Live 2026-2027 Course ~ Outline and Logistics
A line by line study of the Shang Han Lun in the Song order!
LOGISTICS:
This course takes place on Zoom; recordings will be available until October 24, 2027. The first couple of classes will be a bit later in the day (3 PM -6:30 PM PST) due to Geneviève being in Taiwan, but the remainder of classes will take place 9 AM - 12:30 PM PST.
The whole program adds up to 63 CEUs category 1 (CAB provider #1005, Between Heaven & Earth Acupuncture and Herbs), PDAs (NCBAHM provider #1134, Between Heaven & Earth), CPDs (British Acupuncture Council, New Zealand Register of Acupuncturists).
You will have access to the online classroom until October 24, 2027. The CEUs and PDAs are awarded per class; however students are required to sign up for the entire program, at the end of which they will be given a completion certificate.
COST OF AND CANCELLATION POLICY:
FIRST 5 REGISTRANTS GET AN ADDITIONAL $200 OFF! USE CODE "EARLY"
Cancellation policy: Full refund if cancelled within 24 hours. 50% refund if cancelled within 3 days. No refunds will be given after 3 days.
LOGISTICS:
This course takes place on Zoom; recordings will be available until October 24, 2027. The first couple of classes will be a bit later in the day (3 PM -6:30 PM PST) due to Geneviève being in Taiwan, but the remainder of classes will take place 9 AM - 12:30 PM PST.
The whole program adds up to 63 CEUs category 1 (CAB provider #1005, Between Heaven & Earth Acupuncture and Herbs), PDAs (NCBAHM provider #1134, Between Heaven & Earth), CPDs (British Acupuncture Council, New Zealand Register of Acupuncturists).
You will have access to the online classroom until October 24, 2027. The CEUs and PDAs are awarded per class; however students are required to sign up for the entire program, at the end of which they will be given a completion certificate.
COST OF AND CANCELLATION POLICY:
FIRST 5 REGISTRANTS GET AN ADDITIONAL $200 OFF! USE CODE "EARLY"
- Regular: $2,000. Students have the option of paying upfront, or paying one installment of $1000 now and a second installment of $1000 3 months later.
- Early bird: $1,800. Students have the option of paying upfront, or paying one installment of $900 now and a second installment of $900 3 months later.
- Graduates or currently enrolled in the Circle of Life, Jin Gui Yao Lue or Tang Ye Jing Fa courses: the first three classes of the series are the same as the first three in the Circle of Life. Therefore, you get $200 off (can be cumulated with the discount codes)
- Repeat auditor (no CEUs/PDAs): $350
Cancellation policy: Full refund if cancelled within 24 hours. 50% refund if cancelled within 3 days. No refunds will be given after 3 days.
SYLLABUS:
3.5 CEUs category 1/PDAs, CAB provider #1005, NCBAHM provider #1134
Cost and cancellation policy above
This class introduces the students to classical Chinese medicine and its relationship to a greater understanding of the cosmos and time keeping, and how this relationship determines proper diagnosis and treatment. Classical Chinese herbalism, especially that of the Shang Han Za Bing Lun and Tang Ye Jing, can be understood by grasping the merging of Yang with Yin to create Fire and Water, the essence of the 4 directions, 5 phases and 6 conformations, and the correspondences which tie them to a patient’s symptoms and the directional actions of the herbs. The class will explore these notions in detail, as a preparation for subsequent classes. We will spend time exploring the differences between the natural and pathological order of the 6 conformations, the nature of Qi and Ying (nutritive), and Biao-Ben-Zhong-Qi theory, all at the heart of Shang Han Lun theory.
7 CEUs category 1/PDAs, CAB provider #1005, NCCAOM provider #1134
Cost and cancellation policy above
This class presents the 5 flavors as they are exposed in the Nei Jing and the Tang Ye Jing; their cosmological/directional correspondences, and the classification of the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing. Understanding herbal direction is the key to comprehending the architecture of Shang Han Lun formulae. Students will learn the art of combining flavors to achieve certain therapeutic movements within the patient, and how to match herbs to a patient’s particular constitution or pathological picture. We will study in detail the first 10 of the 25 archetypal herbs of the Tang Ye Jing, giving examples of their various uses in Shang Han Za Bing Lun formulae, thus giving an introduction to the art of composing formulae.
