This course introduces students to studying world religions from an empathetic perspective by having them visit a local religious institution and write a paper about their experience. The paper is meant to help students understand and become familiar with different religious traditions. Students are asked to describe the institution they visited, including details about its beliefs, practices, leadership, membership, and relationship to the surrounding community. They are also asked to reflect on how their visit informed or challenged what they have learned in class.

1. This course introduces students to the empathetic approach to
the study of world religions, which requires that we strive to
“get
into the shoes” of members of the world’s religions through
dialogue. In order to help students understand and become
familiar with the life of some members of world’s religions,
students in the course are asked to visit a religious institution or
VRI in their local city. You will then write what is called a VRI
paper
that captures your experience in detail. Think of the paper as a
report on the institution combined with your reflections on the
experience. In this paper you are asked to describe the
institution,
and its relation to the various traditions that you study, among
other things (for example, identify whether the institution is a
church in the Protestant or Catholic tradition; whether the
institution is a Jewish synagogue in the Reform tradition; or if
it
is a Buddhist temple, whether it is Theravada). Be sure to read
the
Rubric for the VRI paper assignment for further details.
NOTE: The religious institution that I picked was a Chapel
Annex
to speak with Chaplain Elias J. Paulk of the Roman Catholic
religion.
SOLID EVIDENCE PARTIAL EVIDENCE

2. NO EVIDENCE
CRITERIA 1: USE OF SOURCES
Does the paper use credible sources? Accurate
information from the institution’s “insiders,”
especially interviews of leaders and/or members; then
group’s website & other publications. Anything they
say about themselves should take priority. Also
important is information from students’ personal
observations during visit (things you would say or
point out). RSL1.1; CC1.2
Information is accurate; resources are
legitimate; resources include interviews of
insiders and are varied.
Information is accurate with only a
few minor errors; resources good
but not varied enough.
Information does not include
interviews is unreliable, based

3. on second-hand account, or
inaccurate; resources are
generally not valid
CRITERIA 2: BROAD CONTENT (8 dimensions)
Does the paper cover a broad spectrum of content
about the institution?
Information collected on the institution must include
the following eight dimensions: 1) description of
geographical location and history of group in Tampa;
2) the particular religious tradition the group claims
to represent; 3) defining beliefs and practice
(according to them); 4) meeting times, common
forms of worship and prayer; 5) leadership of the
group, and number of members; 6) “outsider” and
“insider” views of the group’s relationship to local
community); 7) and an “insider” answer to this
question: “What are some things you wish others
knew about your tradition?” DO NOT LEAVE

4. OUT #7; 8) general reflection on your overall
experience and how it illuminates or challenges
readings in class. RSL1.2
Paper includes all eight dimensions. Leaves out one to three
dimensions
(not #7).
Includes five or less dimensions.
Is there a substantive and meaningful use of
information?
Information is complete and helpful; notes
any convergence and divergence among
sources.
Information is only mostly complete
and simplistic.
Incomplete, incorrect, and/or
irrelevant information.
CRITERIA 3: WRITING EFFECTIVELY

5. COMMUNICATES BROAD CONTENT CC1.2
Creative?
Paper tells a story about your experience of this
place.
Experiences of the institution described
vividly, clearly relevant, and help reader
feel as if they had visited the religious
group.
For the most part creative additions
are helpful in telling the story but
distract from the “broad content”
from criteria 2.
Creative narrative has little to do
with the institution and broad
content of the paper.
Coherent?
Does the paper have a logical flow?
Paper is coherent, with clear introduction,

6. language use, and conclusion; demonstrates
extensive and intimate knowledge of the
subject as well as all criteria of the rubric.
Paper is coherent for the most part
but missing important elements
from the broad content criteria. Few
spelling and grammatical errors
Paper lacks coherence. Spelling
and grammar errors are frequent
and distract from content.
REL 223 World Religions in Dialogue – VRI Paper Rubric. This
assignment is worth 30 points. For each item, Solid
Evidence = 7-10; Partial Evidence = 3-7; Little to No Evidence
= 0-2
LEH 352.A18 [57534] / FILM ADAPTATION OF CLASSIC
TEXTS Instructor: M. Marsham [email protected] ]
WHY ADAPT A TEXT (History) F’19
By 1908, more than 10 years after the invention of cinema,
movie production companies had to reoriented themselves to
storytelling – as opposed to the little film clips popular via the
Nickelodeon -- which meant stories were needed quickly and a
need for the Film Narrative. One of the very first Narrative

7. films is “The Great Train Robbery” (1903) itself an adaptation!
Below are questions related to the pdf file “Why Adapt a Text”
(a history).
Answer the questions in a complete sentence either on a
separate page or directly below the question. It’s up to you.
Use SUBMIT PAPER HERE to submit this assignment.
DB due 9/15
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1. What are the three versions of fiction that filmmakers
immediately turn to for source material?
2. Which narrative elements were readily available to the
filmmakers via these sources?
3. Why did the filmmakers prefer existing stories to the
invention of new ones?
4. How did copyright laws affect the finances of these new
filmmakers?
5. What was another reason for adapting literature in the early
period of film?
6. What are some of the reasons early cinema was popular in
working class, manufacturing cities?
7. In 1911 a huge majority of New Yorkers were working class
and film producers “were encouraged” to attract the middle
class. What marketing device was used to do so?
8. Other than Shakespeare name the full names of the other
writers considered classic and name one classic work for each
author.
9. What is meant by the statement “film is a pedagogical
medium?”
10. The pdf file names eight British authors whose works were
readily adapted to film in the early days of cinema (and still
today). Name the authors and one of each of their titles.
11. What is the most common reason that filmmakers adapt a
text?
12. Why do film companies today think that literary texts are
good candidates for filmmaking?

8. 13. What’s are the two ways a story can be popular and translate
to box office success?
14. Why do filmmakers believe classic text is a good risk for
holding an audience?
15. What does it mean for a best seller to be “pre-kissed” as far
as filmmakers are concerned?
16. Name three of the best sellers of the time that made money
for the movie producers (the pdf file is from 2005 publication of
Adaptation: Studying Film & Literature).
17. What is another, less common reason for adaptation?
18. In reference to No. 17 who was the producer who chose a
favorite book to be adapted to film and what was that book.
19. In reference to No. 17 who was the director who chose a
favorite book to be adapted to film and what was that book.
20. In reference to No. 17 who was the actor who chose a
favorite book to be adapted to film and what was that book.