Connecticut Technical High Schools
SOCIAL STUDIES CURRICULUM
2009
Sociology
Grade 12
1
Connecticut Technical High School System
Sociology
I.
DESCRIPTION OF THE COURSE
(1 credit or ½ credit) Sociology introduces students to the study of social behavior from an individual,
group, institutional perspective. Students will examine the role of the individual as a member of primary
and secondary groups, as well as a member of society. Students will explore key aspects of their culture
such as norms, values and belief systems. Throughout the year, connections are made between the course
content and the student’s trade and technical program. Students will review sociological research, take
part in discussions, demonstrations and exercises as well as engage in group projects. – Activities as
designed to foster student understanding and awareness of important sociological concepts.
II.
PURPOSE OF THE COURSE
To give students an understanding of human social behavior from a individual and a group perspective.
III. GOALS
Students, independently and collaboratively, will be expected to:
1. Describe the development of sociology as a social science, by identifying methods and strategies
of research and by examining the contributions of sociology to the understanding of social issues.
2. Examine the transmission and influence of culture (socialization) on the individual within the
group.
3. Identify how social status influences individual and group behaviors and how that status relates to
the position a person occupies within a social group.
4. Explore the impact of social groups on individual and group behavior.
5. Analyze the effects of social institutions on individual and group behavior.
6. Examine the changing nature of society.
7. Analyze a range of social problems in today’s world.
8. Examine the role of the individual as a member of the community.
IV. MATERIALS CITED
Sociology The Study of Human Relationships, HOLT
Sociology and You, Glencoe
V. STUDENT OUTCOMES
Students must show evolving competence in their ability to:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
2
Read, discuss and respond critically to multiple types of primary and secondary texts;
Write to describe, explain and persuade;
Work cooperatively;
Express ideas verbally in discussion and presentations;
Analyze critical issues;
Research and investigate;
Organize and reflect social studies concepts and content.
SOCIOLOGY
LEARNER OUTCOMES/ASSESSMENTS
Unit 1: Foundations of Sociology
Goal: Students will demonstrate an understanding of the development of sociology by utilizing sociological
perspective/imagination while identifying components and function of group structure.
Big Idea(s):
Sociology investigates human social behavior from a group rather than an individual perspective. It concentrates on
patterns of social relationships. Sociology is the scientific study of patterned social behavior.
A sociological perspective is a view that looks at behavior of groups rather than individuals.
Sociological imagination is the ability to see the link between society and self ( to see the relationship between events in
their personal lives and events in their society). Individuals can benefit by using their sociological imaginations to
critically analyze events in their personal lives.
Groups force the need for rules and procedures.
Essential Question(s):
What is sociology?
What does it mean to have a sociological imagination? How can it be used as a tool?
What is sociological perspective?
What sociological perspectives are currently utilized?
Students will:
Literacy 1. Define and apply key
vocabulary/concepts. Suggested
strategies:
 Paraphrase/summarize
 Compare/contrast
 Classify
 Categorize
 Discuss/explain
 Illustrate
 Demonstrate
 Reflect/relate
 Infer
Examine the contributions of leading
theorists/pioneers within the field of
sociology such as:
 Auguste Comte
 Emile Durkheim
 Herbert Spencer
 Max Weber
 C. Wright Mills
 Karl Marx
 Jane Addams
 W.E.B. DuBois
 Margaret Meade
 Jane Goodall
 Mother Theresa
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Learning Outcomes
As evidenced by written, oral and/or performance:
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Vocabulary journals
Narrative descriptions
2-3 Column Notes (i.e. term/definition/illustrate/paraphrase/relate)
Lincs/Frayer
Visual representation (i.e concept diagram/map, graph, chart,
drawing, poster, comic strip, cartoon)
Discussion
Oral presentation
Short answer
Essay
Description or explanation of the evolution of sociological perspective:
1. In expert groups, assign a theorist/pioneer

Research the background, philosophy and accomplishments/
studies
 Relate his ideas to a current study
 Give a presentation on the theorists
2. Write a functional resume on a theorist- write a paragraph on each skill
3. Identify a job that the theorists would have in 2010
Resources:
Article- Body Rituals of the Nacerima
Storybook- Real Story of the Big Bad Wolf – model sociological perspective.
Movie- Lord of the Flies or Reality Show- KidNation– group dynamics- power of the group
Clueless –Various groups in high school setting identified.
