Sociology

What?

WHat are we learning?

Unit 3.1 The sociological approach 

Unit 3.2 Sociological structures, social processes and social issues. 

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

This term’s learning is an introduction to the subject (there is no discrete sociology teaching in Key Stage 3) and also the GCSE course. 

This introduction will remove students from their own life perspectives and enable them to start to consider and understand different academic perspectives, even if they do not correspond with their own life views.  This approach needs to be developed from the start in order for students to think as sociologists. 

How?  

Core knowledge:  

Theory = conflict and consensus; culture and nature; functionalism; interactionism; feminism; New Right ideas; social structures; social issues; sex and gender; race and ethnicity. 

Scholars = Marx, Durkheim and Weber. 

How will they achieve this? 

Teacher presentations. Student made notes. Source material provided by teacher. 

How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)? 

Copies of PowerPoints. Key word / technical terminology word lists, regularly tested.  Regular one-to-one feedback sessions.

How well? 

What should they be able to know? 

Explanations of the different ideologies and their respective scholars.  At this stage this does not have to be in detail. 

What should they be able to do? 

Describe and explain how the various ideologies operate, apply to society and evaluate them. 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: 

Regular content knowledge testing, essay practise and end of unit assessment. 

What?

WHat are we learning?

Unit 3.7 Sociological research methods. 

There will be some interleaving with research skills learned in Key Stage 3 science and maths, regarding the collection and processing of data to reach valid conclusions. 

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

This term’s learning will provide the technical skills to conduct and evaluate sociological research. 

How?  

Core knowledge:  

Research design; pilot studies and the scientific method; sampling; experiments; surveys; questionnaires; interviews; observation; ethnography; case studies; longitudinal studies; qualitative and quantitative research; primary and secondary sources; facts and values; interpretation of data; practical issues; ethical issues. 

How will they achieve this? 

Teacher presentations. Student made notes. Source material provided by teacher.  There is also an opportunity for students to conduct their own small-scale research project 

How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)? 

Copies of PowerPoints. Key word / technical terminology word lists, regularly tested.  Regular one-to-one feedback sessions. 

How well? 

What should they be able to know? 

What should they be able to know? 

How each of the various research methods operate. 

What should they be able to do?  

Apply methods to various sociological contexts and be able to evaluate their effectiveness. 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: 

Regular content knowledge testing, essay practise and end of unit assessment. 

What?

What are we learning?

Unit 3.3 Families (Part 1 of 2) 

What’s interleaved?  

The ideologies of functionalism, Marxism and feminism. 

What’s challenging? 

The ideologies may not correspond to student’s own personal life views.   Students have to learn who said what from a variety of scholars. 

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

Students will apply the knowledge and skills acquired in the previous two terms to a specific sociological topic.  Families is a good topic to begin with as students can contextualise the learning with their own varied experiences of family life and thus will not be approaching the subject cold. 

How?  

Core knowledge:  

Ideological perspectives: functionalism, Marxism and feminism. 

Theory: family forms; family diversity; relevance of the nuclear family; conjugal role relationships. 

How will they achieve this? 

Teacher presentations. Student made notes. Source material provided by teacher.  How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)? 

Copies of PowerPoints. Key word / technical terminology word lists, regularly tested.  Regular one-to-one feedback sessions. 

How well? 

What should they be able to know? 

Different models of family structure. 

What should they be able to do?  

Describe different family models and apply different ideological perspectives to conjugal roles within the family.  

Learning checkpoints and assessment: 

Regular content knowledge testing, essay practise and end of unit assessment. 

What?

What are we learning?

Unit 3.3 Families (Part 2 of 2) 

Unit 3.4 Education (Part 1 of 2) 

What’s interleaved?  

The ideologies of functionalism, Marxism and feminism. 

What’s challenging? 

The ideologies may not correspond to student’s own personal life views.   Students have to learn who said what from a variety of scholars. 

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

What should they be able to know? 

Different models of family structure. How education performs a societal role and different types of school in the UK. 

