User:ProfGray/Exercise Paraphrase academic source

Wikipedia assignment on Ezra-Nehemiah
Weeks 11-13 2015
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Goals and method

Having analyzed Biblical scholarship and written WP Article paragraphs or sections, student Teams will now focus on a very active, narrow academic dispute over the Gentile Wives in Ezra 9-10, Nehemiah 13, and related impurity, identity, and religious matters. Teams will write new sections, or even create new articles. The goal: to skillfully inform readers about scholarly viewpoints, aka critical thinking arguments, and the evidence and reasoning involved. The instructor will give students a specific editing methodology and select appropriate articles:

Articles to edit include: Ezra, Ezra-Nehemiah, and impurity ("Tumah and taharah" in WP). Or perhaps a new article on moral impurity and genealogical impurity, per Jonathan Klawans and Christine Hayes. Or perhaps a new article on Mixed marriages in Ezra-Nehemiah (title to be determined)?
You might write about the following academic problems and questions include:
- Intermarriage and exogamy (Ezra 9-10 and Nehemiah 13)
  - What are the law (prohibitions) about intermarriage in Ezra-Nehemiah (and compared to elsewhere)?
  - What are the goals or reasons or purposes for the E-N exogamy rules/actions? (Or explanations)
- Impurity
  - What does the "holy seed" and related wording mean about impurity?
  - How is impurity handled in Ezra-Nehemiah compared to the rest of the Hebrew Bible?
- Identity and the Other
  - What are the key elements and types of Judean/Jewish identity in E-N?
  - What other laws or relationships concern Gentiles in E-N? (besides marriage?)
  - How do Ezra and Nehemiah texts differ on relationships with gentiles?
- Religious beliefs and practice (besides the above)
  - How are Judean/Israelite beliefs and practices (e.g., covenant, Passover, Festival of Booths, Temple offerings) best interpreted in Ezra-Nehemiah? How doe they shed light on earlier phases of Israelite religion, or on other representations elsewhere in the Bible?
- Source criticism
  - What are the composition theories for E-N overall (or Ezra 9-10 and Neh 13)?
  - What are the implications of source criticism for understanding Judean religion, identity, impurity, and marriage?
Students can again rely on the Coogan or JPS course books, and critical commentaries, besides the assigned academic sources.
Teams may propose to create new articles, with the Instructor's permission

Assignment steps: Weeks 10-14

We will roughly follow the steps of the Introductory Exercise, except now the emphasis will be on paraphrasing academic arguments.

Work as a Team
Read and study Ezra-Nehemiah and related scholarship (Week 10)
Prepare your list of reliable sources (Week 11)
Analyze sources and compare to WP articles (Week 11-12, 13)
- Bring a printout of notes to class for discussion!
Write your paraphrased arguments with refs, in sandboxes, due: Week 12
- Christine Hayes: Monday, April 20
- Another selected scholar: Wednesday, April 22 (draft & q's) and Monday, April 27 (final due)
- Paragraphs must include valid paraphrases and make ONE overarching point, backed by evidence & reasons, in a suitable spot
- Outline her argument's reasons, evidence and claim(s) to present in class.
Peer review each other's paraphrases and references in the sandbox (Week 11-12)
- Sign & date your peer review with ~~~~
- Mark exactly where you see the paragraph's 1 point
- Check references. Check the paraphrase argument against the original text. Bring up questions for class discussion!
Introduce your ideas and role on an Article Talk page (Week 11-12)
Edit the selected Articles with vetted paraphrases, due: Week 13 (April 27-29)
(Extra credit: revising and polishing Wikipedia articles, Week 14)

→ Copy your contribution(s) into your Portfolio for grading