DIRECTIONS Look at the two statements written on the wall. Consider your stance on each of them (agree or disagree). Vote for your stance with a tally mark underneath the correct column. Have a seat.

WHAT IS TRANSGENDER? Sometimes  used as an umbrella term to describe anyone whose identity or behavior falls outside of stereotypical gender norms. More narrowly defined, it refers to an individual whose gender identity does not match their assed birth sex. https://www.dropbox.com/s/o211s4knv6ydql3/The%20Language%20of%20Gender_112514.pdf?dl=0

http://itspronouncedmetrosexual.com/2011/11/breaking-through-the-binary-gender-explained-using-continuums/

YOUR TASK Use the portable computer lab computers to visit “Transgender Lives: Your Stories” from the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/projects/storywall/transgender-today. Choose a few short personal stories written by transgender people to read.  Then… Pick one author to write a letter to. This letter needs to be in the proper format (start with “Dear ___,” and end with “Sincerely, ____”). In this letter, you should: Summarize what you have learned from the personal story and describe a personal experiences that you can use to empathize with the author. To empathize means to put yourself in another person’s shoes. When have you ever felt the way the author felt or been treated in a similar way? Use correct terminology when writing their letters such as “transgender” or any other specific identity that their author identifies with.