Download 2015 AP PSYCHOLOGYsyllabus

AP PSYCHOLOGY
Instructor
Ms. Ury
Office/Classroom
Phone
328-3689
Planning Periods
E-mail
[email protected]
Textbook
Room 253 or Social
Studies Office Area
1st Semester: 5 & 7
2nd Semester: 5 &7
Myers’ Psychology for
AP
Course Description (overview):
Psychology is survey of the major developments throughout time involving behavior, the brain and
science. Psychology is a general study designed to introduce students to the systematic and
scientific study of the behavior and mental processes of human beings and other animals.
Students are exposed to the psychological facts, principles, and phenomena associated with each
of the major subfields within psychology. They also learn about the ethics and methods
psychologists use in their science and practice.
Textbook and Readings:
Myers, David G. (2010). Myers’ Psychology for AP. Hope College, Holland Michigan:
Worth Publishers/BFW
Scientific America –Relevant topics
Psychology Today- Relevant topics
Course Objectives: After completing this course:
1. Students will study the fundamental concepts and theories of psychology.
2. Students will learn the basic skills of psychological research. They should be able to devise
research projects, interpret and generalize results, and evaluate the validity of research.
3. Students will develop critical thinking skills and build their reading, writing, and discussion
skills.
4. Students will wrestle with the ethical issues and enduring questions addressed by
psychologists.
5. Students will be able to recognize psychological principles in their own life.
6. Students develop the ability to examine their decisions and relationships and a reflective and
sensitive manner.
7. Students will use technology to aid in class discussion, review, and prepare them for the future
use in post-secondary and workforce.
Grading Policy:
Grades are accessed according to the following criteria:
Exams
Tests are given at the conclusion of each unit and consist of 25-50 multiple choice
questions and 1-3 free response (essay) question;
Final Exam: The final exam (cumulative) is administered during finals week in a
75 minute period.
Class Discussions and Participation
Be prepared for discussions and in class demonstrations to encourage students to
stay on top of the reading assignments and notes.
Projects, Papers, Essays
There’s more to learning than just test scores. You will be asked to write essays, conduct
research, be creative, think critically, and do presentations. Sometimes you will work in groups,
other times you will work individually. I expect high quality work no matter what the assignment.
***Grades will be based on the following percentages:
A~ 90-100%
B~ 80-89%
C~ 70-79%
D~ 60-69%
F~ 59-and below
** Citizenship points**
Points are based upon student’s cooperation, courtesy, attendance, punctuality, effort, and honest.
Students are rated as:
5~ High
4~ Above Average 3~ Average
2~ Below Average
1~ Low
Student Rules and Expectations:
Everyone is entitled to an education and is included in the education of others. Therefore, it is the
responsibility of every individual to respect differences by being courteous and kind. This kind of
environment will enable everyone to enjoy a safe, non-threatening environment for learning. Being
respectful includes, but is not limited to: others opinions, others culture, their learning, and above all being
treated as a human being. Respect also includes not speaking when others are, listening to others
opinions, and respecting property of students, teachers, guests, yourself, and school property. Be prepared
to learn and keep a great attitude to help everyone strive for excellence.
Attendance:
It is important to be in class and on time.
“Students with 15 or more unexcused classroom period absences during a nine week quarter will be ineligible to attend
extracurricular activities for the following nine-week quarter. This includes athletic events, plays, concerts and dances
held at Coronado High School. This also includes prom, which is an off-campus event.” ~ Coronado High School
Handbook
Late Policy:
Absences: All students are responsible for getting missed assignments before a planned
absence or immediately following an unplanned absence. All work is due immediately upon
your return. In accordance with school policy you will have one extra day plus the number of
days you were absent to make up the work If you are absent on the day of a test, you will
make it up on the day you return. If you are absent the day before a test, you will still be
required to take the test even though you missed the review session. All work must be turned
in on time – no late work is accepted. If you have any issues speak to me directly and in a
timely manner. Technology issues are not a valid excuse you have a number of resources
available to you at school, home and/or through friends.