Cost and cancellation policy above
Class 3: History, Preface, Resolution Times Taiyang lines 1-20
In this class we will discuss the history of the Shang Han Lun, and how it can and should influence our understanding of the text, and inform how we read it. We will explore philological ties to the Tang Ye Jing, in terms of physiology as well as in terms of formula architecture. Our study of the Taiyang chapter will begin with resolution times and a detailed study of wind strike pathology, which is foundational to the comprehension of Shang Han Lun and Jin Gui Yao Lue alike. Lines 1-20 will be analyzed in detail, with attention to the differences between Ma Huang and Gui Zhi methods. The contraindications to Gui Zhi Tang also can teach us much about physiology. This method of analysis should tie right in with directional herb theory.
Class 4: Taiyang lines 20- 50, Gui Zhi Tang modifications, Green Dragon
We continue our study of the Taiyang chapter with lines 20-50. Here we start to see more precisely the domino effect of cold damage, and its effects onto further conformations. The relationship between Yang and fluids comes into focus. We will start studying various modifications of Gui Zhi Tang, hybrid Gui Zhi/Ma Huang methods, and the process of tipping over into the Yangming conformation. The Green Dragon formulae are also introduced, and will be compared with the Green Dragon formulae of the Tang Ye Jing. We will analyze the lines and the formulae in detail, illustrating them with case studies.
Cost and cancellation policy above
Class 5: Water accumulation patterns, Running Piglet, Zhi Zi patterns, Taiyang lines 50-81
In the study of these lines we will see two nodal branches of the possible effects of cold damage: patterns where water accumulates, and patterns where fluids become exhausted, reflecting the two major pathological mechanisms in 6 conformation theory, the depletion of yang and the depletion of fluids. We will demystify the famed "running piglet" patterns by deconstructing and comparing several running piglet formulae. As in all of our classes, we will let the composition and architecture of formulae inform and expand our understanding of classical physiology.
Class 6: Transmutation into Shaoyin, Shaoyang and Yangming patterns, Taiyang lines 82-110
This class will present the transformation of Taiyang patterns into Shaoyin patterns, as well as patterns belonging to Shaoyang, blood dryness and Yangming. This will be an opportunity for an in depth discussion of the relationships between Shaoyang and Taiyin, Jueyin and Shaoyang, Taiyin and Yangming, and Jueyin and Yangming, from the perspective of their roots and centers. In addition, Zhang Zhong Jing introduces us to the use of salty flavored herbs. These are typically some of the most misunderstood by modern practitioners, and the formulae in this section offer wonderful insight into prescribing them appropriately.
Cost and cancellation policy above
Class 7: Complications of Taiyang Disease from Wrong Treatment, Chest Bind, Taiyang lines 110-140
The study of these lines will introduce us to the deleterious effects of wrong treatment by fire methods, further shedding light on the relationship between yang and fluids. We will also study chest bind patterns in detail, giving us valuable tools for the treatment of severe upper respiratory infections. These lines highlight the various ways a yangming component can imprint on a taiyang pattern, whether by the complete desiccation of fluids, an external "southerly" influence, or the stewing of phlegm. We also begin to explore the relationship between blood and consciousness and emotional health.
Class 8: Cooling the Dawn and the Yellow Unicorn, Glomus Patterns, Lines 140-170
In this class we will focus on the end of the Taiyang chapter, with more possible transmutations. These lines take us on a tour of pathologies related to Shaoyang and Taiyin, and treated with variations of the Cooling the Dawn and Yellow Unicorn decoctions of the Tang Ye Jing (which are, themselves, philologically related). We will start studying glomus patterns, how to recognize them and how to treat them. Finally, we will look at the treatment of bound pulse patterns, and the dual desertion of yang and fluids.
Cost and cancellation policy above
Class 9: Yangming introduction, lines 171-209
This class explores the beginning of the Yangming chapter. The lines define Yangming disease, its presentation, etiology, complications and resolution. In addition to pure Yangming patterns, the relationships between Yangming and Jueyin, Yangming and Taiyin and Yangming and Taiyang bladder are discussed at length. In particular, we will focus on the interdependence of Yangming and Taiyin, viewing the physiological processes of the western quadrant together, as instruments leading to the submersion of yang into yin. We will follow with a detailed discussion and differential analysis of the Cheng Qi Tang family of formulae.