What should they be able to do?  

Describe different family models and apply different ideological perspectives to conjugal roles within the family.  Describe the role and types of education provision in the UK. 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: 

Regular content knowledge testing, essay practise and end of unit assessment. 

How?  

Core knowledge:  

FAMILIES: functionalism, Marxism and feminism applied to conjugal roles; Changing relationships within families; the symmetrical family; criticisms of family; divorce. 

EDUCATION: functions of education; relationship between education and capitalism; sociological perspectives on the role of education; different types of school; private vs state school. 

How will they achieve this? 

Teacher presentations. Student made notes. Source material provided by teacher.   

How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)? 

Copies of PowerPoints. Key word / technical terminology word lists, regularly tested.  Regular one-to-one feedback sessions. 

How well? 

What should they be able to know? 

Different models of family structure. 

What should they be able to do?  

Describe different family models and apply different ideological perspectives to conjugal roles within the family.  

Learning checkpoints and assessment: 

Regular content knowledge testing, essay practise and end of unit assessment. 

What?

What are we learning?

Unit 3.4 Education (Part 2 of 2) 

What’s interleaved?  

The ideologies of functionalism, Marxism and feminism. 

What’s challenging? 

The ideologies may not correspond to student’s own personal life views.   Students have to learn who said what from a variety of scholars. 

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

Students will draw on their own life experiences of education as a starting point and personal resource, as they did in the previous topic.  Again, this means students are studying sociological issues which they can contextualise, rather than being abstract.  This is a strength of this subject with a relevance to our socially, culturally and ethnically diverse cohort of students.  Students are encouraged to share this diversity in class. 

How?  

Core knowledge:  

Alternative education; educational achievement (internal and external factors); educational policies; gender and subject choice; educational achievement relating to social class, gender and ethnicity. 

How will they achieve this? 

Teacher presentations. Student made notes. Source material provided by teacher.   

How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)? 

Copies of PowerPoints. Key word / technical terminology word lists, regularly tested.  Regular one-to-one feedback sessions. 

How well? 

What should they be able to know? 

The different sociological perspectives on educational achievement. 

What should they be able to do?  

Evaluate the different sociological perspectives on factors relating to educational achievement. 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: 

Regular content knowledge testing, essay practise and end of unit assessment. 

What?

What are we learning?

Unit 3.5 Crime and deviance 

What’s interleaved?  

The ideologies of functionalism, Marxism and feminism. 

What’s challenging? 

The ideologies may not correspond to student’s own personal life views.   Disturbing aspects of societal issues relating to crime and crime statistics feature in the course material.  The learning will move to more abstract thinking, compared with study so far on the course.  Students have to learn who said what from a variety of scholars. 

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

Students should now ready to move away from sociological topics which are close to home (family and education) and apply their knowledge of different perspectives and ideologies, as well as research methods, to a more abstract social issue, specifically the social causes of crime.  This will stretch their academic skills. 

How?  

Core knowledge:  

The difference between crime and deviance; crime data; sociological explanations; theories of crime (functionalist and Marxist); formal and informal social control; factors affecting criminal and deviant behaviour (social class, gender, ethnicity, age); treatment of young offenders; punishment; the media. 

How will they achieve this? 

Teacher presentations. Student made notes. Source material provided by teacher.   

How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)? 

Copies of PowerPoints. Key word / technical terminology word lists, regularly tested.  Regular one-to-one feedback sessions. 

How well? 

What should they be able to know? 

Key terminology; theories and explanations of crime from different perspectives. 

What should they be able to do?  

Evaluate the different sociological perspectives on factors relating to the causes of crime and the prevention of crime. 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: 

Regular content knowledge testing, essay practise and end of unit assessment. 

What?

What are we learning?

Unit 3.6 Social stratification. 

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

Having mastered a more abstract sociological topic at the end of year 12, students will be introduced to another abstract topic – social stratification; a topic which is highly evaluative and will pull together their prior learning, having reached the end of the GCSE course.

