First Chapter

I have begun the slow process of writing my Master's Thesis and have one paragraph nearly complete. I still have a bit of reading to do before I can really get into the writing, but I do try to write a little when the thoughts start entering my brain. This way the thoughts are in written form and I can move on. As my dad says, I need to clear the cobwebs from my head. In my studies I have found that many scholars write a chapter on Islam to give background on their work. Islam is, in my opinion, a cornerstone to knowledge and wisdom within the Muslim world. I, too, will incorporate Islam into my thesis to give a little background directly pertaining to the pursuit of knowledge during the early years.

One of the books I am reading is Science in Medieval Islam by Howard R. Turner. I have it on loan from the Gary Library (Vermont College) until the end of the month. I am really enjoying this book! It is more of a text on an exhibit put together several years ago with many, many pictures. The reading is going rather quickly, but I decided to purchase a copy through Barnes & Noble for my shelf. Having my own copy will also allow me to make notes within the book, which is my reading style when in the research mode. I am also reading Lost History: The Enduring Legacy of Muslim Scientists, Thinkers, and Artists by Michael Hamilton Morgan. This one is also on my bookshelf on this blog (Shelfari).

I am still working on the timeline (previous post) and will probably not have it completed until near the end of the writing process. That only makes sense because I want to use it as an appendix. One of the other things I have decided to do is incorporate, just after the Chapter #, a quote relating to the chapter. For instance, the Introduction will start with the title of the chapter (i.e. "Introduction") and immediately following a snippet from a Beatles song. Then I will write the actual introduction following that quote. I think, and hope, it will add a little something to my work.

I will leave you with that, wondering which song...

Course Syllabus

One of the documents I am working on for my Applications I class is a syllabus for a class I may want to teach. Since I am really interested in the history of Iraq, and I have noticed that it is not a topic currently taught on it's own, I thought it would be fun to come up with a syllabus for that. I found a book that would be a great required text - Iraq: People, History, Politics by Gareth R. V. Stansfield (2007). I actually went online to www.bn.com and purchased it for my own personal library as it sounds like a good read. I initially found the book on Google Books and added it to my library there, but it is only a limited preview. That's one thing I don't like about Google Books, but I guess I will survive. lol

So far, I have outlined what the course activities would be, the outcomes, and some detail on the description. Some of the activities I would have in this class are: required readings (not limited to the text), reading journal, and a term paper - not having to mention the obvious mid-term and final exams. I think this course would be ideal as a Special Topics style course - an overview or examination of the history of Iraq. Something that an undergraduate would take at the junior or senior level after taking one or more classes in World History.