Download ap psychology syllabus

AP PSYCHOLOGY SYLLABUS
Teacher: Ms. L. James
Email address: [email protected]
Phone Ext: 404
Class website: http://teacherweb.com/MD/CrosslandHighSchool/LJames/
INTRODUCTION
This course is designed for students who wish to experience a college-level introductory course in
psychology and to prepare for the rigorous AP Psychology exam in May. Psychology is the study of
behavior and mental processes. The origin of the field of psychology comes from biology, philosophy, and
physiology. The fundamental questions of “Why do people behave the way that they do in certain
situations?” and “How can people change their behaviors?” will be addressed during the course.
Methods of research (including statistics) will be introduced in AP Psychology. Students will learn about
the methods psychologists use in their research and practice. Many fields of interest within Psychology
will be covered throughout this introductory course such as Personalities, Altered States of
Consciousness (sleep, dreams, and hypnosis), Learning, Abnormal Behavior, Social Psychology, and
Sensation & Perception.
Most importantly, students are expected to develop their critical thinking skills throughout the course,
while building their reading, writing, and discussion skills.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
The course is taught at the collegiate level and student study habits should reflect this fact. The following
are the course objectives:
1. Demonstrate an understanding of theoretical perspectives in psychology, research methods,
terminology, and concepts in psychology.
2. Improve writing skills in regards to psychological content and technical aspects of writing.
3. Critically evaluate psychological issues presented to them in class.
COURSE GOALS:
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Utilize a variety of study aides to increase overall memory level
Analyze and research controversial psychological issues
Review scholarly publications in the field of psychology
Think critically and logically about research findings using psychological terms
Evaluate strengths and weaknesses in their own academic performances
Be critical consumers of scientific research
Improve writing skills
Compare scholarly publications
Synthesize data
Analyze, interpret, and respond to stimulus-based data including charts, graphs, cartoons, and
quotes
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Discuss both historical and contemporary psychological issues and psychology-related events.
TEXTBOOK:
Myers, D.G. (2004). Psychology (8th ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers.
SUGGESTED SUPPLEMENTAL RESOURCES:
McEntarffer, R. & Weseley, A.J. Barron’s how to prepare for the AP psychology
advanced placement exam. (2nd ed.). Hauppauge, NY: Barron’s Educational
Series, Inc.
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th or 6th edition).
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APA style reference information can be assessed and formatted FREE OF CHARGE online at
www.apastyle.org. (you’re welcome! :o) )
Dictionary of Psychology
College Board Website: www.collegeboard.com
Maitland, L.L. & Hannah, P. 5 steps to a 5: AP psychology. New York: McGraw-Hill.
MATERIALS NEEDED:
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1” 3-ring binder
Notebook paper
Copy paper
Standard blue/black ink pens
Highlighter pens (at least 2)
USB flash drive
Access to internet (MANDATORY – must be able to research and email during the school week
and on weekends!)
INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY (1 WEEK)
Reading: None
TOPICS:
Self Identification – personality, temperament, life goals; Pre-testing of Psychology Knowledge; Overview
of Course
UNIT I: HISTORY & METHODOLOGY (3 WEEKS)
Reading:
Psychology (8th ed) by D. G. Myers – Prologue & Chapter 1: Thinking Critically with Psychological
Science
TOPICS:
Historical schools: functionalism vs. structuralism; modern approaches: psychodynamic, behaviorist,
cognitive, humanistic, evolutionary, neuroscience; scientific Inquiry: sources of bias and error; research
methods: observation, survey, psychological testing, controlled experiments; statistics: central tendency,
variance, significance, correlation; ethics in research: human participants, animal subjects
UNIT II: NEUROSCIENCE (3 WEEKS)
Reading: Psychology (8th ed) by D. G. Myers – Chapter 2: Neuroscience and Behavior
TOPICS:
Neurons: Neuronal and synaptic transmission, psychopharmacology, drug abuse; nervous system:
structural and functional organization; brain -research methodology, neuroanatomy, brain development
and aging, hemispheric specialization; endocrine system: anatomy and immune system; genetics and
heritability
UNIT III: DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY (3 WEEKS)
Reading: Psychology (8th ed) by D. G. Myers – Chapter 3: Nature, Nurture, and Human Diversity &
Chapter 4: Developing Through the Life Span
TOPICS:
