YEAR 12 SOCIOLOGY COURSE SYLLABUS
Course Outline
Overview
The Humanities Department Syllabi at GEMS Wesgreen International Secondary School strive to enable students to acquire knowledge, skills and attitudes so as to develop an informed and critical understanding of social, environmental, historical and political issues so as to reinforce and stimulate curiosity and imagination about local and wider environments. The Curriculum provides a strong foundation to enable students to foster an understanding of, and concern for, the interdependence of all humans, all living things and the earth on which they live. To foster in students a sense of responsibility for the long-term care of the environment and a commitment to promote the sustainable use of the earth’s resources through his/her personal life-style and participation in collective environmental decision-making.
By the end of the Grade 12 / Year 13 program students in the Humanities Department will be able to:
- identify their position in the modern world through an understanding of the origins and development of current events;
- develop the skills involved in critical thinking, making sound judgments and effective communication during their exploration of historical issues;
- build up a spirit of impartiality and empathetic understanding, as well as develop multiple perspectives in their approach to past and contemporary events and
- prepare themselves to pursue in greater depth an issue of personal interest to them, or in an area relevant to their future employment or career-oriented studies.
Learning Outcomes
The aims of all subjects state what a teacher may expect to teach and what a student may expect to experience and learn. These aims suggest how the student may be changed by the learning experience.
The aims of the Humanities Syllabus are to encourage and enable students to develop:
• knowledge and understanding of sociological terms, theories, methods and research findings
• an awareness of the range and limitations of sociological theory and the ability to compare and contrast different theoretical perspectives
• an appreciation and understanding of individual, social and cultural diversity, and of continuity and change in social life
• an understanding of sociological research methods, including issues concerned with the planning, implementation and evaluation of research enquiry and the collection, analysis and interpretation, analysis and evaluation
• improved skills of communication, interpretation, analysis and evaluation
• skills for further study.
Unit Overviews
Term 1
Unit 1 – Socialisation, identity and methods of research
Approximate length: 14 weeks (Whole Term)
This topic area has two central aims: first, to examine the role of socialisation in the creation of social identities; second, to introduce the basic methods of research, including concepts that can be used to evaluate the relevance and accuracy of sociological findings.
In this unit, students will explore the relationship between the individual and society, and how social order is maintained and resisted, drawing on the key concepts of Socialisation, culture and identity and Power, control and resistance. Students will consider contrasting views of the relationship between the individual and society, and changes in social identity, which can be linked to the key concepts of Structure and human agency and Social change and development.
Specific Curriculum Objectives Covered:
• knowledge and understanding of sociological terms, theories, methods and research findings
• an awareness of the range and limitations of sociological theory and the ability to compare and contrast different theoretical perspectives
• an appreciation and understanding of individual, social and cultural diversity, and of continuity and change in social life
•an understanding of sociological research methods, including issues concerned with the planning, implementation and evaluation of research enquiry and the collection, analysis and interpretation of data
• improved skills of communication, interpretation, analysis and evaluation
• skills for further study.
Term 2
Unit 2- The Family
Approximate length: 6 weeks
In this unit, students will develop an understanding of the family in a social context. The aim is to explore different sociological perspectives on the role of the family and family diversity, and to understand the way social change influences family life and different family members. Students will explore different perspectives of the role of the family in society, giving an opportunity for them to reflect on the key concepts of Power, control and resistance, and Socialisation, culture and identity. Students will examine the effects of social change on the diversity of family and household forms, which link to the key concept of Social change and development. Students will consider different ways in which the behaviours of some family members are controlled by others, and will examine equality in the family. These issues provide a context for the key concepts of Power, control and resistance, and Inequality and opportunity.
Specific Curriculum Objectives Covered:
• knowledge and understanding of sociological terms, theories, methods and research findings
• an awareness of the range and limitations of sociological theory and the ability to compare and contrast different theoretical perspectives
• an appreciation and understanding of individual, social and cultural diversity, and of continuity and change in social life
•an understanding of sociological research methods, including issues concerned with the planning, implementation and evaluation of research enquiry and the collection, analysis and interpretation of data
• improved skills of communication, interpretation, analysis and evaluation
• skills for further study.
Assessment
Formative: Throughout the units, the children will complete graded work, quizzes and investigation activities which allows the teacher to assess the students’ attainment and inform their planning.
Summative:
Paper 1: 1 hour 30 minutes 60 marks
Students answer four questions.
Section A: three compulsory questions
Section B: one essay (26 marks) from a choice of two
Paper 2: 1 hour 30 minutes 60 marks
Students answer four questions.
Section A: three compulsory questions
Section B: one essay (26 marks) from a choice of two
Remote / Blended Teaching, Learning and Assessment Pathways:
Small groups, (up to 15 students) will meet F2F. Where there are more than (15) Blended Learning will take place. According to the timetabling of classes also, there will be RL sessions where specified. Som students will opt for RL completely and use the online platform. All subject Units can be taught using any of these pathways. Students will collaborate and engage more with each other on set tasks in the break out rooms and collaboration spaces online. Lessons will be taught live as opposed to asynchronously. If a teacher is ill to point of being unable to deliver a lesson online, this lesson will be done asynchronously. During live lessons students will be requested to demonstrate a skill or understanding in short audio/ video recordings of themselves analysing, evaluating, explaining, showing (restricted time period). They will create Sway and other MS document presentations as instructed. Discussions will ensue among students and their peers and they will engage, respond and feedback using the chat feature. Students will be asked to watch video clip(s) and read a print/ broadcast/ another medium link and do a review, summary, explanation, give their opinion regarding the topic. They will be asked to design storyboards using a MS document for presentation. Rubrics will be attached as additional guide to support students’ progress and attainment. These are only a few of the techniques and methods that will be engaged during lessons.
Assessments:
Option 1: We will have a designated assessment week. All classes scheduled to complete online assessments that day will remain at home. On this day they can complete maximum 2 assessments for the day (grades 6 –8), 3 assessments for (grades 9 and above).
Option 2: During blended learning sessions the students who are at school will bring their laptop/device and complete the assessment online while the others who are at home (RL) will complete it on their device at home. Each assessment lesson will request an additional supervisor/invigilator to monitor those in the class while the teacher monitors the screen. Students in the class can even have their desk/back facing the teacher to create an extra precaution/ awareness to students that the teacher along with the supporting invigilator is also supervising. If a student forgets their device teachers will have the printed copies to distribute. This option will also take place during a designated assessment week.
Option 3: We will continue to conduct continuous assessment as was done during RL/Term 3, AY 2019-2020.