How?  

Core knowledge:  

Theories = what is social stratification; functionalist perspective; life chances, the affluent worker; poverty; relative deprivation; the underclass; globalisation; the welfare state; power; patriarchy. 

Scholars = Marx and Weber. 

How will they achieve this? 

Teacher presentations. Student made notes. Source material provided by teacher. 

How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)? 

Copies of PowerPoints. Key word / technical terminology word lists, regularly tested.  Regular one-to-one feedback sessions. 

How well? 

What should they be able to know? 

Definitions of and an appreciation of the complexity of social structures and hierarchies within contemporary UK society. 

What should they be able to do? 

Apply the ideologies of functionalism, capitalism and Marxism to societal organisation and structures and evaluate them. 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: 

Regular content knowledge testing, essay practise and end of unit assessment. 

What?

What are we learning?

Unit title: Introduction to sociology.  

The four main sociological ideologies are introduced to students, including their respective key scholars.   

What’s interleaved?  

Each ideology will be compared and contrasted with the others. 

What’s challenging? 

The ideologies may not correspond to student’s own personal life views.   Students have to learn who said what from a variety of scholars. 

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

This introduction will remove students from their own life perspectives and enable them to start to consider and understand different academic perspectives, even if they do not correspond with their own life views.  This approach needs to be developed from the start in order for students to think as sociologists. 

How?  

Core knowledge:  

Functionalism, Marxism, Feminism, Social action / interactionism 

How will they achieve this? 

Teacher presentations. Student made notes. Source material provided by teacher. 

How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)? 

Copies of PowerPoints. Key word / technical terminology word lists, regularly tested.  Regular one-to-one feedback sessions. 

How well? 

What should they be able to know? 

Explanations of the different ideologies and their key scholars. 

What should they be able to do? 

Describe and explain how the various ideologies operate, apply to society and evaluate them. 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: 

Regular content knowledge testing, essay practise and end of unit assessment. 

What?

What are we learning?

Unit title: Families and Households  

Topics 1 - Couples and 2 – Childhood.  

What’s interleaved?  

The four ideologies: functionalism, social action, Marxism and feminism. 

What’s challenging? 

The ideologies may not correspond to student’s own personal life views.  Students have to learn who said what from a variety of scholars. 

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

Families and households are the building blocks of society and we are living in a time of social change when alternatives to the traditional family models are presenting.  Understanding the models and functions of contemporary family life build a deep insight into society.  This is an optional unit within the AQAA 

How?  

Core knowledge:  

Division of labour, gender equality, decision -making in households, domestic violence, social construct of childhood, future of childhood 

How will they achieve this? 

Teacher presentations. Student made notes. Source material provided by teacher. 

How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)? 

Copies of PowerPoints. Key word / technical terminology word lists, regularly tested.  Regular one-to-one feedback sessions. 

How well? 

What should they be able to know? 

Explanations of the sociological issues and how the different ideologies respond to them, together with key scholars. 

What should they be able to do?  

Describe and explain how the various ideologies respond to these sociological issues. 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: 

Regular content knowledge testing, essay practise and end of unit assessment. 

What?

What are we learning?

Unit title: Education with theory and methods. 

Differences in achievement relating to class (both internal and external to the education system) and ethnicity.  

What’s interleaved?  

Each ideology will be applied to issues in education and compared and contrasted with the others. 

What’s challenging? 

The ideologies may not correspond to student’s own personal life views.   Students have to learn who said what from a variety of scholars. 

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

This is a compulsory unit in the AQA exam board specification and one in which students can draw on their own experiences of the British education system.  This is a very relevant sociological study for our students as they are experiencing the education system first hand and so this is a good aspect of sociology on which to start to apply the various ideologies studied in the previous term. 

How?  

Core knowledge:  

The impact of social class and ethnicity on educational achievement from the perspectives of each of the ideologies introduced in Term 1. 

How will they achieve this? 

Teacher presentations. Student made notes. Source material provided by teacher. 

