Discussion Boards for the Intertestamental Era - REL 464 - Dr. Rollinson's courses and resources

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 BlackBoard. Other technical help may be obtained by calling the Computer Help Desk at 575-562- or from the BlackBoard coordinator, Ellen Gardiner 575-562, Ellen.Gardiner@enmu.edu

Discussing Religion (and politics) 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 feeling 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.

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 9am Wednesday of the relevant week.
Try to prepare a rational and kind discussion. Bear in mind that some of your classmates may be members of the religion or NRM that you are discussing.

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 9am 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 - The last years of the Kingdom of Judah
Thread :
Whom would you most like to have been :
Hezekiah, Josiah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Shalmaneser V, or Sennacherib ?
Choose whom you would most like to have been, write an account of his life, and say why you chose him rather than any of the others.
Replies :
If possible, choose Threads which deal with different people.
What are your thoughts about the people chosen, and their influence on the history of the period?

Discussion Board 2, Module 2 - The Babylonian Exile
Thread :
Whom would you most like to have been :
Gedaliah, Jehoiachin, Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, Azariah, or Susanna ?
Choose whom you would most like to have been, write an account of his/her life, and say why you chose him/her rather than any of the others.
Replies :
If possible, choose Threads which deal with different people.
What are your thoughts about the people chosen, and their influence on the history of the period?

Discussion Board 3, Module 3 - Ezra, Nehemiah : Restoration and Reform
Thread :
Whom would you most like to have been : Zerubbabel, Haggai, Cyrus II, Darius I, or Artaxerxews I ?
Choose whom you would most like to have been, write an account of his life, and say why you chose him rather than any of the others.
Replies :
If possible, choose Threads which deal with different people.
What are your thoughts about the people chosen, and their influence on the history of the period?

Discussion Board 4, Module 4 - Persia
Thread :
Where would you most like to have lived during this period : Jerusalem, Persepolis, Susa, Elephantine ?
Choose where you would most like to have lived during this period, and say why you chose this place rather than any of the others.
Replies :
If possible, choose Threads which deal with different places.

Discussion Board 5, Module 5 - The Greek-Persian Wars, Esther
Thread :
Whom would you most like to have been :
Mordeca, Ahasuerus/Xerxes I, Miltiades, Leonidas, or Themistocles ?
Replies :
If possible, choose Threads which deal with different people.
What are your thoughts about the people chosen, and their influence on the history of the period?

Discussion Board 6, Module 6 - Alexander the Great
Thread :
Whom would you most like to have been :
Philip of Macedon, Olympias, Aristotle, Hephaestion, Roxanne, Ptolemy ?
Replies :
If possible, choose Threads which deal with different people.

Discussion Board 7, Module 7 - Ptolemies and Seleucids; Maccabees and Hasmoneans
Thread :
Whom would you most like to have been :
Seleucis I, Antiochus IV, Mattathias, Judas Maccabeus, Simon the Maccabee, John Hyrcanus, or Salome Alexandra ?
Choose whom you would most like to have been, write an account of his/her life, and say why you chose him/her rather than any of the others
Replies :
If possible, choose Threads which deal with different people.
What are your thoughts about the people chosen, and their influence on the history of the period?

Discussion Board 8, Module 8 - Tobit, Judith, Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach (Ecclesiasticus)
Thread :
Whom would you most like to have been :
The writer of 'The Wisdom of Solomon', the writer of 'Ecclesiasticus', Sarah (the daughter of Raguel), or Judith ?
Choose whom you would most like to have been, write an account of his/her life, and say why you chose him/her rather than any of the others.
Replies :
If possible, choose Threads which deal with different people.
What are your thoughts about the people chosen, and the literature about or by them ?

