syllabus

1. Tuesday
Thursday
Class
Agenda
Homework
Week One
January 4
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?
Author Lecture: Maya Angelou
Establish: Your Webpage or Username and
Gmail account
Explore: The class webpage
Buy or Order: Your books
Read: “Uncle Willie” by Maya Angelou
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: “Uncle Willie.”
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
Author Lecture: Nella Larsen
Post: #2 Finish in-class writing and post it: Basic
Features: dialogue, description, anecdote, framing,
outlining, significance
Read: Begin Larsen’s Passing
Study: Terms
Bring: A brief outline for your essay.
Bring: A large Examination Booklet
Week Two
Jan 11
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
Read: Hughes: "Passing" and "Passing."
Post #3: QHQ: Either the poem or the short story.
Continue reading Larsen’s Passing
Study: Terms
Racial Passing:
Essay #2 The Argument
Class 4
Essay 2
Team
Make teams
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: Finish Larsen’s Passing
Post #4: Post your directed summary of "Passing"
and your paraphrase of "Passing."
Post #5: QHQ: Larsen’s Passing: Make sure to
include cited textual support in your question or
answer.

2. Week Three
January 18
Class 5 Presentation: Terms
Discussion: Larsen’s Passing
Author Lecture: Toni Morrison
Read: Hughes: "Who's Passing for Who?” and
Morrison: “Recitatif.”
Post #6: QHQ "Who's Passing for Who?" or
“Recitatif”
Class 6 Exam 1: Vocab and Terms
Discussion: Hughes/Morrison:
"Who's Passing for Who?"
“Recitatif”
Author
Lecture:
Randall
Kennedy
Read: Kennedy "Racial Passing." Posted under
"Secondary Sources."
Post #7: 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.
Read: “Racial Segregation” William Pickens and
the essay #2 prompt.
Study: Terms
Week Four
January 25
Class 7 Discussion:
Kennedy
"Racial
Passing.”
Small
Group
Discussion:
“Racial
Segregation”
William
Pickens
and
prompt
#2
Presentation:
Introduction
to
Essay
2:
The
Argument
Brainstorming
with
FREECASH
In-­‐Class
Writing:
Essay
2
Finish your FREECASH chart and bring it to
class with you.
Think about Pickens’s statement and to what
extent you agree with it or not. Consider which
texts you might use to support your beliefs.
Post #8: 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.
Class 8 Presentation: Terms List 2 Discussion:
Passing and Essay 2
Lecture: Thesis statements, outlining,
using evidence, introductions.
In-Class Writing: Essay #2
Read: Begin Stone Butch Blues (pages 1-65)
Post #9: Post Draft: Introduction, Thesis, at least
three body paragraphs (with topic sentences, cited
evidence, and explanation)
Study: Vocab/Terms
Week Five
February 1
Class 9 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 #10: Counterargument and Conclusion
Bring: three copies of your complete draft (at
least three and a half pages) to our next meeting.
Study: Vocab/Terms

3. No Class
Meeting
I have to
attend a
Conference
Week Six
February 8
Finishing Essay #2
Class 10 Presentation:
Terms
In-­‐class
writing:
Global
Revision
Writing
Workshop:
Essay
#2
You
must
have
three
copies
of
your
essay
to
remain
in
class
today.
Author
Lecture:
Leslie
Feinberg
Revise: Essay #2
Post #11: best 250 words of your revised essay.
Read: Stone Butch Blues (131-195)
Post #12: 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: ONE clean, revised copy of essay #2
(paper or electronic—NO PHONES)
Class 11
Essay 3
Team
Surface Revision: Essay #2
Change Teams
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 6, at noon.
Read: Stone Butch Blues (196-End)
Post #13: Finish in-class writing on Jess’s
passing. Use textual evidence to support your
assertions.
Post #14: 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 Seven
February 15
Sex/Gender/Orientation Passing: Essay
#3: Response to literature
Class 12 Presentation: Terms
In-class discussion/writing: The Game
Read: Essay #3 Prompt
Post #15: 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 13 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 # 16: Finish and post in-class writing:
tentative thesis, body paragraphs (topic sentences
and evidence; quotations with explanations).
Read: Begin Chinglish
Week Eight
February 22
No Formal
Class:
Extended
office hours
for student
conferences
Make an appointment to see me during these
extended office hours if you need help with your
essay #3, your revision, or if you want to discuss
your grade.
Class 14
Presentation: Terms list 3
Discussion: Essay #3
In-class writing: Essay #3
Directed Summary, Counterargument,
Conclusion
Author Introductions: Charles Chesnutt/
Helen Lock
Post #17: Directed Summary, Counterargument,
Conclusion
Bring two complete copies (at least 3.5 pages) of
your draft to our next meeting.
Finish Chinglish
Read: “The Passing of Grandison” Chesnutt
And Helen Lock’s "Transformation of the
Trickster." Links are posted on webpage.
Post #18: Using 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 Nine
February 29
Class 15
Presentation: Terms
Peer Revision: You must have two
copies of your essay. If you do not, you
may leave now and return in one hour for
our class discussion.
Discussion: “The Passing of Grandison”
and “Transformation”
Presentation: Terms for Exam 3
Write: Revise Essay 3
Submit essay #3 through Kaizena before our
next meeting.
Study: Vocab/terms for Exam 3
Read: Defining the Trickster: This is posted
under "Secondary Readings." It is very brief and
easy reading.
Post # 19: Using either or both "Transformation of
the Trickster” and “Defining the Trickster”
discuss Chinglish by identifying traits of the
trickster that correspond to characters,
motivations, and outcomes in the play. Use textual
evidence!

5. Class 16
Teams 4
Exam 3: Terms
Change Teams
Presentation: Introduction to Essay #4
Discussion: Chinglish:
"Defining the Trickster" and Locke:
"Transformation of the Trickster."
In-class writing: Evaluating a passing
character as a Trickster Character.
Study: Terms
Post #20: Discuss one or more characters from
our course reading in terms of one of the traits we
discussed in class today. For example, consider
Jack as deceitful or Clare or Irene as self-serving;
Jess Goldberg as a “shape shifter” or “cultural
hero”; maybe even the Iowans as “teachers.” Any
of these characters might be discussed as “agents
of change.”
Prepare for the Library workshop: 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.
Week Ten
March 7
The Trickster: Essay #4 Research Paper
Class 17
Library workshop
The librarian will give you an overview of
services and an opportunity to do research
for your paper.
Post #21: Library Project
Read: Your research articles
Post #22: 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 18
Essay 4
Team
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 #23 Outline and thesis for Essay #4
Study: Terms
Submit: Essay revisions through Kaizena before
Friday at noon of week 10
Read: Sui Sin Far “Leaves from the Mental
Portfolio of an Eurasian”
Week
Eleven
March 14
Class 19
Film:
Gentleman’s
Agreement
2
Hours
Post #24: Explore connections or share insights
about reverse passing (passing as someone of a
marginalized culture) concerning both
Gentleman’s Agreement and “Leaves from the
Mental Portfolio of an Eurasian”
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.
Class 20
Presentation: Terms
Discussion: Why do people reverse pass?
What are the social implications of
reverse passing? Is it ethical?
What is identity? Is it real or constructed?
Essay #4: Questions
Read: Research
Finish: Essay #4: Due Before our Final Meeting
Study: Terms

6. Week
Twelve
March 21
Final
MW class:
Monday,
7:00am –
9:00 am
T/Th Class
Tuesday,
7:00 am—
9:00 am
Essay #4 due before class.
Final Exam: Comprehensive Terms
Exam