Group Presentation Assignment - 50 points
Each group will have one class period to present. I will grade the reports on content, form and the outlines/overheads/powerpoints you will provide for me and the class. I’ll also ask you to rate the contribution of the group members. (Please click on Evaluation of Group Members Form) The grade sheet for your presentation is at the bottom of this assignment.
You should pretend you have 45 minutes to teach a college class about your group's book such as Esther, Ruth, Judith, Song of Songs, Ecclesiastes/Koheleth, Lamentations, or Tobit.
What key textual/translation, historical, sociological, literary, theological, philosophical points do you think are essential to present? Are there any key areas of disagreement about the book? Are there any key differences in how different groups or different time periods have interpreted the book? For example, historically some Jews and Christians have interpreted Song of Songs allegorically -- with the bride representing either Israel or the Church. Another example, Ruth is sometimes read from a feminist perspective.
You should review the Handout on Interpreting a Passage at http://www.class.uidaho.edu/jcanders/Biblical%20Judaism/interpreting_a_passage_from_the_.htm in order to refresh your memory about what sorts of categories might be relevant. Keep in mind that each book will likely need more focus on some categories than other categories.
Reading the material in Bandstra on your book is the first place to start. (Except for works from the apocrypha/deuterocanonical where you might start with the EDB or ECB .) You could also read the introductions in the Jewish Study Bible to your book, (again except Judith, Tobit, or another apocryphal book).
Then I would go on to resources such as the Oxford Bible Commentary, the Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible, The New Interpreters Bible, the Eerdmans Dictonary of the Bible and other books on the Biblical Studies Reference List at Bible Studies Reference Resources Remember since these books are in the Writings/Ketuvim or apocrypha, they will not be in the JPS Torah Commentary or other commentaries that focus just on the Torah. There are also some commentaries in the 4th floor stacks on these books. They may have some good introductory materials. However, they will not be as condensed as Bandstra or the commentaries that focus on more than one book. You should definitely read some overview material first before taking a look at a longer commentary.
Examples of Longer Commentaries/Collections on a Single Book:
Kruger, Thomas. Kohelet/Qoheleth : A Commentary. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2004 BS1475.53.K78 2004
Crenshaw, James L. Ecclesiastes : A Commentary. Philadelphia: Westminster, 1987. BS1475.3.C74 1987
Moore, Judith : A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary. Garden City: Doubleday, 1985 BS192.2.A1 1964.G4 v. 40B
No One Spoke Ill of Her: Essays on Judith. Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1992. BS1735.2.N6 1992
Nielsen, Kirsten. Ruth: A Commentary. Louisville, Ky. : Westminster John Knox Press, c1997. BS1315.3.N54 1997
Athalya Brenner, ed. A Feminist Companion to Ruth. Sheffield, England : Sheffield Academic Press, c1993.BS1315.2.F46 1993
Murphy, Roland E. The Song of Songs: A Commentary on the Book of Canticles or the Song of Songs. Minneapolis : Fortress Press, c1990 BS1485.3.M87 1990
Bloch, Ariel and Chana. The Song of Songs: A New Translation with an Introduction and Commentary Berkeley : University of California Press, 1998 - NIC STACKS BS1483.B56 1998 (you would have to request this through Interlibrary Loan. it is viewable on googlebooks, but with some pages missing.)
Pope, Marvin, Song of Songs. Garden City, N.Y. : Doubleday, 1977. BS192.2.A1 1964.G4 v. 7C
Recent articles are available via the library's Religion and Philosophy database at http://db.lib.uidaho.edu/databases/display.html?letter=R&disptype=A You should check the peer reviewed journals box to help ensure quality.
If you have never done a group project before, there is a very good website with advice at http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/html/icb.topic58474/wigintro.html I recommend that one person in the group be a communication director, another in charge of putting together materials into an outline, etc. That is, divide up some of the group tasks as well as the research and presentation.
Group Presentation Grade Sheet -
Title of Presentation:
Group Members:
Form - 10 points possible
1. Clarity for audience with diverse backgrounds and majors. Can all students understand your points or are you presupposing knowledge of jargon or terms that not all will have?
2. Good organization.
3. Capturing audience attention, engaging the audience, responding to questions or comments deftly.
4. Effective use of voice/audio and/or visuals. (Talk loud enough and slowly enough for everyone to hear and understand. If used, make sure any other sort of audio can be heard clearly. Make sure people will be able to see and understand any charts or other visuals).
6. Easily read handouts, outlines, powerpoints, or other aids for listeners to understand your key points. Format easy to follow.
7. Attention to time limits. Leave at least five minutes for student questions.
Content - 40 points possible (remember to give me a copy of your outline or powerpoints)
1. Covered major text/translation, historical, sociological, literary, theological/philosophical points. Raised any important issues in interpreting the book.
2. Key Points Discerned and Summarized given time limits. Imagine you have only thirty minutes (because you only have thirty minutes), what are the key points that listeners should take away? You’ll have to boil the material down. What do you want your listeners to take away and remember from your presentation? Key points should be clear.
3. Key terms defined where necessary.
4. Key passages highlighted to illustrate your points as appropriate.
5. Content of outline/overheads.