Field Trip Assignment

A3: FIELD TRIP VISITS

Several of you have asked about the field trip assignment given the context of living safely during the coronavirus pandemic.  

Let’s get creative!  Enter the virtual field trip experience.

Here is the intention of the assignment:

A field trip is made by students to study something experientially. For this class you may choose:

your own field trip to explore a service in a particular tradition other that your own. This means if you always have Shabbat dinner with your family, a Shabbat dinner would not be a good choice for a field trip.

to experience an a museum exhibit that reflects the art of a tradition

lecture that debates an issue in the philosophy of religion

an experience of one of the traditions, e.g., yoga, nature journey, chanting, meditation, Shabbat service, Catholic Mass

• These options still remain, but we will get to do these virtually. Choose a website that attracts you to learn about a tradition or spiritual practice you are not familiar with.

Here are some links that can get you started:

• Website for Virtual Travel Experiences  (Links to an external site.)
• Website of Google Earth Virtual Tours of 30 Famous World Heritage Sites (Links to an external site.)
• Website for Virtual Tours of 12 Famous Museums (Links to an external site.)

You can also use the list of options listed on the original assignment.

The opportunity here is to be creative, expand your horizon, and have fun;

include pictures of your excursions

think outside of the box

share your experience in the discussion post or with links, videos, music, artwork, poetry

FAQs About the field trip assignment:

How can I get maximum points for the assignment? Concentrate on Part 2 of the assignment, which has you link the field trip to concepts in the philosophy of religion course.

What if the virtual field trip I’d like to do is not on the list of links? I empower you to choose a field trip that you think would expand your horizons and be that you can relate to the philosophy of religion course.

If the virtual field trip is not on the list do I need the professor’s permission? Nope. I trust your judgment.

Can I use a trip that I took last summer when I was in Europe? No, the field trip needs to take place in the semester of this course.

Ask questions in Canvas Inbox or FORUM FOR GENERAL QUESTIONS. 

If I get my virtual field trip assignment done early, I’ll post it as an examples. I will also open the assignment early. You will see it in the Week 9 discussion thread.

Happy trails. Looking forward to reading your posts and seeing your creative energy. Maybe i your explorations will lead to ideas for a virtual spring break! 

Some possibilities in the L.A. area include the following. Look for their online versions of communicating their services and classes:

• The Bhagavad Gita Museum (Links to an external site.) (Hinduism)
• The Museum of Tolerance (Links to an external site.) (Judaism)
• Norton Simon Museum (Links to an external site.) (they often have Buddhist and Hindu art exhibits) (Pasadena)

Hsi Lai Buddhist Temple, Hacienda Heights    (Links to an external site.)

Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine (Hinduism)  (Los Angeles and Encinitas) (Links to an external site.)

• Agape International Spiritual Center (New Thought) (Culver City) (Links to an external site.)
• Quaker Service in Los Angeles  (Links to an external site.)
• Siddha Yoga Meditation Center (Santa Monica) (Links to an external site.) 
• The Goddess Temple of Orange County (Links to an external site.) (Irvine)

Against the Stream Buddhist Meditation Society (Links to an external site.) (Santa Monica)

Skirball Museum: Women Hold Up Half the Sky (Links to an external site.)

American Indian Cultural Center – Haramokngna (Links to an external site.)

After your visit, go to the discussion thread and post 500-750 words about your experience of your field trip including the following:

Point 1: Description of your field trip visit and why you choose it

Point 2: How the field trip related to the content of philosophy of religion (Use numbers to 1-4 to delineate four points of connection to the philosophy of religion course.) Spend 2-3 sentences on each point. 

• Point 3: The impact of your visit on you personally or how it relates to a contemporary issue