Indiana Social Studies S.1.2

Social StudiesGrades 9–12Foundations of Sociology as a Social Science

The Standard

Identify key figures in the development of the discipline of sociology.

2026 Indiana Academic Standards: K-12 Social Studies

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students identify major figures in early sociology, including Comte, Martineau, Marx, Durkheim, Weber, and Du Bois. They connect each person to a specific idea or contribution.
What Mastery Looks Like: A student can match names to contributions without relying on dates alone. They can explain, for example, how Marx studied class conflict and Weber studied bureaucracy.
Common Misconceptions: Students may mix up Comte, who named the field, and Durkheim, who used data to study social life. They may think Marx worked only in economics or overlook Du Bois's research on race.
How to Assess It: Give students six names and six contribution cards. Ask them to make the matches, then explain two of their choices in one sentence each.

Lesson moves

Have pairs sort name cards, contribution cards, and short biographical clues, then check and revise their matches.
Ask: How might Marx and Durkheim explain school rules differently? Have students write one sentence for each thinker.
Play Who Am I? Read three clues about a figure, one at a time, and have students write a name and reason.
Show your school's written club rules and ask students to connect one rule to Weber's study of bureaucracy.

Free download

A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to S.1.2, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.

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