Major Goals of the Course

1. to make the conflict more intelligible without the distortions that result from oversimplification

Major Goals of the Course

2. to foster greater empathy for the humanity of everyone involved in the conflict, including a deeper appreciation of their various kinds of suffering, fear, vulnerability, hope, and need.

Major Goals of the Course

3. for students to develop the habit of questioning all statements, books, speakers, pamphlets, videos, and other presentations on the conflict, and for students to have a sense of what some of the appropriate questions are. This includes questioning your dear instructor, who wants you to take other courses on this topic and engage a very wide range of perspectives.

Course Requirements

Final Exam – 40%

Midterm Paper – 35%

3 Short Written Responses – 18% (6% each)

Discussion / Participation – 7%

Course Requirements

Final Exam – 40%

The exam will be open-book / open-notes. It will consist of one of two options:

(a) About 10 short essay questions

(b) An alternate exam format in which you will be asked to argue two opposing sides of a central question in the

Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Course Requirements

Midterm Paper – 35%

I will post several topics on blackboard by Jan. 15th. You can also propose a topic and, if I approve, write on that topic. This is a 6 to 8 page paper, so the intent of this assignment

is to tackle a topic that is “nugget-sized.”

Course Requirements

3 Short Written Responses – 18% (6% each)

Each of these will be a 150 word (+/- 20 words) personal reflection responding to something in class (e.g. a guest

speaker, a video, etc.) These personal reflections are documents in which you are free to share your personal

views, or feelings, or questions, etc. about whatever element it is you are responding to. I will treat the content

confidentially.

Course Requirements

3 Short Written Responses – 18% (6% each)

The responses are due:

• January 24, 2013• February 14, 2013• March 7, 2013

Responses should be submitted on actual paper, not electronically. Barring a serious emergency, I will not accept

late short written responses. You’ll just get a zero. Sorry.

Course Requirements

3 Short Written Responses – 18% (6% each)

Opportunity to get full credit for one of these short written responses if you register and attend at least one keynote

speaker at the upcoming “Social Justice, Real Justice” conference at UO, Feb. 14 – 17, 2013.

To register (free) see: www.tinyurl.com/sjrj2013

Course Requirements

Discussion / Participation – 7%

This part of your grade will depend on two elements I will weigh equally: 1) your willingness to engage in discussion or

ask questions, and 2) your ability to honor the code of civility that I require all of us to use in this class.

Course Requirements

Code of Civility

• Respectful disagreement• Respectful questioning

• For people who tend to like to share a lot, making sure that you leave room for others to participate

• Refraining from language that is bigoted or derogatory• Assuming the best intentions, not the worst, if someone

does say something that causes pain or offense (“ouch”)

Course Requirements

Code of Civility

• Allowing the use of politicized language while holding one another to a mutually agreed expectation to avoid

bigoted or derogatory language. (This can be tricky.)

• This is a closed classroom – no visitors or guests without the advance permission of the instructor.

Beginning of Course Survey

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/HQ753SJ

Small Group Activity

Please locate the other students who have the same number you were given at the beginning of class. In small groups, please discuss the following questions:

1. What hopes do you bring to this course?

2. What concerns or worries to you bring to this course?

3. What, if anything, do you want to know about the instructor?

What’s Next…

Starting our readings…

Reading and questioning the authors at the same time…

Class will tend to involve some kind of presentation or activity dealing with the material covered in the reading during the first half, followed by a break, and then a wider range of interactive activities relating to different aspects of our subject during the second half of class.

“Closing with Hope”

Combattants for Peace Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBr7NRyp3uw