You can access your group by going to the class MyGateway site: select, "Group Areas."  You'll find folders for each group with a list of the students assigned to each group, a link to access your group discussion board, and your group wiki. Each group is expected to compete either project 1 or 2. The very first thing you will need to do as a group is decide whether you want to do project 1 or project 2. Read all four parts of each project to understand what you will be expected to do. Be sure to document all your discussions in the group discussion board. You'll find a forum for each part of the activity.

Group Project 1: Part 1 due September 13 end of day (11:59 PM); Part 2 due October 16 end of day; Part 3 due November 6 end of day; and Part 4 (final project) is is due Thursday, December 6 end of day. (170 points)

Group Project 2: Part 1 due September 13 end of day (11:59 PM); Part 2 due October 16 end of day; Part 3 due November 6 end of day; and Part 4 (final project) is is due Thursday, December 6 end of day. (170 points)

Wiki Help and Tips

Group Activity Grading Policy:

Hopefully, your participation and collaboration in these groups will be an important source of learning and support throughout the semester. Your group provides a forum for participation, discussion, and collaboration with other group members on class topics and group activities.

A few points:

• Each group must select one of the following projects to complete. Please reveiw both project guidelines in their entirety and use the GA Part 1 discussion forum in your group discussion board to decide which project you your group will work on. Your work, individual and group, should be presented in your group wiki as a series of inter-linked web pages. The wiki allows members of the group to share information and collaborate on the development of a “website.”
• There should be one report on the wiki for each part the project. This synthesis of group research and discussion can and should be supported with a set of inter-linked wiki pages documenting your group’s research on the individual components of the project and your group's discussion.
• Group members must document their individual contributions for group projects in the discussion forum (all individual contributions to the forum and wiki must be completed at least 48 hours before the activity's due date to allow the group leader 2 days to finalize the wiki site, and the group to add final comments and suggestions). Group members who complete some, but not all, components of an activity may be eligible for partial credit. Students will be evaluated for the work they contribute to the project. In effect, you will be building a web site that focuses on the details of your chosen project.
• Group leaders are responsible for coordinating and finalizing group work on activities. Group leaders must post the full names of all the individuals completing the requirements for the activities.
• All group members are responsible for the final presentation of each activity. If a group leader is unable to complete an activity, another member of the group must be contacted so that the activity can be completed. For this reason, it is wise for groups to designate co-leaders or back-up leaders for each activity. Group leaders can earn up to 5 additional points per activity for the extra work they take on.
• Rely on reputable studies, articles, and books. Websites that meet the criteria for reputable work (or here ) can also be used.
• Be sure to correctly cite all information used from research resources (in-text citations and a list of references for each page) using the ASA style guide.  Additional assistance with referencing online resources can be found here (or here). Also, remember we are undertaking an academic activity, so please refrain from using opinion, unreliable or invalid resources, sensationalism, and other non-academic practices.

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Project 1: The final report on activity is due on Thursday, December 5, 2007 end of day (11:59 PM). (170 points total)

This project entails an investigation of the significance of the taken-for-granted rules (norms) that structure social situations and internaction in everyday life. You will be tasked to create an experiment to expose these norms by violating them and then analyze your results.

Part 1 "Getting Organized" due September 13 end of day (35 points)

Group Assignment

• Begin Communicating on Group Discussion Board
• Select a specific social situation to investigate- the social situation you all choose to break a set of 5 "unwritten rules"
  • Example:  Riding an Elevator, eating at a restaurant
• List of 5 unwritten rules presented as rules- Only pick five rules, be specific for example:
  • Rule #1:  When you step into the elevator face the set of elevator doors."
• Decide group roles (2 or more per Role):  Overseer, Synthesizer, Editor, and Webmaster (You can keep these assignments the same for every assignment or change it around.  However, this needs to be decided up front with the potential for renegotiation later).
  • Overseer's Role- In charge of overseeing assignment distribution for group work and setting deadlines for individual work.
  • Synthesizer's Role- In charge of summarizing group work and discussion on the discussion board in an academic, organized, and clear manner; similar to a mini-paper with introductions, content, conclusion (in paragraph form) and provided a list of group members who actively participated in completing the work over the duration of the activity.
  • Webmaster's Role- Putting the synthesizer's work on the wiki and adding some flash.  The content should be academic (including references) but the layout does not have to be traditional.  
  • Editor's Role- Making sure the work is clear, organized and free of grammatical and spelling errors.  

