Class Presentations

Every student must complete at least one in-class presentation of related material over and above the day's reading assignment. The course schedule has suggested presentation readings listed below the week's assigned reading. The presentation suggestions are a mix of additional primary sources (travel texts) and secondary sources related to the historical, literary, or theoretical topics of the week. Some readings are articles and book chapters, others are books. Larger texts (such as whole books) may be presented by a group of students. Students are encouraged to pick a text that they feel will be helpful to their final project.

Most of the suggested readings are available either from Rivera Library or are available from Prof. Jacobs.

Students may also decide to present a travel text to their fellow students that is not being read by the entire class, but may be illuminating.

All students should clear their presentation texts with the professor by week two.

Students should plan their presentation carefully so that it is no more than ten minutes long.

In the space of this ten minute presentation, the students should:

1. Describe the contents of their text (especially major themes and ideas)

2. Discuss how the text might relate to the topic for the day

3. Provide some discussion questions for the rest of the class that brings the presented text into dialogue with the assigned reading.

Not all presentation texts will spur hours of dialogue in the class, but they should prompt some, even brief discussion.

Students may feel free to provide aids, such as handouts, to the class (if they would like to use the department copier, please see Prof. Jacobs before class).

Midterm assignment

In week four, Prof. Jacobs will hand out a take-home, mid-term essay assignment. The assignment will involve the close reading and analysis of a text designed to draw on issues of travel, representation, and religious "otherness." The midterm assignment will be due at the beginning of class in week six, and should follow the Guidelines for Written Work.

Final paper

The culminating project for this class is a final research paper, which should be between 10-20 pages in length and follow the Guidelines for Written Work. The paper should closely examine a travel text that (in some way) treats another religious group; the text may be one we have read together in class, but students are encouraged to find a text that interests them specifically. Although our readings for this class operate primarily from a Euro-American perspective, students whose main field of study deals with other areas or traditions are especially encouraged to look in their own field of specialization to find an appropriate text.

In the final paper, students should develop a sustained argument, or set of arguments, about the nature and function of their travel text. Some time may be spent introducing and contextualizing the text (students should imagine that the audience is the rest of the class, including Prof. Jacobs), but the bulk of the paper should be arguing something about the literary, historical, cultural, and/or political aspects of the text at hand.

Students must choose their paper topic by week six, and are strongly encouraged to meet with Prof. Jacobs at least once to discuss their paper.

A list of resources, both online and print, can be found here, including suggestions for final paper topics (including a list of suggested travel texts).

Final papers should be accompanied by a bibliography of works consulted, following the format in the Guidelines for Written Work. The bibliography is not including in the final page count.