Teaching Tips

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Chapter 1: Sociology and the Study of Social Problems

  1. Invite a practicing Sociologist to speak about the advantages and disadvantages of applied versus basic sociology.
     
  2. Invite a local politician to speak about the role of government in identifying and addressing social problems.
     
  3. Take a field trip to a local television news station or newspaper printer to gain insight into how they determine to report news about social problems.
     
  4. Invite a drug addiction counselor to speak to the class about the issues regarding drug addiction.
     
  5. Invite a counselor who works with victims of domestic violence to speak about the issues pertaining to intimate partner violence.
     
  6. Invite someone who works within the prison system to speak to the class about their experiences.

Chapter 2: Social Class and Poverty

  1. Take a field trip to a local homeless shelter to allow students to see firsthand some of the  issues that homeless people face.
     
  2. Invite a speaker from the Head Start program in your local school district to discuss poverty among children that live in your community.
     
  3. Invite a representative from the welfare office to speak to the class about eligibility requirements, required paperwork, and other pertinent related information about receiving welfare.
     
  4. Take a field trip to a government-funded housing project to gain insight into the living environment of the economically depressed.
     
  5. Invite a representative from the public school district in the city to speak about the issues that they currently face.
     
  6. Visit a local food bank to see how they operate and discuss which demographics they serve on a daily basis.

Chapter 3: Race and Ethnicity

  1. Invite a political leader (e.g., mayor) from a racial/ethnic minority group to speak about some of the legislative challenges minorities face.
     
  2. Attend a local civil rights meeting of activists, most towns have a chapter of the NAACP, ULAC or AFL-CIO. Engage in conversation with them over their ideas about ethnic relations
     
  3. Have a representative from your institution speak about the resources that are available to racial and ethnic minorities on campus.
     
  4. Invite a representative from your local city government to discuss the resources that are available to racial and ethnic minorities.

Chapter 4: Gender

  1. Invite a speaker from a local chapter of the National Organization of Women to speak about women’s issues and equal rights.
     
  2. Ask someone from both a local conservative and liberal organization to hold a class debate about the role of women in today’s society.
     
  3. Invite women who have immigrated from different cultures to class to discuss women's rights in their birth countries.
     
  4. Invite a female politician from your community to discuss challenges she may have faced while campaigning and/or while in office.

Chapter 5: Sexual Orientation

  1. Invite an openly homosexual person to speak to the class about some of the issues that gay and lesbian people face including gay rights topics.
     
  2. Invite political leaders that support and denounce gay rights to hold a campus debate about GLBT issues. 
     
  3. Have your students visit the website “It gets better” and review some of the stories and videos, then have them write a reaction to the site using sociological concepts for analysis.
     
  4. Have a representative from PFLAG come and speak to the class about the issues that he/she may have faced in his/her life.
     
  5. Research your institutions’ campus organizations.  Is there an organization on campus that provides support and/or resources for gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender individuals?
     
  6. If so, invite a representative from the organization to speak to the class about the services they provide.

Chapter 6: Age and Aging

  1. Take a field trip to an assisted living facility / nursing home so students can get firsthand knowledge into some of the issues that the elderly face.
     
  2. Invite a representative from Hospice care to discuss issues around death and dying for the elderly today.
     
  3. Invite a representative to address the class from a non-profit providing services for the elderly, like meals on wheels, etc...   Encourage students to volunteer for organizations assisting older Americans.
     
  4. Invite a fitness teacher or personal trainer to speak to the class about the benefits of staying physically active after the age of 65.
     
  5. Have a representative from AARP or a local agency that helps the elderly to speak to the class about the resources and/or services they offer.

Chapter 7: Families

  1. Invite a family therapist to speak about some of the social issues families confront in today’s society.
     
  2. Ask a speaker from a local women’s abuse center to speak about why so many abused women never seek help, how victims can go about getting assistance, and furthermore to discuss what services are available to abuse victims.
     
  3. Have an attorney speak to the class about the legal process of divorce.
     
  4. To get an inside glimpse into the complexities of teen pregnancy, take a field trip to a local school or community center that provides services to pregnant or teenage mothers. 
     