How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)? 

Copies of PowerPoints. Key word / technical terminology word lists, regularly tested.  Regular one-to-one feedback sessions. 

How well? 

What should they be able to know? 

The impact of social class (both internal and external to the education system) and ethnicity on educational achievement. 

What should they be able to do?  

Apply the various ideologies to issues of social class (both internal and external to the education system) and ethnicity. 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: 

Regular content knowledge testing, essay practise and end of unit assessment. 

What?

What are we learning?

Unit title: Families and Households  

Topics 3 - theories of the family, 4 – demography, 5 – changing family patterns. 

What’s interleaved?  

The four ideologies: functionalism, social action, Marxism and feminism. 

What’s challenging? 

The ideologies may not correspond to student’s own personal life views.  Students have to learn who said what from a variety of scholars. 

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

Families and households are the building blocks of society and we are living in a time of social change when alternatives to the traditional family models are presenting.  Understanding the models and functions of contemporary family life build a deep insight into society.    

How?  

Core knowledge:  

The functionalist, Marxist, feminist and personal life perspectives on the family.  Birth and death statistics. Aging population. Globalisation and migration.  Partnerships, marriage and divorce.  Parents and children. Ethnic differences in family patterns.  The extended family. 

How will they achieve this? 

Teacher presentations. Student made notes. Source material provided by teacher. 

How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)? 

Copies of PowerPoints. Key word / technical terminology word lists, regularly tested.  Regular one-to-one feedback sessions. 

How well? 

What should they be able to know? 

Explanations of the sociological issues and how the different ideologies respond to them, together with key scholars. 

What should they be able to do?  

Describe and explain how the various ideologies and government policies respond to these sociological issues.  Demonstrate awareness of changes within contemporary society.  

Learning checkpoints and assessment: 

Regular content knowledge testing, essay practise and end of unit assessment. 

What?

What are we learning?

Unit title: Education with theory and methods. 

Gender differences in education.  The role of education in society.  Educational policy and inequality. 

What’s interleaved?  

Each ideology will be applied to issues in education and compared and contrasted with the others. 

What’s challenging? 

The ideologies may not correspond to student’s own personal life views.   Students have to learn who said what from a variety of scholars. 

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

This is a compulsory unit in the AQA exam board specification and one in which students can draw on their own experiences of the British education system.  This is a very relevant sociological study for our students as they are experiencing the education system first hand and so this is a good aspect of sociology on which to start to apply the various ideologies studied in the previous term. 

How?  

Core knowledge:  

Internal and external factors affecting the gender gap in achievement.  Gender and subject choice.  Functionalist, neoliberal, New Right, Marxist perspectives on education.  Educational policies. Marketisation and privatisation of education 

How will they achieve this? 

Teacher presentations. Student made notes. Source material provided by teacher. 

How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)? 

Copies of PowerPoints. Key word / technical terminology word lists, regularly tested.  Regular one-to-one feedback sessions. 

How well? 

What should they be able to know? 

The impact of gender in educational achievement and subject choice.  How education contributes to wider society, particularly in preparing children for adult employment.  The impact of government policy on education. 

What should they be able to do?  

Apply the various ideologies to the politics of education.  Account for differences in achievement between genders. 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: 

Regular content knowledge testing, essay practise and end of unit assessment. 

What?

What are we learning?

Unit title: Families and Households  

Topics 6 – family diversity and 7 – families and social policy. 

What’s interleaved?  

The four ideologies: functionalism, social action, Marxism and feminism. 

What’s challenging? 

The ideologies may not correspond to student’s own personal life views.  Students have to learn who said what from a variety of scholars. 

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

Families and households are the building blocks of society and we are living in a time of social change when alternatives to the traditional family models are presenting.  Understanding the models and functions of contemporary family life build a deep insight into society. 

How?  

Core knowledge:  

Modernism and the nuclear family.  Postmodernism and family diversity.  Family social policies. 

How will they achieve this? 

Teacher presentations. Student made notes. Source material provided by teacher. 

How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)? 

Copies of PowerPoints. Key word / technical terminology word lists, regularly tested.  Regular one-to-one feedback sessions. 

How well? 

What should they be able to know? 

How families have changed over time and continue to change and the impacts these changes have on wider society. 

What should they be able to do?  

Explain how diversity within family models presents itself within contemporary society and how social policy has (or has not) adapted over time to accommodate these changes. 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: 

Regular content knowledge testing, essay practise and end of unit assessment. 

What?

What are we learning?

Unit title: Education with theory and methods. 

Research methods: choosing a method; education research context; using experiments; using questionnaires. 

What’s interleaved? 

Links with knowledge and skills learnt in science and maths: experimental processes and using statistical data.  

What’s challenging? 

Students have to evaluate the validity of experimental methods and statistical data. 

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

This is a compulsory unit in the AQA exam board specification.  Having been introduced to a variety of sociological thought, now is the time to encourage students to think as sociologists.  This unit gives students the technical skills to plan their own sociological research and evaluate those studies of other scholars.  This is where the science part of sociology is apparent. 

How?  

Core knowledge:  

Factors influencing choice of methods.  The process of research.  Research characteristics.  Laboratory experiments. Advantages and disadvantages of questionnaires. 

How will they achieve this? 

Teacher presentations. Student made notes. Source material provided by teacher. 

How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)? 

Copies of PowerPoints. Key word / technical terminology word lists, regularly tested.  Regular one-to-one feedback sessions. 

How well? 

What should they be able to know? 

The different research methods. 

What should they be able to do?  

Apply the various research methods to educational research, evaluating the strengths and weakness of each within context. 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: 

Regular content knowledge testing, essay practise and end of unit assessment. 

What?

What are we learning?

Unit title: Crime and deviance. 

Functionalist, strain and subcultural theories.  Interactionism and labelling theory. 

What’s interleaved? 

The ideologies of functionalism and interactionism. 

What’s challenging? 

The ideologies may not correspond to student’s own personal life views.  Students have to learn who said what from a variety of scholars. 

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

This is a compulsory unit in the AQA exam board specification.   This unit presents a negative side of society; when things go wrong.  It focusses on the causes of crime which encourages students to look beyond the immediate consequences to root causes. 

How?  

Core knowledge:  

Durkheim’s functionalist theory.  Merton’s strain theory.  Subcultural strain theories.  The social construction of crime.  The effects of labelling.  Mental illness and suicide. 

How will they achieve this? 

Teacher presentations. Student made notes. Source material provided by teacher. 

How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)? 

Copies of PowerPoints. Key word / technical terminology word lists, regularly tested.  Regular one-to-one feedback sessions. 

How well? 

What should they be able to know? 

Sociological factors which can explain the causes of crime. 

What should they be able to do?  

Evaluate the validity of these causes, supporting conclusions with evidence. 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: 

Regular content knowledge testing, essay practise and end of unit assessment. 

What?

What are we learning?

Unit title: Education with theory and methods. 

Research methods: interviews; observation; using secondary sources. 

What’s interleaved? 

Links with knowledge and skills learnt in science and maths: experimental processes and using statistical data.  

What’s challenging? 

Students have to evaluate the validity of experimental methods and statistical data. 

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

This is a compulsory unit in the AQA exam board specification.  Having been introduced to a variety of sociological thought, now is the time to encourage students to think as sociologists.  This unit gives students the technical skills to plan their own sociological research and evaluate those studies of other scholars.  This is where the science part of sociology is apparent. 

How?  

Core knowledge:  

Different types of interview.  Conducting a participant observation study and the advantages and disadvantages.  Using official statistics and documents as secondary sources. 

How will they achieve this? 

Teacher presentations. Student made notes. Source material provided by teacher. 

How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)? 

Copies of PowerPoints. Key word / technical terminology word lists, regularly tested.  Regular one-to-one feedback sessions. 

How well? 

What should they be able to know? 

