Oklahoma Social Studies S.1.1
The Standard
- S.1
- Explain the sociological perspective and identify sociology as a scientific field of inquiry.
Describe the development of the field of sociology as a social science, including the contributions of leading theorists within sociology.
Oklahoma Academic Standards for Social Studies (2026) · S.1
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students explain why sociology grew as factories and cities changed daily life. They describe how early sociologists used evidence to study groups and identify each theorist's main idea.
What Mastery Looks Like
- Given an account of a factory town, students can explain why a sociologist might collect data on work and family life. They can link Comte to observation, Durkheim to social facts, Marx to class conflict, Weber to social action, and Du Bois to research on racial inequality.
Common Misconceptions
- Students often confuse sociology with psychology and focus only on individual choices. They may think early sociologists simply offered opinions, or that Marx's class conflict was the only explanation for social change.
How to Assess It
- Exit ticket: Why did growing factory cities give scholars new questions about society? Name two early sociologists and state one idea from each.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs dated cards for factory growth, Comte, Marx, Durkheim, Weber, and Du Bois to sequence, then add one contribution beside each name.
Ask students to write: Why might a crowded factory city need a study of social patterns, not just individual behavior?
Play a matching game with theorist cards and cards labeled observation, social facts, class conflict, social action, and research on racial inequality.
Use a local bus schedule and job listing to ask how Du Bois might investigate unequal access to work.
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Printable S.1.1 Worksheet
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Related Standards
- PS.4.2
Examine major theories of human development.
- MWH.C.2.4
Evaluate the legacy of the Scientific Revolution on society, focusing on major theories and discoveries.
- S.1.2
Identify, differentiate among, and apply the major sociological paradigms (e.g., functional analysis, conflict theory, symbolic interactionism).
- S.1
Explain the sociological perspective and identify sociology as a scientific field of inquiry.
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