About Me and Teacher Resources

Here is more info about me, about this blog, and about other resources for sociology teachers.

About Me

I have been teaching adjunct for Loyola University Chicago since 2017.   I also taught sociology at Stevenson High School from  1999-2022.  At Stevenson, I taught a one-semester dual credit intro to sociology class for Loyola University and Stevenson High School.  I have also worked with the American Sociological Association as a member of their High School Advisory Board (more info about the ASA below).  My work on the ASA Advisory Board included co-authoring both the National Standards for Sociology and the Common Core and Civic Life Standards for sociology.  My partner on the Advisory Board, Hayley Lotspeich, and I presented about teaching high school sociology for over ten years.  We have regularly presented at American Sociological Association, National Council for Social Studies and North Central Sociological Association and Midwestern Sociological Society meetings.  Some of the meetings have been in collaboration with AKD, the sociology honors society.  Hayley and I also co-founded The Chicago Area Sociology Teachers, a professional development group for high school sociology.  In 2004, I earned my master’s degree in Chicago Studies with a focus on sociology, also from Loyola University Chicago.  I did my undergrad at Loyola University as well.  Prior to Stevenson, I taught at St. Patrick High School in Chicago and Maine East High School.

Click here for CV

About this blog 
(http://sociologysal.blogspot.com)
This blog is basically what I do in class each day.  You can go backwards down the blog and it will be like looking through my lesson plan book from back to front.  There are also links on the right side menu bar that will take you to my posts by unit and by topic.  NOTE: When I transitioned from high school to college, a number of images became broken links so, older posts may not display images.

Other Resources

Chicago Area Sociology Teachers (CAST)
Hayley Lotspeich from Wheaton North High School and I run a listserve for sociology teachers through google groups.   You can log into the Chicago Area Sociology Teachers listserve (if you created an account) here:
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/chicagoareasociologyteachers
There is a searchable archive there with lots of discussions about lesson ideas.

Also, CAST has facilitated an annual conference with lesson plan sharing and a keynote speaker for sociology teachers.  It is usually during February.  More on the history of CAST here.

ASA High School Resources
Around 2009, Hayley Lotspeich from Wheaton North High School and I approached the American Sociological Association and said we would like to work with them to create more resources for high school sociology teachers and promote high school sociology.  The ASA has since created a high school group.  Check here for details:
https://www.asanet.org/communities-and-sections/high-school-faculty/


ASA High School Community

If you join the ASA high school group, it gets you access to a number of resources, including:

Listserve

The ASA also has a listserve for high school teachers that has archives of discussions. 

ASA Trails

If you join the ASA, you get access to a web-based bank of lessons called Trails.  Without membership, you can search the Trails resources, but you will not be able to view or download them.

AP Sociology from ASA- Introsocsite
Here is a compilation of resources originally designed by an ASA taskforce to move AP sociology forward.  There are copious resources here including lesson plans, unit outlines, simulations and readings.
http://www.asanet.org/introtosociology/home.html


Teaching Sociology - Journal from ASA
If your library has a JSTOR account you can digitally access archives of the journal Teaching Sociology.  It is full of lesson ideas.  If you join ASA, you can subscribe to the journal to get the latest issues as soon as they are published for a really reasonable rate.  Here is the journal page: https://www.asanet.org/publications/journals/teaching-sociology


ASA Youtube Channel

ASA has a Youtube channel that has short clips explaining research.

