1. Monday/
Wednesday
Class
Agenda
Homework
Week One
January 5
Introduction: Identity Essay #1: The
Narrative
Class 1 Presentation: Green Sheet; Syllabus;
Website; Google Drive; Kaizena
Discussion: What is Identity? When do
we "pass" as someone different from
ourselves?
In-class writing: How do we express
our own identities? How much do we
reveal about ourselves? How do we
decide?
Establish: Your Webpage or Username and Gmail
account
Explore: The class webpage
Buy or Order: Your books
Post #1: Write a paragraph or two describing a time
when you were unfairly judged on concrete identity
characteristics, OR write a paragraph or two
describing a time when you passed as someone or
something you were not. The passing can be either
purposeful or inadvertent.
Class 2 Presentation: Terms
Discussion: Personal Passing
Experience and Being Judged by
Concrete Identifiers
Lecture: Essay #1: Writing Strategies
for in-class essay #1: The Personal
Narrative
In-class writing: Basic Features:
dialogue, description, anecdote,
framing, outlining, significance
Post: #2 Finish in-class writing and post it: Basic
Features: dialogue, description, anecdote, framing,
outlining, significance
Read: Begin Larsen Passing
Study: Terms
Bring: A brief outline for your essay.
Bring: A large Examination Booklet
Week Two
Jan 12
Class 3 Presentation: Terms
Introduction to the QHQ
In-class writing exam 1: Narrative
You may use your outline. You must
write your essay in an examination
booklet
Post #3: QHQ: Either the poem or the short story.
Read: Hughes: "Passing" and "Passing."
Continue reading Passing
Study: Terms
Racial Passing:
Essay #2 The Argument
Class 4 Presentation: Terms
Author Lecture: Langston Hughes
QHQ Discussion: Racial Passing:
"Passing" and "Passing”
Lecture: Writing a Directed Summary;
Paraphrasing Poetry
In-class writing: Directed Summary;
Paraphrase
Read: Sui Sin Far “Leaves from the Mental
Portfolio of an Eurasian”
Post #4: Post directed summary of "Passing" and
paraphrase of "Passing."
Post #5: QHQ: “Leaves from the Mental Portfolio
of an Eurasian”

2. Week Three
January 19
MLK day:
No Class
Class 5 Presentation: Terms
Author Lecture: Sui Sin Far
Discussion: “Leaves from the Mental
Portfolio of an Eurasian”
Finish Passing
Post #6: QHQ on Passing. Make sure to include
cited textual support in your question or answer.
Week Four
January 26
Class 6 Exam 1: Vocab and Terms
Author Lecture: Nella Larsen
QHQ Discussion: Passing
Read: Hughes: "Who's Passing for Who?” and
Morrison: “Recitatif.”
Post #7: QHQ "Who's Passing for Who?" or
“Recitatif”
Class 7 Author Lecture: Toni Morrison
Discussion: Hughes: "Who's Passing
for Who?" and “Recitatif”
Presentation: Essay 2: The
Argument: Brainstorming with
FREECASH
Read: Kennedy "Racial Passing." Posted under
"Secondary Sources."
Post #8: Discuss one story from Kennedy's article
that particularly speaks to you. How did it influence
you in your thinking about passing? Include cited
textual evidence.
Finish your FREECASH chart and bring it to class
with you.
Bring: A copy of “Racial Segregation” William
Pickens
Study: Terms
Week Five
February 2
Class 8 Author Lecture: Randall Kennedy
QHQ Discussion: Kennedy "Racial
Passing."
In-Class Reading/Small Group
Discussion: “Racial Segregation”
William Pickens
Presentation: Introduction to Essay 2:
The Argument
In-Class Writing: Essay 2
Brainstorming
Post #9: Write a paragraph defending "passing"
with at least three reasons. Write another paragraph
condemning passing using another three reasons.
Use cited textual evidence from our readings to
support your assertions in both paragraphs.
Think about Pickens’s statement and whether you
agree with it or not. Consider which texts you might
use to support your beliefs.
Class 9 Presentation: Terms List 2
Discussion: Essay 2
Lecture: Thesis statements, outlining,
using evidence, introductions.
In-Class Writing: Essay #2
Read: Begin Stone Butch Blues (pages 1-65)
Post #10: Post Draft: Introduction, Thesis, at least
three body paragraphs (with topic sentences, cited
evidence, and explanation)
Study: Vocab/Terms

