3 credits
The study of a variety of children’s literature and the practices, principles and procedures for selecting and evaluating works for children, giving consideration to their motivational and developmental effects. Prerequisite: Completion of Cluster One.
3 credits
A study of literature which has been written for or appeals to young adults and adolescents, including practices, principles and procedures for evaluating and making literary materials appealing to adolescents. Prerequisite: Completion of Cluster One.
3 credits
An introduction for preservice teachers to the foundations of reading and writing development and the elements of balanced literacy instruction in the middle grades. Through reading, writing, and field applications across content areas, preservice teachers explore literacy engagement, diversity, and special needs. Corequisites: EDUC 310, EDUC 311 and Practicum.
3 credits
This course provides preservice teachers an understanding of the foundations of early literacy development and instructional strategies and assessment techniques which support the acquisition of literacy.
3 credits
Considers current problems and issues in reading education as these problems and issues relate to the professional education of preservice teachers. Prerequisite: Permission from the coordinator of the program where the student is enrolled. Open to students fully admitted to Teacher Education.
1 credit
Study of how to use print and media resources to support the acquisition of knowledge and the development of reading and writing skills in all content areas. This course may not be used for credit in minor programs in early and middle education.
3 credits
This course is designed to provide an understanding of the reading process and how children develop an awareness and comprehension of print. Literacy acquisition, vocabulary development, reading strategies and writing will also be addressed.
2 credits
This course is designed for preservice teachers and will provide an introduction to the foundations of reading and balanced literacy instruction for students in kindergarten through grade 12. Through reading and writing across content areas, preservice teachers will explore literacy engagement, diversity and special needs.
3 credits
This course is designed to provide preservice teachers with a foundation of literacy development. Instructional strategies and assessment techniques, which support the acquisition and development of literacy in diverse classrooms across the curriculum in grades K-12. Prerequisite: CSD 300. Corequisite: SPED 410.
3 credits
An introduction for preservice teachers to the foundations of reading and writing development and the elements of literacy instruction across the secondary curriculum. Through reading, writing and field applications across the content areas, preservice teachers explore literacy processes. Corequisite: Practicum
3 credits
This course will provide preservice teachers with an understanding developmentally appropriate instructional strategies and assessment techniques to help all students in elementary grades become literate using reading, writing, listening and speaking in strategic and authentic ways. Prerequisite: A “C” or better in READ 366.
3 credits
The course will introduce preservice teachers to the relationship between literacy assessment practices and instructional design for teaching reading and writing in content area classrooms. Using case study methodology, preservice teachers will explore individual students’ literacy strengths, areas that need development and specific instructional strategies. Prerequisite: READ 312. Corequisites: MSSE 370, MSSE 371 and Practicum.
1-3 credits
Designed to give capable students, under faculty guidance, an opportunity to engage in the independent study of educational problems. Prerequisite: Plan for the study must be approved by the faculty adviser and the coordinator of the program where the student is enrolled.
3 credits
This course will introduce preservice teachers to the relationship between literacy assessment practices and instructional design for teaching reading and writing in content area classrooms. Using case study methodology, preservice teachers will explore individual students’ literacy strengths, areas that need development, and specific instructional strategies. Prerequisite: READ 432. Corequisite: READ 533.
3 credits
Provides practical classroom experience for secondary education students under the supervision of an in-service teacher and a clinical professor. Students engage in classroom activities that provide an opportunity for them to practice the strategies and concepts learned in the literacy methods courses. Corequisite: READ 532.
1-3 credits. Offered fall and spring
In-depth exploration of topics significant in kinesiology. The topic for each semester will be announced on e-campus.
2 credits. Offered fall and spring
Students are introduced to the discipline of kinesiology and recreation. They will study the effects of physical activity on human beings; survey the subdisciplines, including exercise physiology, biomechanics, motor behavior and sociological, historical and philosophical perspectives; and discuss how the discipline can be applied professionally.
3 credits. Offered fall and spring
Introduction to the biological scientific foundations within the discipline of kinesiology and recreation. Includes applied anatomy and physiology, biomechanics and exercise physiology. Prerequisite: KIN 201.
