/advocacy group, etc.). Talk with folks in the Campus Ministry office for possibilities. Arrange a visit to the organization to find out the mission and purpose of the organization, the population it serves or issues it addresses, and how they go about their work. In particular, focus on the values or beliefs that motivate their work. Then make a report on the organization which is not merely descriptive but analytical in that the report shows the connectedness between mission, beliefs/values, and organization. Moreover, you should include a critique of the organization from your perspective. This report can be written, but may use other media as well (such as photographs, videotape, etc.)

Evaluation Criteria:

1. Content (information and comprehension). How clear and appropriate is the analytical framework that holds the entire paper together? How focused, informative, and comprehensive is the paper developed? Is the organization understood well or are there major distortions which seriously weaken the report? How well does the report make connections between the beliefs/values the organization professes and the work they do? Does the report make points about the organization that go beyond the obvious?

2. Organization (clarity, transition, and flow). Is there a logical progression and development of ideas? How clearly are the ideas expressed? How well does the report show the mission and work of the organization in question? How effective is the transition between ideas? How effective is the introduction and conclusion?

3. Sources (variety/credibility of resources). Are there a variety of materials from the organization used? How relevant, accurate, and credible is the information used from those sources? How well does the information support the analysis being developed?

5. Documentation (appropriate sources and formatting). How complete and correct is the documentation about the organization?

SOCIAL JUSTICE ACTION (Worth up to 100 points of total course grade). This activity calls for analyzing a social justice problem and taking appropriate action to try to address it. During the course, we will look at a variety of social issues that result in injustice for some group or groups. You may become aware of such a problem locally (on campus or in Syracuse area) or globally (national or international). The focus of this activity is on what your awareness of the problem is and the actions you take to address it. (For example, a previous student focused on the problem of affordable housing. Her action was to work with Habitat for Humanity during her Spring Break.) The final grade would be based upon a formal written report which explains what was done and why it was done. This is not merely action, but it is informed action, so it has a research component, a strategic component, and an action component. Your final report should detail what you did, what you found, why you did what you did (religious/ethical reasoning), what the impact of your action was, what you learned from the experience, etc.

Evaluation Criteria:

1. Content (information, comprehension, and analysis). How clear and appropriate is the social justice action? How focused, informative, and comprehensive is the project developed? How well is the social justice issue understood? How strong is the analysis of the social justice issue? How strong is the logical relationship between the research, moral reasoning, and the action?

2. Organization (clarity, transition, flow). How well-thought-out and executed was the project? How clearly are the issue, research, and action expressed? How effective is the transition between the research, strategic, and action components of the project? How effective is the introduction and conclusion?

3. Sources (variety/credibility of resources). Are there a variety of sources used to research the issue, including resources on ethical reasoning? How relevant, accurate, and credible is the information used from those sources? How well does the information support the social justice action being taken?

5. Documentation (appropriate sources and formatting). How complete and correct is the documentation?

ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION (Worth up to 100 points of total course grade): This activity involves analyzing an environmental problem and taking appropriate action to try to improve it. The final grade would be based upon a formal written report which explains what was done and why it was done. This is not merely action, but it is informed action, so it has a research component, a strategic component, and an action component. Your final report should detail what you did, what you found, why you did what you did (religious/ethical reasoning), what the impact of your action was, what you learned from the experience, etc.

Evaluation Criteria:

1. Content (information, comprehension, and analysis). How clear and appropriate is the environmental action? How focused, informative, and comprehensive is the project developed? How well is the environmental issue understood? How strong is the analysis of the issue? How strong is the logical relationship between the research, moral reasoning, and the action?

5. Documentation (appropriate sources and formatting). How complete and correct is the documentation?

PEW FORUM ON RELIGION AND PUBLIC LIFE ANALYSIS (Worth up to 50 points of total course grade): The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life has sections on Religious Views of various social issues we will explore. This activity requires that students choose one of those issues and explore it in-depth on the website (in other words, look at the whole issue on the site, not just one page. For example, there is a great resource on Religion and gay marriage that would be a good one to explore.). You would then write an analysis of the information found there (4-5 pages). The student will include an accurate URL(s) in her/his analysis.

Evaluation Criteria:

· Content (information, comprehension, and analysis). How well does the entire paper hang together? Is there an appropriate introduction? Conclusion? Is there a critical thesis or theme which holds the entire analysis together? Are there subpoints which are logically connected to the critical thesis? Organization.

· Insightfulness. This refers to the depth and quality of the analysis. Does the analysis come up with points which are more than descriptive and which lead to further insights? Do the points made in the analysis go beyond the obvious?