  5. Schedule a time for the class to be present at a divorce and/or child custody hearing at the local courthouse.
     
  6. Ask a speaker from your local Child Protection Services to speak about the issues concerning child maltreatment.
     
  7. Ask a representative from Planned Parenthood to speak to the class about the issues pertaining to teenage pregnancy. 

Chapter 8: Education

  1. Invite the local Superintendent of schools or other local School Board representative to share with the class some of the current problems and challenges your local school district is facing.
     
  2. Have the class attend a local school board meeting to discover the issues being debated.
     
  3. Take a field trip to a neighboring school and meet with the principal to discuss how local schools deal with local, state, and national laws concerning student rights, violence and abuse, and standardized testing.
     
  4. Invite the individual in charge of developing curriculum for your school to speak to the class about the programs that are being developed for your particular school
     
  5. Invite a colleague to discuss how he/she develops lesson plans for his/her class and what guidelines he/she has to adhere to during the process of creating lesson plans.  

Chapter 9: Work and the Economy

  1. Invite an employee from your local unemployment office to share with the class the challenges involved in finding potential employees a job.  In addition, discuss what employers are looking for in potential employees.  Furthermore, discuss changes occurring in local unemployment rates and underemployment rates if available.
     
  2. A growing number of college professors, especially at the Community College level, are adjuncts or part-time instructors (i.e., contingent and temporary).  Invite an administrator from your college or university to talk to the class about the opportunities and challenges  involved with hiring and working with part-time instructional staff members. 
     
  3. Have a civil rights activist or staff member from your local Equal Employment Opportunity Commission office to speak about discrimination in the workplace.  
     
  4. Invite a politician to discuss the role of government in fighting discrimination in the workplace.  Have the students give recommendations for change in local, state, or national non-discrimination laws.
     
  5. Ask a representative from a local union to give a presentation about the mission of unions.
     
  6. Take a field trip to a business that is known for its “worker friendly” environment.  Plan a meeting with a top-level manager or supervisor along with a front line employee to get insight into both the employee and manager perspectives of the work setting.  
     
  7. Invite a representative from the HR department at a local business to discuss their policies regarding discrimination in terms of hiring and ongoing training programs that may be offered in regards to this issue.
     
  8. Invite a representative from the local city’s government to come and discuss with the class programs that have been created to combat the issues of unemployment in that particular city.

Chapter 10: Health and Medicine

  1. Take a field trip to the local county health department to allow students to see, firsthand, the typically chaotic environment that the impoverished are made to face if they are in need of non-emergency health care treatment.  Ask students to “put themselves” into the shoes of the patients and try to experience the situation from their point of view.
     
  2. Invite a medical care professional to speak about the changes that have occurred in the health care industry over the last twenty years.  Ask the speaker about changes in laws, insurance company rules, and the use of technology in identifying and treating disease.
     
  3. If a medical school exists in your community, ask a representative to speak to the class about 21st Century medicine and treatment.  For example, inquire about the background of students   (e.g., socioeconomic status, gender, race) seeking a degree in medicine, the new practices and technologies that are not yet available but are soon to be, and the expected trends in costs for emergency care, long-term care, and prescription drugs.
     
  4. Invite a representative from the local hospital to discuss how technology has impacted the way they treat patients.
     
  5. Visit two local hospitals with the class and discuss the differences that the students observed in terms of structure and delivery (as much as can be observed without being obtrusive).

Chapter 11: The Media

  1. Take a field trip to the local newspaper printing facility, television news channel, or radio broadcasting station and discuss with the managing personnel how they go about determining what is news-worthy, and how they settle on disseminating this information to the public.  
     
  2. Invite a news correspondent reporter from the left and right to debate how they feel the media should report news events.
     
  3. Invite an IT professional to speak to the class about their job duties and what opportunities may exist for those who work with computers.
     
  4. Invite a grade level teacher to speak to the class about they incorporate media sources into 

Chapter 12: Alcohol and Drug Abuse

  1. Invite a practicing drug and alcohol abuse counselor to speak to the class about the hurdles drug addicts face when attempting to stop using drugs.  If possible, have the counselor bring a few patients to share personal experiences with the class.
     
  2. Invite a police officer to speak about some of the issues involved in fighting drugs in your local community.  If possible, have the officer bring some of the paraphernalia confiscated during drug raids.
     
  3. Invite a representative from the public health office in your area to talk about specific local trends in drug use.
     
  4. Invite a representative from Planned Parenthood to speak to the class about the affects of drug usage during pregnancy.
     
