Literature, Life-Writing, and Identity

Rationale

I have produced eight units to date to use with my dual-enrollment Sociology course. In fact the majority of the course is comprised of these in-depth content-based units. I know from experience that students are more focused and interested in the lessons created for these units. From the seminar readings, research, and my participation in Literature, Life-Writing, and Identity, I will have a ninth unit. This one, in particular, I am very excited about, as it will focus on the topic of gender. Last year at the beginning of our time together, I asked each student to select the one topic of those we would study over the course of the year in which they were most interested. The number one chosen topic was that of gender. Currently, I only use the textbook in my teaching of this unit, which definitely does not measure up to their level of interest! I would also argue that it is a necessity for students to better understand the topic as a whole since it does affect all aspects of their lives whether they know it or not. However, I write this with a disclaimer.  I have done my best to present the information in the best way possible – that I know, right now.  I will continue to educate myself on this rapidly evolving subject to do my best by the students seated in our classroom.  In this unit, students will come to understand the sociological concepts of gender first through their textbook reading and my lectures.  Then, they will read multiple personal narratives to see how these sociological concepts are connected to human lives.  Some of these are quoted within what I have written, while others are listed in the resources section.  Lastly, students will reflect on their own world and experiences to determine how their lives are intertwined with these concepts.  In doing so, students may better understand my reasoning for the title of this unit.

This curriculum unit is divided into three parts:  (1) the socialization of gender, (2) the causes and consequences of classifying people by gender, and (3) the formation and evaluation of personal reactions to the sociological concept of gender – all reflective of the objectives I must meet. As this topic can be very controversial, I anticipate that students’ ideas/thoughts on it may differ widely. Because of that, I want to promote the skill of active listening, all the more important as we are in different locations, and the students at each location are not as familiar with those from the other schools. I believe this type of listening along with the use of text sets will help students to develop a deep understanding of the topic.

Additionally, I will address the History/Social Studies Common Core Standard for Integration of Knowledge and Ideas: Integration and Ideas/CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.9 Integrate information from diverse sources, both primary and secondary, into a coherent understanding of an idea or event, noting discrepancies among sources. Text sets will be created that provide common readings for the entire class and choice sets for individuals to explore a particular area of interest within the subject of gender more deeply. Students will be able to determine which texts within the choice sets they would like to read. They will synthesize these multiple texts to increase their level of understanding regarding gender. I want to include a variety of resources for students to read through that not only demonstrate the scientific component of gender but also multiple personal accounts so that students see the human component of these concepts and will be better able to connect to what they read. For that reason, I will also include a number of personal narratives for each of the three parts of the curriculum unit.

School Setting

Our district’s motto, “College and Career Ready” is reflected at each of the high schools where multiple courses are offered in conjunction with our local community college and university. I am the teacher of one of these courses, Sociology. This is the seventh year that I am teaching this dual-enrollment course in which students are enrolled at the local community college and receive credit from that institution upon successful completion of the course with me on the high school campus.

Moreover, this is a distance-learning course in that some of my students are at my home school while others are at two sister schools in our district. The course happens real-time – at the three different locations – same teacher (me!). Each of the three schools is similar yet distinct from one another. Through the district’s Choice Program, students’ families can determine which school’s learning “strands” would best suit their children and “choice” them into that school. The three high schools are less than ten miles apart from each other, each situated on the outskirts of the city of Wilmington well known for its violence rates. There is no district high school within the city limits. Instead, students are bussed out to their chosen schools. The school where I am housed, Conrad Schools of Science (CSS), is a science/biotechnology magnet school serving almost 1300 students in grades 6 – 12. At this school, strands such as biotechnology, physical therapy/athletic healthcare, biomedical science, animal science, and computer science are offered. It is the only one in the state that is not a vocational-technology school to offer a Delaware Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) program. The sister school, A.I. du Pont (AIHS) serves about 1,100 students and houses the early College Academy in which students are assigned “colleges” that they belong to as soon as they enter the building in ninth grade, aiming to build cohesiveness amongst the group. The other sister school, McKean (MHS), has a diverse, inclusive population in which one out of each four students is one with special needs. It offers specializations in communications, business, horticulture, culinary, and education pathways.

For most of these students it is their first distance-learning course. To ease their fear and to promote a feeling of inclusiveness, I travel to their schools once every three weeks. During my planning time, I drive to one of the other two schools and host “office hours”. During that time I meet with the individual students at that site, helping with their feelings of connection to me, to the course.

This particular unit is designed for the high school juniors and seniors who choose to take this social sciences course, Sociology, as an elective. Due to scheduling requirements, most of them tend to be seniors who have already met their graduation requirements. These students must complete and pass a basic literacy test given by the local community college to gain entrance. Additionally, their families must pay a tuition fee, albeit severely reduced. This ensures if they complete the work at a satisfactory level and pass with a predetermined grade average, they will receive community college credit that tends to be easily transferred to local universities/colleges.