Ben Cass Vicki Berdan

Professional School Counselor MSU-M Intern 2001-2002

Owatonna High School Owatonna High School

Owatonna, Minnesota Owatonna, Minnesota

Specific Statements from the Standard

Institutions such as schools, churches, families, government agencies, and the courts all play an integral role in our lives. These and other institutions exert enormous influence over us, yet institutions are no more than organizational embodiments to further the core social values of those who comprise them.

Students will demonstrate an understanding of the roles of individuals, institutions, and groups in society and the interactions among them.

3. Minnesota students will identify and examine traditions such as beliefs, norms, values, and practices passed from one generation to the next within a social group.

4. Minnesota students will analyze and compare social structures of their own culture to those of other cultures.

High School Level Task Description

Overview: Students explore individual, group, and institutional values, identity, responsibility, and change. Standards such as Institutions and Traditions, Themes of United States History, United States Citizenship, and Diverse Perspectives in Social Studies, and Case Study, History of the Arts, and World History and Cultures in Inquiry, all include the study of individuals, groups, or institutions. The depth of study increases as well. Students look more specifically at ethnicity, gender, social class, disability, culture, citizens, non-citizens, and a variety of other groups when analyzing history, geography, civics, anthropology, psychology, sociology, and current issues.

Task 1: Students will create a survey and research a random sample of individuals in the school and community regarding the freedom they feel (or lack thereof) to express individuality and/or conform to group traditions. Students will report their findings to the class. Individuals will examine the freedom to express themselves, or pressure to conform in areas including, but not limited to: interests, abilities, strengths, limitations, unique characteristics, attitudes, values, cultural background, religious beliefs and values.

Task 2: The student will research a culture and produce an art medium that expresses how a specific culture preserves and communicates their values, beliefs, and norms.

Task 3: The student will write a research paper analyzing how the traditions of the Native American people changed through contact with the US government and its citizens.

Competencies and Domains

Each task directly relates to student developmental learner outcomes, competencies, and implementation for high school programs as set forth in the Minnesota School Counselor’s Model of Developmental Guidance and Counseling (Minnesota School Counselors’ Association, 1993). Within the personal and social domain, the identified tasks achieve the outcome of developing self-awareness and positive attitude toward self and others. Competencies accomplished in this task include: identify and appreciate interests, abilities, strengths, limitations and other characteristics that are unique about him/herself and/or others; evaluate how attitudes and values affect the life of the individual and others; demonstrate an understanding of how interests, abilities, strengths, limitations, and other attributes relate to achieving personal, social, educational and career goals. Implementation methods include: classroom guidance lessons on self-awareness and positive attitude toward self and others, individual or group research, artwork and classroom presentations.

References and Resources

EdSTAR Minnesota: http://edstar.ncrel.org/mn

Rief, J.M., Enestvedt, J.K. (1993.) The Minnesota School Counselors’ Model of

Developmental Guidance and Counseling.