· Accuracy of interpretation. Does the analysis accurately interpret the sources or are there distortions which seriously weaken the analysis?

· Thoroughness. Are all the relevant sources at the web site reviewed? Have all the relevant questions/issues been addressed? Have counter-arguments (if appropriate) been presented and dealt with?

· Presentation (grammar, spelling, vocabulary). Are the grammar and spelling correct? Are there a variety of proper sentence and paragraph structures employed? Is the vocabulary accurately and effectively used?

· Documentation (appropriate sources and formatting). How complete and correct is the documentation about the web site (s)?

WEB SITE EXPLORATION AND ANALYSIS (Worth up to 50 points of total course grade): This activity requires that students choose one or more web sites that address the themes discussed in class (sexuality, justice, economics, sexism, healthcare, the environment, etc.). You must explore the entire site or sites, not simply one page on the site. The student will review the materials on that subject present at the web site and write an analysis (the mission and purpose of the site, the link structure, the materials, etc.) and evaluation (the appearance and ease of use of the site, effectiveness in achieving the site's mission and purpose, quality of the information found there, etc.) of the site (4-5 pages). The student does not need to supply written copies of the materials reviewed for her/his analysis, but should make sure the addresses of the sites are clearly indicated. (Note: note all web sites are of the same quality. It is important that you search out the best ones for this activity, those that are affiliated with a particular institution whether it be academic, research, or advocacy group. Stay away from personal web sites if possible. For suggestions on possible web sites, see the professor. Good search engines to use in this activity include Google (http://www.google.com) and Yahoo! Search (http://search.yahoo.com).

Evaluation Criteria:

1. Content (information and comprehension). How clear and appropriate is the thesis or theme that holds the website analysis together? How focused, informative, and comprehensive is the paper developed? How well is the topic understood? Have all the relevant questions/issues been addressed? Have counter-arguments (if appropriate) been presented and dealt with? Does the analysis come up with points which are more than descriptive and which lead to further insights? Do the points made in the analysis go beyond the obvious?

3. Sources (variety/credibility of resources). Are there a variety of web sites or pages on a single web site used? How relevant, accurate, and credible is the information used from those sources? How well does the information support the thesis or theme being explored?

5. Documentation (appropriate sources and formatting). How complete and correct is the documentation about the web site (s)?

Two website analyses must be done for this activity to count for 100 points.

MID-TERM EXAMINATION (Worth up to 100 points of total course grade): This activity will consist of an exam taken on Canvas that will cover the material in the first half of the semester (even if you make it due near the end of the semester). The material from which the questions (objective and essay) will be taken consists of assigned readings and class presentations/discussions. The exam will be timed. .

Evaluation Criteria for essay questions):

1. Content (information and comprehension). How clear and appropriate is the answer in addressing the question asked? How focused, informative, and comprehensive is the essay developed? How well is the subject matter understood? Does the essay make points which go beyond the obvious?

2. Organization (clarity, transition, and flow). Is there a logical progression and development of ideas in the answer? How clearly are the ideas expressed? How effective is the transition between ideas? How effective is the introduction and conclusion?

FILM OR PLAY REVIEW(S) (Worth up to 50 points of total course grade). This activity recognizes that there are many films and plays about social issues which have moral and ethical implications (e.g. Avatar, Doubt, The Mission, Spotlight, etc.). Unless otherwise specified the review (s) would take written form. The emphasis would be critical more than descriptive.

A good film review is not simply a discussion of the film with a personal opinion attached to the end. It is not picking up an important theme in the film and then spending most of your time discussing your view on the subject either. Rather, a good film review generally begins with an interpretation of what you think the central theme (or themes) of the film is. (To get at this you might ask yourself, "What does the filmmaker want the viewer (me) to take from this film?") What is the filmmaker saying about this theme (themes)? You should be able to state this clearly in one or perhaps two paragraphs. The bulk of the remainder of the review should then discuss/describe key scenes from the film that illustrate why your interpretation of the filmmaker’s intent or theme makes sense. You don’t have to discuss every scene in the film, but you should be sure to discuss most of the relevant scenes to support your view. You may then discuss a bit whether or not you think the filmmaker was successful in her/his efforts. You should then conclude the review with a good summary of your argument/discussion.

Two film reviews must be done for this activity to count for 100 points.

Evaluation Criteria:

1. Content (information and comprehension). How clear and appropriate is the paper in identifying and analyzing the main theme (s) of the film? How focused, informative, and comprehensive is the analysis developed? How well is the film and subject matter understood? How appropriate is the film for this course? Do the points made in the critique go beyond the obvious?