Nature vs. Nurture (maturation vs. learning); influential theories: Piaget – Cognitive development, Freud &
Erikson – Psychosocial development, Kohlberg – Moral development, Gilligan – Gender differentiation,
Infancy, Childhood, Adolescence, and Adulthood
UNIT IV: SENSATION AND PERCEPTION (3 WEEKS)
Reading: Psychology (8th ed) by D. G. Myers – Chapter 5: Sensation & Chapter 6: Perception
TOPICS:
Psychophysics: thresholds, signal detection theory; sensory organs and transduction; perception;
UNIT V: STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS (2 WEEKS)
Reading: Psychology (8th ed) by D. G. Myers – Chapter 7: States of Consciousness
TOPICS:
Relaxation/Meditation and its benefits; stages of sleep; dreaming; hypnosis; drug induced states of
consciousness
UNIT VI: LEARNING (3 WEEKS)
Reading: Psychology (8th ed) by D. G. Myers – Chapter 8: Learning
TOPICS:
Classical Conditioning: Pavlov, Watson, applications, biological critique, cognitivist challenge; Operant
Conditioning: Thorndike, Skinner, Bandura, behavioral modification, biological critique, cognitivist
challenge
UNIT VII: MEMORY (2 WEEKS)
Reading: Psychology (8th ed) by D. G. Myers – Chapter 9: Memory
TOPICS:
Information processing; encoding information; storage; retrieval of information; forgetting; memory
construction
UNIT VIII: THINKING AND LANGUAGE (1 WEEK)
Reading: Psychology (8th ed) by D. G. Myers – Chapter 10: Thinking and Language
TOPICS:
Solving problems; language structure; language influences thinking
UNIT IX: INTELLIGENCE, PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING, & PERSONALITY (2 WEEKS)
Reading: Psychology (8th ed) by D. G. Myers – Chapter 11: Intelligence & Chapter 15: Personality
TOPICS:
Psychological testing: methodology, norms, reliability, validity; Intelligence: defining intelligence, history of
intelligence and aptitude testing, nature-nurture issues
UNIT X: MOTIVATION & EMOTIONS (2 WEEKS)
Reading: Psychology (8th ed) by D. G. Myers – Chapter 12: Motivation and Work & Chapter 13: Emotion
TOPICS:
Motivational concepts: instincts, drives, optimal arousal, Maslow’s hierarchy; hunger and eating disorders;
achievement motivation; physiology of emotion: fear, anger, happiness; theories and expression of
emotion
UNIT XI: STRESS & HEALTH (1 WEEK)
Reading: Psychology (8th ed) by D. G. Myers – Chapter 14: Stress and Health
TOPICS:
Stress as a concept; stress and health; adjustment
UNIT XII: ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY & THERAPY (3 WEEKS)
Reading: Psychology (8th ed) by D. G. Myers – Chapter 16: Psychological Disorders & Chapter 17:
Therapy
TOPICS:
Classifying disorders: evolution of the DSM-IV-TR; Major Categories of Disorders: Anxiety disorders,
dissociative disorders, mood disorders, schizophrenia, personality disorders; Major approaches to
psychotherapy: Psychoanalysis, behavioristic, humanistic, cognitive, group, pharmacological; Does
Therapy Work?: Outcome studies
UNIT XIII: SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY (2 WEEKS)
Reading: Psychology (8th ed) by D. G. Myers – Chapter 18: Social Psychology
TOPICS:
Person Perception, Forming Impressions of others; Attribution Process: Explaining Behavior;
Interpersonal Attraction: Liking vs. Loving; Attitudes: Making Social Judgments; Conformity and
Obedience: Yielding to Others; Group Behavior; Prejudice
UNIT XIV: REVIEW AND AP TEST PREP (2 WEEKS)
TOPICS:
Writing to rubrics and review of handouts
Compare and apply 6 approaches
Use developmental theorists to explain behavior
Design an experiment to study a phenomenon
Describe treatment for abnormal behaviors
TEACHING STRATEGIES
Although this course requires some lecture, students will be expected to play a large role in their own
learning process through analysis, critical thinking, writing, research, debate, accountable group talk, and
presentation.
Students will be given multiple opportunities to practice taking a public released AP Psychology Exam
during the course in preparation of the ultimate goal of passing the exam in May with a score of 3, 4, or 5.
The AP Psychology exam is a comprehensive exam, covering all material and concepts studied during
the course.
Students have an opportunity to complete a summer assignment, which will count toward their 1st quarter
report card grade.
STUDENT EVALUATION
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Quizzes will be periodically given on reading assignments and vocabulary. Extensive reading and
vocabulary review are paramount to the success to the AP Psychology student and will be
consistently stressed.
Test format: multiple choice and free-response (essay) questions
Homework – most homework will consist of defining terms, researching, and reading. Written
homework will be given a deadline that will be strictly adhered to. NO LATE WRITTEN
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED. Each student will be given a copy of the
unit homework assignments at the beginning of each unit AND can be accessed via the class
website.
