Mr. Wieme’s
11th Grade Behavioral Science students are learning to understand
social status and social change through stratified Monopoly. Students play a game of Monopoly in which each student is
assigned a specific social class, with each social class having a different set
of rules (and amount of income) applied to them. They will then use the results
of the game to discuss class structure as part of their Social Stratification
Unit.
Social Stratification refers to a
system that ranks categories of people according to their wealth, social
status, occupation, or power.
One of the goals of this unit is for students to understand that in developed nations around the world, all people have to start somewhere when it comes to social class. Also, the ability of individuals to move up or down within the class system is impacted greatly by the opportunities and advantages/disadvantages provided them as part of the class they're born into. This unit also impacts conversations in the classroom about real life and what impact social class has on societies globally.
Mr. Wieme observes that the biggest challenge that students have with this unit is FRUSTRATION!!! Since rules and incomes are different for each class of people, students often complain about the unfairness they see within the game. The class can then extrapolate this to conversations about why some people in society feel like the system is unfair.
Mr. Wieme observes that the biggest challenge that students have with this unit is FRUSTRATION!!! Since rules and incomes are different for each class of people, students often complain about the unfairness they see within the game. The class can then extrapolate this to conversations about why some people in society feel like the system is unfair.
Teaching Standard:
SS.9–12.BS.5 - Understand how social
status, social groups, social change, and social institutions influence
individual and group behaviors.
