The In Crowd, and Other Social Groups

Nicki Kincaid, Language Arts, Bailey Middle School

Final Unit (PDF)     Implementing Common Core Standards (PDF)

200 Word Synopsis

Identifying groups within our society creates more knowledgeable students, and prepares them for future groups they may want to join. Within this unit students will begin by exploring the basics of cliques within their own school, identify characteristics that create these groups, and place themselves appropriately. Students will also examine symbols and rituals present in more organized groups they may want to join in the future, or are already a part of, such as the Boy Scouts. By analyzing pieces of literature, viewed as propaganda, students will be able to delineate between facts and persuasion. This unit also inspects several social media groups, and the ability to group thoughts, topics, beliefs, and interests into hashtags. The culminating activity for this unit is a research project on a self-chosen secret society. This activity comes after a close look at the supposed secret society, the Illuminati. Throughout this unit students are asked to read several genres of writing, view multiple media sources, and write in several modes. By comparing several pieces of literature students will be able to create their own opinions of the many facets that make up social groups within our society, past and present.