What an amazing week in the classroom. Senior sociology students discussed and debated the health of American families, education, the economy, political system and religion. The topics were examined in the applied light of sociological imagination. The classes proved to be intellectually stimulating to the teacher and hopefully for the students.

Intro to Journalism students have focused on the topic of Muscular Writing. In addition to learning the ins and outs of powerful writing, alum and poet Ben Adams spoke to the class and graciously read his work and answered the questions of the budding writers. The week ended with brainstorming ideas.

The yearbook staff is struggling to meet its first deadline while ensuring that the depth of content and quality is maintained. The Gauger staff is also working to put to bed a planned 16-page paper next week. The commitment of the staff has been key to both programs. Editors Elizabeth Horne and Chloe McMahon are doing a superior job managing and leading their staffs.

Sociology:
After reading, lecture and discussion, sociology students will be able to:
~define sociology
~describe multiple uses of the sociological perspective
~distinguish sociology from other social sciences
~outline the contributions of the major pioneers of the discipline
~summarize development of sociology in the U.S.
~identify the three major theoretical perspectives in sociology today
Tuesday:
Readings, lecture & discussion of what comprises the social studies, examination and discussion of timeline from Industrial Revolution to 1950.
Explanation and discussion of what the sociological imagination is and why it is important.
Discussion of job opportunities in sociology.
Wednesday:
Snapshot of America activity: Illiteracy Rates analysis.
Lecture, discussion & readings: European Origins of discipline and identification of impact of Auguste Comte, Harriet Martineau, Herbert Spencer, Karl Marx, Max Weber and Jane Addams.
Thursday & Friday:
Role of Theoretical Perspectives: Students will express validated opinions on the following.
~How does functionalism explain social change?
~How does functionalism view values?
~What is the role of conflict and constraint?
~How does the conflict perspective explain social change?
~Which perspective is better?
~What is symbolic interactionism?
Wat are the basic assumptions of symbolic interactionism?
Evaluation: Class discussion, notes assessment, open book test

Introduction to Journalism:
Students will be able to:
~discuss and debate events in the news.
~identify the elements of news.
~explain the importance of news judgement.
~Explain and demonstrate the difference between news and feature writing.
~demonstrate mastery of news and feature writing.
Tuesday:
~read LNJ & discuss
~powerpoint Muscular Writing
~read aloud from excellent writing
Wednesday-Friday
~daily reading of LNJ & discussion
~Radical Write handout lecture & discussion
~text background reading

Attending the Project Based Learning Workshop in Tyler for three days turned out to be exceptionally interesting, intellectually stimulating, and challenging. The workshop was led by a classroom teacher who has effectively integrated the learning system as a regular part of her classroom instruction. This was refreshing, as often workshop presenters have not been a classroom teacher for some time. The applications for the training are only limited by time for planning and implementation of the methodology.

Sociology:
Students will be able to:
~explain orally & in writing:
~what sociology is
~what culture and subcultures are
~what norms are
~cultural variance in norms
Monday-Wednesday:
Film: Tombstone
Thursday & Friday
Identify & discuss culture, subcultures & norms as portrayed in film
Turn in for test grades: 100 questions & Innovators & Optimizers paper

Introduction to Journalism:
Students will be able to identify elements of:
~character development
~dialogue construction
~storytelling values
Monday-Wednesday:
Film: His Girl Friday
Thursday & Friday:
Write film review (test grade)
Current events update & quiz

Psychology:
Students will be able to:
~identify the difference in perception between individuals
~explain the significance of sensation & perception on how individuals process and interpret information
Monday:
Lecture & Discussion
Tuesday-Thursday: film: At First Sight
Friday: Essay Test

Introduction to Journalism:
Students will be able to:
~identify and discuss the top news stories of 2012
~identify the elements of news
~identify the basics of news and news/feature writing
Monday:
~discussion of top news stories of 2012
Tuesday:
~review of rubrics for news & news/feature writing
~read LNJ & discuss
Wednesday:
~test elements of news
~journalism vs. English writing lecture & discussion
Thursday:
~read LNJ
~complete lecture & discussion of journalism vs. English writing
Friday:
~application writing assignment: find a news story and write about it

This week in and out of the classroom has been challenging. Psychology students took a look inside the black box of the brain and also explored the latest research on how the brain works. We capped off our study with a look at the uniqueness of the teen brain.
Many students were out of pocket with play practices, basketball tournaments and illness. Somehow we persevered to finish the unit.

Journalism students took a look at the history of early movie making and even watched about half of Charlie Chaplin’s Modern Times. Class discussion covered the socio-political background of movies and how they reflected or deflected the culture of the period they were made in.