  5. Invite a representative from your institution to discuss the drug policies that are in place on campus as well as off campus.  Ask this representative if there has been a change in the policies in the last 10 years.

Chapter 13: Crime and Criminal Justice

  1. Take a field trip to the local county jail to allow students to see, firsthand, what life is like  inside an inmate’s domain.
     
  2. Invite a police officer to share with the class which types of crimes, and at which rates, they are being committed in the community.  Furthermore, ask what is being done to discourage crime in the local community and how successful those programs have been.
     
  3. Consider inviting former prisoners to speak who have been released as a result of their innocence - use the website for "The Innocence Project" to locate speakers or review material on false convictions.
     
  4. Invite a lawyer who handles criminal cases to speak to the class about how they go about preparing their cases and what issues they have faced during the process.
     
  5. Invite a representative from the organization(s) on your campus that handles criminal activity to speak to the class about programs that are in place to combat crime and how they gather information regarding criminal activity on and off campus.

Chapter 14: Urbanization

  1. Invite a city planner from your community to speak to the class about the challenges and opportunities your community faces.
     
  2. Invite a local politician to discuss how politics influences decisions about the growth and management of different parts of cities and communities.  Specifically discuss services and utilities the government provides to or monitors for its citizens such as roads, water/sewage/garbage, beautification projects, revitalization, etc.
     
  3. Visit your local city’s planning commission to find out more about their activities and how they are organized and make decisions regarding planning and development.
     
  4. Invite a representative from your city’s Census Bureau office to come and speak to the class about the Census process, in particular ask them to discuss demographics pertaining to your particular community.

Chapter 15: The Environment

  1. Invite a speaker from a local environmental interest group to talk about some of the challenges they feel exist in the environment and furthermore, what they would like to see done about the problems.
     
  2. Invite a speaker from an animal rights group to discuss the motivation behind their cause.  Explore some of the social influences and social reactions to the news that an animal(s) has been neglected or abused.
     
  3. If possible, have students observe or participate in a civil disobedience march, picket, or demonstration directed by an environmental or animal rights activist groups.
     
  4. Invite a biologist that is familiar with plants and animals that are near extinction to share with the class their contribution and importance to the earth’s overall ecosystem.
     
  5. Plan a field trip to city hall.  If possible ask the local Mayor or their staff to discuss local solutions to climate change.
     
  6. Invite a representative from the “Go Green Initiative” in your community to speak to the class about their efforts to educate students about environmental issues.
     
  7. If possible, schedule a class trip to a recycling plant to see how it operates and to find out more information about the plant in general.

Chapter 16: War and Terrorism

  1. Invite a group that is opposed to war, under every condition, to speak to the class about their opposition to war.  Ask the group to share the techniques they would use to settle world conflicts instead of war and what they would do if those techniques did not work.
     
  2. Invite a Representative or Senator to talk about the government’s role in protecting its citizens.  Request that the speaker, regardless of his or her personal political affiliation, present information about how both major political parties differ in how they might address world conflicts.  Also, have the speaker specifically talk about how Democrats and Republicans view the potential use of military resources to resolve world conflicts.
     
  3. Invite a local veteran to discuss their cultural experience serving in Iraq or Afghanistan, consider both their service as well as their sacrifice (family at home, absent parenting, etc...).
     
  4. Visit a local armory in your area.  Speak with a representative there to find out more about the history of the armory and services they may offer.
     
  5. Invite a representative from a military recruitment office to discuss what techniques they use to recruit individuals and challenges they may face. 

Chapter 17: Social Problems and Social Action

  1. If available, invite someone that has been involved with a social movement to speak about some of the challenges, such as resource mobilization, and some of the rewards and accomplishments, such as new policy and legislation, that resulted from their involvement.
     
  2. Take a field trip to a site, if one is available in your area that details the development, life course, and outcomes of a social movement.
     
  3. Invite a motivational speaker to encourage students to look for opportunities to become involved in their local community to ultimately make it a better place for everyone to live.
     
  4. Find a meeting or perhaps attend a rally of a group that would be considered part of a social movement that is currently taking place in our country.  For example, perhaps the students could attend a gay rights meeting or rally in order to observe what takes place during the event.