Soc Images
Socimages is a great site that uses visual images to illustrate sociological concepts.
http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/. From SocImages, here are Course Guides, Collections and Sample Assignments:

Course guides:

• Introduction to Sociology, by Gwen Sharp (Nevada State College)
• Sociology of Gender, by Mary Nell Trautner (University at Buffalo, SUNY)
• Family and Society, by Marcie Hambrick, MSW (Georgia State University)
• Sociology of Sport, by J.A. Carter (University of Cincinnati)
• Sociology of Work, by Lisa Wade (Occidental College)
• Sexuality and Society, by Amanda Jungels (Georgia State University)
• Sociological Research Methods, by Lisa Wade (Occidental College)

Collections:

• Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, by Calvin N. Ho (UCLA)
• The fight for same-sex marriage, by Lisa Wade (Occidental College)
• Police, black Americans, and U.S. society, by Lisa Wade (Occidental College)
• White men and their violence, by Lisa Wade (Occidental College)
• Women and history, by Lisa Wade (Occidental College)
• Hurricane Katrina, by Lisa Wade (Occidental College)
• Racist parties at American colleges, by Lisa Wade (Occidental College)

Advice for Students

• Advice for New College Students
• Professors’ Pet Peeves
• Advice for New College Grads

Sample Assignments

We’ve been collecting sample assignments from instructors who’ve tried them out. You can peruse them here.

Teaching Sociology Blog:
Here is a blog about teaching sociology:
http://thesocietypages.org/teaching/


Sociology Toolbox
This website run by Todd Baer from Lake Forest College is hosted on the Society Pages
 https://thesocietypages.org/toolbox/about/

Nathan Palmer's Website about teaching sociology:
https://thesocietypages.org/sociologysource/

Sociology and videos:

Here is a website with movies for sociology

http://www.thesociologicalcinema.com/

Common Core Civic Life Standards for Sociology:

The C3 framework for social studies contains an appendix with sociology standards that I co-authored.  The sociology appendix begins on page 73 but you can click here to download the whole framework.

Census Bureau Lessons
Sociology Lessons with data from the US Census Bureau
https://www.census.gov/schools/activities/sociology.html

Twitter hashtag for teaching sociology:

#teachsoc (more recent - mostly I use this for tagging posts that I might want to use in my intro to soc class)
#introsoc (older)

Everyday Sociology Blog (http://www.everydaysociologyblog.com/)

From Norton publishing.

Print Resources

Pedagogies of Quiet; Silence and Social Justice in the Classroom, by Monica Edwards.

Teachers and professors - I can't recommend this book enough! Her book is both a sociological study and a book about pedagogy. With an extensive review of literature interwoven with Edwards' own research and experiences in the class, she interrogates the insatiable need to create class discussion in an era where students are increasingly quiet and teachers are increasingly frustrated. Her book is a call to step back and rethink what our goal is in the classroom and how this goal has often been misled by our own socialization. Often, that socialization leads teachers to silence students, especially those from marginalized identities, but Edwards helps teachers think strategically about their practices so that they limit these implicit slights.

I highly recommend her book for all teachers and administrators but it is especially relevant for anyone teaching:

• a required class
• a class that includes students with marginalized identities
• sociology classes
• introductory classes

First Contact.  Jay Howard and Nancy Greenwood.  Rowan and Littlefield Publishers. 2011.  This book,

 identifies important issues facing instructors in introducing students to the sociological imagination. Drawing on the literature of teaching and learning in sociology and higher education more broadly, First Contact providesan overview of the scholarship of teaching and learning, best practices, and other essential information to create a successful first course in sociology. It walks the instructor through the course design process-from learning about whom your students are, determining appropriate course goals and learning objectives, and using these ideas to design, execute, and assess your course. It examines the core content of a first course. It discusses how to design a syllabus, select textbooks and readings, as wellas how to design and deliver effective lectures, facilitate good discussions, and other course delivery options. An invaluable resource for anyone teaching the introductory sociology course -- including grad students, new professors, and seasoned instructors who seek renewal in their approach to teaching this critical course in the sociology curriculum.

