2. Grading Scale from Syllabus
• A is 12-15 points
• B is 8-11 points
• C is 4-7 points
• D is 1-3 points
• F is 0
3. Syllabus on Clarity
• The viewpoints you present in your writing
must be clearly conceived and well argued.
Your writing style should be straight-
forward, easy to read and should be clearly
related to the issues you wish to address.
Topic sentences at the beginning of each
paragraph are helpful in establishing the issue
and argument for the reader at the outset.
4. Engagement with the material.
• Entries are to be related to the reading
material. They are not reviews of what has
been stated in the book but are your critical
analysis of the reading. Avoid direct quotes.
Instead seriously take-up what you consider to
be the ‘key’ issues for the study of religion in
the reading. An analysis of the issues
discussed in the course become clearer the
closer your writing is to the texts used in class.
5. Creativity
• The ‘work’ of Religious Studies, and perhaps the
Humanities in general, is essentially creative.
Interpretation of religious phenomena requires
that you come to some meaningful relationship
with your object of study. This is one of the
defining characteristics of creativity. You have a
unique and important contribution to make to
our collective understandings. There are no
predetermined experts in the area of
interpretation, only well refined and well argued
positions. Your interpretations will be dealt with
as importantly as you regard them yourself.
6. Writing Prompt
You will write a 3-4 page paper (750-1000 words) address three
questions; What is religion? What are Native American
religions? How do we come to know or study them? I will be
addressing these questions in class lecture over the next
week. Also, read the Preface and Introduction of "Indigenous
Religions" to get more ideas on how to address this paper.
It is to follow the standard essay format of introductory
paragraph, followed by examples and discussion and then finally
a concluding paragraph. You should cite page numbers in the
text and if you bring in outside information that should be
properly cited.
Editor's Notes
Engagement with the MaterialThis was assessed by the followingHow well did you respond to the three questions:What is religion?Did you provide a definition of religion and explain the benefits and limits of this conceptualization What is Native American Religions?Did you at least discuss in detail:HabitationExchange/gift economiesHow does one study religion?Did you at least discuss one of the following?CollaborationObservationDescriptionEthnographyAnthropologySociologyetc.
Clarity Was there a clear thesis statement?Was the paper well organized?Did the paper respond clearly to the three questions?Did the paper synthesize course materials and personal reflections providing cohesiveness?
