~~~ Syllabus of religious issues, section one ~~~
* See section two for FYE assignments and activities.
Fall 2005 Office Hours: T, Th, 9:00-10:30 AM
T, Th 11:00-12:15 Other times by appointment
Mrs. Claire Martin HHH 613. Phone: 836-2319
Home phone: 855-0086
E-mail: martince@uwec.edu
THERE ARE TWO SECTIONS TO YOUR SYLLABUS FOR THIS COURSE. The first section, beginning on this page, will give you important understandings about this course and tell you what work you need to do for each class meeting. The second section, called FYE Assignments and Events, tells you what I expect of you for the First Year Experience.
REQUIRED TEXT FOR THE COURSE: John L Esposito, What Everyone Needs to Know About Islam, New York, Oxford University Press, 2002
Other assignments will be found on handouts, Websites, etc. Wherever you find the reading, it will be necessary for you to print a copy of each assigned reading for yourself and to bring your own copy to class. This will facilitate your studying, participating in discussion, and writing about these selections.
COURSE OBJECTIVES: Religious Issues are questions that are of great concern to practitioners of the religions of the world. The goal of the assignments in this course is to challenge you to inform yourself about some basic issues of religions and to deepen your understanding of them through reflecting on them and discussing them. Doing every assigned reading is essential to this process.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS: Your final grade will be determined in the following way.
Participation 10 points
Essays, in class and outside 10 points
Mid-term Exam 50 points
Final Exam 40 points
Paper, including drafts 25 points
Visit to Mosque 5 points
FYE assignments, events 10 points
Quizzes 25 points
Total 175 points
GRADING SCALE BY POINTS BASED ON 175 POINTS MAXIMUM:
164.5-175 A 152-157 B+ 135-139.5 C+ 117-122 D+
157.5-164 A- 145-151.5 B 128-134.5 C 110-116.5 D
140-144.5 B- 122.5-127.5 C- 105-109.5 D-
Below 105 F
EXAMS will contain both objective and essay questions.
FYE ASSIGNMENTS: See “First Year Experience Requirements & Events” handed out with this Syllabus.
IN-CLASS WRITING: Short essays written in class for the purpose of showing your grasp of an issue may be announced or unannounced.
QUIZZES: Unless otherwise announced, quizzes will be on the material that is due the day of the quiz. Quizzes cannot be made up at another time.
WRITING is an important factor for your learning in this class. It will be used as a way for you to demonstrate your understanding of material, to express your own interpretations of what you learn, and to investigate more deeply certain issues that are important to religions.
PAPER: You will write one research paper for RELS 110, and when it is assigned, you will receive full instructions for it. Emphasis will be given to doing independent learning through research and to expressing what you learn. Through the process you will also be learning essential skills that you need to apply through your college career.
PARTICIPATION is an important part of every class. I will expect you to be prepared to discuss the assigned reading at every class. You will need to check your uwec.edu e-mail account between classes, so that you will be informed about anything relating to assignments. Full participation credit of 10 points is possible only to students who fulfill all research paper requirements. .
EXTRA CREDIT: If you would like to investigate more deeply one of the issues that we discuss or an issue that is not touched on in the course, you may do this in an extra-credit paper of approximately two pages. You must talk with me in advance about the source you plan to use. An extra-credit essay should consist of a concise summary of your source and your own critical comment on it, which should account for more than half the essay. Like all writing for this class, an extra-credit paper must include correct citation of your sources. The maximum extra credit you can earn in the semester is 6 points, and the last day for turning in extra-credit papers is December 6.
ATTENDANCE POLICY: You are expected to be present in body and mind for every class period. The maximum number of unexcused absences is two. A number of unexcused absences exceeding two will be taken into consideration in a marginal grading situation on your final grade. Excused absences for serious illness or accident are allowed, but a doctor’s certificate may be required. Absences for UWEC class field trips or athletics can also be excused. Bring me the forms that apply for each absence for these events. For any excused absence please call or e-mail me as soon as possible.
BACCALAUREATE DEGREE GOALS: This course fulfills the following
Baccalaureate goals: ability to inquire, think, analyze; ability to write,
read, speak, listen; historical consciousness; international and intercultural
experience; appreciation of the arts; understanding of values; understanding of
human behavior and human institutions.
SCHEDULE OF CLASS TOPICS AND ASSIGNMENTS:
**** WEEK 1
SEPTEMBER 6 Introduction. Be
ready to discuss “The Difference
Between High School and College” found on Electronic Reserve. Read from the
beginning through “New Types of Intellectual Work,” then read “Why Reasons
Matter.” Get your syllabus in class today..