“Survivor” simulation.
Resume template.
Extension Activity: Student create their own version of the Nacerima article describing another ritual of American
culture
i.e. from student’s trade program.
Common Formative Assessment(s)
Summative District Assessment(s)
Teacher generated
To be determined
4
Unit 2: Culture
Goal: Students will examine and identify the components and influences of American mainstream culture on the
individual.
Big Idea(s):
Culture defines the values, beliefs and norms that shape individual and group behavior. Human behavior is influenced
by society.
Culture defines how people behave in relation to groups and physical objects.
Human behavior is learned within society.
Through culture, individuals learn the norms associated with relationships, structures, patterns, and processes necessary
to become a member of mainstream society.
Essential Question(s):
What are the essential components of culture?
How do group norms, values and beliefs shape human behavior? How are they reinforced?
Why is it important to recognize cultural universals and to appreciate diversity?
Does ethnocentrism help or hurt society?
Learning Outcomes
Students will:
As evidenced by written, oral and/or
performance:
Literacy 1. Define and apply key vocabulary/concepts: norms, group
 Vocabulary journals
norms, social norms, values, beliefs, culture, subculture, heredity,
 Narrative descriptions
assimilation, ethnocentrism, accommodation, material, nonmaterial,
 2-3 Column Notes (i.e.
cultural universals, diversity, tangible. Suggested strategies:
term/definition/illustrate/paraphrase/re
 Paraphrase/summarize
late)
 Compare/contrast
 Lincs/Frayer
 Classify
 Visual representation (i.e concept
 Categorize
diagram/map, graph, chart, drawing,
 Discuss/explain
poster, comic strip, cartoon)
 Illustrate
 Discussion
 Demonstrate
 Oral presentation
 Reflect/relate
 Short answer
 Infer
 Essay
Identify and apply the components (material and nonmaterial) of
Provide examples of cultural components
culture to mainstream America.
(material and nonmaterial) in daily life and
how society reinforces its value i.e. value of
work, education, family, religion, privacy,
private ownership, personal space etc.
Identify the diversity of cultural values within American society
through identified subgroups and regions.
5
Compare and contrast norms i.e.
rural/suburban/urban, regional locations
youth/adult, classes, ethnic groups and
religion, etc.
Identify subcultures and explore their variations. Describe what
makes them unique. Explain how society responds to their needs:
1. Demographic
 children
 adolescence
 adult
 geriatric individuals
2. Ethnic
 African American
 Asian
 Hispanics
 Middle Eastern
3. Religious
 Buddhism
 Christian
 Hinduism
 Judaism
 Muslim
4. Social
 Socially alternative lifestyles
 Cults
 Gangs
 Hippies
Identify various types of social norms: folkways, mores, and laws
and explain why these rules of behavior are essential in maintaining a
stable society.
 Social Control
 Sanctions – Rewards and punishments
 Conformity to norms
Compare and contrast different types of societies, such as hunting
and gathering, agrarian, industrial, and post-industrial.
Describe a subculture’s
characteristics
Analyze folkways, mores, and laws and
evaluate the consequences for each. Compare
and contrast sanctions for each behavior.
Map types of societies with supporting details
Relate to their trade, the opportunities it
provides and the society we live in
Research to identify a modern hunter and
gathering society today. Locate an article.
Present to class.
Resources:
Rituals of the Nacirema handout.
Culture Box activity.
Normbreaking project- hand-on research project
Watch
a TVActivity:
program or commercial- Describe the values program is trying to communicate
Extension
Common Formative Assessment(s)
Teacher generated
6
Summative District Assessment(s)
To be determined
Unit 3: Socialization
Goal: Students will explore the impact of social groups on individual and group behavior.
Big Idea(s):
Social groups are comprised of people who share some similar characteristics, such as common interests, beliefs,
behavior, emotions, perspectives, purpose and time with each other.
Groups help to socialize the individual and its members by sharing common goals and characteristics.
Essential Question(s):
How does family shape the individual’s development?
How do social groups influence individuals’ sense of self formally and informally? (neighborhood friend v. preschool)
Explain how you are a product of your cultural environment?
Learning Outcomes
Students will:
As evidenced by written, oral and/or
performance:
Literacy 1. Define and apply key vocabulary/concepts. Suggested
 Vocabulary journals
strategies:
 Narrative descriptions
 Paraphrase/summarize
 2-3 Column Notes (i.e.
