Arvada WestHigh School

Sociology

Fall 2019 - Arvada West High School

Teacher: Kerrie Dallman

Room: West 220

Email: kdallman@jeffcoschools.us

Course Description

This class is an overview of the discipline of sociology and introduces students to the complex and dynamic social world in which we live. Students will engage in critical thinking about social and cultural issues and gain exposure to different types of sociological research. Additionally, students will learn the sociological perspective and gain the ability to distinguish between facts, values, and opinions.

Objectives:

1. To overview the core concepts of sociology and provide an introduction to the diverse subject matter of sociology. 

2. To encourage students to apply sociological concepts to everyday life to better understand how larger society affects individual behavior and choices. 

3. To introduce students to the wealth of questions posed and researched by sociologists, and to encourage students to think critically about the subject matter of the course and develop their own questions about social life.

Class Requirements:

1. Exams: The exams will cover material from lectures, videos, class discussions, and the readings. These exams are not open-book and you are not allowed to bring notes. There will be two exams, and the two combined will be worth 30% of your grade. 

2. Final: The final exam will be worth 25% of your grade. This exam will include multiple choice questions, short-answer questions, and essay questions. 

3. In-class Activities and Take-home Assignments:  Class participation includes attending class and being an active participant by listening carefully and joining discussion. Throughout the course, there will be group activities held in class, and these will be graded. In-class activities also include occasional pop-quizzes. Additionally, I will occasionally assign work to be completed outside of class. These activities and assignments will be worth 45% of your grade. 

4. Because final grades are meant to reflect what a student knows and can demonstrate, if a student is missing work at the end of any six week grading period their grade will be reported as an incomplete and students will have two weeks to complete the missing work.

Grading scale for class

Broad Course Topics

Introduction - What is Sociology

Sociology -  Theory and Methods

Culture and Society

Socialization

Social Interaction

Groups, Networks and Organizations

Conformity and Deviance

Stratification, Class, and Inequality

Gender Inequality

Ethnicity and Race