Individual Development and Identity

Status:

John Wiggins

Lesson Plan: IV: Individual Development & Identity

Standard

- Students will describe the different values across socio-economic status:  Low income, middle class and upper class.

Performance Expectations

- C.  Describe the ways family, religion, gender, ethnicity, nationality, socioeconomic status, and other group and cultural influences contribute to the development of a sense of self.

Learning Outcomes

- Students will list 5 values that distinguish a lower income family.

- Students will list 5 values that distinguish a middle income family.

- Students will list 5 values that distinguish a High Income family

- Using these lists, students will describe the differences between the status groups and how the values and customs from one group are different from the others.

Evaluation

- Using the lists, students will use an essay to describe the differences between the different Economic groups according to values and customs.  For a passing grade the essay MUST include points incorporating the difference of survival and luxury to these groups to be complete.

Curriculum

- This course can be taught in a cultural diversity course for upper levels, sociology to discuss differences between groups or in an economics class to emphasis “Target Markets.”

Instruction

- The instructions listed below are meant to provide you with a time table on how to proceed for the class.  Be aware, my class does not respect lecture but more interactive methods.  Considering this, I have provided you with the following:

First five minutes: For our classes we tend to discuss current events and see different views on issues pressuring us today.  Remember: try to set the discussion in the first five minutes up for your lecture.  I’m sure you can manipulate the discussion to use as fuel for later.

20 minutes: Go over the reading material to the class.  Do not assign the reading but rather pick out the important parts of it and get feedback from the students.  Today, hand out the questionnaire on “If you were…”  This handout lists skills that low, middle and upper class people tend to know given their background.  Have everyone take this and compare in small groups.  Use this for discussion and use o questions.

25 minutes: For the last part of this class, you will break the students into their pre-assigned small groups (as shown on the seating chart).  Do not allow them to jump groups as I have them placed together in a way they know very few of their friends.  Assign the essay assignment for today and have them begin working on this for tomorrow.

Questions

- When you did the handout on the skills for each status which did you have the most similarities with?   Which was very different?

- For the one that was very different: What made it so foreign to you?

-So economic status can reflect specific values?  For example, for a low income family the goal is to eat as much as you can to be full where an upper class family focuses on presentation of the food rather than quantity.  How do values like these show the different ideas of “important” to these groups?

-How would you describe the reasons for these differences?

-So money is a motive?

- Given these values: Does what you see as “Important” to you seem as important now?  If so…Why?