Religions of the world site visit paper

SITE VISIT PAPER (SVP) PHR-121 Religions of the WorldYou will attend a religious service of an unfamiliar tradition (NOT the tradition you or your parents accept or once followed). Your visit must occur during this semester. You will then write a paper including the sections below:
Paper Overview
Description (350-400 words)
Preliminary details: Report the name, address, and religious affiliation of your site
(Reformed Synagogue? Greek Orthodox Church? Sufi Mosque? Zen Temple?), the
date and time of your visit, and the type of service you attended.
Initial Appearance details: Describe how the building looked, both inside and out,
how they greeted you as a visitor, and what sort of people attended - gender, age,
ethnicity, and approximate number of those present.
Worship Action details: Specifically describe what happened during the service.
Whatweretheleadersdoing? Whatweretheotherpeopledoing? Whatwasthe“order of events” as the service progressed? Describe the “feel” of the service, whether formal, casual, scripted, or spontaneous, and why you selected that characterization.
Analysis (300-400 words)
Theoretical Expression: What messages were communicated verbally, through
prayers, reading of scripture, sermon? What messages were communicated non- verbally,throughthevisualsymbolspresentinthespace? Howdidtheservicereflect the teachings (doctrine) of this religion?
Practical Expression: What messages were communicated non-verbally through the actions or rituals? Did the “action” of the service follow what you expected based on our reading (in the textbook and the websites) and class discussions? Hypothesize how the service affected those participating in it, and explain the evidence behind your idea.
Sociological Expression: How did the worshippers interact with each other – much or littlecontact?Friendlyorstand-offish?Whatroledidtheleaderplay? Wastherea difference in the way that men and women participated and/or led the service?
Comparison (300-400 words)
Previous experience: Compare in detail this experience to other religious services you
have witnessed, including the buildings, the messages, the order of worship, the leadership,etc. Explainhowthisexperienceaffectedyou,includingyourprevious assumptions about the religion whose site you visited.
Course material: Compare and contrast what you learned about the religion from class (readings and videos) to what you experienced. What details were present in both? What details were present in one but not the other? It should be clear to the reader that you have carefully read the textbook chapter on this religion (even if the paper is due before we have covered that religion in class). Instructions
A. Choose your Site. Possible options are listed on our Moodle page, but you can choose others.
As you consider your SVP choice ...
  Do NOT choose your own religion or that of your parents.
o Christians,ifthesitemaintainsthatJesusdiedfortheirsins,it’sChristian.
  Your site must represent a religion we are studying this semester: Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, or Buddhism.
  I strongly recommend accompanying a friend of a different religion to his/her service – you'll feel more comfortable, and you’ll be able to ask questions. You can post on the “Looking for a Site Visit Buddy” thread on the “Questions and General Discussion” board to team up with a classmate.
  It is helpful to call the location before you go to find out what the members expect from a guest (dress code, sitting in a special place, etc).
B. ReportyourSVPChoiceonMoodle.Reportthesite,address,phonenumber,typeofservice, day and time you will attend. Also report your and your family’s religious background.
C. VisittheSite. Reviewtheseinstructionsbeforeyougo,andtakecarefulnotesduringor immediately after your visit, so that you have the information you need to write a good paper. Remember,youareascholarinanunfamiliarsetting. Itisyourjobtoobserveandrecord EVERYTHINGyoucanaboutthelook,feel,andactivityofthesetting. Ifyoudon’tnoteitin your description, how can you consider its significance in your analysis?
D. Write the Paper. Drawing on your observations and notes, present the information requested in the Paper Overview above. Follow the word count expectations for each section, with the entire paper totaling 950-1200 words.
As you review your paper ...  Make sure your paper is typed in a standard 12 pt font, double-spaced with 1 inch margins and numbered pages. Proofread your paper for clarity, organization, and grammar and spelling errors. Type your name, course name (PHR-121) and an interesting paper title on page1. Includeyourwordcountin()attheendofyourpaper.