You may check http://teachers.d11.org/teachers/uryjj/2015/SSPSYAP1/Pages/default.aspx
for assignments, notes- available online
Academic Integrity:
All work on individual writing assignments, projects, and tests must be written in your own
words. Proper citations in APA format are required. I will not tolerate plagiarism; you will earn
a zero for any assignment that is plagiarized without the opportunity to re-do it.
Cell Phone:
Cell Phones may be used in class for part of a class assignment, as per teacher instruction, DO NOT talk
or text message in class. I reserve the right to take your phone for the period or turn it into the office and
your parents may have to come pick it up. Please be respectful.
Plagiarism (cheating):
~ Is taken seriously and is not tolerated under any circumstances. If you are suspected of
plagiarizing, you will be given a zero for that assignment. If the cheating occurs between you and another
student, both will receive a zero. A student conference, outside of class time, will be allowed for you to
plead your case. It is your responsibility to set up the appointment, and you MUST present proof of
having not plagiarized.
Social Psychology (3 weeks)
Social Influence
Cooperation vs. Competition
Obedience
Conformity
Group processes
Social Cognition
Attitudes
Social Perception
Interpersonal Attraction
History/Careers/Theories (2 weeks)
Relation to other Social Sciences
Foundations of Psychology
Historical Theories of Psychology
Evolution of Psychology
Fields within Psychology
Research and Statistics (2 weeks)
Methods of research
(Application/Advantages/Disadvantages)
Conducting Experiments
Descriptive and Inferential Statistics
Reliability and Validity
Ethical guidelines to conducting
good research
Biological Bases of Behavior (3 weeks)
Division of the nervous system
Structure and communication of
neurons)
Endocrine system
Midbrain/Hindbrain/Forebrain
Plasticity
Functions of the brain
Sensation/Perception (3 weeks)
Structure of the eye
Theories of color vision
Structure of the ear
Olfaction and Gustation
Absolute and Difference thresholds
Gestalt Principles
Depth Perception
Visual Illusions
Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down processing
Attention
Consciousness (1 week)
Stages of Sleep
Sleep disorders
Classification of drugs
Long and short-term effects of drugs
Learning (1.5 weeks)
Classical Conditioning
Operant Conditioning
Cognitive learning
Observational Learning
Memory (1.5 weeks)
Encoding/Storage/Retrieval
Recall vs. Recognition
Forgetting
Sensory/Short-Term and long-term
memory
Retrieval cues
Interference
2nd Semester
Cognition (1.5 weeks)
Heuristics vs. Algorithms
Schemas
Problem-Solving
History of Intelligence testing
Good test construction
Theories of Intelligence
Advantages and disadvantages of
I.Q. testing
Multiple Intelligences
Development and Language (4 weeks)
Components of Language
Grammar and Syntax
Acquisition of Language
Prenatal development
Piaget
Kohlberg
Erikson
Gender Roles
Attachment
Adulthood and Aging
Motivation/Emotion (2.5 weeks)
Theories of Emotion
Hunger motivation
Maslow’s hierarchy
Achievement motivation
Cultural standards of emotion
Physical attributes of emotion
Personality and Stress (3 weeks)
Psychodynamic Theory
Trait Theory
Social-Cognitive Theory
Humanistic theory
Projective tests
Physiological stressors
Personality types
Measuring stress
Coping with stress
Disorders and Treatment (3 weeks)
Identifying illness
Anxiety Disorders
Somatoform Disorders
Mood Disorders
Personality Disorders
Dissociative Disorders
Psychotic Disorders
DSM-IV
Psychodynamic Therapy
Behavioral Therapy
Humanistic Theory
Group Therapy
Cognitive Therapy
Biological Treatments
~ I reserve the right to amend these rules at any time. Thank you.
I am looking forward to a great semester and year!!!!!