Class 10: Yangming lines 210-240
In this class we continue our study of Yangming. Zhang Zhong Jing expands on the foundational concepts of the previous lines, and gives formulae for the various possible presentations and complications of Yangming disease. Among famous examples, we will be covering the etiology and treatment of jaundice, mania, and blood amassment. The use of herbs traditionally ascribed to other conformations in the context of Yangming disease, such as chai hu, fu zi, ma huang and gui zhi, will be explained with an emphasis on differential diagnosis.
Cost and cancellation policy above
Class 11: Yangming lines 240-262
In this class we will explore the end of the Yangming chapter. The lines meander through dry patterns such as the patterns of blood dryness, bound stool or straightened spleen; and further treatment of damp patterns such as jaundice and diarrhea. By expanding on the inter-relatedness of Yangming and Taiyin, we will explore how such drastically different presentations all belong to Yangming.
Class 12: Shaoyang and Taiyin, Warming and Cooling the Dawn, lines 263-280
The Shaoyang and Taiyin chapters are rather short; they are also in an internal/external relationship with each other, all Shaoyang formulae containing a Taiyin formula within them. These two chapters are also contiguous, and the passage from Shaoyang to Taiyin marks the patient's degradation into a yin conformation. For these reasons, it is excellent to study these chapters side by side. Together, they encompass the entirety of the Tai Ji circle: the east, the west, and their reaching to south and north respectively. Shaoyang and Taiyin physiology are closely related to the physiology of the Dawn decoctions of the Tang Ye Jing. By a process of back and forth comparison and analysis, we can come to a detailed and refined understanding of the relationship between ministerial fire and nutritive.
Cost and cancellation policy above
Class 13: Shaoyin Pivot, Si Ni Fa and the Use of Aconite, lines 281-305
This class will present the nature of the Shaoyin pivot, and its central importance for life and for understanding the Shang Han Za Bing Lun. The lines present the nature and presentation of Shaoyin disease, as well as its resolution and complications. Because of the central nature of the use of fu zi in Shaoyin treatment, we will spend some time on its proper prescription, safe use and preparation, including more complicated uses in heat patterns and patterns with obstructions. Our shaoyin formula study will begin with a variety of shaoyin manifestations, ranging from the more commonly thought of cold to hot.
Class 14: the Red Bird, Shaoyin lines 306-325
We continue our study of Shaoyin with the treatment of hot patterns associated with the Zhu Niao /Red Bird formulae of the Tang Ye Jing. The lines will take us through the treatment of diarrhea, sore throat and sores, before a focused exposé on the treatment of severe yang deficiency requiring aconite. We will learn to differentiate, use and prescribe these almost identical formulae, and learn to dose each ingredient with a minute precision that must match the patient's symptoms. These lines will also be an opportunity to continue to learn to use fu zi - not just in the obvious, cold patterns, but also those which display heat on the surface, hiding a cold interior.
Cost and cancellation policy above
Class 15: Blood Collapse and Reversal, Jueyin lines 326-349
This class begins our study of Jueyin, the realm of blood, the product of the merging of yang into yin in Shaoyin. We will spend time exploring the nature of blood, working backwards from the lines. Reversal constitutes the final stage of disease in Shan Han Lun theory. Instead of the blood being fresh and filled with life, as is suiting to the easter quadrant and its association with Spring, it becomes devoid of life. This is the effect of a chain of processes taking place in the conformations that precede Jueyin; as such, the treatment of Jueyin conditions can take many forms, depending on which conformation(s) are most at fault. These lines will define reversal, as well as present its complications and signs of recovery or aggravation.
Class 16: Jueyin lines 350-381
Continuing the Jueyin chapter, we turn to herbal treatment. Very importantly, a number of formulae deal with the complex task of revitalizing the blood. As we will see, such a feat involves treating several conformations at once, and as such this chapter is great preparation for the study of the Shang Han Lun's companion book, the Jin Gui Yao Lue. The chapter also discusses at length the treatment of dysenteric patterns.
