Posted: March 12th, 2023
Religion
Research Paper 1 I Site Visit Essay (Assignment)
Assignment Details
· Format:
· MLA format required
· Double-spaced, 12 point size, Arial or Times New Roman font
· Length: 1800-2000 words (not including your Works Cited page)
· Content: Field research and supplementary research
· Sources: 3 academic sources minimum
· Works Cited page required
Assignment Instructions
For this Site Visit, students will perform field research by attending a religious service outside of their own religious tradition. The goal is to immerse each student in an unfamiliar religious context (example: Christians should perform field research on a non-Christian religion, like Buddhism, Hinduism, etc.)
At the top of your paper, please include the name of the religious site visited, the date visited, the names of any individuals you may have interviewed, and the particular sect or denomination of the religion that practices at the site.
[If you visited a Muslim mosque, was it Sunni or Shi’ite? If you visited a Jewish synagogue, was it Orthodox, Conservative, or Reform? If you visited a Buddhist temple, was it Theravada or a Mahayana sect?] You may want to ask this when you call to find out if your visit is acceptable.
Your research should ideally progress in three stages:
Stage 1: Preliminary research
· Before going to the service, it is a good idea to do some preliminary research on the religious tradition. For example, if you’re attending a Hindu ceremony, you will want to read the textbook chapter and watch the PowerPoint presentation on Hinduism. Additionally, I strongly recommend that you call the site you’ll be visiting and let them know you’re coming to do research for a class project. Ask them if there’s any dress code requirements, or anything else you should keep in mind. You may also want to ask if they will allow you to take notes during the service. (Some Jewish denominations, for example, do not allow writing on Shabbat {Saturday}.)
Stage 2: Field research
· Attend the service and observe closely. You may want to take notes. Some students have found it helpful to attend services in groups, and you’re welcome to do this.
Stage 3: Supplementary research
· After your visit, research any elements of the experience that were unfamiliar and that left you with questions, including but not limited to the practices, symbols, dress code, and conversations encountered at the site. In other words, research each practice and find out why it’s done in this particular sect.
Examples:
· If you go to a Jewish service and you see the men wearing kippahs (or yarmulkes), you don’t want to write in your essay, “There were these men and they were wearing these funny hats but I don’t know why.” This is where your additional research comes in. Find out what the hats are called, and find out why they’re worn.
· If you go to a Muslim mosque and you see the worshipers washing their hands and feet, you don’t want to write in your essay, “Everyone was washing their hands and feet but I don’t know why they did that and it was pretty weird.”
Upon completing these three stages, write a detailed and insightful essay. It should demonstrate a general understanding of the religious tradition; use your research to explain your experience at the site. What did you see around you? What did the place of worship look like? Did you see any religious art or religious symbols there? How were people dressed? What rituals were performed?
Finally, include your personal reaction to the service. How did you respond? Did you enjoy the visit or did you feel uncomfortable? Were your opinions about the religion challenged or confirmed by the site visit?
Research Paper 1 Rubric (1)
| Research Paper 1 Rubric (1) | |||||||||
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Criteria |
Ratings |
Pts |
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This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeOverall Impression |
12.5 to >10.5 pts Excellent Author directly addresses the main question or issue, and adds new insight to the subject not provided in lectures, readings, or class discussions. The author has retained nearly all of the knowledge presented in class. He/She is able to synthesize this knowledge in new ways and relate to material not covered in the course. 10.5 to >8.5 pts Proficient Author competently addresses main question or issue, but does not add much new insight into the subject. That said, it is clear that the author has learned a great deal in class and is able to communicate this knowledge to others. 8.5 to >6.5 pts Limited Author attempts to address the main question or issue, but fails. The author has retained some information from the course, but does not fully understand its meaning or context and cannot clearly convey it to others. 6.5 to >0 pts Poor Essay does NOT address the main question or issue, and it is obvious that the author has not retained any information from the course. |
12.5 pts |
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This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeArgument |
12.5 to >10.5 pts Excellent Essay contains a clear argument—i.e., lets the reader know exactly what the author is trying to communicate. 10.5 to >8.5 pts Proficient An argument is present, but reader must reconstruct it from the text. 8.5 to >6.5 pts Limited Author attempts, but fails, to make an argument (e.g., starts with a rhetorical question/statement or anecdote that is never put into context). 6.5 to >0 pts Poor No attempt is made to articulate an argument. |
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This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeEvidence |
12.5 to >10.5 pts Excellent Provides compelling and accurate evidence that convinces reader to accept main argument. The importance/relevance of all pieces of evidence is clearly stated. There are no gaps in reasoning—i.e., the reader does not need to assume anything or do additional research to accept main argument. 10.5 to >8.5 pts Proficient Provides necessary evidence to convince reader of most aspects of the main argument but not all. The importance/ relevance of some evidence presented may not be totally clear. Reader must make a few mental leaps or do some additional research to fully accept all aspects of main argument. 8.5 to >6.5 pts Limited Not enough evidence is provided to support the author’s argument, or evidence is incomplete, incorrect, or oversimplified. Information from lectures and readings is not effectively used. 6.5 to >0 pts Poor Either no evidence is provided, or there are numerous factual mistakes, omissions or oversimplifications. There is little or no mention of information from lectures and readings. |
