Lisa Poirier

Short Writing Assignment for Students

2003 Workshop on Improving Student Writing

Center for Writing Excellence

Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching

REL 360Q

African-American Religions

Professor Lisa J.M. Poirier

(Third class meeting)

Today’s exercise and its connection to course goals

As mentioned in the course description, one of the goals of this course is in-depth consideration of issues of import in the study of African-American religions. This assignment requires you to choose and defend one of two positions regarding the origins of the beliefs and practices of African-Americans during the period of slavery.

Learning objective

The objective of this exercise is to explore and articulate an informed position and adequately defend that position.  In many ways, this assignment is a micro-version of your final paper, in which you will also articulate and defend a thesis.

Assignment

Choose one of the following thesis statements and compose an argument in support of that proposition. Your argument should be designed to convince other members of this class.  In composing your argument, draw upon information from the readings we have done thus far (Chapters 3 and 4). You will have ten minutes to write.

Thesis Statement A:  African-American slave religion is best understood as a retention of

African religio-cultural roots.

Thesis Statement B:  African-American slave religion is best understood as a response to

European-American forms of Christianity.

Assignment, Part 2

• Students who chose statement A will pair up with students who chose statement B.
• Explain your arguments to one another.
• During class, we will discuss the two interpretive positions, compare their merits, and perhaps even propose alternative understandings of slave religiosity.
• At the end of class, you will be given another ten minutes to write a revision of your argument. 

Grading criteria

This assignment will count as two writing exercises, and will be graded (as are all WEs) with a check minus, check, or check plus.

A check plus exercise will:

• reflect familiarity with the readings you have done thus far
• be written clearly and thoughtfully, using correct grammar, syntax, and orthography
• contain a well-reasoned argument, supported by evidence from the readings you have done thus far, or from in-class lectures and discussions
• attend to counterarguments or alternative propositions raised in today’s discussion