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Death and Dying Welcome to Death & Dying. This class will explore death as a natural part of life. It will seek to develop an understanding of what death is, understand how different cultures cope with death and reflect on the stages of grieving. It will look at Roman Catholic rituals and death from a religious and philosophical point of view. I would like to let you know what some of the requirements are for this course, as well as outline what my expectations are as far as grading and daily assignments. This class will be run on the model of a seminar. Each student will be held responsible for completing all assigned readings at home/study hall and be prepared for class discussion. Each student is expected to be involved in class and group discussions on all assigned reading and discussion topics. Students are expected to listen respectfully when others are talking. Listening with respect means recognizing the feelings and the integrity of those who are speaking as well as not talking at the same time. Class & Homework: You are expected to turn in all assignments on time. On time means the period that the class meets. Work turned in late will be lowered by 10% for each day that it is late. All homework must be typed unless otherwise specified. All class work that is turned in must be done in blue or black ink. You will be required to write reflections on films, some of the reading and guest speakers’ presentations. Please note that these reflections must be typed. If you do not have typewriter or a computer at home, you need to be prepared to use on of the ones in the library before school, after school, during a lunch/study hall, or make arrangement with one of the computer teachers to use one after school. If you have printer problems, you will need to bring me the flash drive. Save your work to a flash drive and make arrangements to use a school printer. PLEASE NOTE THAT I DO NOT ACCEPT WORK THAT IS BENT, FOLDED, OR MULTILATED! If you are absent, it is your responsibility to come to me to find out what is missing. Feel free to ask me a question if you do not understand an assignment. If you do not feel comfortable asking a question during class, I am available before or after school each day in my classroom. You are also free to call me at home with a question or a concern. My telephone number is 703-266-8805. You can also contact me by email, my address is: annehg@verizon.net. You do not need a rabies shot to call! I do not bite! Assignments and due dates can be accessed on my web site: www.mrshgsplace.com. Please note that I will not waive a late grade for any of the following excuses: my dog ate my homework, my pet boa constrictor swallowed my book bag, I was kidnapped by aliens on my way to school/home from school, etc., or I did not understand the assignment. Assignments are posted on the homework assignment board as well as on my website. Written reflections on specific readings and films will make up a part of the required daily work assignments. These reflections will be required to be typed and to follow a specific format (see attachment). Cheating: Any student who is caught cheating* will receive a zero for that work and will be written up. *(Cheating is defined as taking another’s knowledge or work without permission.) n.b. Any student who turns in the same assignment as another with font and text size changed is not doing his or her own original work. This is cheating. Please refer to the student handbook pp. 3, 36-37 for more information regarding the honor code and academic honesty.
All students will be required to write out and sign the Honor Code pledge on all graded assignments. The pledge is found on page 3 of the handbook and states: “I have upheld the intent and principles of the Paul VI Academic Honor Code while completing this assignment.” All assignments turned in without the honor code and signature will receive an automatic zero. “Pride, Values, Integrity” may not be substituted. Two or three projects will be assigned each quarter. Procedures for each of these projects will be explained in separate project sheets given for each project. Grading Policy: 30% Class participation 30% Class and homework 20% Projects (2-3 per quarter) 20% Tests and Quizzes In place of a final exam, each student will prepare a project planning a funeral. There will be a separate project sheet and rubric given after the start of the second quarter. There will be class activities and course work given to help in the preparation of this project. Texts: Gustafson, Janie, Ph.D.. The Mystery of Suffering and Death. William Brown Publishing, 1999.
Callanan, Maggie & Patricia Kelley. Final Gifts: Understanding the Special Awareness, Needs and Communications of the Dying. New York: Bantam Books, 1997. MATERIALS You will be receiving handouts, copies of articles, worksheets, and will be writing reflections and taking notes. You will need to organize this material for easy access for quizzes as all quizzes and tests are open notebook and open brain. It is therefore strongly suggested that you have a separate loose leaf binder for this class. You will For each unit you will be required to find and critique an article from a journal, newspaper or the internet. You will be presenting this article in class and turning it in along with the critique for a grade. The article must directly relate to the subject area of the unit. FINAL EXAM: The final exam will be a project planning a funeral. We will have a unit specifically designed to help you complete this project. The project information sheet and rubric will be handed out during the second quarter. The due date for this project is on the last class day before exams.
DEATH AND DYING COURSE OUTLINE I. INTRODUCTION TO DEATH AND DYING- -design of the course, requirements, etc. -rational: why study death -responses to death: philosophical, self-sacrificial, Christianity -suicide vs. martyrdom II. PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF DEATH AND DYING -stages of death and dying -the grieving process -death of a parent -children and death III. AMERICAN WAY OF DEATH -death in colonial America -the funeral in contemporary American society -Catholic ritual for burial -financial aspects -Ministry of consolation IV. DIFFERENT RELIGIONS AND CULTURES’ FUNERAL RITES -customs and beliefs of earlier ages -Islam -Buddhism -Judaism -Ministry of consolation -Asiatic cultural groups (Chinese and Japanese Shintoism) V. SOCIAL ISSUES OF DEATH AND DYING -caring for the sick and dying -redemptive suffering -Euthanasia and the Right to Die -hospice movement VI. DEATH PORTRAYED IN LITERATURE AND FILM -poetry, novels -film VII. LIFE AFTER LIFE -Christian Eschatology -near-death experiences |
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