  Summarize information from your textbook (for comparison) in your own words; do not quoteit. Evenforsummaries,providein-textparentheticalreferencestoletyourreader know the source of your information. Use www.easybib.com or www.bibme.org/mla for help formatting in-text citations and a Works Cited list.
  Save your paper as a .doc (Word) or .rtf (Rich Text Format) file and include your name in the file name (i.e. JDoeRLP.rtf ). Upload your paper to Moodle using the SVP link.
SVP loses 1 pt for each day it is late. After the 4th day, no late papers will be accepted.
Plagiarism or cheating on this assignment includes:
  Someone else writing all or a portion of your paper.
  Submitting a paper you wrote for another occasion.
  Quoting or summarizing from a print or online source without appropriate citation.
Your paper will be submitted to the Turnitin.com website, which will reveal if you plagiarize. The O you will then receive for the assignment will pretty much ensure you fail the course. Student Learning Objectives and Assessment Criteria for this Assignment
This assignment supports three of the course’s Student Learning Objectives (SLOs): You will enhance your ability to (SLO 1) identify and analyze the basic perspectives and characteristic practices of the major religions of the world; (SLO 2) define, summarize, and analyze the major similarities and differences between various religious world-views; and (SLO 6) state and support your own views on religious issues with logical and critical precision, clarity, and rigor.
Rubric for Site Visit Paper (out of 20 points)
Refer to the “Paper Overview” for the detailed questions and topics for each section.ExcellentSatisfactoryUnsatisfactorySite Visit ChoiceAppropriate SVC submitted on time – 1 ptAppropriate SVC submitted no more than 7 days late –1/2 ptSVC not submitted –0 ptsDescriptionPaper thoughtfully and thoroughly addresses all topicsunder “Description” –5 or 4 ptsPaper addresses most of thetopics under “Description,”but with less depth – 3 or 2 ptsExtremely limited or missing Description– 1 or 0 ptsAnalysisPaper thoughtfully and thoroughly addresses all topicsunder “Analysis” – 5 or 4 ptsPaper attempts to address most of the topics under“Analysis” but with lessdepth – 3 or 2 ptsExtremely limited or missing Analysis – 1 or 0 ptsComparisonPaper thoughtfully and thoroughly addresses all topicsunder “Comparison” –5 or 4 ptsComparison is superficial or hasty; comparison to textbook or previous experience is missing – 3 or 2 ptsExtremely limited or missing Comparison– 1 or 0 ptsQuality of writingWriting is detailed, clear, coherent, and error-free; word count included – 4 ptsWriting is detailed, but less clear or coherent and/or some grammar, spelling, etc. errors found – 3 or 2 ptsWriting is deeply flawed, making it difficult tounderstand author’smeaning – 1 pt
Points to Remember as you Choose the Service to Attend
Review the SVP Instructions.
Your visit must take place during this semester. You may not report on any such visit you might have made before this course began.
You must attend a service from a religion completely different from your own (e.g., a Muslim could attend a Jewish service, or a Christian could attend an Islamic service). If you are any kind of Christian (Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, etc), you must go to a NON-Christian site.
Use the "Site Visit Options" webpage to help you find a site. It is not required for you to choose a place off that list, but it will give you some ideas.
If you like, post on the "Looking for a Site Visit Buddy" topic on the "Questions & General Discussion" Forum to find a classmate to accompany you to a site.

Directions for Completing the "Site Visit Choice" Assignment
Choose the Religious Site and Service you will visit, using the resources mentioned above.
Click the button below.
In the "Submission" box which appears, type the following information (you may need to research the site's website, or even call the site, to learn these answers):the name, address, and phone number of the location you will visit
the kind of service you will attending
the day and time you plan to attend
your personal religious affiliation (if any) and the religion(s) your parents belong to (if any).
Then click the button to send your assignment to the professor.
If you are unfamiliar with the religious site you will be visiting, it is helpful to call in advance, to find out what the members expect from a guest (dress code, sitting in a special place, etc).

This assignment is worth 1 out of 20 points towards your Site Visit Paper grade (that's the equivalent of 5 points out of 100, or the difference between a B+ and a B).