Soc.
1010 Group Activities and Wiki Help
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.
Back
to the top
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.
Back
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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).
Back
to the top
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).
Back
to the top
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).
Back
to the top
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
Back to the top
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).
Back to the top
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).
Back to the top
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).
Back to the top
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:
- Do not edit any other student's page.
Pay attention to "where" you are when you do your editing.
- From any page in the wiki, click on "New"
(or "Edit" if you have already created it and are returning to edit).
- Give your page a name. Format:
Your last name, Your first name: short page title.
- 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).
- 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.
- If you know html, you'll find a button
that allows you to edit the source code.
- Be sure to click the "Save" button
when you are done!
- You'll be evaluated for content, style,
and presentation.
- 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.
Back to the top
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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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