Group Class Work – assignments will be given periodically where 2 or more students are required
to collaborate and give a class presentation or turn in final work. Group learning is an important
component of the class structure which teaches the tenets of cooperation and social interaction in
the learning process.
Individual Class Work
Individual/Group Projects – these assignments may or may not require research or work at home.
Grading Rubrics will be handed to each student at the time the assignment is given and can be
accessed via the class website.
Semester Exam – a requirement of the AP Psychology course and will be comprehensive for all
material covered during the 1st semester.
Final Exam – a requirement of the AP Psychology course and will be comprehensive for all
material covered during the entire year. This exam is in addition to the AP Psychology Exam
given in early May.
GRADING SCALE:
***Parents and students are advised that if a student is not earning a passing grade by the
issuance of the 1st Quarter progress report, a parent-teacher-student meeting will be scheduled to
discuss a strategy for how the student can be successful in this course.
Class Work (writing, group, and individual assignments): 25%
Homework: 25%
Reading & Vocabulary Quizzes: 20%
PROJECTS, UNIT TESTS and SEMESTER & FINAL EXAMS: 30%
CLASSROOM RULES:
1. Come to class prepared with all materials (i.e. textbook, notebook, paper, pens, etc.) every
class.
2. Be seated in your desk quietly when the late bell rings.
3. Respect everyone and their property at all times.
4. Turn in all work ON TIME and in the correct location BEFORE leaving class.
5. Raise your hand and wait to be acknowledged before speaking.
6. All electronic devices MUST be turned completely off and kept in pockets, purses,
bookbags at all times.
7. Stay seated in your desk until Ms. James dismisses the class.
CONSEQUENCES FOR MINOR CLASSROOM BEHAVIORAL INFRACTIONS:
1st time Æ Warning
2nd time Æ One-on-one private conference with student and possible documentation on SchoolMax
Notes.
3rd time Æ Parent/Guardian will be contact via email or phone and documentation on SchoolMax Notes.
4th time Æ Request for conference with parent/guardian (email or phone communication may be
substituted) and documentation on SchoolMax Notes.
5th time ÆDiscipline administrator will be notified.
DISHONESTY AND PLAGIARISM
Dishonesty on a class assignment (i.e. homework, classwork, quiz, test) includes any occasion that a
student passes another students work off as their own or gives another student an answer or his/her work
to be passed off as their own. Plagiarism is the passing off of any research information for a project,
presentation, or paper as one’s own without proper documentation. Plagiarism includes word-for-word
copying or paraphrase information that is not common knowledge without proper documentation. (See the
class website for the APA reference style.) Any incident of dishonesty or plagiarism on any given work
will result in a zero on the assignment, and parental/guardian notification via email or phone and
SchoolMax Notes.
*PLEASE NOTE THAT PARENTS AND STUDENTS CAN NOW ACCESS THE STUDENT’S GRADES, ATTENDANCE/TARDIES, AND CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR CONCERNS DAILY THROUGH SCHOOLMAX. PLEASE USE THIS RESOURCE!* COMMUNITY SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES This year students will be given the opportunity to earn community service hours throughout the school year by participating in social awareness projects and activities implemented through Club Psi, our new psychology club. Check the class website and listen for updates from Ms. James in the near future! PARENT INFORMATION & SIGNATURE FORM (Please return this completed form for a homework grade!) Student Name: (please print) Parent/Guardian Name: (please print) Home phone: Cell phone: Email address: Parent/Guardian Name: (please print) Home phone: Cell phone: Email address: It is important that we establish the best educational opportunities for your student from the beginning of the school year. Below please indicate any concerns you may have about your student in this class (i.e. location of his/her desk in the classroom, vision/hearing problems, learning disabilities, behavioral issues, medical issues, etc.). Knowledge of this information will help me to address those issues or concerns as early as possible. Please note that this parent information and signature form will be kept confidential and will only be shared with administration, if needed. By signing this form, you are confirming that you: • Have read the attached course syllabus; • Have knowledge of how to contact Ms. L. James through email and course website for updates on your student behavior, academic progress, or any other concerns; • Have knowledge of class rules and consequences; • Have knowledge of how to stay abreast of your student’s grades, attendance, and/or behavior concerns through SchoolMax; • Have knowledge of Community Service opportunities through Club Psi; and • Have knowledge of the PGCPS Cell Phone Policy Student’s Name (please print):______________________ _________ Name of Course: _____________________ Parent’s/Guardian’s Signature: ___________________________________ Date: _________________________