Discussion Board 9, Module 9 - Phoenicia, Carthage and Rome
Thread :
Whom would you most like to have been :
A Roman legionary, a Roman centurion, a Roman senator, a Roman Matron of the patrician class (mother of a family), a Roman farmer of the plebian class, a Phoenician merchant, Himilco the explorer, Hanno the explorer ?
Describe the life-style of this person, and say why you chose him/her rather than any of the others.
Replies :
If possible, choose Threads which deal with different people.
What are your thoughts about the people chosen, and their life-styles ?

Discussion Board 10, Module 10 - The Punic and Macedonian Wars
Thread :
Whom would you most like to have been :
Hamilcar Barca, Hannibal Barca, Hasdrubal Barca, Mago Barca, Fabius Maximus, or Scipio Africanus ?
Choose whom you would most like to have been, write an account of his life, and say why you chose him/her rather than any of the others.
Replies :
If possible, choose Threads which deal with different people.
What are your thoughts about the people chosen, and their influence on the history of the period ?

Discussion Board 11, Module 11 - Julius Caesar, Marc Antony, Cleopatra VII, Augustus, and the Roman occupation of Palestine
Thread :
Whom would you most like to have been :
Salome Alexandra (wife/widow of Aristobulus I and Alexander Jannaeus), Cornelia Africana (the mother of the Gracchi brothers), Aurelia Cotta (the mother of Julius Caesar), Calpurnia (the wife of Julius Caesar), Livia Drusilla aka Julia Augusta(the wife of Augustus), or Cleopatra VII ?
Choose whom you would most like to have been, write an account of her life, and say why you chose her rather than any of the others.
Replies :
If possible, choose Threads which deal with different people.
What are your thoughts about the women chosen, and their influence on the men in their lives and on the history of the period ?

Discussion Board 12, Module 12 - Herod, Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, Zealots
Thread :
Whom would you most like to have been :
Antipater, Herod the Great, Herod Archelaus. Philip (tetrarch of northern Galilee), Herod Antipas, Herod Philip, Mariamne, Herodias, Salome (daughter of Herodias), or a member of the Qumran Community ?
Choose whom you would most like to have been, write an account of his/her life, and say why you chose him/her rather than any of the others.
Replies :
If possible, choose Threads which deal with different people.
What are your thoughts about the people chosen, and their influence on the history of the period?

Discussion Board 13, Module 13 - The Roman Emperors, Palestine
Thread :
Whom would you most like to have been :
Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero, Vespasiam, Titus, Domitian, Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Seneca, or Agrippina ?
Choose whom you would most like to have been, write an account of his/her life, and say why you chose him/her rather than any of the others.
Replies :
If possible, choose Threads which deal with different people.
What are your thoughts about the people chosen, and their influence on the history of the period?

Discussion Board 14, Module 14 - Jewish Revolts, Josephus, Rabbinic Judaism, The early Christian Church, the Canon of Scripture
Thread :
Whom would you most like to have been :
Rabbi Gamaliel I, Rabbi Hillel, Rabbi Johannan ben Zakkai, Rabbi Gamaliel II, Rabbi Judah ha Nasi, Simon Bar Kohkba, Rabbi Akiva, or Josephus ?
Choose whom you would most like to have been, write an account of his life, and say why you chose him rather than any of the others.
Replies :
If possible, choose Threads which deal with different people.
What are your thoughts about the people chosen, and their influence on the history of the period?

Discussion Board 15, Module 15,
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.

Discussion Boards 1-14 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 or evident bias. 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 - 0.5 points	Addresses the substance of the thread. Contains at least two positive comments and one point for reflection on the thread 0.5 points	Addresses only part of the thread. Does not contain at least two positive comments and one point for reflection on the thread. 0.25 points	Does not address the thread. 0 points
Style, Timeliness, and Length 0 - 0.5 points	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 points	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 points	Work needs help from the Writing Lab, or Replied more than 24 hours late, or Plagiarism or excessive copy-and-paste material. 0 points

REL 464 - The Inter-Testamental Era

Discussion Board