About Me and Teacher Resources

Here is more info about me, about this blog, and about other resources for sociology teachers.

About Me

I have been teaching adjunct for Loyola University Chicago since 2017.   I also taught sociology at Stevenson High School from  1999-2022.  At Stevenson, I taught a one-semester dual credit intro to sociology class for Loyola University and Stevenson High School.  I have also worked with the American Sociological Association as a member of their High School Advisory Board (more info about the ASA below).  My work on the ASA Advisory Board included co-authoring both the National Standards for Sociology and the Common Core and Civic Life Standards for sociology.  My partner on the Advisory Board, Hayley Lotspeich, and I presented about teaching high school sociology for over ten years.  We have regularly presented at American Sociological Association, National Council for Social Studies and North Central Sociological Association and Midwestern Sociological Society meetings.  Some of the meetings have been in collaboration with AKD, the sociology honors society.  Hayley and I also co-founded The Chicago Area Sociology Teachers, a professional development group for high school sociology.  In 2004, I earned my master’s degree in Chicago Studies with a focus on sociology, also from Loyola University Chicago.  I did my undergrad at Loyola University as well.  Prior to Stevenson, I taught at St. Patrick High School in Chicago and Maine East High School.

Click here for CV

About this blog 
(http://sociologysal.blogspot.com)
This blog is basically what I do in class each day.  You can go backwards down the blog and it will be like looking through my lesson plan book from back to front.  There are also links on the right side menu bar that will take you to my posts by unit and by topic.  NOTE: When I transitioned from high school to college, a number of images became broken links so, older posts may not display images.

Other Resources

Chicago Area Sociology Teachers (CAST)
Hayley Lotspeich from Wheaton North High School and I run a listserve for sociology teachers through google groups.   You can login to the Chicago Area Sociology Teachers listserve (if you created an account) here:
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/chicagoareasociologyteachers
There is a searchable archive there with lots of discussions about lesson ideas.

Also, CAST has facilitated an annual conference with lesson plan sharing and a keynote speaker for sociology teachers.  It is usually during February.  More on the history of CAST here.

ASA High School Resources
Around 2009, Hayley Lotspeich from Wheaton North High School and I approached the American Sociological Association and said we would like to work with them to create more resources for high school sociology teachers and promote high school sociology.  The ASA has since created a high school group.  Check here for details:
https://www.asanet.org/communities-and-sections/high-school-faculty/


ASA High School Community

If you join the ASA high school group, it gets you access to a number of resources, including:

Listserve

The ASA also has a listserve for high school teachers that has archives of discussions. 

ASA Trails

If you join the ASA, you get access to a web-based bank of lessons called Trails.  Without membership, you can search the Trails resources, but you will not be able to view or download them.

AP Sociology from ASA- Introsocsite
Here is a compilation of resources originally designed by an ASA taskforce to move AP sociology forward.  There are copious resources here including lesson plans, unit outlines, simulations and readings.
http://www.asanet.org/introtosociology/home.html


Teaching Sociology - Journal from ASA
If your library has a JSTOR account you can digitally access archives of the journal Teaching Sociology.  It is full of lesson ideas.  If you join ASA, you can subscribe to the journal to get the latest issues as soon as they are published for a really reasonable rate.  Here is the journal page: https://www.asanet.org/publications/journals/teaching-sociology


ASA Youtube Channel

ASA has a Youtube channel that has short clips explaining research.

Soc Images
Socimages is a great site that uses visual images to illustrate sociological concepts.
http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/. From SocImages, here are Course Guides, Collections and Sample Assignments:

Course guides:

• Introduction to Sociology, by Gwen Sharp (Nevada State College)
• Sociology of Gender, by Mary Nell Trautner (University at Buffalo, SUNY)
• Family and Society, by Marcie Hambrick, MSW (Georgia State University)
• Sociology of Sport, by J.A. Carter (University of Cincinnati)
• Sociology of Work, by Lisa Wade (Occidental College)
• Sexuality and Society, by Amanda Jungels (Georgia State University)
• Sociological Research Methods, by Lisa Wade (Occidental College)

Collections:

• Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, by Calvin N. Ho (UCLA)
• The fight for same-sex marriage, by Lisa Wade (Occidental College)
• Police, black Americans, and U.S. society, by Lisa Wade (Occidental College)
• White men and their violence, by Lisa Wade (Occidental College)
• Women and history, by Lisa Wade (Occidental College)
• Hurricane Katrina, by Lisa Wade (Occidental College)
• Racist parties at American colleges, by Lisa Wade (Occidental College)

Advice for Students

• Advice for New College Students
• Professors’ Pet Peeves
• Advice for New College Grads

Sample Assignments

We’ve been collecting sample assignments from instructors who’ve tried them out. You can peruse them here.

Teaching Sociology Blog:
Here is a blog about teaching sociology:
http://thesocietypages.org/teaching/


Sociology Toolbox
This website run by Todd Baer from Lake Forest College is hosted on the Society Pages
 https://thesocietypages.org/toolbox/about/

Nathan Palmer's Website about teaching sociology:
https://thesocietypages.org/sociologysource/

Sociology and videos:

Here is a website with movies for sociology

http://www.thesociologicalcinema.com/

Common Core Civic Life Standards for Sociology:

The C3 framework for social studies contains an appendix with sociology standards that I co-authored.  The sociology appendix begins on page 76 but you can click here to download the whole framework.

Census Bureau Lessons
Sociology Lessons with data from the US Census Bureau
https://www.census.gov/schools/activities/sociology.html

Twitter hashtag for teaching sociology:

#teachsoc (more recent - mostly I use this for tagging posts that I might want to use in my intro to soc class)
#introsoc (older)

Everyday Sociology Blog (http://www.everydaysociologyblog.com/)

From Norton publishing.

Print Resources

First Contact.  Jay Howard and Nancy Greenwood.  Rowan and Littlefield Publishers. 2011.  This book,

 identifies important issues facing instructors in introducing students to the sociological imagination. Drawing on the literature of teaching and learning in sociology and higher education more broadly, First Contact providesan overview of the scholarship of teaching and learning, best practices, and other essential information to create a successful first course in sociology. It walks the instructor through the course design process-from learning about whom your students are, determining appropriate course goals and learning objectives, and using these ideas to design, execute, and assess your course. It examines the core content of a first course. It discusses how to design a syllabus, select textbooks and readings, as wellas how to design and deliver effective lectures, facilitate good discussions, and other course delivery options. An invaluable resource for anyone teaching the introductory sociology course -- including grad students, new professors, and seasoned instructors who seek renewal in their approach to teaching this critical course in the sociology curriculum.

In The Trenches.  Kathleen Lowney and Maxine Atkinson. W.W. Norton Press. 2016.  This book is a comprehensive guide to teaching sociology at the undergraduate level.  It is very helpful for high school teachers too.  From the publisher, 

In the Trenches explains the process of becoming a better teacher, from tips on writing a syllabus to the first day of class to assessment. The authors focus on teaching techniques based on extensive research and decades of classroom experience, guiding readers through significant changes in pedagogy and technology. It includes suggested exercises, online resources, and new ways to connect with students.  In the Trenches is the perfect resource for both new teachers who don’t know where to begin and experienced professors looking to improve their students’ experiences and learning abilities in the classroom.

The Un-TV and the 5mph Car.  Bernard McGrane.  
This book is a very high-level intro to sociology text that is organized around different social experiments that are designed to make students aware of society and the social pressures it creates.  While the book might be too complex for the average 12-13th grader, it is a very stimulating read for teachers.  The experiments in it are really useful and adaptable even if you don't assign the book as required reading.

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Sociology through Active Learning: Student Exercises.  Kathleen McKinney and Barbara S. Heyl, editors. Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press. 2009. ISBN: 978-1-4129-5703-83  (Also has an Instructor's Manual with background on each student exercise and further suggestions for use.)

The Creative Sociology Classroom   A set of curriculum materials—lesson plans, mostly—have been put together for high school sociology teachers by the Sociology Department at Appalachian State University.  It is available for $15 from:
Dr. Jan Rienerth
Dept of Sociology and Social Work
Appalachian State University
Boone, North Carolina 28608

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