Psychology and Sociology School Trip to New York

Psychology

AQA GCSE

• Conformity: Identification and explanation of how social factors (group size, anonymity and task difficulty) and dispositional factors (personality, expertise) affect conformity to majority influence.
• Obedience: Milgram’s Agency theory of social factors affecting obedience including agency, authority, culture and proximity.
• Crowd and collective behaviour: Prosocial and antisocial behaviour in crowds: identification and explanation of how social factors (social loafing, deindividuation and culture) and dispositional factors (personality and morality) affect collective behaviour.

Pearson-Edexcel GCSE

• Social Influence: Obedience, Conformity and Deindividuation

OCR GCSE

• Social Influence:

• Conformity including majority influence.              
• Collective and crowd behaviour including pro-social and anti-social behaviour.
• Obedience including obeying the orders of authority figures.
• The effect of situational factors (other people and social) on behaviours:
• majority influence on conformity
• collective and crowd behaviour, including deindividuation
• culture on pro-social and anti-social behaviour
• authority figures on obedience
• criticisms of the effect of situational factors, including the free will/determinism debate.

AQA A’ level

• Aggression
• The ethological explanation of aggression, including evolutionary explanations of human aggression.
• Social psychological explanations of human aggression, including the frustration-aggression hypothesis, social learning theory as applied to human aggression, and de-individuation.
• Institutional aggression in the context of prisons: dispositional and situational explanations.
• The role of desensitisation, disinhibition and cognitive priming.

OCR A’ Level

• Responses to people in authority - Milgram (1963) – Obedience
• The psychology of genocide

Pearson-Edexcel A ‘Level

• Obedience / Social control
• Prejudice / Discrimination

Sociology

AQA GCSE

• Social control: Formal and informal methods of social control.
• Power and authority: Different forms of power and authority.

WJEC GCSE

• Social differentiation and stratification:

• Different forms and sources of power and authority
• Social control

AQA A’ Level

• Socialisation, culture and identity
• Social differentiation, power and stratification
• Human rights and state crimes

OCR A’ Level

• What is socialisation?
• What is identity?

The September 11 Memorial

Located on the World Trade Center site this New York memorial is a tribute of remembrance and honour to the people killed in the terrorist attacks of 11th September 2001. The main feature of the memorial, which proves an important feature for psychology and sociology school trips, is the twin reflecting pools which sit within the footprints of where the twin towers once were. The names of every person who died are inscribed into bronze panels edging the pools. The 9/11 Memorial Museum includes an exhibition on the events of 9/11 and the aftermath. An important visit for any school trip to New York.

The National September 11 Memorial Museum

Newly opened in 2014, this museum serves as the principal institution for examining the implications of the events of 9/11, documenting their impact, and exploring the continuing significance of the events.

Located within the archaeological heart of the World Trade Center site it tells the story of 9/11 through multimedia displays, archives, narratives and a collection of monumental and authentic artefacts which present intimate stories of loss, compassion, reckoning, and recovery that are central to telling the story of the attacks and the aftermath. Guided tours and workshops are available.  

Recommended workshop: What happened on September 11, 2001?

Students studying for their GCSEs and A Levels can work in teams to examine 9/11 based on the experiences of first responders, survivors, and government officials.

Personal Experiences At The 9/11 Tribute Center

Located next to a FDNY firehouse, the centre offers a ‘person to person history’ to help visitors understand the historic events and the people who experienced them. Various visit options are available but for Psychology & Sociology school groups we highly recommend a 90 minute education programme where students will first tour the galleries learning through primary sources, before meeting with a 9/11 Tribute Centre guide who will share their unique personal 9/11 experiences, answer questions and engage students in dialogue about the future.

Ellis Island Immigration Museum & Statue Of Liberty Cruise

Two fantastic visits in one! Your island cruise allows you to hop off at the Statue of Liberty Monument - the first sight for millions of immigrants, and then Ellis Island itself. The fascinating museum holds the history of the 12 million immigrants who passed though the old immigration centre. Today, the descendants of those immigrants account for almost half of the American people. A 45-minute Audio Tour, invites visitors and school groups to relive the immigrant experience as if they were the "new arrival".

