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ACTIVITY OPTIONS
REQUIRED ACTIVITIES
PARTICIPATION (Worth 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 15-25% 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 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 on their participation grade. Students who miss more than 7 classes will receive an F for the course.)
·
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 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 (syllabus quiz, elements of a social ethics quiz, completion of learning covenant, discussion of learning covenant, discussion of Keystone pipeline, online mid-term class evaluation, and completion of a final self-assessment). The purpose of these exercises will be to assess student learning of course materials. (See Canvas folder on Assessment Activities for guidelines for each.).
CASE STUDY ETHICAL ANALYS1S PAPER (Worth 75-100 points): The learning
module on sexuality, marriage, and family has a case study assignment attached
to it. The evaluation rubric and description of it is located on Canvas, under
Assignments.
GROUP FINAL CASE STUDY ANALYSES (Worth 75-100 points of total course grade).
This activity will take place in lieu of a final exam and will be done in
self-assigned groups. Further information on the content of this activity,
guidelines for writing this paper, and the evaluation criteria will posted on Canvas at a later time.
INDIVIDUAL
ACITVITY OPTIONS
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 sources). To aid you in this process, you may submit an outline
and/or a first draft for comment and review.
Evaluation Criteria:
- 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?
- 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?
- 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?
- 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?
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 literature. After conducting the
research it should be written up as would be done for any research paper.
Evaluation Criteria:
- 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?
- 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?
- 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?
- 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?
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:
- 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?
- 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?
- 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?
- 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 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 ethical themes or
issues. Some already on the schedule include:
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Speaker |
Topic |
Date, Time, Place |
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Ludger Viehus-Bailey, Ph.D Le Moyne College |
Born this Way? Sexual Orientation and Identity between (Hyper-) Common Sense and (Hyper-) Scientific Naturalism |
Friday, 9/22, 4pm Drescher Community Room |
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Jessica Wrobleski, Ph.D. Wheeling University |
Appalachia and the Challenge of Integral Ecology |
Wednesday, 9/20, 5:30pm Reilley Room |
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Thomas Farr Director of Religious Freedom Project |
Saving Christianity in the Middle East |
Monday, 10/2, 7pm Grewen Auditorium |
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Brian Masingale, Ph.D. Fordham University |
The Silence of the Faith Community Over Environmental Racism |
Wednesday, 10/18, 5:30pm Panasci Family Chapel |
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Diversity Workshop |
The Defamation Experience |
Monday, 10/23, 5 or 7pm Grewen Auditorium |
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Catherin Kleier, Ph.D. Regis University |
Natura Revelata: Finding Nature in All Things in the Jesuit University |
Tuesday, 11/14, 6:30pm Reilley Room |
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This activity requires that you attend a
lecture and discussion and write a reaction/analysis 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:
- 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?
- 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?
- 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:
- 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?
- 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?
- 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?
- 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 Christian 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:
- 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?
- 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?
- 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?
- 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 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:
- 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?
- 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?
- 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?
- 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?
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:
- 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?
- 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?
- 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?
- 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?
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:
- 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?
- 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?
- 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?
- 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)?
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. The objective
portion of the exam will be timed.
Essay questions will be uploaded to Canvas.
Evaluation Criteria for essay questions):
- 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?
- 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?
- 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 question being answered?
- 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?
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. Dead Man Walking, Philadelphia, Capitalism: A Love Story, Sicko, John
Q, Gattaca, 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:
- 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?
- 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?
- 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?
- 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. 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:
- 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?
- 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? Are the points made supported by examples,
good reasoning, etc., or are they merely asserted?
- 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?
- 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?
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. 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:
- 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?
- 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? Are there inconsistencies in what is done in one place in the
syllabus with what is done in another? How effective is the introduction
and conclusion?
- 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?
- 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?
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:
- 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?
- 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?
- 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?
- 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?
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:
- 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?
- 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?
- 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:
- 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?
- 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?
- 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?
- 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?
ARTWORK
(Worth up to75 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. 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 100 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:
- 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?
- 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?
- 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 theme in the film being explored?
- 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:
- 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?
- 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?
- 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?
- 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 to some place of significance
for the course (Women's Rights museum in Seneca Falls, a Capitol (state or
national), a hospice, 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:
- 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?
- 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?
- 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?
- 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?
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:
- 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?
- 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?
- 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?
- 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 more 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:
- 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?
- Initiative and leadership. How effective were you in taking
initiative in bringing issues that arose in class to the attention of the
professor?
- 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.