In The Trenches.  Kathleen Lowney and Maxine Atkinson. W.W. Norton Press. 2016.  This book is a comprehensive guide to teaching sociology at the undergraduate level.  It is very helpful for high school teachers too.  From the publisher, 

In the Trenches explains the process of becoming a better teacher, from tips on writing a syllabus to the first day of class to assessment. The authors focus on teaching techniques based on extensive research and decades of classroom experience, guiding readers through significant changes in pedagogy and technology. It includes suggested exercises, online resources, and new ways to connect with students.  In the Trenches is the perfect resource for both new teachers who don’t know where to begin and experienced professors looking to improve their students’ experiences and learning abilities in the classroom.

The Un-TV and the 5mph Car.  Bernard McGrane.  
This book is a very high-level intro to sociology text that is organized around different social experiments that are designed to make students aware of society and the social pressures it creates.  While the book might be too complex for the average 12-13th grader, it is a very stimulating read for teachers.  The experiments in it are really useful and adaptable even if you don't assign the book as required reading.

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Sociology through Active Learning: Student Exercises.  Kathleen McKinney and Barbara S. Heyl, editors. Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press. 2009. ISBN: 978-1-4129-5703-83  (Also has an Instructor's Manual with background on each student exercise and further suggestions for use.)

The Creative Sociology Classroom   A set of curriculum materials—lesson plans, mostly—have been put together for high school sociology teachers by the Sociology Department at Appalachian State University.  It is available for $15 from:
Dr. Jan Rienerth
Dept of Sociology and Social Work
Appalachian State University
Boone, North Carolina 28608

CLICK HERE to return to the blog home.

Rogers Park Homage

Sept. 4 2023, someone tried to turn Loyola beach into a nude beach! 😂. Possibly a sociology breaching norms experiment?! 

Speaking of beach-going, why is there no Friday morning swimclub at Loyola?  Can someone start that please?

From Chicago Magazine (2022), In Rogers Park, Only the Weird Survive,

Choose Chicago Rogers Park (2023)

Explorer's Guide to Rogers Park

The Color of Wealth in Chicago

The Color of Wealth in Chicago from the New School is part of a series that examines the wealth distribution in Tulsa, Los Angeles, Washington DC, Miami, Boston and includes a 2024 Executive Summary report on the distribution of wealth in Chicago.

Explore other cities in the series:

Baltimore

Washington DC

Tulsa

Miami

Los Angeles

Boston

College Data: Who Does Your College Think It's Peers Are?

 From the Chronicle of Higher Education Who Does Your College Think It's Peers Are? (2025)

Each year, universities choose their peer institutions when reporting their data to the U.S. Department of Education’s Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, or Ipeds. In return, they receive a customized report that compares their performance to that of their selected peers on various measures, like enrollment, graduation rates, and average staff salaries.

Here are the schools that Loyola chose as a peer:

Here are the schools that chose Loyola as it's peers:

For more about this data, see the Chronicle of Higher Ed's ‘An Art and a Science’: Colleges’ Tricky Task of Selecting Peers (2022).

Maria Popova's Figuring

I find Popova's introduction a poetic ode to sociology:

From The Guardian's Review, 

Her first book is also a highly original survey of life, love and creativity; an intellectual odyssey that challenges easy categorisation. It interweaves the “invisible connections” between pioneering scientists, artists and writers – many of them gay women – to create a richly patterned tapestry of ideas and biographies. Her approach subverts the idea that lives “unfold in sensical narratives”. Popova’s unique act of “figuring” in this book is to create resonances and synchronicities between the lives of visionary figures. Her aim is to answer questions that “raze to the bone of life”, including the most profound of all: “How, in this blink of existence bookended by nothingness, do we attain completeness of being?”

...the key thematic strands of Popova’s book crystallise, for Carson showed how the sciences “came together in a holistic understanding of nature”. As Carson said, you cannot “write truthfully about the sea and leave out the poetry”. Popova’s great achievement in this book is similarly holistic. At a time filled with urgent questions about identity, sexuality and the environment, she brings together science, poetry, philosophy and gender politics to find answers. As Virginia Woolf realised, the solution lies in the connectedness of everything: “the whole world is a work of art … we are the words; we are the music; we are the thing itself”.