The Tenement Museum: Immigration Options

Student groups can witness the experiences of 19th and 20th century immigrants from many different cultures and investigate universal themes of cultural identity, discrimination, and human rights. Interactive options include either ‘Meet the Resident’, a themed building tour or a tour of the neighbourhood.

Meet the Resident: Students meet a costumed interpreter portraying an actual resident and hear first-hand about their experiences.

• Victoria Confino

Your  group play the part of a new immigrant family in 1916 searching for a first home. Get help from Victoria Confino, a 14-year-old immigrant who lives at 97 Orchard Street. Students can ask Victoria questions to prepare them for their new lives in America and learn about the immigrant experience of starting your life over.

Building Tours: interactive building tours telling the stories of immigrant families that lived at 97 Orchard Street. Options include;

• Hard Times

See how life at 97 Orchard Street differed for a German-Jewish family in the 1870s and a Sicilian-Catholic family during the 1930s. Learn how families cope with hard times and who they can turn to for help.

• Irish Outsiders

Experience the immigrant saga through the music, images, and artefacts of Irish America. Visit the 1869 home of the Moores, Irish immigrants coping with the death of a child and explore issues of discrimination, healthcare, and survival.

• Sweatshop Workers

Visit the homes of two Jewish families who lived at 97 Orchard Street during the great wave of immigration. Learn about the jobs the families found in the garment industry and how work influences a family home, cultural traditions, and social lives.

Neighbourhood Walking Tours: Step outside and explore the Lower East Side and uncover the history and culture of the city streets. Walking tours take place outside and include;

•  Outside the Home

Investigate communal spaces and places central to immigrant life a century ago. Sites include the towering Jarmulowsky Bank building, where immigrants deposited (and eventually lost) their life savings; the Jewish Daily Forward building, where socialists fought for worker rights; and PS 42, where generations of immigrants learned how to be "American."

•   Then and Now
  

Discuss how public spaces and buildings shape a community's identity. Learn how to read the history of change in a neighbourhood. Stops include an Asian temple, a Depression-era park turned community garden, and a synagogue that became a church.

The Power of Advertising with an Industry Expert 

This is a unique opportunity to meet a professional who works in Television Advertising or on Madison Avenue - the home of the advertising industry. Student groups can spend 90 minutes learning the latest techniques of influence on a consumers decision.

The Jewish Museum

An interactive museum dedicated containing the largest collection of art and Jewish culture outside of museums in Israel. Take a 45 minute guided tour of the Museum's permanent exhibition, ‘Culture & Continuity: The Jewish Journey led by Museum-trained docents.

United Nations Building

The UN Building is the work place to representatives of the earth’s six billion people who discuss and decide issues of peace, justice and economic and social well being. Going on a guided tour of the United Nations headquarters in New York can offer your students a behind-the-scenes view of this organisation at work. 

Midtown Manhattan Guided Walking Tours

As always the best way to get around and see a city is on foot, especially when looking at it from a historical perspective. A Midtown walking tour is the best way to see some of New York’s iconic sights in a very short time for any New York School Trip. You tour can include Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center,  Fifth Avenue, 42nd street, Central Park and Times Square or can be tailored to suit your choices.

Empire State Building

No school visit to New York is complete without a visit to the top of New York’s most iconic skyscraper.  

Harbour Cruises

Get a close up view of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island you can choose from two options:

• Liberty Cruise - A 1 hour cruise of the harbour.
• Island Cruise - You can disembark at both Liberty Island and Ellis Island on this hop on hop off cruise.

Hershey's Chocolate World  

The Hershey’s Chocolate World Sweet Educational Tour is ready to show you a world you've never known. Set as A walking tour of the iconic Times Square location, this learning experience is about more than milk, sugar and cocoa. You'll learn more about Hershey’s iconic brands, why we decided to come to the crossroads of the World, Times Square, and of course taste several different Hershey’s products. Milton Hershey loved nothing more than to enrich the lives of others, and this tour plans to do just that!

