Comparative Religions Final Research Assignment
Option 1: Researching Different Religions
Purpose:
This year we only had time to examine and explore 5 of the world’s most common
religions. We did not have time to explore some of the smaller, and sometimes more
unusual beliefs and practices held by people around the world. This assignment will
enable students to research and explore a religion not covered in the class.
Process:
Students will work individually to create a presentation of the religion they choose to
research. This presentation must include a power-point presentation and a script
elaborating on each slide (PowerPoint presentations must be at least 10 slides long
with graphics). The script must be properly cited and must include a properly cited
bibliography. Student presentations are expected to cover the basic characteristics of the
religion (founder, key beliefs, holidays, holy text, customs, rituals, etc.), other interesting
nuances about their selected religion, and compare the selected religion to one other
religion that we covered in class. Students are only allowed to research a religion that
is not being covered by any other person. Students will also turn in a list of at least 10
key terms, concepts, and people along with their role in the religion (aka. a definition).
Presentations are expected to be a minimum of 10 minutes long and will be cut off after
15 minutes.
Topics:
Students must choose one of the following religions to research.
Students will sign up on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Sikhism
Jainism
Wicca
Zoroastrianism
Scientology
Voodoo (Hatti)
Asatru
Candomble (Brazil)
Mennonite
Jehovah Witnesses
Quaker (Society of Friends)
Rastafarianism
Mormonism
Falun Gong
**No substitutions may be made**
Santeria
Amish
Unification Movement
Baha’i
Shinto
Cheondoism
Church of All Worlds
Option 2: Interview
Purpose:
The region in which we live is rich in diverse cultures and also religious practices. You now will
have the chance to explore what those cultures and practices are. This assignment will enable
students to conduct interviews in order to learn about the ways that various religions are
practiced here in North Jersey.
Process
Begin interviewing (either in person, by phone, or e-mail) members of different faith communities
in the community. You should probably aim to choose about two to three people to
formally interview. (Let's be careful not to have too much overlap with these people.) Establish
your questions ahead of time, get them approved, and then based on the information you
acquire you can write up conclusions and observations. The information you use from your
interviews will need to be documented in a proper bibliography format and proper
contact information for them will need to be a part of this documentation. You will then
take the information that you learned in the interview and create a PowerPoint presentation in
which you highlight the similarities and differences between the people you interviewed
as well as compare their experiences with what we learned in class this year. As with
Option 1, you must have a script to accompany your presentation. The script must be
properly cited and must include a properly cited bibliography.
Option 3: Active Research
Process
Conduct active documentation (with photos and research) of at least 3 different faith
communities that have established themselves in Bergen County. You need to go out and
research and document 3 different specific religious communities that exist in the county
and present your information in a PowerPoint presentation. As with the prior 2 options, you
must develop a script to accompany your presentation. You should also provide analysis of the
different communities that are in a certain location and compare them to another location (For
example, various religious communities in Cresskill vs. Fort Lee). Your presentation should
compare and contrast not just the different beliefs of the community but also the regions/towns
where they are located. What kind of impact has the spiritual community had on the community
at large?
Helpful Questions:
As you research your respective project consider the following questions:
 What are the ultimate goals for the people of this faith?
 What do the common myths of the faith reveal?
 What rituals do the followers practice?
 How do followers of this faith live their lives differently than others?
 How does belief in this faith have an impact on daily life?
 How does the community of this faith function? Is there a leader/hierarchy?
 What would it be like to have grown up with this as your model for faith?
Requirements: Each project should include the following
 A properly formatted bibliography and proper citation throughout the project
utilizing parenthetical documentation or footnotes. Be sure you use credible and
reliable sources. You must have a printed form of your bibliography. It should
also be the last slide of your presentation. Plagiarism will not be accepted!
 Projects must be ready to go on any of the days when projects are scheduled
unless other arrangements have been made with the teacher.
 Research must reflect careful consideration and thought. All sources cited must
be utilized in the paper/presentation.
 Students are encouraged to be creative and utilize music, images, and other
creative elements in their presentations. Remember that slides must be readable
and uncluttered (7/7 rule: no more than 7 lines of text, no more than 7 words per
line—is a good rule of thumb)
 Each presenter must turn in a typed script that elaborates on each Power Point
Slide. The script will be submitted through Turnitin.com which will ensure that
plagiarism has not occurred. (Once again, be sure to cite your sources!)
 Along with your script, you must include a list of 10 key terms with a thorough
description (up to a paragraph) of each term IN YOUR OWN WORDS.
You will be graded according to the following rubric:
Comparative Religions—Project Rubric—Presentation
100 Point Total
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Student was prepared and organized
_____/10
Presentation reflected accuracy and a strong effort
_____/10
Presentation utilized creative & clear PowerPoint usage
_____/10
Student attempted to connect to specific details discussed in class
_____/15
Student efficiently and effectively conveyed information
_____/15
Student elaborated on each slide using a script (script turned in)
_____/15
Presentation included a bibliography of sources used
_____/10
Terms defined in presentation and definition list turned in
_____/15
Comments:
Total: