UbD Sample 1 Social Psychology

STAGE 1: Desired Results

Established Goals

The overall goal for this unit is to apply, and critically examine the major concepts/terms of social
cognition as they relate to a specific social issue.

It sets students up with the skills to identify these terms in everyday cognitive processes and
evaluate how thinking is shaped by mental frameworks and shortcuts.

Acquisition of Skills

Students will know Students will be able to

(Content knowledge: What facts and basic (Process knowledge: Usually includes words
concepts should students know and be able to like: explain, interpret, compare, contrast,
recall?) distinguish, describe)

Students will Students will be able toapply psychology

understand the issues of
homelessness and social
perceptions of it.
Students will know
the steps involved within the
attribution process.
principles to an ongoing social problem
Think critically about perceptions of
homelessness and how social cognition
creates these perceptions.

Target standards:

STAGE 2: Evidence

Assessment Evidence
What assessment(s) will provide understanding and meet other Stage 1 goals?

Individual Assessment: Video Analysis (Good Will Hunting)

Performance Task: Research, Debate

Other evidence (quiz, reflections, observations): participation, engagement, questioning

STAGE 3: Learning Plan

Daily Learning Activities and Notes

For this activity, there will be two versions. In version 1, the student will be a member of a group of
homeless individuals. In version 2, the student will be a member of a group of city government
representatives. Groups should be no more than 10 students.

Homework:

Students first complete reading that gives them an introductory look at attribution theory (this can
be assigned homework reading).

Class:

The next class day, I will hold a lecture that goes over the following key points about attribution
theory: attributions of causality based on consistency, distinctiveness and consistency, fundamental
attribution errors, actor-observer effects, self-serving bias, etc. Given the length of topics, I will
designate one topic per day and have students fulfill the activity relevant to that concept.

Students will be assigned to either Group A (homeless) or Group B (government representative).

After a short lecture on the designated topic for that day, students will have the beginning of class to
prepare a peer's testimony on behalf of their group. Within the testimony, the group must exemplify
the main concept for the day in the form of a fictional tale. The 'lawyer' will then call upon a
'psychologist' to explain using psych concepts and ideas. For more advanced classes, it may be
possible to have students decide for themselves how they wish to exemplify the concept. There will
be three judges each class for the day. (1) the Instructor (2) Group A Judge (3) Group B Judge. Each
groups witnesses will be presented alternatively with the other groups witnesses; witnesses should
change per day.

For homework each night, it is the group's responsibility to research issues of homelessness and
relevant policies in order to better defend their points. Scenarios given to each group are below:

Group A

"You are a group of homeless people who have just found out that the city of [insert city] is planning
to evict more than 5,000 of you from the subways during the winter, even during times of below-
freezing weather. Because of the actions of other groups against this policy, a citywide hearing has
been called during which both sides (the homeless people and their advocates and the city
representatives and their advocates) will be called to testify. Your job is to show that the situation of
homelessness needs remedy requiring building apartments and homes for homeless people, that the
homeless are not just a bunch of crazy people who do not know better than to stay out of the cold,
that homeless people are intelligent enough to speak for themselves and do not need others to
speak for them, and that homelessness is a problem in many cities not because of a type of person
called homeless but because of the severe economic crisis and resultant unemployment,
gentrification (kicking out poor people to build high-income housing), and warehousing (keeping
buildings empty when the market will not allow for high rents).

Use all that you have learned from attribution theory to make your case at this hearing, including (a)
nave tendencies to look at consensus, distinctiveness, and consistency to determine attributions of
causation, (b) fundamental attribution errors, (c) actor-observer effects, (d) self-serving bias and self-
defeating bias, (e) impression formation for creating salience, (f) the power of creating a
psychological perspective, and (g) the effects of power and status in creating attributions."

Group B

"You are a representative of [insert city]. Your administration has just enacted a policy of evicting the
estimated 5,000 homeless people from the subways during the winter, including times when the
weather is below freezing. Because of the actions of other groups against this policy, a citywide
hearing has been called during which both sides (the homeless people and their advocates and the
city representatives and their advocates) will be called to testify. Your job is to show that homeless
people are mentally ill and that their occupation of the subways is creating problems for citizens of
the city who want to go to work un-offended by the presence of people who beg, evade busing them
systematically from the subways to the shelters during the winter months. You are to convince
people at the hearing that homelessness results from a desire of people who do not want to sleep in
shelters and who advocate that the homeless create problems for businesses that want to attract
customers to their stores, which is the more critical problem during this time of economic recession.
Business must be picked up and the homeless are getting in the way.

Use all that you have learned from attribution theory to make your case at this hearing, including (a)
nave tendencies to look at consensus, distinctiveness, and consistency to determine attributions of
causation, (b) fundamental attribution errors, (c) actor-observer effects, (d) self-serving bias and self-
defeating bias, (e) impression formation for creating salience, (f) the power of creating a
psychological perspective, and (g) the effects of power and status in creating attributions."
 UbD Sample 2- Developmental Psychology

STAGE 1: Desired Results

Established Goals

The overall goal for this unit is to learn, apply, and critically examine the major theoretical
orientations that explain gender development.

It sets students up with the skills to identify the characteristics of young childrens sex-role
knowledge and understand how the behavior of young children is sex-typed.

Acquisition of Skills

Students will know Students will be able to

(Content knowledge: What facts and basic (Process knowledge: Usually includes words
concepts should students know and be able to like: explain, interpret, compare, contrast,
recall?) distinguish, describe)

Students will Students will be able toidentify and explain

understand thatin every culture,
adults have clear gender
stereotypes.
Students will know
theories of gender, sex-typed vs.
cross-gender behavior
the four different theories of gender
development, think critically about cultural
influence in the development of gender.
Think critically about the influence of gender
dynamics in emotional and social
development.

Target standards:

STAGE 2: Evidence

Assessment Evidence
What assessment(s) will provide understanding and meet other Stage 1 goals?

Individual Assessment: Video Analysis

Performance Task: Gallery Walk, Debate

Other evidence (quiz, reflections, observations): Chapter Test, chapter journal reflections

STAGE 3: Learning Plan

Daily Learning Activities and Notes

Day 1:
1. Gallery Walk (10-15 minutes)
Students bring copies of men's and women's advertisements from magazines/internet to class (e.g.
Vogue, Cosmo, GQ etc.) These are all posted around the room. Students go around the room and
write comments/thoughts on each image. Generate a short discussion amongst students about what
common themes they saw within the advertisements and in the comments. See if students are able
to see how sexist ads toward women were more salient and targeted in their comments than mens
sexual objectification.

2. Are You Acting Like a Man or a Woman (20 minutes)

Divide class into four groups (2 all male/female, 2 mixed) and give each a piece of easel pad paper.
Students in their groups make a list of what it means to act like a man or woman in the middle
column. On left column, students write what people might say or do if someone does not act like a
man or woman as described in the middle column. On the right column, list the jobs one would
choose based on traditional gender roles. Students then choose the most pertinent in the groups
lists to put on the board for everyone to see (one leader from each group)- have designated colors
for each group.

Initial Discussion Questions:

How and where do we learn our perception of male and female roles?
Do these roles and descriptions limit or enhance us in life choices?
Have you or someone you know ever acted differently from how your gender is "supposed" to act?
Have you or someone you know ever stood up for a person who challenged the gender stereotypes?
What other conclusions/statements do you have about this topic?

Further Discussion (if time allows): This is a funny demonstration to do to exemplify Gender
Script Theory section of the class. Have students talk about the behaviors that are and are not
acceptable for them to do in a public restroom. (What do you do when you realize the stall they are
in has no toilet paper? mostly the women in the class say they would politely ask the person next to
them, which is followed by disgusted and shocked looks by the men in the class who usually say
they wouldn't dream of doing something like that). Do you talk to other people at all?
Would you compliment a stranger on their outfit? Follow up with a short discussion about how this
demonstration illustrates gender differences in scripts in our culture.

3. Debate (20-25 minutes)

Are gender roles important for a functional society? Why or why not? The debate begins with each
team member making an opening statement of no longer than 2 minutes, during which initial
arguments for the pro and con sides are presented. After opening statements, team members can
ask questions of the other team and make arguments for their side. They can also use their notes to
refute arguments made by the opposing side. Team members are encouraged to present information
based on research rather than simply expressing personal opinions. At the conclusion of the debate,
team members are given an opportunity to communicate to the class which side of the debate topic
they actually support and to express their real feelings. This "debriefing" is an important last step,
serving a "cathartic" function for team members and permitting others to state their views more
openly.

Day 2

1. PowerPoint on Gender Development (different theories) (15 minutes)

2. Video: the 20/20 documentary The Secret Life of Boys (23 minutes)

3. Think, Pair, Share: students evaluate whether the story shown in this film provides support for
social learning theory, gender schema/script theory, or cognitive developmental theory. Identify
potential sources of bias in the film as well. (7 minutes) Note: Continue to discussion as Free Recall
for next class.
 Resources and Links

Source Link or Citation

20/20 Documentary The http://fod.infobase.com/p_ViewPlaylist.aspx?AssignmentID=D3QJRP

Secret Life of Boys