What to teach: conceptual frameworks

The purpose of this exercise is to emphasize the importance of teaching others new skills and knowledge. After a brief whole-group discussion, pairs complete a handout on the types of information different individuals might teach someone...

To introduce the idea of different theoretical views about the nature of society, class members engage in a sociology activity that asks them to create an analogy between society and another concept, and then to explain the parallels.

The twentieth century was marked by two distinct forces: conflict and progress. Examine the ways that wars and technological competition, industrialization and decolonization, and all antecedent forces and relationships to this point led...

How do we learn the rules of society? How do beliefs and ideas affect these rules? Introduce your young sociologists to the factors that socialize individuals with a unit that uses observation and experimentation to analyze how factors...

Teach young researchers how best to choose sources. This PowerPoint presentation underscores the need for accuracy, authority, objectivity, currency, and coverage.

What happens when the earth reaches its carrying capacity of humans? As human populations grow, societies change from hunters and gatherers to agriculture to the industrial age and beyond. A video takes a global perspective of migration...

Imagine teaching at a school that focused on the study of happiness! A short video analysis discusses Epicurus and his philosophy of seeking true happiness, including the importance of friends, the value of helping others, and the...

Should wilderness areas be preserved or managed? Class members examine primary source documents, including lecture notes, articles, essays and congressional records to better understand the Hetch Hetchy controversy that created a split...

Students talk about the ineffectiveness of the chronological narratives found in world history text books. The Bradley Commission set out guidelines to help improve history textbooks by eliminating all unnecessary information.

High schoolers will discuss important characteristics of a great teacher. They will also work in groups to research conceptions of good teaching. Individually they will interview five people of various ages about their perceptions of a...