School District: Bremen School District 228
Department: Social Studies
Course: Psychology
Unit #/Title: Social Structure
Grade Level: 11/12
Interactions
Topic Area: Groups & Social
Time Frame: 3 weeks
Date Created: 2006
Date Modified: 2010-11
Unit Designers: Eric Mollin, Jodie Hausken, Jim Curtin, Robert Reiser, Steve Kushner
Stage 1 – Desired Results: Begin with the end in mind by identifying what students should
know and be able to do.
Content Standard(s):
A-Compare characteristics of culture as reflected in language, literature, the arts, traditions, and
institutions.
B-Understand the roles and interactions of individuals and groups in society.
C-Understand how social systems form and develop over time.
Summary of the Unit:
Unit 4 covers social structure and groups.
Enduring Understanding(s) / goal(s)
Students will understand:
-They have several statuses and roles in society.
-They belong to several groups in society.
- how culture and social structures are related
- compare and contrast preindustrial, industrial,
and postindustrial societies
Essential Questions:
1. Explanation: What is the difference
between an ascribed and achieved
status?
2. Interpretation: What is the impact of
groupthink in decision making?
3. Application: How has technology
impacted social interactions?
4. Perspective: How would Bremen high
School look/feel to you if you moved
to Oak Forest High School?
5. Empathy: How would you feel to be in
an out-group in high school?
6. Self-knowledge: What role strains and
role conflicts do you endure in
society?
Key Words:
Statuses, roles, ascribed status, achieved status, role conflict, role strain, role performance, social
interaction, rights, obligation, group, primary group, secondary group, reference group, in-group,
out-group, social network, social interaction, group think.
Student objectives (outcomes):
Students will be able to:
1. Identify and illustrate the concepts of social structure.
2. Discuss how statuses and roles are related to social structure.
3. Describe the five types of social interaction.
Students will know:
1. The definitions of group and social category.
2. Major characteristics of the different types of groups.
______________________________________________________________________________
Students will be familiar with:
Role reversal, cooperation, conflict, social exchange, coercion and conformity, social aggregate.
Stage 2 – Assessment Evidence: Establish evidence of student understanding through
Performance Tasks and other assessments.
Performance Task (GRASP):
Other Evidence:
Social interactions in the 21st century: Students
will act as psychologists asked to write an
article about how technology (texting, internet,
Facebook…) has impacted social interactions
amongst teenagers. In addition, students will
debate whether it has benefited or hindered
these interactions.
Vocabulary Quizzes
Group Discussions
Stage 3 – Learning Plan: Create learning experiences and instruction that promote student
understanding through the WHERETO process.
Learning Activities:
What sequence of teaching and learning experiences will equip students to develop and
demonstrate the desired understandings?
W = How will you ensure that all students know where they are headed in the unit, why they are
headed there, and how they will be evaluated?
Lesson plan objectives provided.
Rubrics will be used as an assessment tool.
UbD Stage 1 “Identifying Desired Results” provided for students.
UbD Stage 1 “Identifying Desired Results” will be assessed as short answer, essay, unit test, etc
H = How will you hook students at the beginning of the unit? (Unit Specific)
Read the poem, We and They by Rudyard Kipling which discusses the difference between ingroups and out-groups.
E = What events will help students experience and explore the big idea and questions in the unit?
How will you equip them with the needed skills and knowledge? (Unit Specific)
Students will create a chart of their ascribed and achieved statuses at the current moment. They
will then create a chart for 20 years in the future to predict how their lives will manifest.
Students will be asked to discuss how technology today has impacted their social interactions
with friends, family, and loved ones
R = How will you cause students to reflect and rethink? How will you guide them in rehearsing,
revising, and refining their work?
Students will participate in journal entries.
Students will be exposed to quizzes and self correct assessments with provided rubrics
E = How will you help students to exhibit and self-evaluate their growing skills, knowledge, and
understanding throughout the unit? (Unit Specific)
Students will journal about their role strains and role conflicts in high school and how they are
able to manage their many responsibilities in life.
T = How will you tailor and otherwise personalize the learning plan to optimize the engagement
and effectiveness of ALL students, without compromising the goals of the unit?
Multiple intelligence research will be utilized in creating assessments.
EPAS reading scores will assist teachers in tailoring instruction and assessment.
Students will be given a variety of assessment choices.
O = How will you organize and sequence the learning activities to optimize the engagement and
achievement of ALL students? (Unit Specific)
Students will be exposed to all of the theories and research prior to making connections to their
everyday life.