Create Group Wiki Page Foundation- Should include a group name, list of individual names hyperlinked to group page, list of group assignments for the semester hyperlinked to a pages set up for each part of part of the assignment, and a list of group roles and who's going to do what for which assignment.  The group page for part one should detail the situation chosen and list the rules that will be the subject of the experiment

Individual Assignment

Create Personal Wiki Page- providing a bit of information about yourselves and other interests you might have.  Experiment with the different features of the wiki--add external links, internal links (link back to your "home page") add an image or two--especially an picture of yourself. Update this page throughout the semester--adding links to your individual contributions to the project your group chooses.  Make sure to link all individual work here throughout the semester.  This is where the grader goes to access your part of the assignment.  Credit will not be given for individual work if it is not linked on the personal wiki page.

Scoring for this part of the project (35 points possible):

• 15 points for individual contributions (documented work on the group wiki).
• 10 points for documented contributions to the group discussion via the group discussion forum.
• 10 points for the group presentation. This includes the final wiki presentation (style, spelling, grammar, images, links to other resources, and overall quality of the presentation) and the content of your presentation (use of course materials, demonstration of sociological imaginations, and application of course concepts, theories, and other relevant materials).  

If you have any questions, contact either the class TA or Prof. Keel.

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Part 2 "Researching and Designing an Experiment" (40 points)

Group Assignment- (Discuss on the discussion board, utilize group roles assigned in Part 1, and design your experiment in detail.)

Scientific Method- This is what you use to design your group's experiment (Lecture notes and text from Chapter 2 will be most helpful in this section).

• Make sure to include a detailing and discussion of the following:  Research Problem, Controls, Hypothesis, Independent/Dependent variables, Demographic Information, Intervening Variables: time, location, population, experimental design, Hawthorne Effect, and generalizibility. 
• It may be helpful to design a data collection sheet so everyone's on the same page when they go into the field!
• The group page for part 2 should also contain links to the individual literature review pages.

Individual Assignment- (Everyone must do all of this!  Should be about 1-2 pages in length.  Create a new page in the wiki for each individual's review, and insure these pages are linked to and from the "Part 2" page and each individual's personal page. Make sure to include references and citations in ASA style documentation.)

• Literature Review (1 or 2 sociological sources focusing on the significance of taken-for-granted norms: Sociology Books (not textbooks), Edited Books, Journals, Databases) Need help, ask TA or the local librarian!  The library has a handout on sociological resources.
• What's a literature review?  If you don't know, don't guess.ask the professor or TA before, during or after class!  This assignment should have an introduction, body, and conclusion; should define key   terms; and relate it to the experiment the group is discussing on the discussion board.

Scoring for this part of the project (40 points possible):

• 15 points for individual contributions (documented work on the group wiki).
• 10 points for documented contributions to the group discussion via the group discussion forum.
• 15 points for the group presentation. This includes the final wiki presentation (style, spelling, grammar, images, links to other resources, and overall quality of the presentation) and the content of your presentation (use of course materials, demonstration of sociological imaginations, and application of course concepts, theories, and other relevant materials).  

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Total Part 3 "Conducting the Experiment" due November 6 end of day. (45 points)

Group Assignment- (Discuss on the discussion board, utilize group roles assigned in Part 1, and provide insight and assistance to all as they conduct the experiment.)

• Group page for part 3 should include a summary of activity, and explanation of which individuals/teams conducted experimental trials, where they did it, and why these locations/subjects were included.
• This page should also contain links to the various individual/team descriptions.

Individual Assignment- Everyone must do all of this (though working in pairs is desirable)!  Create a new page in the wiki for each individual's report on their experimental trials, and insure these pages are linked to and from the "Part 3" page and each individual's personal page. Make sure to include references and citations in ASA style documentation.)

• Conduct the experiment.  Include: Adequate description of situation, Focus on reactions to rule violation, Record detailed observations. Pay attention to specific subjects, to variations and patterns in responses, be specific, thorough and comprehensive, and pay attention to wider audience.
• Create a new page in the wiki for each individual/team report on their experimental trials, and insure these pages are linked to and from the "Part 3" page and each individual's personal page. Make sure to include references and citations in ASA style documentation.)
• Reports should be the equivalent of 2-3 typed pages.            

Scoring for this part of the project (45 points possible):

• 20 points for individual contributions (documented work on the group wiki).
• 10 points for documented contributions to the group discussion via the group discussion forum.
• 15 points for the group presentation. This includes the final wiki presentation (style, spelling, grammar, images, links to other resources, and overall quality of the presentation) and the content of your presentation (use of course materials, demonstration of sociological imaginations, and application of course concepts, theories, and other relevant materials).  

