TC 363
Phone: 626-2608
|
TC 363 Phone: 626-2608 |
REQUIRED TEXTS:
ESV Study Bible/Documents from Old Testament Times
For years, I used Archer’s Old
Testament Introduction as the main text for this course. In
recent years, students have struggled with the Archer readings,
so this year I will be asking students to buy an ESV Study Bible
and use the notes in that Bible as the “textbook” for the class
as well as the collection of primary source readings.
You can get a good price on the ESV Study Bible is through
Christian Book Distributors (www.christianbooks.com).
I got a discount for ordering a dozen “compact” ESV Study
Bibles, so you can buy that edition from me for $15.00.
These are easier to carry to class than the full study Bible,
and you will have online access to all the materials left out in
the compact edition.
I will also be having your read selections from Thomas Winton’s
Documents from Old Testament Times. You can probably find
inexpensive used copies online, but this “flipbook” edition
online will probably be sufficient: https://archive.org/details/documentsfromold00insoci.
Please be sure to
do all the assigned readings *before* class on the day
assigned, and add a
comment on the reading to that day’s blog post. We will be
discussing the
readings in class.
SCHEDULE
OF CLASSES AND READINGS:
1/14 Introduction:
Survey of Hebrew History
1/16
A Very Good Place to Start (Genesis 1-11)
1/21
To Begin the Beginning (Genesis 12-50)
1/23
A
Strange Interlude: Approaches
to the Torah
1/26 Yes,
Jean-Paul, There is an Exit (Exodus 1-20)
1/28
Torah, Torah, Torah (Exodus 21-40)
2/4 As Moses Said in
His Last Exciting Lecture
(Deuteronomy 1-15)
2/6 Choose
Life (Deuteronomy 16-33)
2/11
***
Midterm I *** 2/13
Warts with
Heroes (Judges 1-21)
2/18
The
Tragical History of Eli (I
Samuel 1-14) 2/20
The
Tragical History of Saul (I Samuel 15—31)
2/25
The
Tragical History of David (II
Samuel 1-24) 2/27
The
Tragical History of Israel and Judah, Part I (I Kings
1-22)
3/3 TTHOIAJ,
Part II (II Kings 1-17) 3/5
TTHOIAJ,
Part III (II Kings 18-25) 3/7-15
*** Spring Break: No Class ***
3/17
Review/Catch-up
3/19 ***
Midterm II Exam***
3/24
*** Assessment
Day: No Class *** 3/26
The
Prophet’s Lot is Not a Happy One (Amos 1-9)
3/31
A
Burden Worth Bearing (Isaiah
1-66) 4/2
Cry me a
River… (Jeremiah 1-30)
4/7
…I Cried a River Over You (Jeremiah
31-52) 4/9
Dem Bones Gonna Rise Again (Ezekiel 1-48)
4/14
To
Everything, There is a Season
(Ecclesiastes 1-11) 4/16 The
Words of the Wise (Proverbs 1-3 carefully, skim the rest) 4/21 The
Problem of Evil I (Job 1-5, 19, 37-42) 4/23
The
Problem
of Evil II (Habakkuk, Daniel)
4/28
Temple to
Temple (Ezra, Nehemiah, Haggai,
Malachi)
4/30
The Exciting Conclusion to this Course!
FINAL EXAM: Thursday, May 7, 12:00—2:00
GRADING:
There
will be three major exams for this course (two “midterms” and a
final),
each of
which will count approximately 25% when I determine your final
grade.
The
remaining 25% of your grade will be based on your blog entries,
attendance and
participation.
BLOG:
For
each day scheduled for a discussion of primary sources (almost
every
day the
class meets!), I would like you to add an entry to the class
blog (http://torahtorahtorah2020.blogspot.com).
In
general, what I want you to do is pick out a key verse/passage
from
the
assigned reading and either:
1.
Explain why you think this verse/passage is the key to
understanding
what the
selection is about.
2.
Explain why you think this verse is the best/most memorable in
the
assigned
reading.
3.
Explain why you think this verse is the most difficult/hard to
understand in
the passage.
If
earlier posters have argued for different verses as either key,
best,
or
hardest, explain why you think your line is a better choice.
Since
part of the goal here is to make sure you are prepared for class
discussion,
late blog entries will not be counted.
ATTENDANCE
AND PARTICIPATION:
As
much as possible, I want this course to be a seminar and not
a
lecture
class. Because of this, it is
extremely important to have done the assigned reading before
each class
and
be prepared to discuss those readings. Each student should have
in mind
at
least three good questions based on that day's reading.
