Madelyn Johnson

EDSC549- Dr. Curry

Unit Plan 5: Social Sciences

Standard selected (AP Psychology or AP Sociology):
Domain 2: Social Structure: Culture, Institutions, and Society
This domain introduces students to the core concepts that sociologists use to explain human social
behavior, including how sociologists use culture and social structure to view the social world. Students
will learn how to deconstruct and evaluate culture and social structure through social institutions,
individual roles and statuses, and the process of change, considering multiple levels of analysisglobal,
societal, local and individual. Students will also examine both culture and structure as human creations
that carry on from generation to generation.
Dimension 1 of C3 Framework:
One (1) Compelling Question (otherwise known as an essential question):
1. How can culture and social structure be used to explain human social behavior?
Two (2) Supporting Questions (specific questions related to unit):
1. What is culture and what does it mean to societies?
2. How can we evaluate culture through social structure and social institutions?
Dimension 2 of C3 Framework:
Three (3) Disciplinary Concepts related to the standard you want students to learn
(may be terms, people, events, etc).
1. Culture
2. Social Structure
3. Social Institutions
Dimension 3 of C3 Framework:
Two (2) key primary/secondary resources students will read/observe/hear as you
teach this unit.
1. Art from cultures around the world (examples found here: https://www.learner.org/courses/globalart/)
2. Primary and secondary sources from other cultures, including images, recipes, language excerpts
(http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/)
NCSS standards:
In what way will this unit meet the following NCSS standards:
4. Individual Development and Identity: This unit will allow students to explore their own
cultures as individuals and through a societal lens. Students will learn more about their place in
society as well as the world. They will begin to understand how their cultures differ from others and
how that makes them similar and different from others.

Madelyn Johnson
EDSC549- Dr. Curry
5. Individuals, Groups, and Institutions: This unit will teach students about their roles as
individuals and part of groups and institutions in their society. It will also introduce students to
cultures other than their own and allow them to explore, compare, and analyze elements of cultures
and societies that are similar and different from others. Students will evaluate societies using the roles
of institutions and will evaluate their own society based upon the roles of groups and institutions.
Dimension 4 of C3 Framework:
Final Project or Product that will be required of students at the conclusion of the unit
to determine understanding of the Questions and Concepts listed above.
Final Project Description:
Students will be put into groups of 5-8 and assigned a specific culture from a list that the instructor has
created. Students will be required to thoroughly research components of their assigned culture including
art, music, food, traditions, religious elements, history, lifestyles, language, clothing, social institutions,
etc. The groups will be required to create a television segment, such as one they may have seen on the
National Geographic or History channels, detailing their culture to the best of their ability. Students will
assign roles for this group work and are expected to be accurate, creative, detailed, and to leave personal
bias out of their mini-productions. The segments can include excerpts of songs, performances, dance,
examples of clothing, images, interviews with actors playing the part of members from the culture, details
of daily and family life, etc. Students will be introduced to the final project on the first day of the unit and
will be given ample time in classes to work on this project. They will be expected to put in work outside
of class as well. Recording devices will be available upon request. The final products should be no longer
than 10-12 minutes and will be presented for the class at the end of the unit. Each student will complete a
brag sheet for their group members to be sure everyone is making the necessary contributions.

Will this be PBL-style (yes/no)?

If yes, please list out the steps you will take on the first day to introduce the project
and help students to divide the work.

1. Students are introduced to the project on the first day and provided with the rubric.
2. Students will get together with their groups and determine what they already know to
complete the project, and what they will need to know. (Knows/Need to knows). Knows
and need to knows can include content, aspects of the project, what materials they can
use, websites that might be helpful, etc.
3. Students will create a group contract to determine who will complete which aspect of the
unit and at what time.
4. Students will be given 20 minutes per block to work on their projects.
5. Projects will be presented at the end of the unit.

Madelyn Johnson
EDSC549- Dr. Curry
Lesson Plan 1:

Unit Title
Lesson Title
&
Instructiona
l Objective
Materials &
Media

Instructiona
l Procedures

Exploring Culture

What is Culture?
The student should be able to identify the components of culture and
understand the impact of culture and instinct on human behavior.

