COM-FSM
EN209 Introduction to Religions > Course Syllabus-Spring 2012

Course Syllabus-Spring 2012

Page last modified 07:56, 18 Jan 2012 by Christopher_Perkins
    Table of contents
    1. 1.  EN209, Religion

     

     EN209, Religion

    Spring 2012, National Campus

    Course Syllabus

     

    Instructor: Christopher Ross Perkins, Assistant Professor

    Office Hours: MWF 9-10 and 3-4, TTH 8-9

    Office Location: Lang/ Lit Office No. 4, New Building

    Class Time/ Room: 11:00-12:25, TTH, B205

    Email/ Phone: rperkins@comfsm.fm, extension 224

     

     

    You grade will be based on the following:

     

    Research Paper                     20%

    Tests/ quizzes                         20%

    Summaries                              20%

    Journal                                      20%

    H/W and C/W                           10%

    Book Report                             10%

               

    Total                                     100%

     

    Course Description: 

    This course is designed to expose students to a wide variety of religious beliefs and practices.  Students will examine major religions of the world as well as the questions and issues that religion tries to address.

     

    A.  PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES (PLOs): 

    The student will be able to:

     

    1. Enrich and deepen self-knowledge by exploring different academic experiences.
    2. Articulate and understand their experiences through effective writing, reading, speaking, and various modes of artistic expression.
    3. Demonstrate fundamental knowledge and basic skills appropriate to their personal and
      professional goals in their chosen area of specialization.

     

     

    B.  STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES (SLOs) - GENERAL: 

    The student will be able to:

     

    1. Know and value the general beliefs and practices of various world religions.
    2. Know various answers that can be given to the questions and issues that religion tries to address.
    3. State and defend his/her own personal religious belief.

     

     

     

     

    SLO

    PLO 1

    PLO 2

    PLO 3

    1

    I, D

     

     

    2

    I, D

    I, D

    I, D

    3

     

    I, D

     

     

     

    C.  STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES (SLOs)-SPECIFIC: 

          The student will be able to: 

     

     

    General SLO 1.  Know and Value the general beliefs and practices of various world religions.

     

     

    Student Learning Outcomes

    Assessment Strategies

    1.1. Describe the major beliefs of various world religions

     

    Complete worksheets, take quizzes, and participate in group discussions and activities, which describe beliefs of major religions.

    1.2. Place major religions on a world map as to where they geographically began and are concentrated currently.

    Complete worksheets, take quizzes, and participate in group discussions and activities.

    1.3. Describe the major tenets of each major religion studied.

     

    Complete worksheets, take quizzes, and participate in group discussions and activities, which deals with the major tenets of religions studies

     

     

    1.4. Describe the primary religious practices of each religion studied.

     

    Complete worksheets, take quizzes, and participate in group discussions and activities.

     

     

    General SLO 2.  Know various answers that can be given to the questions and issues that religion tries to address.

     

     

    Student Learning Outcomes

    Assessment Strategies

    2.1. Identify the major questions and issues that religion tries to address.

     

    Complete worksheets, take quizzes, and participate in group discussions and activities, which deals with major religious questions

    2.2. Compare and contrast how various religious groups would answer the questions and deal with the issues identified in 2.1.

     

    Complete worksheets, take quizzes, and participate in group discussions and activities, which deals with the comparative aspect of religious studies.

    2.3. Distinguish between religious, philosophical, and cultural points of the arguments.

    Complete worksheets, take quizzes, and participate in group discussions and activities.

     

    General SLO 3.  State and defend his/her own personal religious belief.

     

     

    Student Learning Outcomes

    Assessment Strategies

    3.1. Apply accurate terminology to construct a coherent and comprehensive statement of personal faith/belief.

     

    Complete worksheets, take quizzes, and participate in group discussions and activities.

    3.2. Respond to discrepancies between his/her personal ideas and those held by other individuals and religious groups by supporting his/her views.

     

    Complete worksheets, take quizzes, and participate in group discussions, activities and write a major paper comparing his/her personal beliefs with others religious beliefs.