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Total Part 4 "Analysis and Application" due Thursday, December 6 end of day. (50 points)

Group Assignment (Discuss on the discussion board):

• Analyze the observations recorded in part 3.
• Create a final wiki page to present your findings and conclusions. 
  • Focus on patterns, variations and consistencies in responses related to the situation (time and place), the various individuals involved (variables like gender, race, social class), and the rules in question.  Make sense out of what happened.  Sociological sense!  Focus on the value, the significance of the rules, specifically in relationship to an understanding of the very important concept of social order--predictability and consistency in social interaction.  Show how we use these rules to help us make sense out of situations and other people.
  • Include a summary discussion of the individual theoretical analyses.

Individual Assignment (Everyone must do all of this!  Should be about 2 pages in length. Create a new page in the wiki for each individual's report on their theoretical analysis, and insure these pages are linked to and from the "Part 4" page and each individual's personal page. Make sure to include references and citations in ASA style documentation.)

Applying the Three Sociological Perspectives (Functionalism, Conflict Theory, and Interactionism):

• Not everyone need focus on all three perspectives, but all three perspectives need to be addressed by the group.
• You need to focus on the significance of the RULES from each of the three theoretical perspectives. 
• What is the significance of both the specific rules you tested, and also unwritten rules in general.  What do the responses of people to rule violation tell you about the structure of social situations and human interaction?
• Make sure to define the three perspectives, discuss main assumptions, list scope, and apply.

Scoring for this part of the project (50 points possible):

• 20 points for individual contributions (documented work on the group wiki).
• 10 points for documented contributions to the group discussion via the group discussion forum.
• 20 points for the group presentation. This includes the final wiki presentation (style, spelling, grammar, images, links to other resources, and overall quality of the presentation) and the content of your presentation (use of course materials, demonstration of sociological imaginations, and application of course concepts, theories, and other relevant materials).  

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Group Project 2: The final report on activity is due on Wednesday July 25, 2007 at 5:00 PM. (170 points total)

Part 1 "Getting Organized" due September 13 end of day (11:59 PM). (35 points)

In 2007, the federal government's (Health and Human Services) poverty guideline was approximately $20,650 for an urban family of four, and is determined by multiplying the cost of a "nutritious" diet for this family by three. Working backwards, we can dissect this number to reveal that the government believes that any family that has more than $1.58 to spend per person, per meal, per day for food is not living in poverty.

Group Assignments

• Begin Communicating on Group Discussion Board
• Construct "Your" family.   Include the following discussion points:  Social Services, Residence, Work, School, Health status, Recreation, Ages, Race, etc., Adult Education, Networks, be realistic and typical.
• Decide group roles (2 or more people per Role):  Overseer, Synthesizer, Editor, and Webmaster
  • Overseer's Role- In charge of overseeing assignment distribution for group work and setting deadlines for individual work.
  • Synthesizer's Role- In charge of summarizing group work and discussion on the discussion board in an academic, organized, and clear manner; similar to a mini-paper with introductions, content, conclusion (in paragraph form) and provided a list of group members who actively participated in completing the work over the duration of the activity.
  • Webmaster's Role- Putting the synthesizer's work on the wiki and adding some flash.  The content should be academic (including references) but the layout does not have to be traditional.
  • Editor's Role- Making sure the work is clear, organized and free of grammatical and spelling errors.  

Create Group Wiki Page Foundation- Should include a group name, list of individual names hyperlinked to group page, list of group assignments for the semester hyperlinked to a pages set up for each part of part of the assignment, and a list of group roles and who's going to do what for which assignment.  The group page for part one should detail the family you've constructed.

Individual Assignment

Create Personal Wiki Page- providing a bit of information about yourselves and other interests you might have.  Experiment with the different features of the wiki--add external links, internal links (link back to your "home page") add an image or two--especially an picture of yourself. Update this page throughout the semester--adding links to your individual contributions to the project your group chooses.  Make sure to link all individual work here throughout the semester.  This is where the grader goes to access your part of the assignment.  Credit will not be given for individual work if it is not linked on the personal wiki page.

Scoring for this part of the project (35 points possible):

• 15 points for individual contributions (documented work on the group wiki).
• 10 points for documented contributions to the group discussion via the group discussion forum.
• 10 points for the group presentation. This includes the final wiki presentation (style, spelling, grammar, images, links to other resources, and overall quality of the presentation) and the content of your presentation (use of course materials, demonstration of sociological imaginations, and application of course concepts, theories, and other relevant materials).  

