RELG 433 - Biblical Archaeology
Discussion Board
 Netiquette Page |
Posting a thread |
Replying to a thread |
Topics |
Rubrics |
The Discussion Board is intended to help you develop skills in communication, and encourage participation by all students in the course. You will all have to take an active part in learning and discussions with your classmates.
If you need help with the technical aspects of a Discussion Board (how to post a thread, how to reply to a thread, etc.) see the Help files on Canvas. Other technical help may be obtained by calling the Computer Help Desk at 575-562-4357
Discussing Religion is fraught with more than the usual dangers of misunderstanding and anger. Our religious beliefs (or lack of them) are a basic part of our personality, and we tend to feel threatened when encountering other world-views. Please be very careful in your remarks and replies to state your position carefully, with due consideration for the beliefs and feelings of your classmates. Please do not react hastily to any remark which angers you or which you take personally, but try to understand the underlying reasons for the remark, and then reply courteously if appropriate.
Flaming or any attempt to start a Flame War will result in removal from the Discussion Board (and a grade of "F") and may result in closure of the Discussion Board.
The general rules of Netiquette as given by ENMU apply at all times.
Go Here for a page on Netiquette in this course
Think before you post or send
Read through your message carefully and thoughtfully before you post or send.
If in doubt - don't send it
Your threads should be 300-500 words long. You may write more if you wish.
What you write should be relevant to the topic or question asked.
Be sure to address all parts of a question.
Read the question carefully, and think about it, before you start to write your thread.
Plan to use an introductory paragraph, then develop your thread through at least one more paragraph, and end with a concluding paragraph.
Use correct grammar, spelling, and style. Aim for a polite slightly formal style, rather than being colloquial or using slang or abbreviations.
Use complete sentences and a connected sequence of ideas.
Be sure to cite any sources you use outside the textbook and the course notes.
Try not to copy large chunks of the textbook or notes, and do not copy and paste from the InterNet - always try to express yourself in your own words.
Prepare your thread in a Word-processor, read it carefully, edit it, and save it to disc before posting it.
Threads should be posted by 9 am Wednesday of the relevant week.
Read all your classmates' threads, and reply to at least 2 of them
If possible, choose threads which deal with different topics.
Make it clear to whom you are replying, by putting a title such as "Reply to Joe Student" in the Subject line of the reply.
Each reply should be 100-200 words long and contain at least two positive comments about the thread and one suggestion, addition, or question to think about.
Do you have any particular insights and/or experiences which might be helpful to the poster or to your classmates as a whole?
Replies should be posted by 9 am Friday of the relevant week.
NOTE - "I like what you said." or "I agree" and similar remarks are not adequate replies - you must say why you agree or disagree, and you must do so constructively.
Discussion Board Introductions
Introduce yourself to your classmates, by posting an introductory message to the Discussion Board on BlackBoard.
Things to include might be the State and/or country in which you live, your Major, your interests and hobbies, and what you want to get out of this course.
Get to know your classmates by reading their messages.
You do not need to reply to any messages, but you may do so if you wish.
Students who enter the course during the Drop-Add period should introduce themselves and endeavor to catch up with the class as soon as possible. The Discussion Board is set up to allow late submissions.
Discussion Board 1, Module 1
Thread : If you were the leader of a band of stone-age hunter-gatherers looking for a place to settle, where would you have taken them, and why?
- Prehistoric (pre-dynastic) Egypt
- Prehistoric Mesopotamia
- Prehistoric Greece or the Aegean
- Prehistoric Italy
Choose one region, describe what your life might have been like, and say why you chose it rather than any of the other options.
Replies to 2 of your classmates' threads : If possible, choose Threads which deal with different regions.
Discussion Board 2, Module 2
Thread : Whom would you most like to have been :
Sophia Schliemann, Jean Francois Champollion, Howard Carter, Leonard Woolley, Kathleen Kenyon, Eilat Mazar?
Choose the person whom you would most like to have been, write a brief account of his/her life, and say why you chose him/her rather than any of the others.
Replies to 2 of your classmates' threads - If possible, choose Threads which deal with different people.
Discussion Board 3, Module 3
Thread : Choose one of endangered Archaeological Sites in the Middle East or the Levant, and describe its history and importance for civilization. Why did you choose that particular site? What dangers does it face? What is being done (if anything) to protect it? What steps would you suggest should be taken to protect and preserve it?
Replies to 2 of your classmates' threads : If possible, choose Threads which deal with different Sites.
Do you have any additional insights as to how the Site could be protected and preserved?
Discussion Board 4, Module 4
Thread : Using the information about digs from their Web Sites (given in the InterNet resources) or from any other dig in the Near East which you have read about, choose a dig where you would like to work, then write about it. Why did you choose that dig? What do you think you might do there? What do you hope you might find? What might be some of the conditions and dangers of working on that dig?
Replies to 2 of your classmates' threads : If possible, choose Threads which deal with different digs.
Discussion Board 5, Module 5
Thread - Where/when would you prefer to have lived ?
- as one of the Neolithic population of Catal Hoyuk
- in Akkad during the reign of Sargon I
- as a servant of Queen Pu-Ab of Ur (the queen whose burial pit was excavated by Leonard Wooley)
Choose one place/time, describe what your life might have been like, and say why you chose it rather than any of the other options.
Replies to 2 of your classmates' threads : If possible, choose Threads which deal with different cultures.
Discussion Board 6, Module 6
Thread : Where/when would you prefer to have lived
- traveling through the Levant as one of Abraham's servants or servant-girls
- traveling with Sinuhe as one of his servants or servant-girls
- traveling through the Levant as one of Rachel's servants or servant-girls
Choose one of the options, describe what your life might have been like, and say why you chose it rather than the other options.
