Course Journal: Your course journal is a writing intensive exercise that will improve course retention and writing skills. An excellent effort will produce a strong study guide for the final exam. An interim grade will be given each time your journal is collected, reviewed, and returned. Only the final grade will count. To pass this course you must complete your journal, pass the journal requirement, and do your own work--copying the journal entries of other students is plagiarism and grounds for immediate failure. Arrange with me to borrow notes from another student if you have to miss a class. Above average grades are earned by following directions, being punctual and thorough, creating quality, and taking advantage of extra credit opportunities.

Journal Format: Use a non-spiraled, folder-type paper cover with pocket inserts. Inside your journal folder keep all entries and handouts. Keep your lecture notes and blank paper out of your journal. All entries must be single-spaced and typed in 9 font. Carefully craft sentences, use correct grammar and paragraphs, and number all pages. Print entries each time you complete them. Crashed hard drives or printer problems are not excuses for incomplete journals. Record all entries on your Table of Contents handout. You must stay on schedule.

Table of Contents: Keep this handout in your journal's inside front pocket and record all entries on it.

Journal Entry Format: Entries must have the following sub-headings and components:

• Title (All Entries): if lecture, give a title; if Friday discussion, give handout reading title; if required text reading, give Hourani chapter number, chapter title, and section choice title; and if Internet, give site title.

• Date (All Entries): date the entry was placed in your journal

• Summary (All Entries):  all summaries must have an introductory paragraph, sufficient paragraphs to cover reading assignments/lectures/Internet assignments/Friday discussions, and end with a concluding paragraph

• Question (Benjamin only): restate the question/s, then respond in a paragraph; only react after all questions have been answered

• Reaction (All Entries):  react intellectually by reflecting on the parts of your entry most meaningful to you; try to create linkages between you and the people and events you summarized; do not turn your reaction into a summary of a summary

Minimum Length of Typed, Single-Spaced Entries:

• Text Chapter Assignments: summary of your chosen chapter section (3/4 page) and reaction (1/4 page); thus, each chapter entry must total about 1 single-spaced page

• Lectures: summary (3/4 page) and reaction (1/4 page)

• Class Discussions: summary of discussion (3/4 page) and reaction (1/4 page)

• Internet Assignments: summary (3/4 page) and reaction (1/4 page)