2. Organization (clarity, transition, and flow). Is there a logical progression and development of ideas in the paper? How clearly are the ideas expressed? How effective is the transition between ideas? How effective is the introduction and conclusion?

3. Sources (variety/credibility of resources). Are there a variety of scenes referenced in the review? How relevant, accurate, and credible is the information used from those scenes? How well does the information from the scenes support the analysis being developed?

5. Documentation. How complete and correct is the documentation about the film?

INTEGRATIVE ESSAY OVER REQUIRED TEXTS (Worth up to 100 points of total course grade): This activity, which would be due toward the conclusion of the semester, calls for you to link each of the texts used in the course around some integrative/ analytical theme or thesis of your own devising. Since most of the required readings are essays, you would pick out key essays that fit your thesis. The emphasis is on analysis rather than mere description.

Evaluation Criteria:

1. Content (information and comprehension). How clear and appropriate is the thesis or theme that holds the paper together? How focused, informative, and comprehensive is the paper developed? How well are the texts understood? Does the analysis come up with points which are more than description and lead us to further insights not already made in the books? Do the points made in the essay go beyond the obvious?

3. Sources (variety/credibility of resources). Are key parts of the course texts used? How relevant, accurate, and credible is the information used from those texts? How well does the information support the thesis or theme being explored? Does the critique accurately interpret the authors or are there major distortions which seriously weaken the essay?

5. Documentation (appropriate sources and formatting). How complete and correct is the documentation?

COURSE SYLLABUS (Worth up to 50 points of total course grade): In this activity, using the same materials used in this course (or other materials if you desire) you are to develop a course syllabus of your own (don’t merely repeat the syllabus I provided). The syllabus should be accompanied by an EXTENSIVE and DETAILED justification statement which explains why you made the decisions you made---as such, it should include a brief statement of educational philosophy, explanations at points throughout the syllabus about how the philosophy has been operationalized, why you selected the books you did, why you selected the evaluation format you did, why you chose the attendance policy you did, etc.

Evaluation Criteria:

1. Content (information and comprehension). How clear and appropriate is the syllabus in covering all aspects that should be covered in a course syllabus? How focused, informative, and comprehensive is the justification statement in providing rationale for developing the syllabus in this way? Does the justification statement indicate that considerable thought has been given to the project and do you come up with responses which reflect such thought? How well does the syllabus illustrate the educational philosophy?

3. Sources (variety/credibility of resources). Are key elements of the course syllabus or other sources used in the development of the syllabus? How relevant, accurate, and credible is the information used from those sources? How well do the sources support the development of the syllabus in this form?

5. Documentation (appropriate sources and formatting). How complete and correct is the documentation?

THOUGHT PAPERS (Worth up to 75 points of total course grade). This activity consists of short (3-5 pages) typed papers which are your reactions to things which have been happening in class or reactions to ideas you have come across elsewhere (e.g. in a book, in discussions with friends, etc.). The thoughts should be ORIGINAL and UNIQUE, they should not merely restate what others have said. These may or may not be distributed to the entire class depending upon whether you want them to be or not. They should be tightly focused and should concern themselves with only a single topic; as such, they should be logical and well-written. A minimum of three (3) must be submitted and due dates for each should be given.

Evaluation Criteria:

1. Content (information and comprehension). How clear and appropriate is the thesis or issue that holds the entire paper together? How focused, informative, and comprehensive is the paper developed? How well is the topic understood?

3. Evidence and Insightfulness (credibility of argument). How effective is the use of evidence to support the points made in the paper? How well does the paper make points that go beyond the obvious rather than simply restate some other perspective?

JOURNAL (Worth up to 75 points of total course grade): This activity consists of developing a journal that includes at least three entries per week and should be entries which have been generated by ideas which you have come across in class, readings, the interactions of those in class, etc., and they should reflect broadly on the religious and/or moral dimensions of human experience. (In other words, don't write about your date on Friday Night unless you can discuss the religious or moral aspects of it.) The journal entries may take several different forms---they could be highly analytical, they could be emotive, they could focus on one problem or issue throughout the entire semester, etc. Whatever form it takes it must be specified prior to beginning its writing. The journal will be due twice during the semester; once around mid-term and once at the conclusion of the semester (unless otherwise specified). The mid-term evaluation will be returned with comments (no grade). A grade will be assigned at the conclusion of the semester.

Evaluation Criteria:

1. Content (insight and reflection). How clear and appropriate are the entries in the journal? How focused, informative, or reflective are they? How well do the entries reflect the emotions, ideas, reflections of the writer?

