Singer and educator Joe Carter—MPR photo/Judy Stone Nunneley

for other Speaking of Faith shows

Task Outline

1) Area of Inquiry: Creating your guiding question.
Your first task is to create a specific area of inquiry within world religions. Browse the Speaking of Faith Web site to find possible topics for your area of inquiry. What would you like to know more about? What are you curious about? After brainstorming various topics or areas, you then need to organize it into your guiding research question.

2) Acknowledgement of your baseline
You must write a paragraph or ½-page statement that summarizes:
• What you know about this topic at the onset of your project
• Briefly why you chose this particular inquiry.

3) Listening Requirement
Find a radio program on the Speaking of Faith Web site on your topic. Listen to the program. Write a summary (½ page to one page) that explains what this show was about and how the show's producers conveyed the message. Who were the guest speakers on the show?

4) Reading/Research Requirement
You need to find and then read three separate sources on this particular topic. These sources should be scholarly in nature and should provide information relevant to your area of inquiry. For each source you must write a one page summation that:
• Includes the bibliographical information about the source
• Summarizes the article and what you learned from it
• Evaluates the article
• Lists further questions that you have after reading the article

5) Experiential Element.
You need to somehow experience your area of inquiry. Classic examples of experiences include; an interview (seeking to answer questions from your reading ... or any questions that you have about your area of inquiry) of a scholar in that field (via e-mail, phone or in person), attending a service, attending a lecture or meeting or any other "experiential activity" that you get cleared.

After your experience: You must write a ½-page to full-page summation of the experience.

6) Product.
Show what you learned. Create a final product that shows what you learned and how you have progressed from your baseline. Product examples include: a formal paper, a poster, a power-point, a scrapbook, a display or any other product that you get cleared.

7) Class time will be spent sharing these projects and writing a final reflection essay.

Assessment: Your final assessment grade on this project will be based on your fulfillment of each task listed above.

[^Return to top]

Click on these links to find further instructional ideas and study guides for the material in "Joe Carter and the Legacy of the African-American Spiritual."

Segment 1: Introduction and the Purpose of Spirituals Listen (12:54)

Segment 2: Spirit of Christianity with African Sensibilities Listen (04:46)

Segment 3: Spirituals as Resistance Listen (16:51)

Segment 4: Universal Appeal of Spirituals Listen (14:07)