SEPT. 8 Topic: First Religious issue: What do we mean by God?
Assigned reading due today: “Thinking About God: the God I Met the First Time,” pp. 11-19 (E-Reserve) from Marcus Borg’s book, The God We Never Knew, published by Harper in San Francisco in 1997.
Bring to class today:
n your own copy of “Thinking About God: The God I Met the First Time” printed from E-Reserve,
n your Syllabus.
Be prepared to discuss the Borg reading and to get answers to your questions about the Syllabus.
TODAY share with the class the results of your interview about being immigrants.
Here’s how: Interview a family member. Find out all you can about your family’s experience with immigration into this country. Ask family members about who came here from where. Did a religion play a role in their lives at the time they came to the US?
TONIGHT: Go to Party House Meets Real World at Zorn Arena. Go with your Residence Hall, then meet Mrs. Martin and John at 8 PM for Ruthie & Randy.
This event is FYE Requirement #1. See Syllabus, Section 2, FYE Requirements and Events for directions for writing about events and meetings you attend...
**** WEEK 2
SEPT. 13 Topic: Christianity and Concept of God
Assigned reading due today: “Meeting God Again for the First Time,” pp.1-5 (top) and “Thinking About God: The God I Met the First Time,” pp. 26-31, both by Marcus Borg, (E-Reserve.)
FYE Requirement #2 ~~~ B O B Sept. 14.
-- Go to B O B (Blugold Organizational Bash) WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 14 outside Davies (inside Davies if bad weather) 11AM – 2PM. Pick up a brochure/handout describing at least 1 organization that interests you. Then before next Tuesday (9/20) access UWEC Website and look for Web pages of a 2nd student organization (not all have Web pages, but all will have organization contact information). Students having difficulty using computers or accessing UWEC Web pages should e-mail the mentor and ask for assistance. Attend a meeting of one of these organizations and e-mail the mentor about the meeting.
Next week share with the class what you found out about student activities at B O B.
SEPT. 15 DUE: Essay on Marcus Borg readings.
Choose one idea that you learned from your reading of Marcus Borg’s book, The God We Never Knew (E-reserve, all assigned pages). Write a one- to one and a half-page essay with the following goals. First, enable someone who had never read the assignment to understand the idea that the author presented. Second, give your own analysis of the idea you chose. Third, document your essay, citing your source in correct form. **Use either MLA or APA form for citations within your text AND in a Work Cited page.**
For citations you may use a printed manual or and on-line guide for citing sources, e.g.,
Formatting Citations through the McIntyre Library Homepage, where you click on Need Help?, then Research Rescue, then Formatting Citations. There you find the kind of source you used. This can be used throughout the semester.
Other help in citing sources: http://webster.commnet.edu/mla/practical_guide.shtml or
http://ollie.dcccd.edu/library/Module4/M4-V/examples.htm#
GOALS of this assignment: to show good comprehension of the idea that you chose and of its context in the Marcus Borg chapter, to express in a good, clear way the author’s thoughts and yours, to cite correctly within the text everything that you use from any author and give full MLA or APA citation of your source at the end, to turn in well-proofread work.
TODAY meet at McIntyre Library just before 11 AM.
**** WEEK 3
SEPT. 20 Topic: making the Library serve your needs
DUE: The library exercise assigned on Sept. 15.
Before class today (FYE Requirement #2) e-mail your mentor with the following:
1-the names of 2 CAMPUS ORGANIZATIONS that might interest you and why.
2-Describe the Web site of one of those organizations & name the contact person given
on the Web site.
3-Name organization that you plan to attend a meeting of, and date, time, and place of
the meeting.
Bring to class today the brochure or handout from B O B about 1 student organization that interests you. Share your interest in it with other students.
SEPT. 22 Topic: Navajo Land and Religion
Assignment: Comment on images of Navajo life.
**** WEEK 4
SEPT. 27 Topic: American Indians and the Sacred
Assigned Readings: “Navajo” from the Encyclopedia of North American Indians;
“The Creation or Age of Beginning: Dine (Navajo) Origin Myths” (Both on E-Reserve)
In class see Seasons of a Navajo, first half.
SEPT. 29 Topic: American Indians and the Sacred. Guest Teacher
Assigned Reading: Reread “Navajo” from NAI Encyclopedia.
