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Defining Religion
An Assignment in Four Parts
Parts 1 and 2 are done in the
classroom:
-
Early in the semester (at the first
class session), you will write your initial definition or description of
religion. In just a sentence or two complete the statement:
"Religion is..." (you will need to use this statement
for part 3)
-
In a 200 word paragraph, Identify
and discuss five criteria to consider in determining a good
"working" definition of religion. You will do this in
class, immediately following a class lecture, discussion and
exercise presenting the material. (If you are absent when this is done,
you should do it on your own, after reviewing materials: see
PowerPoint, instructor's
essay, and online
reading [5.1-5.5]. Also review the exercise/practice quiz in the
Blackboard course site: Defining Religion.)
Grading: parts 1 and 2 together
are 1/4 of this multi-part writing assignment. Quality based on:
- Correct
identification at least five(5) criteria (as noted in the material
presented in class)
- Demonstrate an understanding of each
criterion (Do not simply list the criteria, explain why each
criterion is important to consider)
- Meet the word length requirement (point deduction
for responses that are too short)
Parts 3 and 4 are done at home:
-
Analyzing your definition: Apply
the criteria you identify and discuss in part 2 of this assignment as
you analyze the suitability of the definition of
religion you posted for part 1 of this assignment.
Upon receiving back your parts 1 &
2, with feedback from your instructor:
- Analyze your initial definition of religion with
regard to each of the five criteria in turn.
- In so doing, you will determine to what degree
your initial definition of religion is suitable as a good
"working" definition of religion.
- To what degree does your definition meet each of
the criteria you have identified?
- This is not the place to defend your
definition (do not be on the defensive). This is the place to be
honestly self-critical with an eye toward improvement.
- Approximately 500 words total.
Grading: Part three, being the
longest, is worth 1/2 of the grade for this multi-part assignment. Quality
based on:
- Demonstrating an understanding of
and ability to properly apply all the criteria you
discuss in the process of analyzing your definition
- Failure to apply all five criteria will
mean points not awarded (10 points per criteria)
- An apparent failure to fully comprehend the
criteria or apply them completely will also mean points deducted
- Short papers will also have points deducted
- Revising your definition: Upon receiving
back your part 3 analysis with feedback from your instructor, revise
your initial definition of religion to improve it, taking
into consideration the analysis you did in part 3 of this
assignment.
- This revision may simply be a fine tuning in
terms of composition or sentence structure.
- Or you may determine you need a more drastic
revision, adding, changing or eliminating some parts.
- You may even want to toss out your original
statement altogether and create something entirely new, more in accord
with the criteria for a good definition.
In the process of revising your definition, be
sure to explain why this new version is better than the old one
– in what specific ways does this new definition better meet the
criteria for consideration? (250 word paragraph)
Grading: Part 4 is worth 1/4 of the grade for
this multi-part writing assignment. Quality based on:
- Your revised definition is improved to the
greatest degree possible, including composition as well as in terms of
fulfilling the stated criteria
- In a paragraph of approximately 250 words explain
why this new version is better than the old one (point
deduction for responses that are too short)
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