Popova on the self and identity through Herman Melville :

“The self is a style of being, continually expanding in a vital process of definition, affirmation, revision, and growth,” the poet Robert Penn Warren wrote in his impassioned and insightful challenge to the notion of “finding yourself” — something the Harvard psychologist Daniel Gilbert captured half a century later in his memorable quip about our blind spots of becoming: “Human beings are works in progress that mistakenly think they’re finished.”  

Transgender and Nonbinary Gender Identities

 

Tey Meadow is a sociology professor from Columbia University and part of the Institute for the Study of Sexuality and Gender and is author of Trans Kids; Being Gendered in the Twenty-First Century. From the publisher;

Trans Kids is a trenchant ethnographic and interview-based study of the first generation of families affirming and facilitating gender nonconformity in children. Whereas previous generations of parents sent such children for psychiatric treatment aimed at a cure, these parents agree to call their children new names, allow them to wear whatever clothing they choose, and approach the state to alter the gender designation on their passports and birth certificates. Sociologist Tey Meadow argues that these parents are negotiating gender in new and significant ways, with everyone and everything, from intimates to institutions.
Drawing from sociology, philosophy, psychology and sexuality studies, Meadow depicts the intricate social processes that shape gender acquisition. Where once atypical gender expression was considered a failure of gender, now it is a form of gender. Engaging and rigorously argued, Trans Kids underscores both the centrality of ever more particular configurations of gender in both our physical and psychological life, and the increasing embeddedness of personal identities in social institutions. 

Just One of the Guys?  Transgender Men and the Persistence of Gender Inequality

Kristen Schilt draws on in-depth interviews and observational data to show that while individual transmen have varied experiences, overall their stories are a testament to systemic gender inequality. The reactions of coworkers and employers to transmen, Schilt demonstrates, reveal the ways assumptions about innate differences between men and women serve as justification for discrimination. She finds that some transmen gain acceptance—and even privileges—by becoming “just one of the guys,” that some are coerced into working as women or marginalized for being openly transgender, and that other forms of appearance-based discrimination also influence their opportunities. Showcasing the voices of a frequently overlooked group, Just One of the Guys? lays bare the social processes that foster forms of inequality that affect us all.

Public Policy and the Well-Being of Transgender and Gender Diverse Youth in the United States: A Sociological Resource for Public Understanding



From the Advocates for Trans Equality (A4TE), here is the National Transgender Discrimination Survey: Full Report

This report provides information on discrimination in every major area of life — including housing, employment, health and health care, education, public accommodation, family life, criminal justice and government identity documents. In virtually every setting, the data underscores the urgent need for policymakers and community leaders to change their business-as-usual approach and confront the devastating consequences of anti-transgender bias.

Sixty-three percent (63%) of our participants experienced serious acts of discrimination—events that would have a major impact on a person’s quality of life and ability to sustain themselves financially or emotionally. Participants reported that they had faced: 

• Loss of job due to bias
• Eviction due to bias
• School bullying/harassment so bad the respondent had to drop out
• Teacher bullying
• Physical assault due to bias
• Sexual assault due to bias
• Homelessness because of gender identity/expression
• Loss of relationship with partner or children due to gender identity/expression
• Denial of medical service due to bias
• Incarceration due to gender identity/expression

The Social Costs of Gender Nonconformity for Transgender Adults: Implications for Discrimination and Health

Using data from the largest survey of transgender adults in the United States, the National Transgender Discrimination Survey (N = 4,115), we examine the associations among gender nonconformity, transphobic discrimination, and health‐harming behaviors (i.e., attempted suicide, drug/alcohol abuse, and smoking). The results suggest that gender nonconforming trans people face more discrimination and, in turn, are more likely to engage in health‐harming behaviors than trans people who are gender conforming. Our findings highlight the important role of gender nonconformity in the social experiences and well‐being of transgender people.