If you have any questions, contact either the class TA or Prof. Keel

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Part 2 "Researching and Designing an Experiment" due October 16 end of day. (40 points)

Group Assignment- (Discuss on the discussion board, utilize group roles assigned in Part 1, and design your experiment in detail.)

• Construct a menu based on current nutritional standards that would  meet the nutritional needs of a family of four for a week. You must include a clear menu plan, and it must satisfy basic nutritional requirements. Detail the food (and quantities) you'll need to "purchase." Everyone will be using this menu and food list.
• Design your experiment using the Scientific Method- (Lecture notes and text from Chapter 2 will be most helpful in this section.)
  • You'll be "shopping" in different stores (for part 3 of the project) in different communities (affluent and poor) to investigate the social and economic reality of poverty.
  • Make sure to include the following:  Research Problem, Controls, Hypothesis, Independent/Dependent variables, Demographic Information, Intervening Variables: time, location, population, Experimental Design, Hawthorne Effect, and Generalizibility. 
  • It may be helpful to design a data collection sheet so everyone's on the same page when they go into the field!
• Your group page for part 2 should include your menu and a description of your research design. There should be links to the literature reviews done by group members, too.

Individual Assignment- (Everyone must do all of this!  Should be about 1-2 pages in length.  Create a new page in the wiki for each individual's review, and insure these pages are linked to and from the "Part 2" page and each individual's personal page. Make sure to include references and citations in ASA style documentation.)

• Literature Review (1 or 2 sociological sources focusing on the significance of poverty in American society: Sociology Books (not textbooks), Edited Books, Journals, Databases) Need help, ask TA or the local librarian!  The library has a handout on sociological resources.
• What's a literature review?  If you don't know, don't guess.ask the professor or TA before, during or after class!  This assignment should have an introduction, body, and conclusion; should define key terms; and relate it to the experiment the group is discussing on the discussion board.  What are sociologists saying about living at or around the poverty line?

Scoring for this part of the project (40 points possible):

• 15 points for individual contributions (documented work on the group wiki).
• 10 points for documented contributions to the group discussion via the group discussion forum.
• 15 points for the group presentation. This includes the final wiki presentation (style, spelling, grammar, images, links to other resources, and overall quality of the presentation) and the content of your presentation (use of course materials, demonstration of sociological imaginations, and application of course concepts, theories, and other relevant materials).  

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Part 3 "Conducting the Research" due November 6 end of day. (45 points)

Group Assignment- (Discuss on the discussion board, utilize group roles assigned in Part 1, and provide insight and assistant to all as they conduct the experiment.)

• Group page for part 3 should include a summary of activity, and explanation of which individuals/teams conducted investigations, where they did it, and why these locations/subjects were included.
• This page should also present a budget.  Your family has $256.41 a week.  Include the following discussion points:  Rent, Utilities (gas and electric), Phone, Taxes, Nutritional Needs, Social Support, Recreation,  Health Care, Savings, Emergencies, Transportation (gas, repairs, maintenance, or public?), Clothing, Cleaning, Toiletries, Celebrations/holidays/birthdays, Next Month?, Future (how long can you keep it going?).
• This page should also contain links to the various individual/team descriptions.

Individual Assignment- Everyone must do all of this (teamwork is acceptable)!  Create a new page in the wiki for each individual's (or team's) report on their "shopping" experiences, and insure these pages are linked to and from the "Part 3" page and each individual's personal page. Make sure to include references and citations in ASA style documentation.) Your report should be the equivalent of 2-3 pages.

• Go shopping. Go to two different types of stores, one in a more impoverished neighborhood and one in a wealthy neighborhood. Does $128.41 cover the costs of your menu (everyone should use the same menu and food list)?  Make sure to include the following:  description of store interior and exterior, employees, customers, neighborhood, Price totals, Price comparisons on selected items,
• Shopping difficulties, availability of products, problems sticking to menu, variety, nutrition (canned vs. fresh), transportation,
• Can you survive (why or why not: realistic??).
• Discussion of the significance of the shopping experience.

Scoring for this part of the project (45 points possible):

• 25 points for individual contributions (documented work on the group wiki).
• 10 points for documented contributions to the group discussion via the group discussion forum.
• 10 points for the group presentation. This includes the final wiki presentation (style, spelling, grammar, images, links to other resources, and overall quality of the presentation) and the content of your presentation (use of course materials, demonstration of sociological imaginations, and application of course concepts, theories, and other relevant materials).  

