Introduction to Sociology – Course Syllabus Bedford High School 2012-13
Site: https://mail.bedford.k12.ma.us/~dennis_walsh/
COURSE OVERVIEW
Introduction to Sociology is an elective course that studies human society, social structure, and social behavior. It is a level 4 course where students are required to demonstrate the ability to read actively and purposefully at a high level. Also, students will demonstrate the ability to make meaningful connections and think critically about the social world by sharing information in multiple forms including: written, oral, and through a variety of media and technological means. Students will be required to consistently engage effectively in class discussion and express their knowledge and understanding with clarity and purpose.
UNIT OUTLINE:
*events may lead to changes in the order of units, but Units I-III are essential to begin with for establishing a sociological perspective
Unit I. Thinking Sociologically
Unit II History of Sociology
Unit III Culture and Socialization
Unit IV Social Institutions: Politics
Unit V Deviance, Criminal Justice System
Unit VI Social Class, Stratification, and Inequality
Unit VII Collective Behaviors
Unit VIII Social Institutions: Choice
Unit IX Population
Unit X Choice
SKILL DEVELOPMENT: The Bedford High School Social Studies department has been working toward incorporating many of the important elements of content area materials into a skills based curriculum. The skills that we will be working to develop include: critical thinking, informed decision-making, the development of research skills, the application of technology in the classroom, and effective communication.
Critical Thinking Skills: Students in Sociology will be instructed to think critically and apply reasoning to their understanding of history. We will specifically focus on understanding cause and effect, comparison, and generalization reasoning. We will be working on systematically applying techniques to decision making. Additionally, we will look at the relationship between cultural values and social structure. The values pairs that we will focus on to make these critical evaluations include: Liberty and Order, Capitalism and Centralization, Democracy and Authority, Individualism and Collectivism, and Equality and Hierarchy.
Active Learning and Communication Skills: Students in Sociology will be expected to read actively and purposefully at a high level. Critical research and evaluation of evidence is another important skill that we work on developing in this class. We will critique others’ arguments and work on developing and supporting our own arguments. Students will express their ideas and knowledge in oral and written forms as well as using a variety of media and technology.
RULES AND EXPECTATIONS
We can develop a positive, inclusive, and engaging learning environment and experience academic success when everyone follows the following rules. Your class participation grade is directly tied into your ability to follow these rules.
1. All BHS Handbook rules/policies apply. Pay special attention to understanding the electronic device policies, attendance policies, homework and make-up policies, social and civic expectations, and the academic honor code.
2. Follow instructions: Those given by me, administrators, staff and substitute teachers.
3. Come to class on time, prepared, and ready to work. I will post instructions daily; you will need to follow them without prompting. Failure to meet this expectation can result in academic and administrative penalties.
4. Respect the classroom and your classmates: I’ll treat you with respect and consideration and it’s expected that you will treat peers and adults in a courteous and respectful manner. This classroom is ours, not mine or yours alone.
5. Keep the classroom clean. You should do the same throughout the building
6. Group work. We often work in groups. Sometimes the assignment is informal and quick; sometimes it is as part of a major assignment. Successful group activities require cooperation and that each member pulls her/his own weight.
7. Everyone is expected to consistently ask questions and participate in class and group discussions. Participation is graded.
8. Shared work is unethical unless authorized.
9. Students are expected to add to the learning environment. They are not expected to or allowed to detract from it.
10. When possible, try to take chances that allow yourself and others to grow
COURSE MATERIALS
Bring the following to every class:
·Notebook and/or Ipads, Appropriate Writing Materials, Organized assignments, work, & readings
GRADING
I use numerous means of evaluating your learning. Among these means are homework assignments, papers, projects, tests, quizzes, presentations and class participation. Assignments vary in number of points. The greater the number of points, the greater the value of the assignment. For instance, a single nights homework is worth 10 points, a quiz could be 10-50 points, and a major assignment could be 100 points. Class participation, which emphasizes active learning and effective communicating is assessed every week and is a major element of the overall grade. Students have passed or failed my class simply because of their class participation. The BHS Academic Learning Expectations are used to assess participation.
COMMUNICATION INFORMATION
Website: My website can be found through the staff directory. You can find many course materials including unit outlines, worksheets and some articles on the web site.
First Class Email: Your first class email is your “work email.” You need to check your first class email regularly as that is how I communicate with you outside of class.