Madison Square Garden All Access Tour 

An insider’s look at this state of the art arena. You will explore the Knicks and Rangers locker rooms and relive historic moments with the new Garden 366 experience and Defining Moments exhibit.

NBC Studio Tour

Go behind the scenes of some of the most well-known TV shows. You will visit the NBC Sharp Globe Theatre, Broadcast Operations, the Make Up room, and even produce your very own news and weather programme.

Top of the Rock

The observation desk at the top of the Rockefeller Center provides a unique 360 degree view of New York, including the Empire State Building.

One World Observatory 

The tallest observatory in the western hemisphere, located at the 9/11 memorial site, offering spectacular panoramic views of New York. The visit also includes numerous videos and multimedia experiences. There are 5 lifts including a sky pod elevator that ascends to the 102^nd floor in under 60 seconds. You can choose from various cafés and restaurants. Visit lasts approx. 45 to 60 minutes.  

TV & Movie Sites Tours

Choose from a range of coach or walking tours around the city, taking in locations of well-known shows and movies, venues where the stars hang out and even see where your favourite celebrities live. Shows and movies include Friends, Seinfeld, Glee, The Devil Wears Prada, Spiderman, Elf, Hitch and many more. Themed tours include Sex and the City Hotspots, Central Park Movie Sites, Gossip Girl Sites and Sopranos Sites.

On Location Tours is receiving very positive feedback from happy students - See for yourself what it’s all about…

New York’s Art Galleries:

The Metropolitan Museum

One of the largest art galleries in the world, located on Fifth Avenue next to Central Park.

Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)

Often seen as one the most influential museums of modern art, the MoMA offers a collection of both modern and contemporary art. It is centrally located between 5^th and 6^th Avenues.

The Guggenheim

The Guggenheim is visited not just for its exhibitions of impressionist, post-impressionist, early modern and contemporary art, but also its iconic building which is known as one the 20th Century’s important architectural landmarks. The museum is located on the exclusive Upper East Side. 

Sporting Events

Subject to availability your group can attend a sporting event in and around the city. If you ask us early enough we can look at what is available with all the different New York teams for something to suit your budget.

Metropolitan Opera

‘The Met’ opera company is located at the Lincoln Center for Performing Arts and is the largest classical music organisation in North America. The season runs from September to May and the schedule of performances offers some student rates on key performances throughout this time. Contact us for more details.

Broadway Theatre Productions

Give your students an experience to remember by arranging a trip to a Broadway show. They’ll really go home with the ‘WOW’ factor. Current popular shows are Lion King, Wicked, Jersey Boys, Disney’s Aladdin, Chicago and Matilda.

Friends of the Highline

This unique visit allows the public to explore what was once a major train line known as New York Central Railroad. The train line, which was very popular in the 1930’s became less successful in the 1980’s, forcing it to close. In 1999, Friends of the Highline decided there was still life in the old railroad yet and embarked upon a journey of re-development. The train line is now a beautiful public park and architectural masterpiece. School groups can opt for a structured visit or they can simply guide themselves around. There are also free educational materials to support your visit available on their website.

Shopping

A trip to New York is not complete without a trip to world famous shops and department stores:

• Fifth Avenue: Some of New York’s best known shops can be found here including FAO Schwarz, Apple Store, Abercrombie & Fitch and Saks
• Bloomingdales: Located close to Fifth Avenue, a little brown bag from Bloomingdales is an iconic souvenir from a trip to New York.
• Macy’s: The largest department store in New York, located on West 34^th Street
• Century 21: A bargain hunters paradise, located close to Ground Zero
• South Street Seaport: This Lower Manhattan eastside shopping destination offers a distinct mix of shops, restaurants and cafés

Restaurants

We can arrange evening meals in restaurants in the city with options to suit all tastes. Our most popular choices are:

• Planet Hollywood
• Hard Rock Café
• Bubba Gump Shrimp
• Buca Di Bepo
• Dave & Busters
• B Smiths
• Bowlmor – bowling and dining
• Italian Restaurants
• Chinese Restaurants