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This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeCounter-Evidence |
12.5 to >10.5 pts Excellent The author considers the evidence, or alternate interpretations of evidence, that could be used to refute or weaken his/her argument, and thoughtfully responds to it. 10.5 to >8.5 pts Proficient Author acknowledges that counter-evidence or alternative interpretations exists, and lists them fully, but does not effectively explain to readers why his/her argument still stands. 8.5 to >6.5 pts Limited Author acknowledges some of the most obvious counter-evidence and alternative explanations, but is not comprehensive in this task. There is little or no attempt made to respond to them. 6.5 to >0 pts Poor No acknowledgement of counter-evidence or alternative interpretations. |
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This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeSources |
12.5 to >10.5 pts Excellent Evidence is used from a wide range of sources, including lectures and course readings. When required, the author also consults scholarly books, websites, journal articles, etc. not explicitly discussed in class. 10.5 to >8.5 pts Proficient Evidence is used from many sources, but the author relies heavily on a more limited set of sources. Some effort is made to go beyond material presented in class when required, but not much. If outside sources are used, they are primarily non-scholarly (i.e., intended for a general audience) and/or web-based. 8.5 to >6.5 pts Limited Uses only a few of the sources provided in class, or does not go beyond what has been provided by professor when required to do additional research. 6.5 to >0 pts Poor Does not use sources, only minimally uses sources provided by instructor, or relies exclusively on non-scholarly outside sources. |
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This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeCitations |
12.5 to >10.5 pts Excellent All evidence is properly cited in footnotes or endnotes. 10.5 to >8.5 pts Proficient All evidence is cited in footnotes or endnotes, but there are some minor problems with completeness or format of some citations. 8.5 to >6.5 pts Limited Some pieces are unreferenced or inaccurately referenced, and there are problems with completeness and format of citations. 6.5 to >0 pts Poor No attempt is made to cite evidence. |
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This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeOrganization |
12.5 to >10.5 pts Excellent Essay contains an intro, main body, and conclusion. Introduction lays out main argument and gives an outline of what the reader can expect in the essay. The conclusion brings everything together, acknowledges potential shortcomings of the paper, and gives the reader a sense of what further work might be done to advance the subject matter described in the paper. 10.5 to >8.5 pts Proficient Essay contains an intro, main body, and conclusion. The introduction lays out the main argument but gives the reader little idea of what to expect in the essay. The conclusion nicely summarizes the main argument and evidence, but does not move beyond what has already been presented in the paper. 8.5 to >6.5 pts Limited Essay contains an intro, main body, and conclusion. The introduction gives the reader an idea of what to expect in the paper, but does not effectively lay out the main argument. It may begin with a set of rhetorical questions, or an anecdote that is never fully explained. The conclusion does little more than restate the problematic introduction. Intro and/or conclusion may be too wordy or short. 6.5 to >0 pts Poor Essay has no clear organizational pattern. |
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This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeClarity and Style |
12.5 to >10.5 pts Excellent All sentences are grammatically correct and clearly written. No words are misused or unnecessarily fancy. Technical terms, words from other languages, and words from other historical periods are always explained. All information is accurate and up-to-date. Paper has been spell-checked AND proofread (ideally by you and somebody else), and contains no errors. 10.5 to >8.5 pts Proficient All sentences are grammatically correct and clearly written. An occasional word is misused or unnecessarily fancy. Technical terms, words from other languages, and words from other historical periods are usually, but not always, explained. All information is accurate and up-to-date. Paper has been spell-checked AND proofread, and contains no more than a few minor errors, which do not adversely affect the reader’s ability to understand the essay. 8.5 to >6.5 pts Limited A few sentences are grammatically incorrect or not clearly written. Several words are misused. Technical terms, words from other languages, and words from other historical periods are rarely explained. Not all information is accurate and up-to-date. Paper has been spell-checked AND proofread, but still contains several errors. Reader’s ability to understand essay may be compromised by these errors. 6.5 to >0 pts Poor Paper is full of grammatical errors and bad writing. Several words are misused. Technical terms, words from other languages, and words from other historical periods are rarely explained. Not all information is accurate and up-to-date. Paper has not been spell-checked or proofread, and contains numerous errors. Reader has a difficult time understanding essay because of errors. |
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Total Points: 100 |
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