 Compare/contrast
term/definition/illustrate/paraphrase/relat
 Classify
e)
 Categorize
 Lincs/Frayer
 Discuss/explain
 Visual representation (i.e concept
diagram/map, graph, chart, drawing,
 Illustrate
poster, comic strip, cartoon)
 Demonstrate
 Discussion
 Reflect/relate
 Oral presentation
 Infer
 Short answer
 Essay
Describe the effects of extreme isolation on children.
Case Study analysis: Genie, the Story of the
Wild Child
View documentary, write case study (groups of 2
-3) and then compare/contrast professional
intervention to student created treatment plan.
Analyze the role/influence that family, school, media, peers have in
Concept map of primary groups function and
socializing the individual:
examples illustrating the impact on the
individual.
 Primary groups
 Secondary groups
Describe social norms of at least two secondary
groups to which the student belongs.
Expected behaviors and norms/values
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Connecticut Technical High School System
DRAFT Sociology
Analyze the way agents of socialization influence our concept of
Analyze children’s stories or movies to
gender.
determine how gender roles are portrayed.
Identify major characteristics of primary and secondary social
Create a definition for family and identify its
groups familiar to the students:
responsibilities to the members.
1. Various types of families
Draw kitchen table and where each member sits.
a. Role of the family- what is it supposed to do?
Analyze power structure.
b. Roles, interactions, leadership:
i. Coercion
Identify and analyze a personality trait. What is
ii. Conformity
the perceived source of this trait.
c. Power structure within the family
d. Effect on the development of the individual i.e. (Positive/Negative personality traits)
personality, values and norms.
Presentation of secondary group’s role, structure,
e. Analyze what can occur when the rules of
and function.
behavior are broken, and analyze the possible
consequences for unacceptable behavior.
Flow chart of secondary group’s responsibilities.
f. Function and dysfunction i.e. child abuse
2. Various type of secondary groups i.e. sports teams,
school, religious, work
a. Role, structure and function
b. Roles and responsibilities of the individual
Resources:
PBS special on Elliott's famous 'blue eyes/brown eyes'- A Class Divided, Now and Then:
Producer William Peters, in this first chapter of his book A Class Divided: Then and Now (Yale University Press, 1987),
relates the story behind Jane Elliott's decision to teach a daring "blue-eyes/brown-eyes" lesson in discrimination to her
class of third graders. On-line video http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/divided/etc/friday.html
Film – Blues Brothers (Four Star Restaurant scene), Genie, the Story of the Wild Child, PBS
Children’s book- Oliver Buttons, Tommy dePaola
Audio or Book - Politically Correct Bedtime Stories
Media – Ads/commercials
Halloween costumes
Toys
Mannequins/store displays
Extension Activity:
Children’s Literature analysis: Examine the text, pictures and theme of a children’s book and discuss the socialization
vehicle. What messages are given about society’s expected roles. Identify one assumption about society that is not
evident in the text.
Common Formative Assessment(s)
Summative District Assessment(s)
Compose a children’s story that challenges or reinforces society’s
To be determined
traditional gender roles.
8
Connecticut Technical High School System
DRAFT Sociology
Unit 4: Social Status and Stratification
Goal: Students will identify how social status influences individual and group behaviors and how status relates to the
role a person plays in a social group.
Big Idea(s):
Status and roles influence an individual or groups’ position, power, rights and obligations within society.
Essential Question(s):
How is status determined?
How are roles defined?
What influences do status and roles have on individual or group behavior?
Learning Outcomes
Students will:
As evidenced by written, oral and/or performance:
Literacy 1. Define and apply key
 Vocabulary journals
vocabulary/concepts. Suggested strategies:
 Narrative descriptions
 Paraphrase/summarize
 2-3 Column Notes (i.e.
 Compare/contrast
term/definition/illustrate/paraphrase/relate)
 Classify
 Lincs/Frayer
 Categorize
 Visual representation (i.e concept diagram/map, graph,
 Discuss/explain
chart, drawing, poster, comic strip, cartoon)
 Illustrate
 Discussion
 Demonstrate
 Oral presentation
 Reflect/relate
 Short answer
 Infer
 Essay
Define social stratification and how it affects human Conduct research on the various types of status found in your
motivations and opportunities:
local community using demographic data: age, gender, race,
ethnicity, etc.
