AMERICAN ETHNIC STUDIES:   SYLLABUS  |  KEY QUESTIONS  |  READING LIST

Introduction to Argument (WI Standards Addressed: E12.14, E12.15)

Day 1: Learning to Argue: the Introduction of Logic; no reading assignment.
Day 2: Fallacies of Distraction; Read 'Stephen's Guide to the Logical Fallacies,' p 1-2.
Day 3: Appeals to Motive in Place of Support; Read 'Stephen's Guide,' p 2-4.
Day 4: Changing the Subject; Read 'Stephen's Guide,' p 4-6.
Day 5: Inductive and Causal Fallacies; Read 'Stephen's Guide,' p 6-9.
Day 6: Missing the Point and Non-Support; Read 'Stephen's Guide,' p 9-10.
Day 7-8: Argument of the Ugly; search out the Ugly Arguments.
Day 9: RHETORIC AND LOGIC ASSESSMENT

Understanding Race and Ethnicity (WI Standards Addressed: C12.5, C12.11, C12.14, E12.4, E12.6)

Day 10: Race and Ethnicity Defined; No reading assignment.
Day 11: American Majorities and Minorities; Read De Tocqueville selection.
Day 12: Who's White; Read Dyer selection.
Day 13: Yesterday's Minorities to Today's Majorities; No reading assignment.
Day 14: Race Privilege; Read Dyer selection.
Day 15-17: Prejudice and Discrimination; No reading assignment.
Day 18: Extremism and Race Hatred: Us vs. Them; Read Hale selection and IAT exam.
Day 19: Ethnic Diversity and Religious Pluralism; No reading assignment.
Day 20: MAJORITIES AND MINORITIES ASSESSMENT

Native American Groups in America (WI Standards Addressed: A12.12, A12.13, B12.12, B12.16, B12.18, C12.1, C12.4, C12.8, E12.2, E12.5, E12.8, E12.12, E12.14)

Day 21: Native American Identity; Read Berkhofer reading.
Day 22: Thanksgiving Myth; Read various Thanksgiving readings.
Day 23-25: Tecumseh and Black Hawk; Black Hawk War web assignment.
Day 26: Cultural Attitudes of the Native American- The Predominance of the Plains Indian Image.
Day 27: Reservation Life; Read Reservation Blues selection.
Day 28: Casinos under Native American control; Read currents on Wisconsin casino debate.
Day 29: The 'Savage' Ideas of American Sports Entertainment; Mascot web assignment.
Day 30: NATIVE AMERICAN ASSESSMENT

African American Groups in America (WI Standards Addressed: A12.9, A12.13, B12.8, B12.18, C12.8, C12.15, E12.2, E12.4, E12.5, E12.6, E12.8, E12.12, E12.14)

Day 31: Up From Slavery? Slavery as the Origin of Race Hierarchy; Read Douglass selections.
Day 32: Washington vs. Du Bois; Read Washington and Du Bois selections.
Day 33: M.L.K vs. Malcolm X; Read Malcolm X and King selections.
Day 34: Diallo and King: Race and the Police; Read Diallo reading.
Day 35: Affirmative Action; Read Mills selections.
Day 36: Is Black What's Cool?: The Black Foundations of American Music, Arts and Entertainment.
Day 37-39: Dre, Tupac and Biggie: Violence, Rap, and Representation in the 'Hood; read various hip-hop readings.
Day 40-42: The Permanence of Racism; Read Bell selections.
Day 43: AFRICAN AMERICAN ASSESSMENT

Hispanic American Groups in America (WI Standards Addressed: A12.13, C12.8, D12.4, D12.6, E12.2, E12.4, E12.5, E12.6, E12.8, E12.12, E12.14)

Day 44: Hispanic and Latino American Identity; Read Stavans selections.
Day 45: The Language Divide; Read various language selections.
Day 46: Immigration, Illegal Aliens, and the Mexican-American Border; No reading assignment.
Day 47: Racist Schools; Dove Counterbalance Test.
Day 48: Living in Latin America, Working in the U.S.: Cesar Chavez; Read Burciaga selections.
Day 49: Cuba, Florida, and Elian; Read various Elian selections.
Day 50: Gonzales' Homies; Homies assignment.
Day 51: HISPANIC AMERICAN ASSESSMENT

Asian American Groups in America (WI Standards Addressed: B12.8, C12.8, C12.15, E12.2, E12.4, E12.5, E12.6, E12.8, E12.12, E12.14)

Day 52: WWII, Executive Order 9066, and Evacuation; No reading assignment.
Day 53: A Foreigner in Their Own Land; Read Mori selections.
Day 54: FOB vs. Americanized: a Hmong Student's dilemma; Read Fadiman selections.
Day 55-57: Collectivism vs. Individualism: Disneyized Mulan; Mulan exercises and read Ma selections.
Day 58: A Model Minority; Read various reading assignments.
Day 59: Gender Stereotyping: Karate Kid and the Geisha Girl; Read Chihara selections.
Day 60: Vincent Chin and the Door Half Open; Read various Chin readings.
Day 61: ASIAN AMERICAN ASSESSMENT

Religions in America (WI Standards Addressed: A12.8, C12.8, E12.2, E12.4, E12.5, E12.6, E12.12, E12.14)

Day 62: All Religions A Minority: The Split of Christianities in America; Read Church Leader Interviews.
Day 63: Philosophy of Religious Thought; Read C.S. Lewis selection.
Day 64: Religious Plurality and the State/Schools; Read Dionne selections.
Day 65-68: Class-selected American Ethnic Religions; Read Hostetler selections.
Day 69-71: Minority Religions or Cults? Who Decides?; Read various readings.

Film Study, Final Project, and Scored Discussion

Day 72-90: Final Project Theses