Observation Report --> Worship
During the first half of the course, the Worship Report describes your observations and interviews among participants at a local worship site. This report also relates your observations to those documented in related course readings. You write for a peer (vs. a specialist) who is unfamiliar with the topic, since half a dozen student observation reports will be assigned as readings for application exercises in Units 2 & 4 and for the final TRA.
Step 3: Final Product (Worship Report)
The final step of this assignment is to create some final product, which can be either
- written (6 pages, including ONE PHOTO OR SKETCH) OR
- some combination illustration and writing (3-4 pages of drawing or digital art integrated with text OR a single detailed illustration with 1-2 pages commentary)
that is based on the deep analysis and reflection stimulated by the Worship Visit worksheet (WVW) and its review. Your paper should include the same three things addressed in the WVW:
A. a vivid description of people you observed engaged in practice, including at least one photo or sketch, highlighting thoughts & feelings about the sacred that this practice spontaneously inspires, based on your interview as well as observation of non-verbal clues and informal conversations.
B. focused description of thoughts & feelings about the sacred that participants you observed intentionally cultivate before, during & after practice, in order to heighten their engagement in that practice, based mostly on your interview but integrating also observation of non-verbal clues and informal conversations.
C. precise description of what you yourself thought about & felt in response to the practice you observed, and comparison with practice & reflection mentioned in one assigned primary source (i.e., used for an Application Exercise) from Unit 1 or 2, in response to some similar form of practice.
IMPORTANT: you must cite at least three details from one of the primary sources asigned for the relevant Application Exercise.
GENERAL CAUTION: as noted in WVW A(iv), you must explicitly attribute anything that can't be directly observe (i.e., by sight, hearing, feeling, smell or taste) either (i) to yourself OR (ii) to someone you spoke with.
These three points should be integrated by extracting and **expanding on** the most important details from the worksheet, guided by your summary, analysis and planning on the final "Analysis and Planning" page. You may use an alternative sequence or even weave the three points together as long as you make clear what you are doing. Cutting and pasting relevant responses from your worksheet may provide a solid foundation for the final product, but note that those your original responses WILL MOST LIKELY REQUIRE SUBSTANTIAL REVISION to receive an adequate score.
**View evaluation rubric for this assignments*
Although you may opt for the 3rd person, declarative prose of a standard academic paper or a letter to a friend, I encourage you to consider other options, including but not limited to:
--> visuals
- slides with detailed commentary and analysis
- sketches, illustrations with text, or a comic strip
NOTE: visuals should consider at least 3 different perspectives on the worship space, including outside and inside.
--> fiction narrative
- a person from one of the assigned sources visits the site you observed
- your imaginary visit to a locale described in one of the assiged ancient sources, based on what you observed during your actual visit to a modern site
**View samples below for**
Consider allso two MORE CREATIVE examples, which are from a different class which did not require an interview or comparison to a ritual or custom from an ethnographic reading. Information about reflection from the interview and passages from the ethnography would need to be added for the assignment as presented in this class.