 Economic and socioeconomic factors:
o Upper
Compare and contrast average income, educational levels, life
o Middle
expectancy, incarceration, pregnancy rates, drug use.
o Working
Written hypothesis of social stratification projection based on
o Underclasses
demographic data.
 Racial and Ethnic relations
 Social Mobility:
o Equalization of opportunity through
education
o Connection to trade/career choice
Resources:
CBS News Article, Sunday Morning: A Graffiti Artist Goes Mainstream:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/02/08/sunday/main4783448.shtml?source=search_story
Extension Activity:
Identify a individual who has exceeded social stratification expectations and analyze and evaluate the motivators and
opportunities that were the catalyst for upward mobility. (President Obama, Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Michael
Jordan, KAWS etc.)
Common Formative Assessment(s)
Summative District Assessment(s)
Teacher generated
To be determined
9
Connecticut Technical High School System
DRAFT Sociology
Unit 5: Social Institutions
Goal: Students will analyze the effects of social institutions on individual and group behavior.
Big Idea(s):
Social institutions are formal groups that influence the socialization of the individual through participation.
Social institutional are designed to facilitate a stable society.
Essential Question(s):
What similar characteristics do social institutions share?
What are the most important agents of socialization?
How do social institutions facilitate a stable society?
Learning Outcomes
Students will:
As evidenced by written, oral and/or performance:
Literacy 1. Define and apply key
vocabulary/concepts. Suggested strategies:
 Paraphrase/summarize
 Compare/contrast
 Classify
 Categorize
 Discuss/explain
 Illustrate
 Demonstrate
 Reflect/relate
 Infer
Discuss how societies recognize rites of passage:
 Baptism or other religious ceremonies
 School prom
 Graduation
 Marriage
 Retirement
Discuss the concept of political power and factors
that influence political power:
 Social class
 Racial/ethnic group membership
 Sex and gender
 Cultural group
Investigate stereotypes of various United States
subcultures:
 Native Americans
 Adolescence
 Americans
 Organized Crime
 Hippies
 Gay and Lesbian
10
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

Vocabulary journals
Narrative descriptions
2-3 Column Notes (i.e.
term/definition/illustrate/paraphrase/relate)
 Lincs/Frayer
 Visual representation (i.e concept diagram/map, graph,
chart, drawing, poster, comic strip, cartoon)
 Discussion
 Oral presentation
 Short answer
 Essay
Discuss a rite of passage that a student or family member has
experienced. Identify the process and explain the significance of
the benchmark and its implications for the future.
Create a rite of passage. Describing the process,
ceremonies/rituals and the implications for the future.
(Marriage=Children, Graduation=Career/Post Secondary
Education, etc.)
Political Cartoon/Poster (traditional v. nontraditional)
Oral presentation discussing why specific images or messages
were utilized.
Brainstorm stereotypes linked to identified groups (Gallery walk)
and its source.
Research an event in which a specific group was discriminated
against in American history. Discuss whether or not these
stereotypes are still present in American society and if the
prejudice or discrimination still exists.
Connecticut Technical High School System
DRAFT Sociology
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
Geriatric Individuals
Minority groups
from a world perspective, identifying prejudice
and discrimination against these groups.
Define ethnocentrism and explain how it can be
beneficial or destructive to a culture.
Interpret the factors that influence change in
social norms over time.
Case study of:
Children’s March, Nazi Germany, Civil Rights movement,
Women’s movement, Rwandan genocide, Child labor laws,
Worker’s rights, identifying the pros and cons.
Analysis of how media, technology, communication, trade,
education, etc. have transformed American society.
Analyze the primary and secondary groups
common to different age groups in society.
Timeline of technological change, identifying pros and cons.
Compare and contrast primary/secondary groups of different age
groups in America.
Conduct research and analysis on an issue
associated with social structure or social
institutions.
Demonstrate democratic approaches to managing
disagreements and solving conflicts:
 Persuasion
 Compromise
 Debate
 Negotiation
Demonstrate democratic approaches to managing
disagreements and solving conflicts:
 Persuasion
 Compromise
 Debate
 Negotiation
Healthcare in America: The Haves and the Have Nots
Achievement Gap in Education and Disparities Among Financial
Support
Identify a current conflict and develop a resolution through the use
of :
 Persuasion
 Compromise
 Debate
 Negotiation
Identify a current conflict and develop a resolution through the use
of :




Persuasion
Compromise
Debate
Negotiation
Resources:
Southern Poverty Law Center: Hate in America (Video/Texts highlighting discrimination)
Documentary Film: Little Rock Central, 50 Years Later
HBO Documentary Film: Prom Night in Mississippi featuring Morgan Freeman
Extension Activity:
Revise a current social institution to better meet the needs of the individual and American society.
