ISP

Independent Study Project

__**Part 1 RESEARCH ESSAY and ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY - Individual**__

 * __SECTION 1 ESSAY__**
 * the essay must be a roughly 3000 words is length (6 - 8 pages)
 * typewritten on standard letter sized or A4 paper
 * acceptable fonting: only 12pt Times New Roman, Palatino, Arial
 * all formatting (title page, margins, block quotes, citations, and bibliography) in APA format

__**SECTION 2 - ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY**__

 * **Title** of site with complete and working **URL**
 * Site **author** and/or **sponsoring organization**, attesting to the credibility of the site (is it an "insider" or "outsider" site?)
 * **Purpose** and/or agenda of the site. Is this an objective, informative site presenting just the facts or an interpretive site with a particular perspective on the topics addressed?
 * Listing of major **topics covered** at the site (not just the topics you used for your project but what else is at the site that might interest anyone visiting it)
 * **Usefulness** for fellow students of religion (here you can include observations regarding appearance and navigation as well as the value of the content itself)


 * Steps:**
 * 1) Topic selection sheet and bibliography(Formative)
 * 2) Research Notes and bibliography (Formative)
 * 3) Thesis formation and bibliography (Summative - 10 marks)
 * 4) Essay outline and bibliography(Formative)
 * 5) Rough Draft - Peer Editing (Formative)
 * 6) Final essay and bibliography (Summative - 40 marks)

There are two possibilities for this project:
 * ** Any non-Christian religion //that is not your own// **, the less familiar you are with it the better. Here are some possible choices:
 * Pure Land Buddhism
 * Zen/Ch'an Buddhism
 * Nichiren Buddhism
 * Tendai Buddhism
 * Bon/Tibetan Buddhism
 * Ismaili Islam
 * Sufi Islam
 * Ahmadiyya Islam
 * Eckankar
 * Neo-paganism
 * Wicca
 * Hare Krishna
 * Shaivism
 * Vaishnavism
 * Shaktism
 * Smartism
 * ** Any lesser known, non-mainline Christian sect with which you are //unfamiliar//. ** Some possible choices:
 * Orthodox (Russian, Greek, Romanian, Serbian, etc.)
 * Brethren
 * Mennonite
 * Rastafarianism
 * Amish
 * Friends (Quaker)
 * Seventh Day Adventist
 * Christian Science
 * Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormon)
 * Unity Church
 * Jehovah's Witnesses
 * Unitarian Universalist

NB: Step 6 will not be accepted until steps 1-5 have been successfully completed!


 * **Student** || **Topic** ||
 * Mia || Paganism ||
 * Ashley L || Unitarian Universalist ||
 * Stacey || Amish ||
 * Emily || Wicca ||
 * Kyle M || Zen ||
 * Merissa || Jehovah's Witness ||
 * Chanel || Quaker ||
 * Sam || Eckankar ||
 * Courtney || Pure Land Buddhism ||
 * Ashley M || Sufism ||
 * Nadia || Tendai Buddhism ||
 * Krystal || Tibetan Buddhism ||
 * Jenna || Ba'hai ||
 * Marco || Rastafarianism ||
 * Kyle B || Mormonism ||
 * Donovan || Christian Science ||

**__PART 2: SECTARIAN PRESENTATION - Group__**
1. Choose a group of 2 (or 3 only if there is an odd number of people in the class) 2. Choose one of the religious belief systems listed below( you may substitute one of the topics from part 1 but not one that you've already selected!). 3. Research the beliefs of its members 4. Define its major tenets and how they differ from the main branch of the religion (if applicable). 5. Create a 50 minute lesson their beliefs 6. Deliverables: 7. Deliver that lesson to the class. 8. Post your executive summary and ppt file to the space provided on this page.
 * A lesson plan (due a minumum of 4 days before your presentation)
 * A synopsis of the key articles of faith
 * A brief history of the faith
 * A set of sample test questions - 5 multiple choice, 3 short answer, 2 essay
 * An executive summary (study guide) handout for the class


 * Topic || Group Members || Presentation Date ||
 * Shamanism || Donovan and Marco || 17 Nov ||
 * Scientology || Chanel and Nadia || 24 Nov ||
 * Mayan || Ashley L and Jenna || 27 Oct ||
 * Christian Science || Mia and Krystal || 15Dec ||
 * Wicca || Sam and Ashley M || 1 Nov ||
 * Bah'ai || Kyle M || 13 Jan ||
 * Mormonism || Merissa and Courtney || 8 Dec ||
 * Ismaili Islam || Stacey and Emily || 3 Nov ||
 * Swedenborgianism || Kyle B and Jacob || 1 Dec ||

**__PART 3: THE DEBATE - Group__**

 * Students will debate in teams of two but will be __marked individually__
 * Each student must prepare an opening OR closing statement (one partner does opening; other partner does closing)
 * Each student must prepare a minimum of ONE main argument for debate (two per team)


 * DEBATE TOPICS**

Here are the debate topics. There are more here than necessary: the topic becomes active only after affirmative and negative teams have signed up for it:


 * Affirmative || Topic || Negative || Due Date ||
 * || BIRT Capital punishment is wrong ||  ||   ||
 * || BIRT Separation of Church and State is necessary for democracy ||  ||   ||
 * Kyle and Kyle || BIRT Religion is a negative influence on humanity || Courtney and Chanel || 12 Nov ||
 * || BIRT Experimentation on animals is wrong ||  ||   ||
 * || BIRT There is no justification for war ||  ||   ||
 * || BIRT Censorship is necessary to protect citizens ||  ||   ||
 * Ashley L and Stacey || BIRT Both genders are inherently equal || Sam/Jenna || 29 Nov ||
 * Marco and Donovan || BIRT Corporal punishment is acceptable || Sam and Jenna || 2 Dec ||
 * || BIRT We are our "brothers" keeper ||  ||   ||
 * || BIRT Moral education is a necessary part of public schooling ||  ||   ||
 * || BIRT Genetic research on humans should be banned ||  ||   ||
 * Merissa/Donovan || BIRT There is an afterlife || Ashley M and Emily || 7 Dec ||
 * Nadia and Mia || BIRT All mind altering drugs should be banned || Jacob/Donovan || 16 Dec ||
 * || BIRT Voluntary active euthanasia should be decriminalized ||  ||   ||
 * Ashley L/Jenna || BIRT Individual rights are more important that societal rights || Sam/Chanel || 23 Dec ||


 * Debate format**
 * Opening Affimative Statement (length 5 min)
 * introduce team
 * introduce question
 * state thesis
 * give any necessary definitions
 * give any necessary background information
 * give an advance synopsis of your argument || Opening Negative Statement (length 5 min)


 * introduce team
 * introduce question
 * state thesis
 * give any necessary definitions
 * give any necessary background information
 * give an advance synopsis of your argument ||
 * First Affirmative Argument (length 3-5 min) || First Negative Argument (length 3-5 min) ||
 * First Affirmative Rebuttal (2-3 min) || First Negative Rebuttal (2-3 min) ||
 * Second Affirmative Argument (length 3-5 min) || Second Negative Argument (length 3-5 min) ||
 * Second Affirmative Rebuttal (2-3 min) || Second Negative Rebuttal (2-3 min) ||
 * Free for all (10 min) ||  ||
 * Closing Affirmative Statement (5 min)
 * restate question and any definitions
 * restate thesis
 * reiterate the two main arguments
 * sum up your rebuttals || Closing Negative Statement (5 min) * restate question and any definitions
 * restate thesis
 * reiterate the two main arguments
 * sum up your rebuttals ||