Cost and cancellation policy above
Class 17: Sudden Turmoil, Yin-Yang Exchange and Taxation Relapse, Introduction to Complex Disease and the Jin Gui Yao Lue, lines 382-398
The final chapters of the Shang Han Lun are, in a way, premises to the Jin Gui Yao Lue, since they are arranged around diseases rather than a specific conformation. The "sudden turmoil" chapter, for example, will teach us the differential diagnosis of disorders presenting as sudden diarrhea and vomiting; the "taxation relapse" chapter presents possible ways in which a patient can have a relapse, and how to treat it. This is the perfect conclusion to our study of the Shang Han Lun; after dissecting pathology into conformations, and mastering the intricacies of each, the reader is now ready to fluidly navigate complex diseases. We will conclude our study by opening it to an introduction to the diseases of the Jin Gui Yao Lue, and how the latter utilizes Shang Han Lun theory. In this sense, the Jin Gui Yao Lue and the Shang Han Lun cross-reference each other...
Class 18: Case presentations and wrap-up
Our class series will end with time for questions, and to visit any related topics of interest to the class, that may have emerged during our course of study. In addition, students will present a case which will be discussed by the class.
- Class 1: October 24, 2026, 3 PM - 6:30 PM PST
3.5 CEUs category 1/PDAs, CAB provider #1005, NCBAHM provider #1134
Cost and cancellation policy above
This class introduces the students to classical Chinese medicine and its relationship to a greater understanding of the cosmos and time keeping, and how this relationship determines proper diagnosis and treatment. Classical Chinese herbalism, especially that of the Shang Han Za Bing Lun and Tang Ye Jing, can be understood by grasping the merging of Yang with Yin to create Fire and Water, the essence of the 4 directions, 5 phases and 6 conformations, and the correspondences which tie them to a patient’s symptoms and the directional actions of the herbs. The class will explore these notions in detail, as a preparation for subsequent classes. We will spend time exploring the differences between the natural and pathological order of the 6 conformations, the nature of Qi and Ying (nutritive), and Biao-Ben-Zhong-Qi theory, all at the heart of Shang Han Lun theory.
- Class 2: November 14-15, 2026, 3 PM - 6:30 PM PST
7 CEUs category 1/PDAs, CAB provider #1005, NCCAOM provider #1134
Cost and cancellation policy above
This class presents the 5 flavors as they are exposed in the Nei Jing and the Tang Ye Jing; their cosmological/directional correspondences, and the classification of the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing. Understanding herbal direction is the key to comprehending the architecture of Shang Han Lun formulae. Students will learn the art of combining flavors to achieve certain therapeutic movements within the patient, and how to match herbs to a patient’s particular constitution or pathological picture. We will study in detail the first 10 of the 25 archetypal herbs of the Tang Ye Jing, giving examples of their various uses in Shang Han Za Bing Lun formulae, thus giving an introduction to the art of composing formulae.
- Classes 3 and 4: December 12-13, 2026, 9 AM - 12:30 PM PST
Cost and cancellation policy above
Class 3: History, Preface, Resolution Times Taiyang lines 1-20
In this class we will discuss the history of the Shang Han Lun, and how it can and should influence our understanding of the text, and inform how we read it. We will explore philological ties to the Tang Ye Jing, in terms of physiology as well as in terms of formula architecture. Our study of the Taiyang chapter will begin with resolution times and a detailed study of wind strike pathology, which is foundational to the comprehension of Shang Han Lun and Jin Gui Yao Lue alike. Lines 1-20 will be analyzed in detail, with attention to the differences between Ma Huang and Gui Zhi methods. The contraindications to Gui Zhi Tang also can teach us much about physiology. This method of analysis should tie right in with directional herb theory.
Class 4: Taiyang lines 20- 50, Gui Zhi Tang modifications, Green Dragon
We continue our study of the Taiyang chapter with lines 20-50. Here we start to see more precisely the domino effect of cold damage, and its effects onto further conformations. The relationship between Yang and fluids comes into focus. We will start studying various modifications of Gui Zhi Tang, hybrid Gui Zhi/Ma Huang methods, and the process of tipping over into the Yangming conformation. The Green Dragon formulae are also introduced, and will be compared with the Green Dragon formulae of the Tang Ye Jing. We will analyze the lines and the formulae in detail, illustrating them with case studies.