Common Formative Assessment(s)
Teacher generated
11
Summative District Assessment(s)
To be determined
Connecticut Technical High School System
DRAFT Sociology
Unit 6: Deviance and Social Control
Goal: Students will examine the nature and social function of deviance from multiple perspectives. Students analyze
the impact of social control on deviance and crime.
Big Idea(s):
Deviance is the violation of social norms. People may have different perspectives on what constitutes deviant behavior.
An act is deviant only if other people label it as such.
Deviance has both negative and positive consequences for society.
Deviance is a natural occurrence; the behavior may be learned or transmitted culturally.
Social inequality affects deviance. Crime statistics support the conflict theory.
Essential Question(s):
What is deviance and why is it difficult to define?
How are the main sociological perspectives on deviance consistent and contradictory?
What are the costs of deviance on a society?
Learning Outcomes
As evidenced by written, oral and/or performance:
Students will:
Literacy 1. Define and apply key
vocabulary/concepts. Suggested strategies:
 Paraphrase/summarize
 Compare/contrast
 Classify
 Categorize
 Discuss/explain
 Illustrate
 Demonstrate
 Reflect/relate
 Infer
12
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Vocabulary journals
Narrative descriptions
2-3 Column Notes (i.e.
term/definition/illustrate/paraphrase/relate)
Lincs/Frayer
Visual representation (i.e concept diagram/map, graph,
chart, drawing, poster, comic strip, cartoon)
Discussion
Oral presentation
Short answer
Essay
Connecticut Technical High School System
DRAFT Sociology
Discuss the concept of deviance and how society
discourages deviant behavior using social
control:
 Major types of social control:
o Role of internalization, norms
and values in the family, the
education system and society.
 Positive and negative consequences of
deviance.
 Conflict theory of deviance:
o Deviance in industrial society
o Race, ethnicity and crimeRelationship between minorities,
white-collar crime and the
judicial system.
 Crime and punishment: gender
differences
o Crime statistics (FBI Census
bureau)
o Crime controlifnder differences
 Juvenile Delinquency:
o Crime statistics
o Crime controlify
Define deviance and discuss similarities and differences among
definitions. Definitions should included examples of deviant
behavior exhibited by adolescents.
Compare and contrast the levels of severity used to maintain social
control.



Parents/Family
School/Workplace
Laws/Court System/Correctional Institutions
Analyze a deviant behavior i.e., Civil War, Women’s Suffrage,
Civil Rights, anti-war movements. Evaluate its impact on
American society from negative and positive perspectives.
Examine the role of power and deviance from a “have” and “have
not” perspective.
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Law enforcement
Politicians
Celebrities
Homeless
Minority
Poverty
Develop a criminal profile illustrating the person’s gender, race,
age, and economic status and identify the crimes most likely to be
committed by that profile.
Research penal systems’ structure, rehabilitation programs and
institutional culture, i.e. guest speaker, field experiences.
13
Connecticut Technical High School System
DRAFT Sociology
Unit 7: Collective Behavior
Goal: Students will examine collective behavior and its influence in the community.
Big Idea(s):
Collective behavior takes many forms, i.e. crowds, mobs, riots, mass hysteria, fashion and fads, rumors, legends, and
public opinion. Some pre conditions of collective behavior are explained by loss of individualism, unclear standards of
behavior, and or culmination of previous occurrences. Communities are a reflection of collective behavior.
Essential Question(s):
How does collective behavior differ?
What are the explanations for collective behavior?
What preconditions needed for collective behavior to occur and how do they build on one another?
How do the contagion, emergent-norm, and value-added theories illustrate the factors that contribute to collective
behavior.
Learning Outcomes
Students will:
As evidenced by written, oral and/or performance:
Literacy 1. Define and apply key
vocabulary/concepts. Suggested
strategies:
 Paraphrase/summarize
 Compare/contrast
 Classify
 Categorize
 Discuss/explain
 Illustrate
 Demonstrate
 Reflect/relate
 Infer
Describe traditions, roles, and
expectations necessary for a
community to continue.
Describe how collective behavior
(working in groups) can influence
and change society. Use historical
and contemporary examples to
define collective behavior.