3 credits. Offered fall and spring
The focus of this course is on exploring the socio/psychological perspectives of participation in activity through the lifespan. Prerequisite: KIN 201.
3 credits. Offered fall
Introduces the recreation/leisure professions in governmental, voluntary and commercial settings. Outlines development of recreation and evolution of leisure services. Overviews professional preparation in leisure management and therapeutic recreation.
3 credits. Offered fall and spring
Fundamentals of program planning exploring the purpose and function of programs, planning principles, goals and objectives, organizational behavior and evaluation. Class includes a study of the theory, principles and processes of leadership in the delivery of recreation programs for a variety of populations. Lab and field observations required. Prerequisite: REC 241, REC 242 or permission of instructor.
3 credits. Offered fall
This course is designed as an introduction to sport, fitness and recreation management. Students will examine a variety of management issues and opportunities in these areas. Prerequisite: REC 241 or permission of instructor.
3 credits. Offered fall and spring
This course provides students with an opportunity to practice the professional skills and competencies associated with specializations in recreation and leisure in a real-world setting. It is supervised by a highly qualified and experienced professional.
12 credits. Offered fall and spring
This course provides students with 480 hours of full-time professional experience in the student’s chosen area of recreation emphasis. The professional experience must be at an approved recreation agency and must be supervised by a highly qualified, experienced professional in the field of recreation. All course work must be completed prior to registration for the internship experience.
3 credits. Offered fall and spring
The administration and interpretation of measurement and evaluation procedures in kinesiology and recreation.
3 credits. Offered fall
The purpose of this course is to enhance the understanding and skills necessary to be part of a facilities planning team and assume an entry-level facilities management position. Prerequisite: REC 241, REC 333, REC 420, REC 430 or permission of instructor.
3 credits.Offered fall
An examination of the philosophical tenets of the parks and recreation profession, as well as the relating philosophies of other components of the leisure industry with a review of theories, concepts, and doctrines. This course is designed for senior level majors and minors only unless the instructor gives permission, as this is the senior capstone class. Prerequisites: REC 202, REC 203, REC 242, REC 330, REC 333, and REC 411.
1-3 credits each semester. Offered fall and spring
Designed to give superior students in Kinesiology and Recreation an opportunity to complete independent study and/or research under faculty supervision. Prerequisite: Permission of the department head.
6 credits. Year course. Offered fall and spring
3 credits. Offered fall and spring
An investigation of the world’s major religions which will give attention to their origin, history, mythology and doctrines.
4 credits each semester
An introductory course for students who intend to acquire the ability to read the Massoretic text of the Bible. Systematic study of the fundamentals of grammar, with emphasis on reading, pronunciation and translation.
3 credits
An examination of the various components in the study of religion including myths, rituals, mystical experiences, theologies, ethics and current issues. Examples will be taken from the sacred texts, rituals and the lives of religious personalities in traditions around the world.
3 credits. Offered fall and spring
A study of selected texts from the books of Genesis-Malachi that will examine their literary, historical and theological dimensions from the perspective of their ancient Israelite and Judahite contexts.
3 credits
This course discusses the literature of the New Testament in light of the historical, social and religious conditions from which it emerged. Particular attention is given to historical issues related to Jesus and the origins of Christianity.
3 credits
An intensive examination of religion from the standpoint of philosophical thinking with particular emphasis on the way philosophers view such problems as the existence of God, evil, immortality, religious language, etc.
3 credits each semester
An intensive reading course. Selections from the Massoretic text of the Bible. An introduction to the critical apparatus used within the Massoretic text as well as the variant reading apparatus printed in the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia. Prerequisite: One year of college biblical Hebrew or equivalent.
3 credits
This is an introductory course that focuses on the ways in which the moral teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, explored from both historical and multi-cultural perspectives, informed and continues to inform personal ideals and moral visions of society.
3 credits
An investigation of the historical development of religious values and moral concepts in the Western religious traditions of Judaism, Roman Catholicism and Protestantism.
3 credits. Offered once every three years
This course will provide a historial survey of the relationship between religion and the sciences; offer overviews of scientific and theological theory; examine the development of theory formation; foruc on issues in astronomy, physics and biology; explore the ethical implications of scientific and religious theories; and trace developments.