These questions will be an important part of
many class sessions.
ELECTRONIC
DEVICE
POLICY:
Please
make sure all electronic devices are turned off and put away
before
class
begins. Cell phones, laptop
computers,
MP3 players, and similar devices are all distracting to other
students. I do *not* allow the use
of electronic
dictionaries during exams.
EXAM
FORMAT:
Midterms
and Final exam--8 ID's, 1 essay
ID's
will be selected from the terms put on the board at the
beginning of
each
lecture. You will be asked not only
to
identify the terms, but also to explain their historical
significance.
I am
impressed when students can include plenty of detailed
information, but
I am
even more impressed when students can show how the ID terms
relate to
important
themes discussed in this class.
Essay
questions will deal with major themes discussed in the lectures. Most often, the exam question will be
a
generalization I have made in class with the additional word,
"Comment."
A
student who studies hard and does the required reading should
have
plenty to
say in response to each of these questions. You will be given 75
minutes for
each midterm and two hours for the final exam. Most
students
will need the full time to do a
good job.
What
is a good job? I tell students over
and
over again that a good essay consists of a series of good
generalizations based
on the exam question and backed up with specific support from
the
lectures and
the readings. I am particularly
impressed when students include in their essays references to
primary
source
material.
PREPARING
FOR MARMORSTEIN EXAMS:
1.
Think! Do not
just memorize facts.
2. Prepare the essay questions first.
3. Come up with a fairly detailed outline for each essay.
4. Think of good topic sentences for each paragraph of
your
essay.
5. Use the key words of the exam question in your topic
sentences.
6. Choose good supporting evidence for your topic
sentences.
7. Use the appropriate ID terms in your essays.
8. Learn the ID's in context. Do not use a "flash
card"
approach.
9. Do not wait until the last minute to study.
10. Do spend extra time studying the week of the exam.
11. Do not just memorize facts. Think!
EXAM
DAY INSTRUCTIONS:
Taking
the exam:
·
Bring
a blue
book. Make sure there are no pages
torn
out.
·
Use
pen—blue or
black ink preferred.
·
Don't
sit by
anyone with whom you studied.
·
Plan
on spending
the full time writing your exam.
·
Always
do the ID
terms first.
·
If
you run out
of time on the essay, include an outline of the material you
would have
covered.
·
If
you have
extra time (very unlikely), go back and add extra info to your
ID and
essay
responses.
·
Be
sure to
discuss the significance of each ID term.
Why is the figure/term important?
How does that figure tie in to major themes discussed in
class?
·
Do
not put all
your essay information into one long paragraph. Shorter
paragraphs with
good
topic sentences work best.
PLEASE
NOTE: Any
student caught cheating in
this class at any time (even on a one point "sign your name"
quiz)
will receive a failing grade for the course.
Cheating includes the use of any notes during
midterm or
final
exams. Please place no
marks of
any kind on or in your blue book before I give the signal to
begin
taking the
exams.
It
is not cheating to study with another student, to share notes,
or to
prepare
essays or ID's together. However, if you do study with another
student,
be sure
you do not sit next to each other during the exam.
NSU
DISABILITY POLICY:
Northern
State University recognizes its responsibility for creating an
institutional
climate in which students with disabilities can thrive.
If you have any type of disability for which
you require accommodations, please contact Karen Gerety at the
NSU
Office of
Disability Services (626-2371, Student Center 217) as soon as
possible
to
discuss your particular needs.
BOARD
OF REGENTS ACADEMIC FREEDOM POLICY:
Under
Board of Regents and University policy student academic
performance may
be
evaluated solely on an academic basis, not on opinions or
conduct in
matters
unrelated to academic standards. Students should be free to take
reasoned
exception to the data or views offered in any course of study
and to
reserve
judgment about matters of opinion, but they are responsible for
learning the content
of any course of study for which they are enrolled. Students who
believe that
an academic evaluation reflects prejudiced or capricious
consideration
of
student opinions or conduct unrelated to academic standards
should
contact the
academic dean administratively in charge of the class to
initiate a
review of
the evaluation.
NORTHERN
STATE UNIVERSITY DIVERSITY STATEMENT:
Northern
State University strives to build an academic community of
people from
diverse
backgrounds and experiences who are committed to sharing diverse
ideas
in a
mutually respectful environment. We value open discourse and
consideration of
multiple perspectives on issues of regional, national, and
international
importance, in which individuals are free to express their
points of
view. Our
goal is a diverse learning community with equal opportunity for
all.