Trans Medicine: The Emergence and Practice of Treating Gender

Drawing on interviews with medical providers as well as ethnographic and archival research, shuster examines how health professionals approach patients who seek gender-affirming care. From genital reconstructions to hormone injections, the practice of trans medicine charts new medical ground, compelling medical professionals to plan treatments without widescale clinical trials to back them up. Relying on cultural norms and gut instincts to inform their treatment plans, shuster shows how medical providers’ lack of clinical experience and scientific research undermines their ability to interact with patients, craft treatment plans, and make medical decisions. This situation defies how providers are trained to work with patients and creates uncertainty. As providers navigate the developing knowledge surrounding the medical care of trans folk, Trans Medicine offers a rare opportunity to understand how providers make decisions while facing challenges to their expertise and, in the process, have acquired authority not only over clinical outcomes, but over gender itself.

Sociologists for Trans Justice (S4TJ)

The mission of the Sociologists for Trans Justice (S4TJ) initiative is three-fold:

1. To support trans, non-binary, and intersex scholars in sociology
2. To advance trans, non-binary, and intersex studies in sociology
3. To increase public understanding of trans, non-binary, and intersex issues.

Applying Verstehen: Understanding the Transgender Experience

Final Essay

SOCL 101

Final Reflection

 

This paper will ask you to reflect on our class and apply your understanding of sociology to your own life.  This assignment is due by the end of the scheduled final exam period for your class.  This is a firm deadline without exception.  Be sure to write in proper prose with correct grammar and spelling. Be sure to answer each part of the reflection that I outline below.  Make your writing authentic – use details and make it specific to your own life so that the essay is unique and can only be applied to your life.  Look back over our lessons on the blog to help give you ideas.  Write your paper in a separate app like Word or Google Docs and then paste it into the Google Form.

 

Part 1:

In the syllabus, I wrote,

Learning sociology can give students new insights about everyday life.  C. Wright Mills, an important sociologist, said that sociology will make the familiar, strange; sociology may make you feel uncomfortable and challenge your assumptions about the world.  Peter Berger, another notable sociologist, warned that "People who like to avoid shocking discoveries...should stay away from sociology."  Sociology can be an amazing class that changes your perspective about the world and more importantly about yourself.  These insights will hopefully increase student mindfulness about themselves as individuals, their interactions with others and their society in general.

 

• 4pts Now looking back at the class, what is something that we learned that made you think about your life differently or something that challenged your assumptions about the world?  
• 3pts What is some of the evidence we examined that contributed to your new way of thinking?  
• 3pts Use specific examples and details from your own life of how you thought before the class and how you think now – even if it is not a huge difference, explain the nuance in how you might think differently.

 

Part 2

This course is a Tier 1 foundational social science class that intends to help students “demonstrate cultural, societal and self understanding.”  As written in the syllabus, 

These courses examine how humans are shaped by their societies.  Students who successfully complete this class will demonstrate an understanding of the relationships among cultural, and social forces, and their impact on human behavior.

 

• 4pts With this in mind, think about what we learned about how people are shaped by social forces – especially nature and nurture, culture, family, school, peers, and social media.  Choose one of these and demonstrate how you have been shaped by it.  
• 3pts Explain authentic details and specifics that only apply to you in your explanation of the topic.  
• 3pts What research/readings from class adds to your understanding of how you are shaped by whichever topic you choose? Explain how the research/readings applies to your example specifically.

 

Part 3  

This course has a diversity learning outcome that seek to:

·      Recognize that human diversity is complex and variegated.

·      Distinguish the various factors that inform and impact individual identity formation.

·      Comprehend how group identities are formed in a heterogeneous society.

 

• 4pts With this in mind, choose an outgroup identity such as gender (male or female), racial (Black, Asian, or Hispanic) or social class (middle class or low-income) that you do NOT identify with.  Explain how the course informed you about about this identity and what you want to take away from the course to increase your understanding of this outgroup.  
• 3pts How is this identity more complex and varied than you (or the average American) might realize?  What challenges do people of this identity face? 
• 3pts Connect your answer to at least one reading or evidence that I assigned/cited in class.  How does this reading/evidence inform your understanding of the group?