3 credits
Selected topics in religion are studied in depth. See e-campus for current topic. Course may be repeated for credit when content changes.
3 credits. Offered once an academic year
This course introduces the Islamic religious traditions from its inception to the present. Topics covered include the message and style of the Qur'an, the life and experience of Muhammad, the major beliefs and practices of Islam, and the theological, philosophical and mystical movements in the Islamic empire. Attention is also given to modern Islamic movements and their relation to the world inside and outside the Middle East.
3 credits
This course examines the notions of the world, community and self as experienced and interpretted by Hindus; the basic assumptions underlying their worldview; how these assumptions interrelate with the various dimensions of Hindu physical, psychological and cultural experience; how they are expressed in myth, ritual and social structures; and the tensions we find between the ideal and the real.
3 credits
An introduction to the religions of China and Japan, including Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, Shinto, Folk Religions and the “New Religions” of Japan. Attention to the role of religion in the family and the state, classic texts, the importance of nature and expressions of spirituality in the fine arts.
3 credits. Offered once every three years
This course is an introduction to Hindu modes of moral reasoning. It gives special attention to the concept of moral order and its relationship to the pursuit of pleasure and of wealth, on the one hand, and the quest for liberation, on the other hand. Attention is paid to common moral obligations as well as to specified, and sometimes gendered, vocational duties incumbent upon Hindus.
3 credits
Gandhi is unique as a social theorist, a philosopher and an activist. He challenged the dominant world structure of his time and struggled with some of the most significant issues of our time: violence, racism, oppression of women, role of religion, nature of capitalism, and conflict between ethnic and religious communities. This course examines his theory and praxis on these and other issues.
3 credits. Not offered 2005-2006
Study of women and world religions, historically and today, emphasizing Buddhism, religions of China and Japan, Judaism and Christianity. The variety of women’s religious roles and practices are studied in a comparative context. Feminist scholarship’s proposals for revising our understanding of religious history and reforming religious traditions.
3 credits. Offered once every three years
Study of selected topics in Hinduism. May be repeated for credit when course content changes.
3 or 6 credits. Offered alternate summers
The JMU in India Summer Program is a travel-study course. The program provides an interdisciplinary study of the history and contemporary application of the Gandhian philosophy of nonviolence through course work, field studies and direct experience.
3 or 6 credits. Offered alternate summers
The JMU in India Summer Program is a travel-study course. The program provides an interdisciplinary introduction to contemporary India from the point of view of religion, mythology, literature, music, art and architecture through course work, field studies and direct experience.
3 credits
An examination of the beliefs, practices and historical development of the various forms of Judaism represented in America today: Orthodox, Reform, Conservative and Reconstructionist.
3 credits
A sociological analysis of religion; how it influences and is influenced by social existence. See cross listing in Department of Sociology and Anthropology.
3 credits
Study of the variety of responses by contemporary Catholic theologians and philosophers to key elements in Christian doctrine and practice. Topics include Vatican II; scripture, tradition and modern scholarship; Jesus and Christology; contemporary Catholic spirituality; moral issues in the church; and ecumenism.
3 credits
An examination of the character and nature of religious traditions and liturgical practices of African and African-American communities through history.
3 credits
A study of the historical Jesus and the Jesus-movement as a response to Roman power, domination and violence. Includes discussion of historiographical problems raised in past and present scholarly "quests" for the historical Jesus.
3 credits. Offered fall and spring
This course examines the rise of Christianity in the social and religious context of the pagan Roman Empire. It focuses on crucial struggles and conflicts in the volatile period from Jesus to the fourth century A.D.
3 credits
This course explores the religious traditions of Greece and Rome. Through study of the diverse gods and goddesses and the divine honors paid to them, the course covers central aspects of Greco-Roman culture and society. Attention is also given to new religious traditions, in particular the Mystery religiouns, that gained prominence in the world of the Roman Empire.
3 credits
A survey of the development of western religious thought from the classical period through the modern period. The primary emphasis will be on the person, ideas, beliefs and critical turning points in the development of Christianity and Judaism, with some reference to Islam and to contemporary religious developments.
3 credits
An examination of the nature of mysticism and its forms of practice in selected religious communities through the world.