Read “Symbolism and the Sacred” by Peggy Beck, pp. pp. 74-75. (E-R)
In class see Seasons of a Navajo, second half.
**** WEEK 5
OCTOBER 4 Topic: American Indians and the Sacred. Guest Teacher
Assigned Reading: “The Sacred is in All Things,” John Lame Deer. pp. 153-158 (E-R)
OCT. 6 Topic: Judaism and the Sacred
Assigned Reading: “Knowledge of God” and “Practices of Judaism” from Basic Judaism by Rabbi Milton Steinberg, pp.36-49 and 122-134 (E-R)
****WEEK 6
OCT. 11 Topic: Judaism: What is goodness?
Assigned Reading: “Genesis, chapters 1-3” (E-R) and “Goodness in Judaism” from Basic Judaism, pp. 59-68, 75-82 : (Handout)
QUIZ on Judaism readings, October 6 and 11.
OCT. 13 Topic: Your Electronic Portfolio
****WEEK 7
OCT. 18 Topic: Judaism’s Holy Days. .
Assigned Reading: “Shabbat, the Sabbath Rest,” by Francine Klagsbrun, pp. 9-15 (E-R)
OCT. 20 Topic: Basics of
Islam; Muslims among us
John L. Esposito, What Everyone Needs to Know About Islam,
pp.xiii-xv; pp. 1-17 AND “Islam and the West,” Esposito, pp. 23-34 (E-R)
Your questions about the Mid-term Exam.
****WEEK 8
Oct. 25 MID-TERM EXAM
Oct. 27 Topic: Islam
Assigned Reading: John L. Esposito, What Everyone Needs to Know About Islam,
pp. 17-47
****WEEK 9
PLAN YOUR TRIP TO FRIDAY PRAYERS AT A MOSQUE, WEEKS 9, 10, 11, or 12.
NOVEMBER 1 Topic: Islam
Assigned Reading: John L. Esposito, What Everyone Needs to Know About Islam,
pp. 48-68
QUIZ
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 2, 7:30 PM at Zorn Arena, paul Rusesabagina, “Hotel Rwanda: A Lesson Yet to Be Learned” FREE. Your ticket will be compliments of FYE.
AND
NOV. 3 through 6: Choose one night to go to the showing of the Hotel Rwanda, the movie in Davies Theater.
The talk and the movie are two parts of FYE Requirement #3. Plan to do both parts.
NOV. 3 Topic: Islam
Assigned Reading: John L. Esposito, What Everyone ... Islam, pp. 69-86
****WEEK 10 This Week ~~ See me to go over the first draft of your research paper.
NOV. 8 Topic: Islam
Assigned Reading: John L. Esposito, What Everyone ... Islam, pp. 87-116
QUIZ
NOV. 10 NO CLASS. Work on writing your final draft of your paper.
****WEEK 11
NOV. 15 Topic: Islam
Assigned Reading: John L. Esposito, What Everyone ... Islam, pp. 117-138
NOV. 17 DUE: Paper on Islam.
Topic: Islam
Assigned Reading: John L. Esposito, What Everyone ... Islam, pp. 139-168
****WEEK 12
NOV. 22 Topic: Islam
Assigned Reading: John L. Esposito, What Everyone ... Islam, pp. 169-180
QUIZ
ENJOY THANKSGIVING!!
****WEEK 13
NOV. 29 Topic: A Christian Moral Issue: the Death Penalty
Assigned Reading: Using the official Websites of 3 Churches, learn the position each takes on the Death Penalty and the reasons. Be ready to present what you learned to the class today.
DECEMBER 1 Topic: the Death Penalty in actual practice.
Assignment: Web research on your assigned topic within death penalty. Present to class.
****WEEK 14
DEC. 6 Topic: Christian decision making: the Death Penalty
“Death Penalty: Pro and Con” and “The Bible and the Death Penalty” by Helen Prejean (E-R) In class see Dead Man Walking, first half.
DEC. 8 Topic: Death Penalty
Assignment: Write a summary in outliine form of how the Death Penalty is applied in the US today. DUE at the beginning of class.
In class see Dead Man Walking, second half.
****WEEK 15
DEC. 13 Topic: Death Penalty
In class write an essay expressing your own postion on the Death Penalty supported with reasons and facts.
Preparation for the Final Exam based on your questions.
Looking back over the FYE Semester.
DEC. 15 NO CLASS. STUDY DAY.
~~~~FINAL EXAM: Friday, December 16 at 10:00 AM
HAVE A WONDERFUL BREAK!