     

    D.  COURSE CONTENT

     

    The course provides an overview of current major religions of the world, with special emphasis on connections to Micronesia, and the dynamics between religion and culture.  Such religions may include but are not limited to: Baha’i, Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Primal Religions, Shinto, Skepticism, and Taoism.

     

    Additionally, the course examines major questions and issues in the field of religion, such as, but not limited to:

    • Who or what is god?
    • What is the nature of human beings?
    • What is the relationship between god and humans?
    • Why are we here?
    • What happens to us when we die?
    • The power of religious texts
    • The role of religion and war
    • What is the relation between religion and magic?
    • How do religious beliefs control or direct how people behave on a daily basis, including the choices they make (ethics, morals).

     

     

    E.  METHODS OF INSTRUCTION

     

    The instructor may use but is not limited to lecture, discussion, group discussion, group presentations, projects, quizzes, tests, videos, computer software and exercises in order to achieve the stated objectives of the course.

     

    F.   REQURIED TEXT(S) AND COURSE MATERIALS

    Smith, Huston. The World’s Religions. New York, NY: HarperCollins, 1991.

     

    Smith, Huston. The Illustrated World’s Religions.  New York, NY: HarperCollins, 1994.

     

    Supplemental supporting materials will provided by instructor.

     

    G.  REFERENCE MATERIALS

     

    Many supplemental supporting materials are available through the Learning Resource Center and online.

     

    H.  INSTRUCTIONAL COSTS

     

    NONE

     

    I.   EVALUATION

     

    NONE

     

    L.  CREDIT BY EXAMINATION

     

    NONE

     

    Attendance Policy

    For MWF classes, students who miss more than 6 classes will automatically fail the course.  For TTH classes, students who miss more than 4 classes will automatically fail.  There is no difference between excused and unexcused absences.  If you are more than 10 minutes late, that also counts as an absence.

     

    Academic Honesty Policy

    The COM-FSM academic honesty policy applies to this course (see attachment).

     

    Students found guilty of academic dishonesty, cheating, plagiarism and facilitating academic dishonesty will be liable to dismissal or suspension from the college.  A first offence will result in a “0” on the assignment and a second offence results in dismissal from the class and reporting your name to appropriate authorities.

     

    Assignments:

    Late assignments will not be accepted; if you are late turning an assignment in, you will earn zero points for that assignment.  An assignment is late if it is not submitted in the classroom at the beginning of class in which it due.  Likewise, if you are absent the day of a written test or quiz, you will earn zero points for the assignment.

     

    ***Important note: you are responsible to find out what you missed when you are absent.  To do so, you can 1) talk to me during my office hours or 2) you can ask a fellow student.  If homework is due on the day of your return you must turn in the homework assignment in order to get credit, if not, you will earn a zero points.

     

    Additional Class Policies:

    Be respectful of one another. No betelnut, gum chewing or spitting ion class.  Cell phones must be turned off during class: if your cell phone makes noise during class, you will be asked to leave and will be marked absent for that session.

     

    Reading Assignments:

    There is a reading assignment for almost every class.  You are responsible to read each assignment before coming to class; the readings will be discussed in class (see attachment).

     

    Journals:

    I will give you a topic 14 topic throughout the semester and you will be required to write one full page typed on the topic.  Most topic will related to what we are reading, some will relate to what we will be reading.  All journals must be typed, double spaced, font size 12, Times New Roman.  Each journal must be one complete page or more, points will be deducted for any journals that are not a complete page.  Journals will be collected at mid-term and at the end of the semester.

     

    Course structure:

     

    Week 1: Introduction, What is Religion?

    Weeks 2-3: Hinduism Chapter 2, worksheet, test

    Weeks 4-5: Buddhism Chapter 3, worksheet, test

    Weeks 6-7: Confucianism Chapter 4, worksheet, test

    Week 8: Midterm, Journal #1 due

    Weeks 9-10: Islam Chapter 6, worksheet, test

    Weeks 11-12: Judaism Chapter 7, worksheet, test

    Weeks 13-14: Primal Religions Chapter 9, worksheet, test

    Week 15: Pacific Religions, handouts, worksheets, tests

    Week 16: Research paper due, review, final, journal #2

     

     

    Course structure is subject to change

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