Index cards
Class textbooks
Class notebooks
Writing utensils
Guided note sheets
Computer with projector and Internet access for teachers use
Poster paper
Creative materials for activity
Tape
We will begin this lesson with a bell question: What is
culture? Students will be instructed to take an index card
and answer the question. We will then discuss student
responses as a class.
We will have a brief, whole class discussion on what culture
means to the students. I will ask questions, such as What
groups do you belong to? How do you think your society
impacts you? How are society and culture different? Do you
know your culture instinctually when youre born? This
discussion is meant to get students thinking about culture as
a broad concept that can be applied to the world around
them as well as their own lives. I will call on students and
take volunteers to answer questions and keep the
conversation going.
I will then introduce the Culture unit using a PowerPoint
lecture, which will introduce concepts, important vocabulary,
primary concepts, such as: the differences between culture
and society, the components of culture, reflexes, instincts,
drives, sociobiology, heredity, and human behavior as it is
influenced by culture. Students will be given guided note
sheets to fill in during lecture. This lecture will include
aspects of cultures from all over the world as well as familiar
and local ideas of culture that the students can relate to. As
the lecture continues, students will be given ample time to
take notes and ask questions.
After the lecture, I will address any questions. The students
will then be instructed to create an artistic depiction of their

Madelyn Johnson
EDSC549- Dr. Curry

Grading

culture as individuals using poster paper and creative

materials, like markers and colored pencils. Students can use
any artistic means that they wish to interpret and depict
what their culture means to them using the concepts
introduced during the lecture and discussion.
Once the students have finished this activity, we will hang up
each artistic depiction and line up for a gallery of work.
Individuals will be questioned regarding their work and will
be expected to explain the reasoning behind their renditions
of what culture means to each of them.
To wrap up this class, students will be introduced to the final
project for this unit. They will be put into groups, given
rubrics, and encouraged to create a know and want to
know list regarding this project.

Students will be graded on their participation in todays

activities and receive up to five points for full participation.
Participation will be graded using the following system
throughout this unit:
5 points for actively working through the assigned task and
contributing consistently
4 points for working through most of the assignment and
contributing something noticeable to the project
3-2 points for working for some of the time but losing focus
or not contributing relevant information or skills to the
assignment
1-0 points for losing focus and not contributing or working at
all
Students will also be graded on their culture depiction posters.
For full credit, students will provide a creative and neat posters
that they can explain fully. Students will receive up to 10 points
for this assignment. Points will be deducted based upon a rubric
that will be provided.
Lesson Plan 2:

Unit Title
Lesson Title
&
Instructiona
l Objective
Materials &

Exploring Culture

Language and Culture

The student should be able to understand the role that language plays
in creating and transmitting culture. The student should be able to
understand how language and culture are related.

Class textbooks

Madelyn Johnson
EDSC549- Dr. Curry

Media

Instructiona
l Procedures

Class notebooks
Poster paper
Creative materials
Index cards
Computer with projector and Internet access for teachers use
Symbols and Meaning Worksheets
Writing Utensils
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0gkcY1SB-0
To begin class, students will be instructed to take an index
card and answer the following question: How are culture
and society different? We will discuss student responses,
which should reflect content learned in the previous lesson.
We will then transition into the language and culture lesson
by doing a chalk talk activity: I will ask the students to come
up to the board and silently create school-appropriate
symbols that they believe are important to their culture or
other cultures worldwide that they may be familiar with.
They will probably create symbols like peace signs,
swastikas, thumbs up, popular logos, flags, Star of David,
stop signs, sports symbols, hearts, etc. Students will then
explain their ideas and why they believe these symbols are
recognizable and/or important.
Next, students will be given a worksheet in which they are
instructed to individually identify the meaning of the
symbols provided and include a brief explanation of their
thoughts. Some of the symbols may have multiple meanings,
which will introduce students to the fact that most
languages emphasize things important to their cultures by
having a number of different words for these things.
Examples: What do these things mean to us and our culture?
Drinks? Clothes? Food? Housing? Cars? Sports? Time
intervals? There are so many words to describe these things!
Same for other cultures. Only one or a few words to describe
things of little importance. Many words or symbols are used
to describe things of great importance (Snow to Inuits).
To smoothly transition into the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis, I
will show this brief video and have students take notes while
watching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0gkcY1SB-0
We will discuss the video clip as a class, and I will ask
students to volunteer to popcorn read the appropriate
section of the chapter or call on them to do so.
As a critical thinking and processing activity, students will
be instructed to create a cartoon strip depicting how
language affects social behavior, and write a short