- Class 5 and 6: January 9-10, 2027, 9 AM - 12:30 PM PST
Cost and cancellation policy above
Class 5: Water accumulation patterns, Running Piglet, Zhi Zi patterns, Taiyang lines 50-81
In the study of these lines we will see two nodal branches of the possible effects of cold damage: patterns where water accumulates, and patterns where fluids become exhausted, reflecting the two major pathological mechanisms in 6 conformation theory, the depletion of yang and the depletion of fluids. We will demystify the famed "running piglet" patterns by deconstructing and comparing several running piglet formulae. As in all of our classes, we will let the composition and architecture of formulae inform and expand our understanding of classical physiology.
Class 6: Transmutation into Shaoyin, Shaoyang and Yangming patterns, Taiyang lines 82-110
This class will present the transformation of Taiyang patterns into Shaoyin patterns, as well as patterns belonging to Shaoyang, blood dryness and Yangming. This will be an opportunity for an in depth discussion of the relationships between Shaoyang and Taiyin, Jueyin and Shaoyang, Taiyin and Yangming, and Jueyin and Yangming, from the perspective of their roots and centers. In addition, Zhang Zhong Jing introduces us to the use of salty flavored herbs. These are typically some of the most misunderstood by modern practitioners, and the formulae in this section offer wonderful insight into prescribing them appropriately.
- Class 7 and 8: February 13-14, 2027, 9 AM - 12:30 PM PST
Cost and cancellation policy above
Class 7: Complications of Taiyang Disease from Wrong Treatment, Chest Bind, Taiyang lines 110-140
The study of these lines will introduce us to the deleterious effects of wrong treatment by fire methods, further shedding light on the relationship between yang and fluids. We will also study chest bind patterns in detail, giving us valuable tools for the treatment of severe upper respiratory infections. These lines highlight the various ways a yangming component can imprint on a taiyang pattern, whether by the complete desiccation of fluids, an external "southerly" influence, or the stewing of phlegm. We also begin to explore the relationship between blood and consciousness and emotional health.
Class 8: Cooling the Dawn and the Yellow Unicorn, Glomus Patterns, Lines 140-170
In this class we will focus on the end of the Taiyang chapter, with more possible transmutations. These lines take us on a tour of pathologies related to Shaoyang and Taiyin, and treated with variations of the Cooling the Dawn and Yellow Unicorn decoctions of the Tang Ye Jing (which are, themselves, philologically related). We will start studying glomus patterns, how to recognize them and how to treat them. Finally, we will look at the treatment of bound pulse patterns, and the dual desertion of yang and fluids.
- Class 9 and 10: March 6-7, 2027, 9 AM - 12:30 PM PST
Cost and cancellation policy above
Class 9: Yangming introduction, lines 171-209
This class explores the beginning of the Yangming chapter. The lines define Yangming disease, its presentation, etiology, complications and resolution. In addition to pure Yangming patterns, the relationships between Yangming and Jueyin, Yangming and Taiyin and Yangming and Taiyang bladder are discussed at length. In particular, we will focus on the interdependence of Yangming and Taiyin, viewing the physiological processes of the western quadrant together, as instruments leading to the submersion of yang into yin. We will follow with a detailed discussion and differential analysis of the Cheng Qi Tang family of formulae.
Class 10: Yangming lines 210-240
In this class we continue our study of Yangming. Zhang Zhong Jing expands on the foundational concepts of the previous lines, and gives formulae for the various possible presentations and complications of Yangming disease. Among famous examples, we will be covering the etiology and treatment of jaundice, mania, and blood amassment. The use of herbs traditionally ascribed to other conformations in the context of Yangming disease, such as chai hu, fu zi, ma huang and gui zhi, will be explained with an emphasis on differential diagnosis.
- Class 11 and 12: April 10-11, 2027, 9 AM - 12:30 PM PST
Cost and cancellation policy above
Class 11: Yangming lines 240-262
In this class we will explore the end of the Yangming chapter. The lines meander through dry patterns such as the patterns of blood dryness, bound stool or straightened spleen; and further treatment of damp patterns such as jaundice and diarrhea. By expanding on the inter-relatedness of Yangming and Taiyin, we will explore how such drastically different presentations all belong to Yangming.