2. Organization (consistency and clarity). Are there an appropriate number of entries for this activity? Does the journal reflect a consistent effort or does it appear more thrown together at the last minute? How clearly are the ideas expressed? How effective is the organization of the journal?

3. Presentation (grammar, writing style). Are the journal entries legible with minimal errors that detract from the content?

GROUP PROJECT (Worth up to 100 points of total course grade). This activity includes two or more people in a common activity. Unless otherwise specified all participants receive the same grade for the activity. The activity can be reported orally or in written form (the group decides).

Evaluation Criteria:

1. Content (information and comprehension). How clear and appropriate is the project for the course? How focused, informative, and comprehensive is the report made? How well is the project understood and executed? How insightful are are the observations and conclusions of the project?

2. Organization (clarity, transition, and flow). How well (smoothly and as planned) did the project go? Is there a logical progression and development of ideas in the project? How clearly are the ideas expressed? How effective is the transition between ideas? How effective is the introduction and conclusion?

3. Sources (variety/credibility of resources). Are there a variety of sources used to develop the project? How relevant, accurate, and credible is the information used from those sources? How well does the information support the project being explored?

5. Documentation (appropriate sources and formatting). How complete and correct is the documentation?

ARTWORK (Worth up to 75 points of total course grade): The purpose of this activity is to allow those with artistic ability to demonstrate their learning through this creative medium (in other words, this is not the activity where you can try out artwork that you have never done before—I take the quality of the piece very seriously). This might include works such as poems, paintings, cartoons, photographs, videotapes, sculptures, performances, and the like which you actually create. (See chart below to see how much each project can count toward final grade.) The object is to convey some ideas, thoughts, or feelings through the use of symbols which enables you to demonstrate that you have met one of content course learning objectives 2-6 (see syllabus for these objectives) or a content learning objective you developed and the professor approves. (In other words, although the artwork activity may enable you to develop your artistic abilities or to express your understanding of the relationship between religion and ethics through a creative medium, it must also demonstrate your learning in one of the content areas of the course.). These may be shared with the class or they may be shared only with the professor. In addition to the piece of artwork itself, you should attach a brief (2-4) page written statement which explains the purpose of the artwork, the learning objective you sought to meet, and how you have attempted to accomplish it.

Poems, collages, photographs: up to 50 points
Paintings, sculptures, video creations, performances: up to 75 points

Evaluation Criteria:

· Content (information and comprehension): Does the artwork and the written statement that accompanies it demonstrate that you have learned the content of the learning objective you are seeking to fulfill? How well does the artwork illustrate the content

· Presentation. This refers to the quality of the artwork. Has the artwork been carefully developed and constructed or simply thrown together? Does the piece reflect what most people would consider artwork?

· Ability to provoke thought; to take a unique perspective.

FILM PRESENTATION/DISCUSSION LEADERSHIP (Worth up to 50 points of total course grade): This activity requires that you select a film, arrange to have it shown at an appropriate time during the semester, and lead a discussion of the film following its viewing. This may be an academic or relevant popular film. This activity may be done either in class or outside of class. (In the latter case, arrangements must be made to have the discussion videotaped.)

Evaluation Criteria:

1. Content (information and comprehension). How appropriate is the film for the course? How clear is the topic and the purpose that holds the presentation together? How focused, informative, and comprehensive is the presentation made? How well is the film and topic understood?

4. Ability to interest and involve the audience (impact). How effective were you in engaging the students in the presentation (i.e. how many were involved and how intense were they)? How well did you prepare students for the film (i.e. provide readings ahead of time)? How effective were you in enabling students to gain insight into the film?

Caveat: This activity should be completed no later than two weeks prior to the end of the semester.

GUEST SPEAKER (Worth up to 50 points of total course grade): This activity allows you to arrange to bring to class a guest speaker on a particular topic. You would be responsible for setting up the time and place of the presentation, hosting the speaker, making sure an honorarium is paid (if appropriate), figuring out at what point the speaker would best fit into the structure of the course, introducing the speaker to the class, and, in general, be in charge of working out all the details associated with bringing a speaker into class. You will also be responsible for writing a 3-5 page analysis/reflection on what the guest speaker says and student response.

Evaluation Criteria:

1. Content (information and comprehension). How appropriate is the speaker for the course? How clear are the topic and the purpose that holds the speaker's presentation together? How focused, informative, and comprehensive is the presentation made? How well is the topic understood?

2. Organization (clarity, transition, and flow). How well (smoothly and as planned) did the presentation go? How well did you work out all the details necessary in advance of the speaker actually appearing in class? How well did you take charge of the project? In the analysis/reflection, is there a logical progression and development of ideas in the presentation? How clearly are the ideas expressed? How effective is the transition between ideas? How effective is the introduction and conclusion?