Madelyn Johnson
EDSC549- Dr. Curry

Grading

paragraph describing the scenario. Students will be

expected to use school-appropriate language and modify as
necessary to make their points. Some cartoon strips could
show things like typical encounters in the hallway among
friends, outings with a boy or girlfriend, friends talking
casually, parents scolding children, siblings fighting, etc.
Students will then share their work, and we will discuss how
language effects our society. How would it be different if
other language was used? What does the language used
mean to these students in these situations? What could it
mean to others?
The remaining time in class will be used to work on final
projects.
Students will be graded on their participation in todays
activities and receive up to five points for full participation.
Participation will be graded using the following system
throughout this unit:
5 points for actively working through the assigned tasks and
contributing consistently
4 points for working through most of the assignments and
contributing something noticeable to the project
3-2 points for working for some of the time but losing focus
or not contributing relevant information or skills to the
assignment
1-0 points for losing focus and not contributing or working at
all
Students will also be graded on their language use comic strips.
For full credit, students will provide a completed, creative comic
strip interaction that they explain fully and accurately. Students
will receive up to 10 points for this assignment. Points will be
deducted based upon a rubric that will be provided.

Lesson Plan 3:

Unit Title

Exploring Cultures

Madelyn Johnson
EDSC549- Dr. Curry

Lesson Title
&
Instructiona
l Objective
Materials &
Media

Instructiona
l Procedures

Cultural Norms and Values

The student should be able to understand and compare the norms and
values of other cultures with their own. They should be able to
explain the role of norms on our culture and other cultures.

Class textbooks
Class notebooks
Index cards
Writing utensils
Cultural values and etiquette worksheets for activity
Computer with projector and Internet access for teachers use
http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/movies/culturaldifferences-ggtu
http://www.folkways.si.edu/lesson-plans/smithsonian
Students will be instructed to take an index card and create a
list of values specific to American culture containing 8-10 ideas.
We will share student responses and discuss them as a class.
Students will then be instructed to think historically for a
moment: Have our values today changed from a century ago? I
will present a brief PowerPoint on key points for this lesson
including, taboos, laws, sanctions, values, folkways, mores,
norms, etc. Some will highlight American, familiar values, while
others will introduce values from different cultures and
societies around the world, like Maori, Middle Eastern, and
African cultures. The following clip will be included in the
presentation, as it provides insight into the struggles faced by
the Lost Boys coming into American from Sudan and the
differences in cultures that are so familiar to the students but
foreign to them:
http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/movies/culturaldifferences-ggtu
To wrap up the lecture, we will examine photographs, music,
and other sources from various cultures, such as those found at
the following link: http://www.folkways.si.edu/lessonplans/smithsonian. Students will be instructed to complete the
worksheet on cultural values, cultural etiquette, and creating a
Venn diagram comparing and contrasting the values derived
from the primary sources with American values as the students
are familiar with them. We will review these worksheets as a
class once the activity is complete.
Students will then be instructed to write a journal entry in their
class notebooks focusing on their personal values and family
values. They will be encouraged to think about how are they
similar and different from general American values and values
of other cultures? Students will share journal entries if time

Madelyn Johnson
EDSC549- Dr. Curry

Grading

allows.
Remaining time will be used to work on final projects.
Students will be graded on their participation in todays
activities and receive up to five points for full participation.
Participation will be graded using the following system
throughout this unit:
5 points for actively working through the assigned task and
contributing consistently
4 points for working through most of the assignment and
contributing something noticeable to the project
3-2 points for working for some of the time but losing focus
or not contributing relevant information or skills to the
assignment
1-0 points for losing focus and not contributing or working at
all
Students will also be graded on their journal entries and
worksheets. For full credit, students will provide complete
responses to each of the questions on the worksheets and turn
in a complete and thoughtful journal entry. Students will receive
up to 10 points for this assignment. Points will be deducted
based upon a rubric that will be provided.
Lesson Plan 4:

Exploring Culture

Unit Title
Lesson Title
&
Instructiona
l Objective
Materials &
Media

Instructiona
l Procedures

Beliefs and Material Culture

The student should be able to differentiate between and explain
material and nonmaterial culture as well as real and ideal culture.

Index cards
Writing utensils
Class textbooks
Class notebooks
Poster paper
Creative materials
Material and Nonmaterial Culture Worksheet
Begin class with hook: Create a list of ten cultural values and
rank them from most to least important to you. Share and
explain student responses.
As a class, we will review the main concepts from the previous
lesson in a question and answer format.