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Part 4 "Analysis and Application" due Thursday, December 6 end of day. (50 points)

 Group Assignment (Discuss on the discussion board, utilize group roles assigned in Part 1, and analyze your experiment in detail.)

• Analyze the observations recorded in part 3.
• Create a final wiki page to present your findings and conclusions.
• Focus on patterns, variations and consistencies in responses related to the situation (time and place), the various individuals involved (variables like gender, race, social class), and the impact of living life at the poverty line.  Make sense out of what happened.  Sociological sense!  Then connect to the sociological perspectives worked on individually.
• Include a summary discussion of the individual theoretical analyses and links to the individual (team) analyses.

Individual Assignment (Everyone must do all of this!).  Should be 2-3 pages in length. Create a new page in the wiki for each individual's (team's) report on their theoretical analysis, and insure these pages are linked to and from the "Part 4" page and each individual's personal page. Make sure to include references and citations in ASA style documentation.)

Applying the Three Sociological Perspectives (Functionalism, Conflict Theory, and Interactionism):

• Not everyone need focus on all three perspectives, but all three perspectives need to be addressed by the group.
• You need to focus on the significance of the Poverty from each of the three theoretical perspectives.  Make sure to define the three perspectives and their views on economic stratification and poverty, discuss main assumptions, list scope, and apply.
• Interactionist perspective:  Compare life at the poverty line to the "typical" American family.    What insights would           be relevant from an interactionist perspective? Include the following discussion points:  "Typical" family vs. reality   of poverty, "Looking-Glass Self?", "Self-fulfilling Prophecy?", "Definition of the Situation?", Relativity of Poverty,      Impact on attitudes, Impact on behavior.
• How do Functionalist and Conflict theorists differ in their analysis of the significance of this data?  You must discuss both the central issues addressed by the theoretical perspectives concerning inequality and poverty, and also analyze your research findings from the point of view of these three perspectives.

Scoring for this part of the project (50 points possible):

• 20 points for individual contributions (documented work on the group wiki).
• 10 points for documented contributions to the group discussion via the group discussion forum.
• 20 points for the group presentation. This includes the final wiki presentation (style, spelling, grammar, images, links to other resources, and overall quality of the presentation) and the content of your presentation (use of course materials, demonstration of sociological imaginations, and application of course concepts, theories, and other relevant materials).  

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Here are some guidelines for using the wikis:

Here's a link with detailed instructions for using the wiki: http://support.learningobjects.com/help/campus_pack/2.7.4/wiki/wiki.htm.  You can access this link from your group's wiki by clicking on the "?" button in the upper right-hand corner.

To Create (or edit) a page:

1. Do not edit any other student's page.  Pay attention to "where" you are when you do your editing.
2. From any page in the wiki, click on "New" (or "Edit" if you have already created it and are returning to edit).
3. Give your page a name.  Format: Your last name, Your first name: short page title.
4. You'll see a variety of "tools" to help you edit your page--you can choose different fonts, and font sizes, format your text, and add tables. You can also add images and links to other web pages (internal to this wiki, as well as to outside web pages). Click the Image or Link buttons, and follow the simple instructions).
5. There's no spell check in the wiki, so I recommend typing your essay in MS Word and saving it.  Then, copy the text.  Once you've copied text from a Word, come back to your wiki page (make sure you are in the "edit" frame), click to place your mouse cursor in the page, and then use the "Paste from Word" button.   
6. If you know html, you'll find a button that allows you to edit the source code.
7. Be sure to click the "Save" button when you are done!
8. You'll be evaluated for content, style, and presentation.
9. One member is responsible for editing the 'home' page (first page you access when you enter the wiki), and to go through and link all of the other pages together.

Rely on reputable studies, articles, and books. Websites that meet the criteria for reputable work (or here ) can also be used.

Be sure to correctly cite all information used from research resources (in-text citations and a list of references for each page) using the ASA style guide.  Additional assistance with referencing online resources can be found here (or here). Also, remember we are undertaking an academic activity, so please refrain from using opinion, unreliable or invalid resources, sensationalism, and other non-academic practices.

Contact the class TA or Mr. Keel if you have any questions.

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URL: http://www.umsl.edu/~keelr/010/GroupActivities/ga.html
Owner: Robert O. Keel: rok@umsl.edu
Last Updated: Wednesday, January 2, 2008 1:52 PM

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