3. Ability to interest and involve the audience (impact). How effective was the speaker and you in engaging the students in the presentation (i.e. how many were involved and how intense were they)? How well did you prepare students for the speaker (i.e. provide readings ahead of time)? How effective were you in enabling students to gain insight into the topic?

4. Presentation (grammar, spelling, vocabulary of the paper). Are the grammar and spelling correct? Are there a variety of proper sentence and paragraph structures employed? Is the vocabulary accurately and effectively used?

Note: Bringing a speaker to class does not merely involve asking someone to come to class. To be most effective there needs to be considerable thought and planning about how to use the expertise of the speaker most effectively---how to integrate him/her into the course content and format, etc.

Caveat: This activity MUST be completed no later than two (2) weeks before the end of the semester.

FIELD TRIP (Worth up to 100 points of total course grade) This activity may include either a trip you take by yourself or with others during the semester to some place of significance for the course (Women's Rights museum in Seneca Falls, 9/11 Museum, Holocaust Museum, etc..) or you might arrange to take the entire class (or all those willing and able to go). Note: Upon completion of the trip a report (either written or oral) must be made in which you describe what you did to prepare for the trip, what you did on the trip, what was learned, etc.

Evaluation Criteria:

1. Content (information and comprehension). How clear and appropriate is the field trip for the course? How focused, informative, and comprehensive is the report made? How well is the field trip understood and executed? How insightful are are the observations and conclusions of the report?

2. Organization (clarity, transition, and flow). How well (smoothly and as planned) did the field trip go? Is there a logical progression and development of ideas in the report? How clearly are the ideas expressed? How effective is the transition between ideas? How effective is the introduction and conclusion?

3. Sources (variety/credibility of resources). Are there a variety of sources drawn from the site visited to make the report? How relevant, accurate, and credible is the information used from those sources? How well does the information support the report being made?

5. Documentation (appropriate sources and formatting). How complete and correct is the documentation?

GAME (Worth up 50 points of total course grade). This activity asks you to create a game relevant to this course. In addition to the game itself (which includes directions, appropriate equipment, etc.) there should be an accompanying written statement which details the purpose of the game and explains PRECISELY how the purpose is achieved by the game. The statement should be detailed, thorough, and precise.

Evaluation Criteria:

1. Content (information and comprehension). How clear and appropriate is the game for the course? How focused, informative, and comprehensive is the game? How insightful is the game in provoking interest and learning for the players?

2. Organization (clarity, transition, and flow). How well is the game developed? Is there a logical progression between the objective of the game and directions for playing? How clearly are the directions expressed? How well does the game accomplish its stated objectives?

3. Sources (variety/credibility of resources). Are there a variety of sources used to develop the game? How relevant, accurate, and credible is the information used from those sources? How well does the information support the purpose and playing of the game?

4. Presentation (look and structure). Does the game merely "imitate" standard games or does it modify them or develop some new concepts? How appealing is the look of the game? How well are the game pieces, board, cards, etc., developed? With regard to the written statement, are the grammar and spelling correct? Are there a variety of proper sentence and paragraph structures employed? Is the vocabulary accurately and effectively used?

TEACHING/CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT (Worth up to 50 points of total course grade) This activity involves one or two students in assessing the effectiveness of the teaching and learning processes used in the course. Students will meet bi-weekly with the professor to discuss what occurred in the previous week’s classes and what will happen in the weeks ahead. I will provide students with copies of my objectives and selected activities for each class ahead of time so that they can write comments as the class proceeds. In particular, students are to note if the objective for each class was achieved or not and what helped or hindered its achievement. At our meetings, we will discuss your comments and make suggestions for how the class might be improved upon and what I need to do in classes ahead to insure that the material is learned better. In addition, students should pay attention to the processes that are going on in class that help or hinder the effectiveness of the class.

Evaluation Criteria:

1. Effort. How much time and effort did you put into this activity? How faithful were you in attendance at meetings? How well did you understand the overall direction of the class? How prepared were you for our discussions? How detailed were your procedural notes and record-keeping?

2. Initiative and leadership. How effective were you in taking initiative in bringing issues that arose in class to the attention of the professor?

3. Insightfulness and creativity. How insightful were your understandings of what worked and did not work in the class? How helpful were your suggestions for improvement?

OTHER (Worth up to 100 points of total course grade). The list of activities I have provided are meant to be suggestive, but not exhaustive. If you can develop new and unique activities, I encourage you to do so. However, you must discuss these with me and you must assist in the development of appropriate evaluation criteria and restrictions for those activities