Madelyn Johnson
EDSC549- Dr. Curry

Grading

Students will be split into small groups of 3 or 4 and assigned a

section from the textbook chapter for a Chunking the Chapter
activity. Each group will read through their section and record
the main ideas, important concepts, and vocabulary on poster
paper. Once this activity is complete, each group will share
their section with the class. Time will be allowed for all students
to record notes in their class notebooks. I will address any
questions at this time.
Next, students will stay in their small groups and take another
piece of poster paper and creative materials. As a group, the
students will creatively depict their culture in terms of material
and nonmaterial and real and ideal culture. They will be
encouraged to include symbols, words, pictures, colors, or any
other method that can be explained clearly. These depictions
could include pictures of food, logos, religious symbols,
governmental concepts, family, school, friends, or anything else
students feel is symbolic of their cultures. Students will share
their posters and explain their depictions to the class.
Students will then be given a worksheet in which they will
individually identify components of material and nonmaterial
culture and provide brief explanations. This will be used as an
informal assessment and critical thinking activity to ensure
understanding of the material presented in this lesson. Students
will turn to a shoulder partner and share answers to be sure
everyone is on the same page. I will then take volunteers or call
on students to answer select questions from the worksheet,
which will be collected for a grade.
The remainder of class time will be used to work on final
projects. Students should have a script started and be in the
process of completing the necessary research on their cultures.
I will be available to check on each groups progress.
Students will be graded on their participation in todays
activities and receive up to five points for full participation.
Participation will be graded using the following system
throughout this unit:
5 points for actively working through the assigned tasks and
contributing consistently
4 points for working through most of the assignments and
contributing something noticeable to the project
3-2 points for working for some of the time but losing focus
or not contributing relevant information or skills to the
assignments
1-0 points for losing focus and not contributing or working at

Madelyn Johnson
EDSC549- Dr. Curry

all

Students will also be graded on their material and nonmaterial

worksheets as well as their cultural depictions created in small
groups. For full credit, students will provide complete responses
to each of the questions and contribute adequately to the small
group activity. Students will receive up to 10 points for this
assignment. Points will be deducted based upon a rubric that
will be provided.
Lesson Plan 5:

Exploring Culture

Unit Title
Lesson Title
&
Instructiona
l Objective

Materials &
Media

Index cards
Writing utensils
Class textbooks
Class notebooks
Computer with projector and Internet access for teachers use
Tablets for students use for research
Guided note sheets
Study guides
Poster paper
Creative materials
Tape
Begin class with a hook question: List at least three examples of
material culture and at least three examples of nonmaterial
culture. Students will share responses as a review of the material
covered in the previous lesson.
I will introduce new material for this lesson using a brief
PowerPoint lecture with guided notes that will allow students to
record important concepts and vocabulary that will be on the
summative assessment for this unit. This lecture will include
concepts such as the following: social categories, subcultures,
counterculture, ethnocentrism, cultural universals, and cultural
particulars. I will pause periodically to be sure students have
recorded the appropriate information and have time to do so.
Students will be put into small groups of no more than 4 students.

Instructiona
l Procedures

Cultural Diversity and Countercultures

The student should be able to understand the processes through
which cultures change as well as the common elements known as
cultural universals. The student should be able to understand and
explain the emergence of countercultures through the past and
present.

Madelyn Johnson
EDSC549- Dr. Curry

Grading

They will be assigned a counterculture from a historical or current

period. Each group will take a piece of poster paper and creative
materials and create a sensory figure from each of their assigned
countercultures. Each figure will be required to label their figure
with descriptions of what he is thinking, seeing, feeling, doing, and
experiencing as a person living in the assigned counterculture.
Some examples could include: goth, punk, flappers, idealists of the
60s, hippies, and others. Students will be given ample time to
research their assigned countercultures and come up with an
accurate, yet creative, sensory figures.
Once each group has completed this task, one member from each
group will be assigned the role of presenter and will present the
completed work to the class.
At this point, the students will be given a study guide for their
upcoming assessment and will be given the remainder of the class
time to work on their final projects. Students will be expected to
be ready to present their final projects within the following three
or four class days after the summative assessment.

Students will be graded on their participation in todays

activities and receive up to five points for full participation.
Participation will be graded using the following system
throughout this unit:
5 points for actively working through the assigned task with
your group and contributing consistently
4 points for working with your group through most of the
assignment and contributing something noticeable to the
project
3-2 points for working for some of the time with your group
but losing focus or not contributing relevant information or
skills to the assignment
1-0 points for losing focus and not contributing or working
with the group at all

Students will also be graded on their counterculture sensory

figure representations. For full credit, students will provide
creative and accurate depictions of their figures, including
thoughts, experiences, clothing, etc. Students will receive up to
10 points for this assignment. Points will be deducted based
upon a rubric that will be provided.