The different research methods. 

What should they be able to do?  

Apply the various research methods to educational research, evaluating the strengths and weakness of each within context. 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: 

Regular content knowledge testing, essay practise and end of unit assessment. 

What?

What are we learning?

Unit title: Crime and deviance. 

Class, power and crime.  Realist theories of crime. 

What’s interleaved? 

The ideologies of functionalism and Marxism.  Right and left realism. 

What’s challenging? 

The ideologies may not correspond to student’s own personal life views.  Students have to learn who said what from a variety of scholars. 

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

This is a compulsory unit in the AQA exam board specification.   This unit presents a negative side of society; when things go wrong.  It focusses on the causes of crime which encourages students to look beyond the immediate consequences to root causes. 

How?  

Core knowledge:  

Class differences in crime.  Marxist views on the causes of crime.  Crimes of the powerful.  Right and left realism.   

How will they achieve this? 

Teacher presentations. Student made notes. Source material provided by teacher. 

How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)? 

Copies of PowerPoints. Key word / technical terminology word lists, regularly tested.  Regular one-to-one feedback sessions. 

How well? 

What should they be able to know? 

Sociological factors which can explain the causes of crime. 

What should they be able to do?  

Evaluate the validity of these causes, supporting conclusions with evidence. 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: 

Regular content knowledge testing, essay practise and end of unit assessment. 

What?

What are we learning?

Unit title: Beliefs in society 

Theories of religion.  Religion and social change. 

What’s interleaved? 

The ideologies of functionalism, Marxism and feminism. 

What’s challenging? 

The ideologies may not correspond to student’s own personal life views.  Students have to learn who said what from a variety of scholars. 

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

This is an optional unit in the AQA A Level specification.  As Religious Education is a core subject in the school and taught to all students at full-course GCSE level, students have a foundation study in this topic which they can draw on. 

How?  

Core knowledge:  

Definition of religion.  Functionalist, Marxism and feminist theories of religion.  Religion and social change and protest. 

How will they achieve this? 

Teacher presentations. Student made notes. Source material provided by teacher. 

How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)? 

Copies of PowerPoints. Key word / technical terminology word lists, regularly tested.  Regular one-to-one feedback sessions. 

How well? 

What should they be able to know? 

How various scholars define religion and how it can be a force for social change.   

What should they be able to do?  

This will start to introduce students to consider the place of religion within contemporary society and the extent to which society has moved from being religious to secular.  Students will need to support their developing ideas. 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: 

Regular content knowledge testing, essay practise and end of unit assessment. 

What?

What are we learning?

Unit title: Crime and deviance. 

Gender, crime and justice.  Ethnicity, crime and justice. 

What’s interleaved? 

The ideologies of functionalism and Marxism.  Left realism. 

What’s challenging? 

The ideologies may not correspond to student’s own personal life views.  Students have to learn who said what from a variety of scholars. 

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

This is a compulsory unit in the AQA exam board specification.   This unit presents a negative side of society; when things go wrong.  It focusses on the causes of crime which encourages students to look beyond the immediate consequences to root causes. 

How?  

Core knowledge:  

Gender patterns in crime.  Explanations of female and male crime.  Ethnicity and criminalisation and victimisation. 

How will they achieve this? 

Teacher presentations. Student made notes. Source material provided by teacher. 

How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)? 

Copies of PowerPoints. Key word / technical terminology word lists, regularly tested.  Regular one-to-one feedback sessions. 

How well? 

What should they be able to know? 

Sociological factors which can explain the causes of crime. 

What should they be able to do?  

Evaluate the validity of these causes, supporting conclusions with evidence. 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: 

Regular content knowledge testing, essay practise and end of unit assessment. 

What?

What are we learning?

Unit title: Beliefs in society 

Secularisation.  Religion, renewal and choice.  Religion in a global context. Organisations.  Ideology and science. 

What’s interleaved? 

Religious education from KS3 and KS4. 

What’s challenging? 