The Gauger staff is busy putting out a 20 page issue to end the semester. The yearbook staff is frantically working on their first deadlines of the year.

Dual Credit College History students will be taking their final exam on Thursday of next week.

Psychology:
Sensation & Perception
Students will be able to:
~define perception as the way we interpret sensations and organize them into meaningful experiences
~describe the field of study known as psychophysics
~define and discuss threshold, Weber’s Law and signal detection
~describe the nature and functioning of the sense organs
~identify the skin and body senses and explain how they work
~outline the principles involved in perception
~describe how we learn to perceive and what illusions are
Monday:
Lecture & discussion over Chpt. 8 Section 1 Sensation
Tuesday:
Lecture & discussion Chpt. 8 Section 2 The Senses & Section 3 Perception
Wednesday:
Dr. Philip Zimbardo film: Sensation & Perception
Thursday & Friday: At First Sight

Introduction to Journalism:
Students will be able to:
~identify the roots of cinematography in photography
~identify the inventions and innovations that made movies possible
~create a timeline of the rise of the motion picture industry from 1902 to the emergence of the Studio System; the arrival of sound; depression-era Hollywood; Wartime Hollywood; Decline of the Studio System; labor unrest in Hollywood; anti-communism in Hollywood; the Foreign Market; courting the Youth Market; the decline of film censorship; civil rights & Hollywood; impact of television on the movie industry; & the contemporary Motion Picture Industry
Monday:
Lecture & discussion of historical background to create Hollywood
Tuesday:
Conclude the above
Wednesday:
Create a outline of important points from history handout
Thursday & Friday:
film clips across the various periods of Hollywood history

Psychology:
Students will be able to:
~explain how the nervous system messages are sent to the brain and body to cause behavior
~discuss and identify the parts of the brain that work together to coordinate movement and stimulate thinking and emotions
~explain how the endocrine system controls and excites growth and affects emotions and behavior
~identify heredity and environment and how they affect the body and behavior
Monday-Wednesday:
Lecture & discussion over the nervous system, parts of the brain, endocrine system, heredity & environment
Thursday: Test
Friday: film: The Teen Brain

Introduction to Journalism:
Students will be able to explain orally and in writing:
~the impact movies have had culturally, economically and technologically
~the technological basis of movies based in photography chemistry
~discuss three crisis that reshaped Hollywood
a) Hollywood 10
b) court bans on vertical integration
c) challenge from television
~explain artistic vs. budget issues
~role of ‘censorship’ in American movies

Psychology students have been studying the characteristics of the addictive brain. There has been a great deal of discussion on the topic after viewing the film: 28 Days. Students have, as a class, discussed environmental contributors to using & addiction; biological vs. psychological addiction; steps necessary in working toward sobriety; and that almost any substance or behavior can become addictive. In addition to contributing factors, the influence of peers and self-choice were highlighted. Self-Victimization was identified as a primary contributor to substance abuse after a threshold period.

The Introduction to Journalism students have been studying not only current events, but also the technology development that made radio possible. In addition to the journalistic aspects of the subject under study, the class has pursued the socio-economic influence of the medium on the development of American culture.

Psychology:
Students will be able to:
~demonstrate orally & in writing the differences between an addictive and normal brain
~explain how the structure of a teenage brain is different from that of an adult brain
~identify the genetic and biological factors that figure into addiction
~understand that the nervous system helps us know how messages that are sent to the brain cause behavior
~discuss the parts of the brain that work together to coordinate movement & stimulate thinking & emotions
~explain how the endocrine system controls & excites growth and affects emotions & behavior
~Identify heredity & environment and how they affect the body & behavior
Monday:
Turn in short answer/essay response to film: 28 Days & discuss
Tuesday:
Watch the film: The Addicted Brain & Discuss
Wednesday: Read & discuss the article over the Teenage Brain
Thursday & Friday: Plato Lab: Work through Study Guide Program on Addiction at the University of Utah website
Monday & Tuesday: complete units in lab (grade by observation & journal entries)

Introduction to Journalism:
Students will be able to:
~explain the electromagnetic spectrum and the role of Marconi in the devlopment of radio
~identify the contributions of Lee DeForest in the development of radio
~explain the Bounce-Back effect
~trace and explain the impact of radio on the development of American Celebrity Culture
~explain the impact of radio on the explosion of the music industry in America
~explain the role of radio on American sports becoming a national past time
Monday & Tuesday: Work through Open Book Test over Radio Chapter from The Media of Mass Communications college Text
Wednesday:
Lecture & discussion of music industry development
Thursday & Friday: Current Events, newspaper & quiz
Monday & Tuesday:
Handout over Record industry from college text, readings, lecture & discussion