Materials+from+past+years

= Day 4: Intro to education and class: =

1. To What Extent is the American School system (or any education system) responsible for Social Stratification? What can be done to remedy this problem? 2. What is the purpose of going to college? How is it related to stratification?
 * Questions for the day**


 * Read Role of Schools in Stratification and Inequalities:** [|Savage Inequalities]
 * And answer the following:**
 * - To What Extent is the American School system responsible for Social Stratification? What can be done to remedy this problem?**
 * OR Is it the other way around? Is social stratification responsible for the problem school/education inequality?**
 * Remember, stratification is the result of abundance and isolated control of resources by a minority of the population.**

[|Where does educational inequality come from?] What is necessary to help bridge the educational gap?


 * Look at blog about Savage Inequalities[| here]**

[|Inequality in American Education]

Choose a post about education from [|this site] and prepare to share what you learned. Use what you read about to discuss one or both of the questions for the day: 1. To What Extent is the American School system (or any education system) responsible for Social Stratification? What can be done to remedy this problem? 2. What is the purpose of going to college? How is it related to stratification?

Other optional videos to explore:

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Last Week Tonight: media type="youtube" key="P8pjd1QEA0c" width="560" height="315" media type="custom" key="22248144"
 * College Inc.**

One students reaction to rejection from Ivy League schools: media type="custom" key="22656312"

Ted Talk about how education may be changing to give people equal opportunities to a quality education:

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 * Blogpost:**
 * 1. To What Extent is the American School system responsible for Social Stratification? What can be done to remedy this problem?**
 * OR Is it the other way around? Is social stratification responsible for the problem school/education inequality?**
 * 2. Can education inequality be fixed? If so, how? What would a sociologist suggest?**
 * Potential challenges?**

**Discuss:** What class do you belong to? Upper? Middle? Lower? Use the graphic on the link below to figure out. Explore together: [|Class Matters New York Times Site] (Note: there is a copy of the book Class Matters in the room if you want to choose to read it for your book talk project)

1. The following aspects of life are a part of class: profession, education, income and wealth. Where do you belong in terms of each category? Where do your parents belong? Why is class not simply how much money you have? What is the purpose sociologically?

2. What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think about people who are on welfare? Do you personally know anyone who has lived on welfare?

= Minimum Wage Project and discussion =


 * Start Final Project for this unit: Can you survive on minimum wage?**

[|Social Inequality Project]

Based on your research for your minimum wage project, to what extent can a family live comfortably on minimum wage? What sacrifices did you need to make to stay within your budget? What would happen if someone in your family was in an accident? What type of school would your kids go to? Look at the actual schools in the area you chose to live in your project. Would your children be able to go to college?
 * 1. Do Now:**

2. Discussion

__Project Rubric__