Question 1 :

Adolescence seek out peer acceptance and independence from parents. Peer pressure can get someone to behave in a negative manner. Think about when you were an adolescent. Give an example of a situation when you encountered peer pressure. What happened?

Question 2 :

Instructions: Read 3 cases and answer the questions following the vignettes.

Vignette 11.1 Miss Dorothys Preschool

At age 4, Araceli and two other girls mostly play in the kitchen center. After putting on hats and copious bracelets and necklaces, each grabs a doll.

Araceli: Youre the sister. Im the mother.

Girl: Im the older sister and the babysitter.

Araceli: Okay then, pretend I have a beautiful dress on and that Im going shopping with my friends, and then I will make you dinner when I come home. (Talking to two boys who are at the stove.) You can be the father then the brother.

Boy 1: He is the father. I am the cooker. What do you want to eat?

Girl: Pizza.

Boy 2: Now Im going to work and Im a cooker. (To the girls) You have to go home with the kids.

Boy 1: Im the policeman at the restaurant.

Few of the boys venture into the kitchen area during free choice time; they primarily play with cars, blocks, or superhero action figures. However, two other boys enter the area, dress Barbies, and then have the Barbies fight each other.

Araceli: Boys are not allowed to play with Barbies; only girls.

Boy: Yes we can.

Araceli: No. Dolls are for girls; especially Barbies.

Boy: We are not playing with them. Were fighting them!

Araceli: Youre not allowed to do that.

In disgust, the three girls decide to go to the reading center. Araceli asks Miss Dorothy if she wants to read with them.

Miss Dorothy: Honey, I love that book, but I have to clean up the snack table first.

Araceli: How bout if I help you, so you wont miss any of the pictures?

Vignette 11.2 Mrs. Herndons 8th Grade Language Arts Class

As the students enter her classroom, Mrs. Herndon says, Sit down by a laptop with whoever you want to work with. Everyone pairs off, and John sits by Bill. Dillon says, I want to work with Arthur. Mrs. Herndon says, Arthur isnt here today so you can either join another group or work by yourself. Dillon decides to work by himself. Mrs. Herndon passes out worksheets and tells the students, You are going to look up information about the Holocaust. I want you to learn background information before we begin Anne Franks The Diary of a Young Girl next week. You will find all the information on the websites I have given you.

The students find a website and begin filling out their worksheet. Bill and John huddle around the computer.

Bill: Theres the answer!

John: No! Thats not it. Right here. Thats what she wants.

Bill: So what are you going to write?

Bill leans over to look at Johns paper and copy Johns answer. On every question, John writes the answer down first, and Bill copies it.

Meanwhile, Dillon does not work, except when he sees Mrs. Herndon looking at him. Then he says, I cant find the date for question 2. He asks for help with every question and does not complete the worksheet before the bell rings. Mrs. Herndon says, Well have to work out a time for you to finish, as Dillon leaves for his next class.

In general, Mrs. Herndon does not like cooperative learning. She calls it structured cheating because one student does all the work while others slack off. She uses it when she needs to finish up some work, like organizing her desk, grading papers, or preparing lesson plans.

Vignette 11.3 Ms. Carrs AP English Class

In her advanced placement English class, Ms. Carr uses cooperative learning almost daily. She begins with a lecture on the fundamentals of each novel, such as the author, culture, themes and literary elements. She then forms the students into a literature circle. She gives them each a specific role for analyzing the novel. They prepare a presentation on what they learn that builds on the fundamentals from her lectures. The discussion director leads the group, forming a list of questions and issues that the group will research. The summarizer/passage master locates passages that are pertinent to key events in the novel. The researcher/graphic designer locates background information on the novel and portrays it in an appealing format. The lexicographer locates and defines unfamiliar words or phrases. Each role has specific instructions, forms to complete, and guidelines for how to present their information. Ms. Carr also gives her students explicit criteria for how they will be assessed, both as individuals and as a group. She checks on each group periodically to make sure everyone is contributing and groups are running smoothly.

Answer the following questions

1. What kind of play are the children in Miss Dorothys preschool engaging in? How is this type of play likely to affect childrens well-being?

2. Did you see evidence of gender segregation in Miss Dorothys preschool or Mrs. Herndons 8th grade class? At which age is gender segregation most likely? How are children likely to develop differently in these different peer groups?

3. Compare the use of cooperative learning in Mrs. Herndons and Ms. Carrs classrooms. In what ways could the use of CL be improved? What kind of outcomes would you expect for CL in each classroom? Defend your conclusion.