Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus: Women in the Military

Know: The challenges that women face on the front lines of the military

Understand: The conflict between fixed gender roles and individual liberty

Be able to: Determine the challenges and opportunities for women in the military

                 Argue whether women should be have the opportunity on the front lines of war

Homework: Read Equality for Women in War is Lunacy  and prepare to discuss the article in a Socratic Seminar on Tuesday by writing an outline of the article.

Step 1: Schema: Discussion on Women on the frontlines

Step 2: Breaking down the News

Read one article about women in the military.

Article 1: Women on Frontline from USA Today

Article 2: Frontline Women Equal But Different from Herald Sun

Article 3: Battle of the Sexes from Herald Sun

Identify the challenges and opportunities for women in the military.

Determine which values shape our thinking about women in the military.

Record your findings on Handout 3

Step 3: Discuss which values shape our thinking. Are there any conflicting values?

Step 4: View two PBS Now News Specials:

Military Sexual Trauma

Rape in the Military

Step 5: Based on your reading today, answer the question:

Should Women Be Given the Same Right to Fight on the Front lines during War?

Write your response on Handout 4:

Juvenile Justice: Adolescents as adults in court?

Know: The difference between adult and juvenile justice

Understand: The role of adolescent development in juvenile justice

Be able to do: Compare two cases of adolescent offenders
                       Decide which criminals should be tried as adults(if any)
                       Explain which criteria is important

Step 1: Schema: Should juvenile criminals be charged as adults?

Step 2: Discussion

Step 3: Compare two cases of young men that have committed crimes

Step 4: Discuss which young men should be tried as adults if any.

Step 5: Watch Keynote Address by Elizabeth Scott, Professor of Law, Columbia University Law School

Step 6: Determining criteria for adult criminals.What criteria do YOU think should be met in order to hold an adolescent in an adult court?

Step 7: Homework: Review the basic statistics. Discuss on the blog what you find troubling or worrisome about the the statistics. What would a sociologist be concerned about?

Bernie Madoff: Financial Deviance

Know: Who is Bernie Madoff?
Understand: How did Madoff costs people $65 million in investments?
Be able to do: Respond on the blog

Step 1:

Step 2: Watch the film The Madoff Affair

Step 3: Read one comment from the discussion page.

Step 4: On this blog, write whether you agree or disagree with that comment. You should cite parts of the comment in your response.

Deviance and Race: W.E.B. Dubois Social Study

Know: The type of research in the Philadelphia Negro

Understand: The deep social reasons for a increased crime rate for Black people in Philadelphia's Seventh Ward

Be able to do: Analyze data tables to uncover the reasons for increased crime rate

Explain the strengths and weaknesses of Dubois' study.

Homework: Review the documents for a writing workshop tomorrow.

Step 1: Schema: Story about a "badger" thief

Step 2: Discuss any final thoughts about Bill Cosby's comments.

Step 3: Introduction to the Philadelphia Negro: A Social Study

Step 4: Analyze the data for the Seventh Ward of Philadelphia.

What are the strengths of the community? What are the weaknesses?

Record your thoughts on Handout 3

Step 5: Based on your analysis, why might Black folks had been accused of being more deviant and criminal? What were some of the problems of the community that made them more open to accusations of criminality? What were the social factors that encouraged or discouraged crime in the Sventh Ward? Refer to the documents.

Step 6: Respond on the blog your thoughts about the seventh ward.

Step 7: View clips from Black in America Part II

Step 8: Closing thoughts

Deviance: Is Bill Cosby Right?

Know: The concerns of Bill Cosby for young black men

Understand: Bill Cosby's theory of deviance

Be able to do: Code the text of Bill Cosby's Speech

Homework: Read Michael Eric Dyson's Chapter "Classrooms and Cell Blocks." Have an online discussion answering the question: Is Bill Cosby right? (you could raise comments from the Socratic Seminar)

Step 1: Schema

Step 2: Read Bill Cosby's Comments from page 57 - 60. While reading, underline what you think Bill Cosby is RIGHT about and circle what Bill Cosby is WRONG about.