3 credits
A study of selected 19th-century philosophers and theologians with special attention to rationalism, romanticism and idealism. Views of Hegel, Schleiermacher, Ritschl, Marx and others are considered.
3 credits
A survey of one or more of the following contemporary theological movements: continental, North American, African and South American, including Roman Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant approaches and covering themes such as the conflict between history and faith, Christology, fundamentalism and liberalism and the emergence of liberation, feminist, black, neo-conservative, secular, pluralist and ecological theologies.
3 credits
Buddhist thought from its origins to the contemporary world in South Asia and East Asia. Emphasis on the understanding of the human condition; analysis of the mind and nature of the cosmos; and the expression of Buddhist thought in the fine arts and in social activism.
3 credits
A survey and/or selection of major western approaches to issues of religion and society, including but not limited to traditional understanding of church and state issues. Significant figures, texts and methodologies will be critically examined. Fulfills the College of Arts and Letters writing-intensive requirement for the major.
3 credits. Not offered 2005-2006
An in-depth examination of the literary, theological and historical dimensions of selected biblical texts. Texts will be studied in their ancient contexts, with a focus on ancient literary patterns and writing strategies. Students will apply critical methods used in the academic study of the Bible in their analyses. Fulfills the College of Arts and Letters writing-intensive requirement for the major. Prerequisite: REL 201, REL 202 or permission of the instructor.
3 credits
Dialogue is, today, the most important response of the world’s religions to the diversity of world religions. It is a vehicle for mutual understanding, mutual challenge and joint response to contemporary problems. Students will study the theory and practice of dialogue and then engage in dialogue. Fulfills the College of Arts and Letters writing-intensive requirement for the major. Prerequisite: Familiarity with two world religions or permission of the instructor.
3 credits. Offered fall and spring
Designed to give capable students an opportunity to complete independent study in religion under faculty supervision. Prerequisite: Permission of the department head.
6 credits. Offered fall and spring
Year course.
4 credits each semester. Offered fall and spring
The fundamentals of Russian through listening, speaking, reading and writing. Practice in pronunciation and development of comprehension. One hour’s work a week in the language laboratory.
6 credits each semester. Offered fall and spring
The fundamentals of Russian through listening, speaking, reading and writing. The first semester is the equivalent of RUS 101-102 and the second of RUS 231-232.
3 credits each semester. Offered fall and spring
A thorough review of grammar, vocabulary building, conversation, composition and reading. Prerequisite: One year of college Russian or equivalent.
3 credits each semester. Offered fall and spring
First semester: Russian literature to 1880; second semester: 1880 to the present. All lectures and readings are in English.
3 credits. Offered fall and spring
Intensive training in the use and comprehension of modern, everyday Russian with emphasis on conversation and composition to give students confidence in expressing themselves in idiomatic Russian. Instruction is in Russian. Fulfills the College of Arts and Letters writing-intensive requirement for the major. Prerequisite: RUS 232 or equivalent.
3 credits. Offered fall and spring
A study of Russian life and culture and the outstanding contributions of Russian-speaking peoples. Instruction is in Russian. Prerequisite: RUS 300.
3 credits. Offered fall and spring
Intensive drill in Russian sounds and intonation patterns. Continued emphasis on conversation. Instruction is in Russian. Prerequisite: RUS 232 or equivalent.
3 credits. Offered fall and spring
Advanced course in morphology and syntax with extensive practice in composition. Instruction is in Russian. Prerequisite: RUS 300 or equivalent.
3 credits. Offered fall and spring
Discussions deal with topics of current interest. Instruction is in Russian. Prerequisite: RUS 300 or equivalent.
3 credits. Offered fall and spring
Readings and analyses of poetry, prose and drama by such writers as Pushkin, Lermontov, Gogol, Turgenev, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky and Chekhov. Instruction is in Russian. Prerequisite: Three years of college Russian or equivalent.
3 credits. Offered fall and spring
A study of the works of major Russian writers of the 20th century. Instruction is in Russian. Prerequisite: Three years of college Russian or equivalent.
3 credits. Offered fall and spring
A study of selected works of Russian literature. Instruction is in English. May be repeated for credit when course content changes.