Discuss theories that attempt to
explain collective behavior.
Identify a social issue to be
analyzed.
14
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







Vocabulary journals
Narrative descriptions
2-3 Column Notes (i.e. term/definition/illustrate/paraphrase/relate)
Lincs/Frayer
Visual representation (i.e concept diagram/map, graph, chart, drawing,
poster, comic strip, cartoon)
Discussion
Oral presentation
Short answer
Essay
Discuss the traditions, roles, and expectations necessary for a community to
continue and utilize current events to illustrate how the community is adapting.
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
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
9/11
Iraq
Afghanistan
Natural disaster areas
Pandemic occurrences
Present a historical/contemporary snapshot of collective behaviors. Describe
how the occurrence influenced and changed society.




Montgomery Bus Boycott
Woodstock
9/11
Fashion/Trends
Case study analysis based on contagion, emergent-norm, or value-added
theories.
Evaluate the cause and effect relationship between a social issue and collective
behavior, i.e.: healthcare reform, achievement gap in education, teen pregnancy,
Iraq/Afghanistan conflicts, and/or gun control and street violence.
Connecticut Technical High School System
DRAFT Sociology
Predict a collective behavior that may result if social issue is not resolved.
Examine factors that could lead to
the breakdown and disruption of an
existing community.
Analyze urban and rural communities in America. Identify their struggles and
issues. Discuss how the communities have been impacted by social and
economic factors.
Discuss the impact of leaders of
different social movements.
Research and present the influence a leader had on a social movement. Discuss
how they became involved; compare/contrast their approach with other
strategies. Evaluate their impact.
Define propaganda and discuss the
methods of propaganda used to
influence social behavior.
Advertisement analysis used to influence social behavior, i.e. political
commercials, sales campaigns, TV and movie promotions, military video
recruitment.
Develop a form of propaganda for a social issue of choice.
Investigate how incorrect
communications, such as rumors or
gossip, can influence group
behavior.
Role Play – Develop scenario in which learning process would be disrupted
because of incorrect information, i.e.: lockdown, bomb scare, early release, fire,
fight. Tell one student and record student response/behavior as incorrect
information is dispersed.
Resources:
Extension Activity:
Start a new fashion or trend in school. Analyze and evaluate the impact of this movement on collective behavior within
the school.
Common Formative Assessment(s)
Teacher generated
15
Summative District Assessment(s)
To be determined
Connecticut Technical High School System
DRAFT Sociology
Unit 8: Social Problems
Goal: Students will analyze a range of social problems in today’s world.
Big Idea(s):
Social problems result from imbalances within the social system and affect a large number of people in an adverse way.
Essential Question(s):
What are the characteristics of a social problem? What are the major imbalances within a society that give rise to a
social problem? What is the relationship between social institutions and social problems?
Learning Outcomes
Students will:
As evidenced by written, oral and/or performance:
Literacy 1. Define and apply key
vocabulary/concepts. Suggested
strategies:
 Paraphrase/summarize
 Compare/contrast
 Classify
 Categorize
 Discuss/explain
 Illustrate
 Demonstrate
 Reflect/relate
 Infer
Identify characteristics of a “social”
problem, as opposed to an “individual”
problem.
Describe how social problems have
changed over time.
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Vocabulary journals
Narrative descriptions
2-3 Column Notes (i.e. term/definition/illustrate/paraphrase/relate)
Lincs/Frayer
Visual representation (i.e concept diagram/map, graph, chart,
drawing, poster, comic strip, cartoon)
Discussion
Oral presentation
Short answer
Essay
Chart the similarities and differences between social and individual
problems, i.e.: Venn diagram.
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Minority dropout rate
Recession
Global Warming
Addiction
Poverty
Jigsaw research project – Identify a social problem and explain how it has
changed in form, perception and societal response over time.
Explain how patterns of behavior are
found with certain social problems.
Categorize specific behaviors and relate them to social problems.
Discuss the implications of social
problems for society.
Whole group brainstorming activity listing examples of social problems and
their consequences on society. May be illustrated through political cartoon.
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Immediate gratification
Connecticut Technical High School System
DRAFT Sociology
Examine how individual and group
responses are often associated with
social problems
Evaluate possible solutions to resolving
social problems and the consequences
that might result from those solutions.
Survey local agencies involved in
addressing social problems to determine
the extent of the problems in the local
community.
