Day 2, Unit 3: Socialization Unit: Rites of Passage and Nature vs. Nurture
Finish Rites of Passage discussion
 Pass back “Who am I?” quiz
 Last class, at the very end, you circles some of the rites of passage you have gone through. Let’s
share a few more.
 Are there different rites of passage depending on the different social groups of which you are a
part? To what extent are rites of passage connected to “nature?” To what extent are rites of
passage connected to “nurture?”
 Are rites of passage positive or negative?
 What rites of passage do you anticipate in your future?
 Would you have to participate in a rite of passage if it were not for other people?
 Are there any rites of passage that you have seen in your OSP book?
Secret of the Wild Child¸NOVA video
Before viewing…
ASK: What does the phrase “tabula rasa” mean to you? To what extent are we blank slates?
Brainstorm: a list of basic skills that a six-year-old has when he/she enters school for the first time
(record on board).
Preface video by saying…
The reason we are watching this video is to examine the “nature vs. nurture” debate.
There are parts of this video which you may find disturbing. If at any point you want to take a break,
just let me know and step out.
This program contains difficult emotional issues. In the fall of 1970, social workers took custody of a
13-year-old child who had spent much of her life chained to a potty chair in her bedroom. She could
not speak, walk, or respond to other people. She was called "Genie." Her case attracted psychologists
who were interested in finding out whether she could still learn to speak. At the time, some linguists,
led by MIT's Noam Chomsky, believed that human speech is a genetically programmed ability. Eric
Lenneberg, a neuropsychologist, agreed with Chomsky and added further that if a person did not learn
to speak by adolescence, then the natural ability to learn language might be lost forever. This theory
was the so-called "critical period hypothesis."
Although Genie's situation was one that scientists would never create intentionally to test their
theories, her unfortunate circumstances made her a prime candidate for experimentation. Genie was
past puberty. If she could still learn language, it would cast doubt on the critical period hypothesis.
Ultimately, Genie's caretakers were criticized for combining their research with her treatment.
After Watching
1. Discuss with your students how this show affected them. Have them write a paragraph
describing how they feel about the way Genie's parents and the psychologists treated her. How
would they have modified her treatment by the psychologists and foster parents?
After viewing, we compare the brainstorm list to Genie's skills. Then ask, at this moment what is
your position on the nature vs. nurture issue---are we who we are because we were born that way, or
does our environment make us who we are?