Step 3: Socratic Seminar

Step 4: Develop Bill Cosby's Theory of Deviance

Step 5: Listen to comments on NPR from Bill Cosby and Michael Eric Dyson

Deviance: Deconstructing the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks

Know: The Roots of 9/11
Understand: A theory of social deviance
Be able to do: Participate in a Socratic Seminar
Evaluate the performance of half the class
Take notes regarding the discussion

Step 1: Schema: Excerpt from the 9/11 Graphic Novel

Step 2: Review of the roots of 9/11

Step 3: Prepare for Socratic Seminar Discussion

Step 4: Part I of Socratic Seminar with Group 1(Group 2 watches)

Step 5: Group 2 Evaluates Group 1 from Socratic Seminar

Step 6: Part II of Socratic Seminar with Group 2(Group 1 watches)

Step 7: Group 1 Evaluates group 2 from Seminar

Step 8: Debrief with Handout 3 Chart of Concepts

Step 9: Film: The Roots of 9/11 with Thomas Friedman

Step 10: Reminder of Blog post homework and Power Point presentations due

Deviance: Understanding the Roots of Islamic Militancy

Know: The background of Osama Bin Laden and Al Qaeda

Understand:The roots of Islamic Militancy

Be able to do: Create a PowerPoint slideshow showing the roots of 9/11

Homework: Read "Lecture Notes" from Introduction to Sociology: Instructor's Manual in Chapter 7: Conformity, Deviance, and Crime, page 59 - 65. Prepare a one pager for the lecture notes.

Step 1: Schema cartoon introducing militant Islam.

Step 2: Brainstorm possible roots of 9/11.

Step 3: Read the article Understanding the Roots of Islamic Militancy

Step 4: Design a PowerPoint Presentation that shows the following:

What are the roots of 9/11

-Who are the people involved?

-What are the events leading up to 9/11 terrorist attack?

-What were the motivations behind this deviant act?

You should have an image for each slide and a quote from the text to support your slide.

Step 5: Send Mr. Cotto your PowerPoint Presentations in order to place them on the web for the class to see.

Step 6: Discuss what are the roots of 9/11

Step 7: View the film Searching for the Roots of 9/11

Step 8: Final Word

Deviance: Gangs and Social Problems

Know: The geography of gang activity

Understand: The problems of studying gang activity

Be able to do: Analyze the bias involved with interpreting gangs

Step1 :

Go to the gang activity website.

Step 2:

Do you agree or disagree that gangs are national problem? Why is this deviant behavior so widespread?

What are the problems with this map? Explain

Step 3: View Homicide in Hollenbeck

Step 4: Respond in this blog:

What are the problems in studying gangs? Is there any bias when studying gangs? Who gets to define deviance? Refer to the film and the map.

Understanding Deviance: Gangs and Social Factors

Big Idea: Deviance and Social Control

Understand: Why do young people join gangs?

Know: What social factors contribute to gang activity?

Be able to do:

Explain three concepts why deviant behavior exists

Analyze one country's social factors

Argue why gangs form in one country

Step 1:

Read Helen Ubinas' article on gangs.

Step 2:

Discuss the following questions:

Are gangs a problem in the Hartford area?

Why do youth get involved with gangs?

Why is Helen Ubinas concerned about gangs?

Step 3: Brainstorm

Why do gangs form from three perspectives?

Step 4:

Research one country's social factors at the CIA World Factbook. Indicate on your chart which social factors MIGHT contribute to increased gang activity.

The country options are:

El Salvador

Brazil

The United States

China

South Africa

You might want to begin with "People" and "Economy"

Step 5: Discuss

What factors in the country contribute to gang activity? Why? What is your evidence?

Step 6: Read a brief description of each country's gang problems.

Was your analysis justified? Why or why not?

Step 7: Final Word

Step 8: Homework

Find a news article and explain on this blog what that article says is the REASON that gangs form or why has that gang formed. Write whether you agree or disagree with their conclusions. Post the link as well here.