Research extreme sources, conservative and liberal, and discuss their
contribution to social problems.
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Animal rights
Pro-life
Christian rights
Supremacy groups
Political extremists
Develop a detailed, structured solution to a social problem that is evident on
a local, state, or national level.
Invite a guest speaker (SRO, Judge, Senator/Representative, and Specialist)
to discuss the impact of a social problem on the local community.
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Crime/Gangs
Drugs
Poverty
Unemployment
Resources:
Extension Activity:
Design and carry out school and community-based projects to address a local aspect of a social problem.
 Based on guest speaker, work to implement a positive school or community-based project to address a social
problem.
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Coat drive
Book drive
Canned food drive
Walk-a-thon for various causes
Tutorial programs
Common Formative Assessment(s)
Teacher generated
17
Summative District Assessment(s)
To be determined
Connecticut Technical High School System
DRAFT Sociology
Unit 9: Social Change
Goal: Students will examine the changing nature of society.
Big Idea(s):
Social change is a constant in society. Numerous perspectives explain the factors that cause the disruption of social
functions, resulting in social change. Some changes are minor, others are major.
Essential Question(s):
What pre conditions must be present to facilitate social change?
Why does the rate of social change differ among segments of society?
Can the beliefs, values and behaviors that led to social change ultimately become the norm in society?
Learning Outcomes
Students will:
As evidenced by written, oral and/or performance:
Literacy 1. Define and apply key
vocabulary/concepts. Suggested
strategies:
 Paraphrase/summarize
 Compare/contrast
 Classify
 Categorize
 Discuss/explain
 Illustrate
 Demonstrate
 Reflect/relate
 Infer
Describe how and why societies change
over time.
Examine various social influences that
can lead to immediate and long-term
changes.
18
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Vocabulary journals
Narrative descriptions
2-3 Column Notes (i.e. term/definition/illustrate/paraphrase/relate)
Lincs/Frayer
Visual representation (i.e concept diagram/map, graph, chart,
drawing, poster, comic strip, cartoon)
Discussion
Oral presentation
Short answer
Essay
Utilize film from a specific era and compare/contrast material and
nonmaterial changes to today.
 1950s to present day
Oral interview: Interview an elder who is at least twice your age. Discuss
the similarities and differences found in your beliefs and values regarding:
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Family
Work
Education
Freedom and rights
Economic behaviors
Race and religion
Politics
Civic responsibility
Identify what social influences lead to any disparities.
Connecticut Technical High School System
DRAFT Sociology
Describe how collective behavior
(working with others) can influence and
change society.
Within a group, create a step by step solution to a problematic situation.
Identify what obstacles the group dealt with and what components
facilitated the changes needed to be made in order to successfully address
the issue.
Examine how technological innovations
and scientific discoveries have
influenced major social institutions.
Discuss how social interactions and
culture could be affected in the future
due to innovations in science and
technological change.
Describe how the role of the mass
media has changed over time and
project what changes might occur in the
future.
Research a type of technology that has impacted the American education
system and discuss the pros and cons of its implementation in the institution.
Distinguish major differences between
social movements and collective
behavior with examples from history
and the contemporary world.
Develop a Venn diagram defining the characteristics of a social movement
and collective behavior. Compare to a Venn diagram illustrating the
components of a major social movement (anti-Vietnam movement) to an
example of collective behavior (Woodstock).
Trace the development of the use of a
specific type of technology in the
community.
Evaluate a current issue that has
resulted from scientific discoveries
and/or technological innovations.
Create a timeline illustrating the evolution of a specific type of
communication, the telephone, computer, and television.
Choose a present type technology or scientific innovation and improve upon
it. Describe how it will benefit society.
Compare and contrast the role of mass media in the Lincoln assassination –
Kennedy assassination – 9/11. Analyze the positive and negative
consequences of instant information. Predict how mass media may inform
the public of news in the future.
Analyze the unintended uses and social consequences of scientific
discoveries and or technological innovations.
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Internet – Cyber bullying, incorrect information, biased sources
Cell phones – distractions while driving, violation of social norms
Medicine – side effects, long-term effects, cost
Weapons – mass destruction, threat, biological warfare
Determine if the scientific discoveries and or technological innovations are
worth the benefits they offer society.
Resources:
Extension Activity:
Common Formative Assessment(s)
Teacher generated
19
Summative District Assessment(s)
To be determined