Class 12: Shaoyang and Taiyin, Warming and Cooling the Dawn, lines 263-280
The Shaoyang and Taiyin chapters are rather short; they are also in an internal/external relationship with each other, all Shaoyang formulae containing a Taiyin formula within them. These two chapters are also contiguous, and the passage from Shaoyang to Taiyin marks the patient's degradation into a yin conformation. For these reasons, it is excellent to study these chapters side by side. Together, they encompass the entirety of the Tai Ji circle: the east, the west, and their reaching to south and north respectively. Shaoyang and Taiyin physiology are closely related to the physiology of the Dawn decoctions of the Tang Ye Jing. By a process of back and forth comparison and analysis, we can come to a detailed and refined understanding of the relationship between ministerial fire and nutritive.
- Class 13 and 14: April 24-25, 2027, 9 AM - 12:30 PM PST
Cost and cancellation policy above
Class 13: Shaoyin Pivot, Si Ni Fa and the Use of Aconite, lines 281-305
This class will present the nature of the Shaoyin pivot, and its central importance for life and for understanding the Shang Han Za Bing Lun. The lines present the nature and presentation of Shaoyin disease, as well as its resolution and complications. Because of the central nature of the use of fu zi in Shaoyin treatment, we will spend some time on its proper prescription, safe use and preparation, including more complicated uses in heat patterns and patterns with obstructions. Our shaoyin formula study will begin with a variety of shaoyin manifestations, ranging from the more commonly thought of cold to hot.
Class 14: the Red Bird, Shaoyin lines 306-325
We continue our study of Shaoyin with the treatment of hot patterns associated with the Zhu Niao /Red Bird formulae of the Tang Ye Jing. The lines will take us through the treatment of diarrhea, sore throat and sores, before a focused exposé on the treatment of severe yang deficiency requiring aconite. We will learn to differentiate, use and prescribe these almost identical formulae, and learn to dose each ingredient with a minute precision that must match the patient's symptoms. These lines will also be an opportunity to continue to learn to use fu zi - not just in the obvious, cold patterns, but also those which display heat on the surface, hiding a cold interior.
- Class 15 and 16: May 9-10, 2027, 9 AM - 12:30 PM PST
Cost and cancellation policy above
Class 15: Blood Collapse and Reversal, Jueyin lines 326-349
This class begins our study of Jueyin, the realm of blood, the product of the merging of yang into yin in Shaoyin. We will spend time exploring the nature of blood, working backwards from the lines. Reversal constitutes the final stage of disease in Shan Han Lun theory. Instead of the blood being fresh and filled with life, as is suiting to the easter quadrant and its association with Spring, it becomes devoid of life. This is the effect of a chain of processes taking place in the conformations that precede Jueyin; as such, the treatment of Jueyin conditions can take many forms, depending on which conformation(s) are most at fault. These lines will define reversal, as well as present its complications and signs of recovery or aggravation.
Class 16: Jueyin lines 350-381
Continuing the Jueyin chapter, we turn to herbal treatment. Very importantly, a number of formulae deal with the complex task of revitalizing the blood. As we will see, such a feat involves treating several conformations at once, and as such this chapter is great preparation for the study of the Shang Han Lun's companion book, the Jin Gui Yao Lue. The chapter also discusses at length the treatment of dysenteric patterns.
- Class 17 and 18: May 29-30, 2027, 9 AM - 12:30 PM PST
Cost and cancellation policy above
Class 17: Sudden Turmoil, Yin-Yang Exchange and Taxation Relapse, Introduction to Complex Disease and the Jin Gui Yao Lue, lines 382-398
The final chapters of the Shang Han Lun are, in a way, premises to the Jin Gui Yao Lue, since they are arranged around diseases rather than a specific conformation. The "sudden turmoil" chapter, for example, will teach us the differential diagnosis of disorders presenting as sudden diarrhea and vomiting; the "taxation relapse" chapter presents possible ways in which a patient can have a relapse, and how to treat it. This is the perfect conclusion to our study of the Shang Han Lun; after dissecting pathology into conformations, and mastering the intricacies of each, the reader is now ready to fluidly navigate complex diseases. We will conclude our study by opening it to an introduction to the diseases of the Jin Gui Yao Lue, and how the latter utilizes Shang Han Lun theory. In this sense, the Jin Gui Yao Lue and the Shang Han Lun cross-reference each other...
Class 18: Case presentations and wrap-up
Our class series will end with time for questions, and to visit any related topics of interest to the class, that may have emerged during our course of study. In addition, students will present a case which will be discussed by the class.