Welcome to the course! SOC 1301 is the introductory Sociology could at Midland College. Sociology is also one of the social studies electives offered in Texas high schools, along with Psychology and Personal Financial Literacy. Sociology is the study of social life, social change, and the causes and consequences of human behavior. In this one-semester course, students will learn about many of the most important factors that direct and influence our activities and actions. Sociology is considered the broadest of the social sciences, so there is something of interest for practically everyone. Researchers can specialize in sociology of _____________ (insert almost any social or cultural institution).
Textbook: Sociology: The Study of Human Relationships (2010). W. Lavene Thomas. Holt McDougal.
Class set available in classroom; no purchase necessary
Take-home textbooks available on a first-come, first-serve basis with parent request to social studies department chair with student name, subject, and class period.
What is a hybrid course? Most dual-credit students today are familiar with using the Internet as part of their schoolwork. SOC 1301 is a hybrid course, meaning it has instruction both in the classroom (30 minutes per school day) and online, through Midland College’s Canvas system. 80% of instruction will occur in the classroom, and 20% will occur via Canvas. Students will have to participate actively in both venues.
With each unit, students will have to write a reaction paper or research paper after reading a PDF file downloaded from Canvas. They will also periodically have to search for pertinent sociology-based news articles or pop culture article on the Internet and write about them. It is important for students to keep up with news and current events, so please become accustomed to reading online news daily from reputable sources (i.e. major networks and newspapers, not blogs).
Midland High an AVID campus and take Cornell notes. All the time. For a grade. Accept it.
Student Evaluation:
Daily Grades = 40%
Daily grades primarily consist of Discussion Questions answered on Canvas. Students are expected to answer a written prompt with at leastthree paragraphs that contain correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation. To receive 100% credit, all Discussion Question answers must answer all parts of the prompt.
Discussion Questions will be mentioned in class at least 48 hours before they are due. All Discussion Questions will be available to answer in Canvas as soon as the course begins. The due date of each Discussion Question (by 11:59 PM) will be explicitly mentioned in advance during class.
Discussion Questions that are answered late will lose points according to Midland ISD district policy, which is 10 points per day.
Major Grades = 60%
The tests consist of a multiple choice section (75%) and a free response section (25%).
Multiple choice questions will come directly from the notes, bellringer questions, and final exam questions.
Toward the end of each six weeks there will be a Notes Grade that counts as a test grade. We take Cornell notes in AP Government. No exceptions. For 100% on your Notes Grade, you must have Cornell note format andkey points and summaries.
Test retakes, when offered, can earn up to 70% credit. This 70% is achieved by multiplying retake raw grade by .7
Retakes will occur during lunch only. There is not enough time to take a test between 8:00 AM and 8:25 AM.
Only in the most extenuating of circumstances will any exception to this rule be considered.
No tutorials will be held on Wednesdays at lunch. This is the Senior Social Studies PLC meeting time.
Practice = 0% (Nonweighted)
Every week will allow student class participation, behavior, and extra practice to be graded in a nonweighted category. This is to help students and parents track student progress. Dual-credit Sociology will have online practice quizzes, either in Skyward, on Socrative.com, or both, as nonweighted grades.
Rules and Expectations: 1.) All students should respect classmates, teachers, and guests to the classroom at all times. 2.) Students should not cheat, ever. Honesty counts. 3.) All school rules regarding cell phones, dress code, food and drink, and personal behavior are always in effect. 4.) Do your own work when you’re supposed to do it. Late work will lose credit fast. 5.) Treat others as you would like to be treated.
Course Rubric: Each unit will take approximately 3-4 weeks to complete
Unit 1: Intro to Sociology Unit 2: Culture Unit 3: Social Structure Unit 4: Social Inequality Unit 5: Social Control and Deviance Unit 6: Social Behavior and Social Roles
Course notes may be downloaded from Canvas, but hand-written hard copies of your written notes will be due for your notes grade every six weeks for a major grade.