Introduction to Sociology Unit - Founders Sociological Imagination Perspectives

Kick off an introduction to your Sociology course with a solid foundation of key sociological topics with this complete unit.

Students will master key sociological concepts like

• sociology's development as a distinct social science
• the contributions of Comte, Durheim, Tonnies, and Weber
• the three sociological perspectives
• a sociologist's commitment to "inconvenient facts"
• social problems, social norms, and social institutions

Challenge your students to see the strange in the familiar and how sociology explains everything from the silly to the significant with this inquiry-driven, standards-based unit that asks, "How much does society affect my behavior?"

All student materials come in print-and-go PDF and editable Google files!

Greatness is wondering about the world that one can easily take for granted.

The strength of an inquiry unit like this is your ability to immediately make abstract concepts into intriguing and relevant lessons: each engaging activity builds towards the unit-driving question with its own focused question and is based on topics and issues that are real-world and personal to students.

This unit can be done well in 3-4 weeks and aligns with standards from Texas, Florida, Illinois, and Indiana, and the American Sociological Association.

Included in this Intro to 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
• Editable Case Study template to customize for any news source you want to incorporate

Student Activities

• Unit Hook: quiz self and compare notes on the unspoken social norms of the public restroom (download here for free!)
• 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)
• Sociology & 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
• Why Do People...: ask and research the answers to the silly and the serious for the social influences for why people do what they do
• Inconvenient Facts: analyze the kind of uncomfortable statistics that sociologists lean into and examine them from the three sociological perspectives
• Perspectives On...: thoughtfully explore the statistics, polled survey data, and various op-ed essays on the high polarizing and urgent social problem--gun ownership and gun violence
• Meet the Need: analyze the role, norms and values, and sociological perspectives of 6 key social institutions, like family and religion
• Social Problem Case Study: investigate and discuss one deadly social trend that is currently troubling sociologists

Lecture Kit (BONUS!)

• 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 & Exit Tickets: support and assess learning with these no-prep tools
• Everything is provided in PowerPoint & Google files and is editable

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 Assessment: 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
• Each comes in editable Google files for your customization

By the end of this unit, your students will be able to:

• Articulate their personal understanding of the basics of sociology
• Describe key founding scientists and their theories, the 3 sociological perspectives, and foundational concepts like social problem, social institution, and social norms
• Analyze and evaluate a variety of news media articles, editorials, and statistical data to examine current issues with a sociological lens
• Investigate, question, and discuss current social issues
• Collaborate to solve questions
• Apply theoretical concepts to real-life situations
• Reflect on sociological concepts in own life

Explore the rest of this engaging curriculum

• Culture & Subcultures
• Socialization & Social Development
• Social Groups & Interactions
• Gender Development & Issues
• Stratification & Social Mobility
• Race, Ethnicity, & Social Change

Or, get the Sociology full-course bundle & save big!

What Other Soc Teachers Are Saying

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 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.

Your FAQs Answered

I've never taken a Soc class! Will this help ME learn all this? This unit is built for you with step-by-step daily lesson plans, detailed answer keys, and lecture kits with slide-by-slide scripts.

I don't have any textbooks-- is this tied to one? Nope :) The included lecture kit, Crash Course video guide notes, and links to open-source textbooks give you 3 options for delivering content, depending on your style.

What if my district bans talking about certain sensitive topics? No worries! There are more than enough activities to let you pick and choose. When sensitive issues are touched on, detailed notes are included to assist you. Also, know all student activities are editable.

Can I edit things? Yes! All student materials come in editable Google file format. The printable PDF option is not.

Will this work with my LMS? It should! Your LMS should let you attach Google files or insert forced copy links of them. You can also easily download any Google Doc or Slide file to Microsoft. If you want to create assignments natively in your LMS, you can copy and paste text from the editable Google files. The PDF file is secured and not intended for LMS use.

How is an inquiry unit different from a regular one? An inquiry unit opens with a single wonder-inducing question to focus your whole unit and tie back to each activity. Connecting learning back and forth this way makes learning "stickier" and more relevant for students.

This listing is for one license for regular, non-commercial classroom use by a single teacher only. Commercial use like online teaching (ex. Outschool) or sharing with other teachers (ex. shared drive, in a Facebook group, in a professional development training) is strictly prohibited.

By purchasing a license to this resource, you have access to all future updates at no cost, available under “My Purchases." Multiple and transferable licenses are available for purchase. PDF files are uneditable, other files have editing abilities, unless otherwise stated. All files are protected under federal copyright laws.

To request a complete terms of use prior to purchase or if you have any questions about this resource, please leave a question below under Product Q&A.