Replies to 2 of your classmates' threads : If possible, choose threads which deal with different options.
Discussion Board 7, Module 7
Thread - What insights did this week's study give you into what life would have been like for Joseph in Egypt?
Replies to 2 of your classmates' threads
Discussion Board 8, Module 8
Thread - Discuss some of the problems which are still to be settled with archaeological dating and the Biblical chronology.
Replies to 2 of your classmates' threads.
Discussion Board 9, Module 9
Thread - Whom would you like to have been :
- Rahab of Jericho
- Deborah the Judge
- Jael the wife of Heber
- Naomi the wife of Elimelech
Choose whom you would most like to have been, describe what her life was probably like, and say why you chose her rather than any of the others.
Replies to 2 of your classmates' threads - If possible, choose Threads which deal with different people.
Discussion Board 10, Module 10
Thread : How have this week's studies affected your view on King Saul, King David, or King Solomon (choose one of them)
Replies to 2 of your classmates' threads : If possible, choose Threads which deal with different kings.
Discussion Board 11, Module 11
Thread : Choose one of the following artefacts and discuss its relevance to the Biblical record,
- The Tel Dan inscription
- The Black Obelisk of Shalmanezer
- The Moabite Stone (the Mesha Stele)
Replies to 2 of your classmates' threads : If possible, choose Threads which deal with different artefacts.
Discussion Board 12, Module 12
Thread : Choose one of the following artefacts and discuss its relevance to the Biblical record,
- Hezekiah's Tunnel and the Siloam Inscription
- Sennacherib's Prism
- The Lachish Ostraca
- Sennacherib's wall reliefs of the siege of Lachish)
- The Cyrus Cylinder
Replies to 2 of your classmates' threads : If possible, choose Threads which deal with different artefacts.
Discussion Board 13, Module 13
Thread : Whom would you have liked to have been?
- Themistocles
- Cyrus II (The Great) of Persia
- Nehemiah
- Mordecai
Choose whom you would most like to have been, describe his life and relevance to the Biblical record, and say why you chose him rather than any of the others.
Replies to 2 of your classmates' threads : If possible, choose Threads which deal with different people.
Discussion Board 14, Module 14
Thread : Whom would you most like to have been?
- Olympias, Queen of Macedonia
- Roxanne
- Salome Alexandra
- Ptolemy I
- Seleucis I
- Hannibal of Carthage
- Cleopatra VI of Egypt
- Marc Antony of Rome
From the list above, choose whom you would most like to have been, discuss his/her life and accomplishments, describe what conditions were like during the period in which he/she lived, and say why you chose that person rather than any of the others.
Replies to 2 of your classmates' threads : If possible, choose Threads which deal with different people.
Discussion Board 15, Module 15
Thread : Describe and discuss one example of how Biblical archaeology could be used to help a Bible Study group appreciate the setting of some particular Biblical text or Book of the Bible (your choice).
Choose the archaeological setting and the Biblical text which is most interesting to you.
Replies to 2 of your classmates' threads : If possible, choose Threads which deal with different topics.
Final Message :
Say goodbye to your classmates, with thanks for ideas and help if appropriate.
If you plan to graduate at the end of this semester, what are your plans for the future?
If you are continuing towards your degree, which courses are you enrolled in for next semester?
You do not need to reply to any of the messages, but you may do so if you wish
Rubrics and Grading
Discussion Boards 1-15 have the potential of earning 6 points each : 4 for the initial thread, and 1 each for two of your replies to other threads.
| Thread - 4 points | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Criteria | Proficient | Developing | Below Expectations |
| Relevance and Accuracy 0 - 2 points |
Addresses all the points asked. Accurate, balanced presentation. 2 points |
Misses part of what was asked, or Some inaccuracies. 1 point |
Posts off-topic. 0 points |
| Style, Length, Timeliness 0 - 2 points |
Posted on time. Meets the length requirement of 300-500 words. Correct grammar and spelling throughout. Stylistically elegant. Sentences are complete. Word choice is accurate and appropriate. Tone is appropriate - no use of slang or colloquialisms. Work is free of plagiarism or excessive copy-and-paste material. 2 points |
Does not meet the length requirement of 300-500 words, or Posted up to 24 hours late Sentences are complete. Word choice is accurate. Tone is appropriate. Some minor grammatical or spelling mistakes. Work is free of plagiarism or excessive copy-and-paste material. 1 point |
Work needs help from the Writing Lab. Plagiarism or excessive copy-and-paste material. Posted more than 24 hours late. After the Drop-Add period, threads posted more than 24 hours late receive a total score of 0 - zero. 0 points |
| Replies to two threads - 1 point each | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Criteria | Proficient | Developing | Below Expectations |
| Relevance 0.5 point |
Addresses the substance of the thread. Contains at least two positive comments and one point for reflection on the thread 0.5 point |
Addresses only part of the thread. Does not contain at least two positive comments and one point for reflection on the thread. 0.25 point |
Does not address the thread. 0 points |
| Style, Timeliness, and Length 0.5 point |
Correct grammar and spelling throughout. Sentences are complete. Tone is appropriate. Replied on time. Meets the length requirement of 100-200 words. Work is free of plagiarism or excessive copy-and-paste material. 0.5 point |
Work is free of plagiarism or excessive copy-and-paste material. Some minor grammatical or spelling mistakes, or Replied up to 24 hours late, or Does not meet the length requirement of 100-200 words 0.25 point |
Work needs help from the Writing Lab, or Replied more than 24 hours late, or Plagiarism or excessive copy-and-paste material. 0 points |
Copyright © 1999 Shirley J. Rollinson, all Rights Reserved
