Foundations of Sociology Unit
$26.95
This foundations unit kicks off your course with key topics like the sociological imagination, the three perspectives, and social problems and institutions.
Challenge your students to see how sociology explains everything from the silly to the significant with this unit that asks, “How much does society affect my behavior?”
Description
This unit can be done well in 3-4 weeks and aligns with standards from various states. And all student materials come in print-and-go PDF and editable Google files!
Included in this Foundations of Sociology unit:
Overview Materials
- Teacher Unit Overview with general notes, links, standards, and a pacing guide
- Daily Lesson Plans with step-by-step details, planning, and lesson takeaways
- Detailed Answer Keys for each activity
- Student Unit Review and Skills handouts with self-checking questions and “I Can…” standards statements in student-friendly language
- Student Unit Notes sheet for building deep and nuanced mastery of concepts of the unit
- Editable Parent Permission form to inform families about sensitive topics that are covered in this unit
Student Activities
- Sociology in the Bathroom: kick off your class with this informal quiz, comparing answers about the unspoken social norms of the public restroom
- 2 Crash Course Guided Notes: provide an overview of concepts with these videos and embedded “pause and talk” real-world application tasks (perfect lecture or textbook replacement or want a flipped classroom experience)
- Social Norms in Seinfeld: analyze two episodes for social norms characters break
- Sociology’s Founders: research the main contributions of key founders and later sociologists like Jane Addams and W.E.B. Du Bois
- Sociological Imagination Research & Poster Project: ask and research the answers to the silly and the serious for the social influences for why people do what they do
- Sociological Research of Inconvenient Facts: analyze the kind of uncomfortable statistics that sociologists lean into and examine them from the three sociological perspectives
- 3 Sociological Perspectives: thoughtfully explore the statistics, survey data, and various readings on the pressing question of AI
- Social Institutions: analyze the role, norms and values, and sociological perspectives of 6 key social institutions, like family and religion
- Case Study: Deaths of Despair: investigate and discuss one deadly social problem–deaths of despair–that is currently troubling sociologists
Lecture Kit
- 80-Slide Deck: introduce concepts with images and real-life examples; broken into four 30-45-minute lectures to deliver throughout the unit
- Guided Notes & Quizzes: support and assess learning with these no-prep tools
Assessments:
- Open-Ended Essay: encapsulate understanding of concepts by forming a personalized and supported answer to the not-so-simple question, “How much does society affect my behavior?”
- Short Answer Test Questions: succinctly assess students’ mastery of concepts and application to the real world and their own lives
- Sociologist’s Journal: builds deep reflection on personal beliefs and experiences about concepts
This resource includes 114 PDF pages, plus Google files.
What grades is this intended for?
This was designed for an upper high school level course.
Can I use this in a homeschooling setting?
Sure! Everything in this kit can still be used in a solo or a small-group setting.
Is this editable? What file types does this resource come in?
The main resource is a secured, non-editable PDF file intended to be printed.
Included are links to editable Google files, to customize to your classroom needs and assign digitally if you choose.
What standards does this address?
Several! Standards vary, but this resource supports these from various states:
- Develop a definition of sociology that has personal application
- Discuss the history and development of the field of sociology
- Develop inquiry questions as they apply to the field of sociology
- Identify early leading sociologists and their contributions to the foundation and development of sociology
- Explain the three major sociological perspectives and apply them to current issues in society
- Use research and data to understand current social issues
- Evaluate the impact scientific discoveries and technological innovations have on society over time
- Describe social institutions and explain their impact on society and how they transmit the values of society
- Describe how traditions, roles, and norms are necessary for a society to function
- Identify causes, patterns, and effects of a social problem, as opposed to an individual problem
What are the terms of use for this resource?
This resource, including all ancillary files, may be used as needed for regular, non-commercial single-classroom use between a teacher and their students.
This includes printing copies and sharing digital files with students through a secure platform, like Google Classroom or Canvas, email, or a classroom-only shared drive.
The using and sharing of any part of this resource in any manner outside the above-mentioned capacity is strictly prohibited. Prohibited uses include, but are not limited to,
- posting files on the open internet or in a Facebook group
- emailing files to or sharing print copies with others (without purchasing additional licenses)
- uploading or storing files in a shared cloud drive accessible by anyone other than students
- including any part, or any derivative work, within any commercial endeavor like curriculum development, professional training, or for-profit teaching like Outschool, or selling this resource as your own in either print or digital formats
Doing so violates the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), copyright law, and these terms.
By downloading this resource from Let’s Cultivate Greatness, the original user has been granted one license for a single teacher (or number of teachers matching the number of licenses purchased) and their students at any one time.
Let’s Cultivate Greatness retains the full copyright of this resource.
I taught a Humanities class for the first time last year, and this resource was a lifesaver for the sociology unit. The kids loved all of the activities and learned a ton. This was a huge help. Thank you so much! - Lauren S.
I really enjoyed this unit. We had a great discussion at the beginning on bathroom norms which was amazing. It set the tone for the course. I have also used many of the other activities. Thank you! - Alexia M.
What a lifesaver!! I was tasked with teaching sociology to 11th and 12th grade students. I did NOT know where to start. However, this unit was the perfect resource. SO many activities, well rounded, and very comprehensive. Thank you! - Kara G.