3. Week Six
February 9
Class 10 Presentation: Terms
Lecture: Counterarguments,
Conclusions, MLA format; in-text
citations; works cited page.
In-class writing: Essay 2
Read: Stone Butch Blues (66-130)
Post #11: Counterargument and Conclusion
Bring: three copies of your complete draft (at least
three and a half pages) to our next meeting.
Study: Vocab/Terms
Class 11 Presentation: Terms
Writing Workshop: Essay 2 Revision
Author Lecture: Leslie Feinberg
Revise: Essay #2
Post #12: best 250 words of your revised essay.
Read: Stone Butch Blues (131-195)
Post #13: Choose a few lines from Stone Butch
Blues and explain how and why they stood out to
you. Be sure to post your quotation and citation
above your response
Study: Terms
Bring: A clean, revised copy of essay #2 (paper or
electronic—NO PHONES)
Week Seven
February 16
Finishing Essay #2
Sex/Gender/Orientation Passing: Essay #3:
Response to literature
Washington’s
BD: No Class
Class 12 Surface Revision: Essay #2
Discussion: QHQ: SBB
In-class writing: Explore a moment
when Jess intentionally passes. How
does this experience change who ze is?
How do you know? Then pick one
when ze unintentionally passes. Does
this affect hir in the same way? How
do you know?
Review: Kaizena
Edit Essay #2: Submit your essay through
Kaizena before Friday, week 7, at noon.
Read: Stone Butch Blues (196-End)
Post #14: Finish in-class writing on Jess’s passing.
Use textual evidence to support your assertions.
Post #15: Explore an experience Jess has with a
medical professional. Does her gender identity
influence the treatment she receives or doesn’t
receive? Include a quotation with a citation.
Study: Terms
Week Eight
February 23
Class 13 Essay #2 was due Friday before
noon. If you did not submit your
essay, please see me after class.
Presentation: Terms
In-class discussion/writing: The
Game
Read: Essay #3 Prompt
Post #16: Choose ONE: Discuss a moment Jess
resists the larger social construct. How and why
does ze do it? How does it contribute to the person
Jess ultimately becomes? Cite your evidence. OR
Write about an instance when Jess is forced to
conform to the dominant social paradigm. How
does conforming (or trying to conform) change hir?
Cite your evidence?
Studying: Terms: Exam at next meeting

4. Class 14
Exam 2: Terms
Presentation: Essay #3: How to write
a response to literature.
Discussion: Stone Butch Blues
In-class writing: thesis; outline; topic
sentences; paragraphs.
Post # 17: Finish and post in-class writing: tentative
thesis, body paragraphs (topic sentences and
evidence; quotations with explanations).
Week Nine
March 2
Class 15
Presentation: Terms list 3
Discussion: Essay #3
In-class writing: Essay #3
Directed Summary, Counterargument,
Conclusion
Post #18: Directed Summary, Counterargument,
Conclusion
Bring three complete copies (at least 3.5 pages) of
your draft to our next meeting.
Class 16
Presentation: Terms
Peer Revision: You must have three
copies of your essay. If you do not, you
may leave now to print or copy them.
Author Introduction: Charles
Chesnutt
Write: Revise Essay 3
Submit essay #3 through Kaizena before Friday,
week 9, at noon.
Study: Vocab/terms for Exam 3
Read: “The Passing of Grandison” Chesnutt
And Helen Lock’s "Transformation of the
Trickster." A link to the article is posted on our
webpage.
Post #19: Based on the essay "Transformation of
the Trickster," identify traits of the trickster you
may have noted in “Grandison” Include cited
references to the text.
Week Ten
March 9
The Trickster: Essay #4 Research
Paper
Class 17
Presentation: Terms for Exam 3
Film Screening: Osama
Read: Defining the Trickster: This is posted under
"Secondary Readings"
Post # 20: Using either or both "Transformation of
the Trickster” and “Defining the Trickster” discuss
the film by identifying traits of the trickster that
correspond to Osama’s character, motivations, and
outcome.
Study: Terms
Class 18
Exam 3: Terms
Presentation: Introduction to Essay #4
Discussion: “Grandison” and Osama
"Defining the Trickster" and Locke:
"Transformation of the Trickster."
In-class writing: Evaluating Osama as
a Trickster Character.
Post #21: Discuss one or more characters in terms
of one of the traits we discussed in class today. For
example, consider Jack as deceitful or John Walden
as self-serving; Jess Goldberg or Osama as a “shape
shifter” or “cultural hero”; maybe even the Iowans
as “teachers.” Any of these characters might be
discussed as “agents of change.”
Bring: your computer or device, if you have one.
The librarian will give you an overview of services
and an opportunity to do research for your paper.
Consider who and what you might consider as a
focus. Remember, you must read before you will
know what you are looking for; otherwise, it
wouldn’t be a research paper.

5. Week Eleven
March 16
Class 19
Library workshop
Post #22: Library Project
Read: Your research articles
Post #23: Identify two characters from our reading
that share a common trait or traits. How are they
alike? How might you use them to create a single
thesis that answers the essay 4 prompt? Use textual
evidence from both your articles and material we
read in class.
Class 20
Vocab Exam Re-take or Make-up
Presentation: Terms List #4
Discussion: Trickster Characters from
our reading
In-class writing: Essay 4: Outline and
thesis.
Assessing Blogging Responses
Post #24 Outline and thesis for Essay #4
Study: Terms
Submit: Essay revisions through Kaizena before
Friday at noon of week 11
Email: Your homework self-assessment before
Friday at noon of week 11. Send to
palmoreessaysubmissions@gmail.com in the body
of the email. No need for an attachment.
Week Twelve
March 23
Class 21
Film Screening: 118 minutes
Reverse Passing: TBA
Read: Research
Write: Essay #4
Study: Terms
Class 22:
Final
Regular class
starts 7:30
a.m. Exam
on Thursday,
March 26:
7:00-9:00
a.m.
Discussion: Why do people reverse
pass? What are the social implications
of reverse passing?
What is identity? Is it real or
constructed?
Final Exam: Comprehensive exam