Essential Understandings

• Sociology is the study of societal groups, human interactions, and societal institutions
• Group interactions are based on cultural values, beliefs and norms.
• The family is the most basic unit of most societies.
• Many current social problems can be analyzed in the context of the sociological perspective.

Essential Questions:

• What is sociology?
• What are the key components of a society’s culture?
• What is the history of culture in America?
• What elements make up generational differences?
• How are we redefining race in America?
• What are some key sociological issues confronting the world?
• What careers are related to sociology?

Essential Skills

Reading -  Analyzing, Researching, Comparing, Interpreting, Summarizing

Discussing - analyzing, comparing, interpreting, problem solving

Writing - Researching, Analyzing, Interpreting, Comparing, Summarizing

Sociology

Quarter 1 or 3

Quarter 2 or 4

Reading

If the World were a Village (book)

The Sociological Perspective (book excerpt)

US Social Class Ladder (US News)

Census Outlook 2010 (NY Times)

One Day in America (Newsweek)

Marriage (Time)

The New Face of America (Newsweek)

10 Myths about Immigration (NY Times)

Generations project

New face of Poverty (USA Today)

Growing a Family Tree (Discovery)

Ellis Island (Discovery)

Insult or Honor - logos and mascots (NY Times)

Writing

Values/Norms identification

Sociological perspective

We Didn’t start the fire project

March of the Penguins

Ethnically ambiguous

Family Tree project

Income inequality/poverty in America

Healthcare issues - Sicko

Discussion

Values/norms - March of the Penguins video

Sociolological perspective

Global village

Customs/religion

Income inequality - social problems

Generations

IAT prejudice test

Race, prejudice, assimilation

Immigration, ethnicity

Family tree presentations

Vocabulary

Culture

Norms

Values

Sociology

Socialization

Sociological perspetive

Mores

Global village

Customs

Folkways

Religion

Nuclear family

Poverty line

Socioeconomic

Civil unions, cohabitation

Capitalism

Ethnicity

Race/racism

Diversity

Stereotypes

Assimilation

Segregation

Prejudice

Generational groups

Global warming/climate change

Infant mortality

Life expectancy

Minorities