 

Part 4

• 5pts Please write a review of the course content.  What do you want to remember from the course?  What was most interesting?  What would you like to learn more about?  Do you think SOCL101 is interesting/useful? If so, why specifically? If not, why not – what could be specifically different?

Grading

This Essay will be grade out of 40 points.

Parts 1-3 will be graded out of 10 points based on your ability to clearly and correctly answer the whole question and provide authentic/specific examples in your answer.

Part 4 will be out 5 points for a meaningful and thoughtful response.

Finally, there will be 5 points for all technical aspects including: grammar, spelling, turning it on time.

Course Evaluation and Conclusion

Final Lesson

Sociological Epilogue

 

As our course lessons end, I want to leave with some final sociological wisdom.  Much of what we learned may resonate with you over time and so I hope that you take lessons with you and find them beneficial as you go forth. That is one reason why I use this blog - it is here for you to consult even after your LUC and Sakai accounts are long gone.  

 

First, as we started the semester with a mindful meditation, be mindful of yourself.  You are your own best advocate and friend.  Keep yourself in your own thoughts and be aware of your own needs.  Make time to spend quietly with yourself.  Make time to detach from yourself and just be; listen for the silence. Recall that our lessons were meant to help you do all of that.

 

As you develop your mindfulness, remember to do this sociologically, and the message there was simple: YOU MATTER.  You matter to yourself so be aware of the ways in which you are being influenced.  Be kind to yourself knowing that you have been shaped by dynamics beyond your control and knowing that you are a work in progress.  Every moment is new and you are not static.  You are growing and changing.

 

And mindfulness leads us to the realization that you matter to others so be aware of the influence that you contribute to.  This may seem trite, but it is in fact our reality.  From quantum physics to epigenetic biology to sociology to theology, the more we learn, the more the research is clear – we all affect each other.  

We were created with a power and a need to connect with others. Whether it is our family, friends, our school, our culture, strangers sharing this planet with us or generations of people long before and long after us - we are connected to them.

 

The awareness of the social influence on others also has helped me to be more understanding and forgiving because even if I do not agree with them, I know others have been influenced by forces beyond their control.  Sociological mindfulness reminds me to be kind.  Each person is part of a multitude of groups that have been shaped by social forces, but each person has a unique identity.  It is a sociological paradox that we recognize the forces that shapes us all similarly at the same time that we recognize the individual identity uniquely held by each individual.  

And this awareness is a reminder to be kind to yourself. You have been shaped by forces beyond your control. But you also have the sociological awareness now to realize that you can have some say in who you become by choosing your  ingroups. We know that our group memberships will influence us whether we want them to or not - so choose friends that inspire you to be the person who you want to be. Join groups that challenge you to grow in ways that you want to direct your own growth.

Course Evaluations

I am constantly trying to improve the course and adjust to the changing dynamics of students and society.  So, I would really appreciate your honest feedback on two evaluations - one for me and one for LUC.  Both are anonymous.

Personal evaluation. 

Please fill out this anonymous course evaluation which helps me tweak the class to make improvements based on student feedback.  I really value your feedback and I want to continue to make sure that the course serves students the best it can.  Here is the SPRING2025 evaluation.

 

LUC evaluation

LUC also administers a course evaluation.  This is one way that the university evaluates my class and another data point for myself to continually improve my classes.  It is anonymous.  Please complete the survey when you have a chance - I believe that it is accessible in your 

Sakai or Locus.

Please login using this link:  https://www.smartevals.com/entry.aspx?s=luc

• Your username is your Loyola UVID. 
• Your password is the same that corresponds with your UVID. (If you have trouble signing in, please try using a different browser or clear your browser's cache and cookies.)