The ideologies may not correspond to student’s own personal life views.  Students have to learn who said what from a variety of scholars. 

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

This is an optional unit in the AQA exam board specification. This unit presents a negative side of society; when things go wrong. It focusses on the causes of crime which encourages students to look beyond the immediate consequences to root causes. 

How?  

Core knowledge:  

Secularisation in Britain and America and explanations.  New forms of religion.  Religious market theory.  Religious fundamentalism.  Cultural defence.  Religion and development.  Types of religious organisation.  Growth of religious movements.  Science as a belief system. Ideology 

How will they achieve this? 

Teacher presentations. Student made notes. Source material provided by teacher. 

How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)? 

Copies of PowerPoints. Key word / technical terminology word lists, regularly tested.  Regular one-to-one feedback sessions.

How well? 

What should they be able to know? 

How various scholars define religion and how it can be a force for social change. Different religious organisations. How science is an alternative to religion. 

What should they be able to do? 

Evaluate the extent to which there is plurality within religious belief and the relationship between religion and science. 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: 

Regular content knowledge testing, essay practise and end of unit assessment. 

What?

What are we learning?

Unit title: Crime and deviance. 

Crime and the media.  Globalisation.  Control, punishment and victims. 

What’s interleaved? 

The ideologies of functionalism and Marxism and positivism. 

What’s challenging? 

The ideologies may not correspond to student’s own personal life views.  Students have to learn who said what from a variety of scholars. 

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

This is a compulsory unit in the AQA exam board specification.   This unit presents a negative side of society; when things go wrong.  It focusses on the causes of crime which encourages students to look beyond the immediate consequences to root causes. 

How?  

Core knowledge:  

Media representations of crime and as a cause of crime.  Moral panics.  Crime and globalisation.  Green crime.  State crimes.  Crime prevention and control.  Surveillance.  Punishment.  Victims. 

How will they achieve this? 

Teacher presentations. Student made notes. Source material provided by teacher. 

How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)? 

Copies of PowerPoints. Key word / technical terminology word lists, regularly tested.  Regular one-to-one feedback sessions. 

How well? 

What should they be able to know? 

The impact of media on crime.  How the criminal justice system operates. 

What should they be able to do?  

Evaluate the impact of media on crime and the effectiveness of the criminal justice system, supporting conclusions with evidence. 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: 

Regular content knowledge testing, essay practise and end of unit assessment. 

What?

What are we learning?

Unit title: Crime and deviance with theory and methods. 

Research methods:  Quantitative and qualitative research methods.  Sociology and science.  Objectivity and values in society.  Functionalism theory.  Marxism theory.  Feminist theories.  Action theories.  Globalisation, modernity and postmodernity.  Sociology and social policy. 

What’s interleaved? 

The ideologies of: functionalism, social action, Marxism and feminism. 

What’s challenging? 

Students have to evaluate the validity of experimental methods and statistical data. 

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

This is a compulsory unit in the AQA exam board specification.  Having been introduced to a variety of sociological thought, now is the time to encourage students to think as sociologists.  This unit gives students the opportunity to establish synoptic links across the course, focussing on specific sociological theories.  It is a good introduction to revision for the whole course. 

How?  

Core knowledge:  

Quantitative and qualitative research methods.  Sociology and science.  Objectivity and values in society.  Functionalism theory.  Marxism theory.  Feminist theories.  Action theories.  Globalisation, modernity and postmodernity.  Sociology and social policy. 

How will they achieve this? 

Teacher presentations. Student made notes. Source material provided by teacher. 

How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)? 

Copies of PowerPoints. Key word / technical terminology word lists, regularly tested.  Regular one-to-one feedback sessions. 

How well? 

What should they be able to know? 

The different sociological theories, how they work and their associated scholars. 

What should they be able to do?  

Apply the various sociological theories to the topic of crime and deviance, as well as the other topics we have studied, evaluating the strengths and weakness of each within context. 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: 

Regular content knowledge testing, essay practise and end of unit assessment.