Download AP Psychology Curriculum

Curriculum Unit
Name of Course: AP Psychology
Brief Description (Course Catalog):
Length of Course (Qtr, Sem or Year):
Grade Level(s):
11-12
Semester
Instructional Unit
Name of Unit/Big Idea: Introduction to Psychology
Brief Description:
Induction to the field of psychology and the history of the current theoretical perspectives.
Length of Course (Days/Weeks):
6 days
Essential Questions:
1. Summarize the origins of psychology and identify major historical figures.
2. Describe & compare different theoretical approaches in explaining behavior; recognize the strengths and
limitations of applying theories to explain behavior
--structuralism, functionalism, & behaviorism in the early years
--psychoanalytic/psychodynamic and humanism emerging later
--evolutionary, biological, and cognitive as more contemporary approaches
3. List and describe professional specialties/careers in psychology
Content Standards:
STATE GOAL 18: Understand social systems, with an emphasis on the United States.
B. Understand the roles and interactions of individuals and groups in society.
C. Understand how social systems form and develop over time.
Common Core State ELA or Math Standards:
Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific
textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
Students will need to know . . . (content objectives)
Students will be able to . . . (skill objectives)
Resources and assessments
(common to all like classes)
1. Summarize the origins of psychology and identify major historical figures.
Multiple Choice & Free Response
2. Describe & compare different theoretical approaches in explaining behavior; recognize the strengths and limitations of
Exam
applying theories to explain behavior
--structuralism, functionalism, & behaviorism in the early years
--psychoanalytic/psychodynamic and humanism emerging later
--evolutionary, biological, and cognitive as more contemporary approaches
3. List and describe professional specialties/careers in psychology
Instructional Unit
Name of Unit/Big Idea:
Brief Description:
Methods of Psychological Research
Methods of psychological research is examined, as well as how research is analyzed and interpreted.
Length of Course (Days/Weeks):
Essential Questions:
9 days
1. Summarize the necessity and advantages of a scientific approach in psychology
2. Differentiate each of the descriptive/correlational research methods with regard to purpose, strengths &
weaknesses.
3. Describe positive & negative correlations and their significance.
4. Summarize the experimental method: explain the difference between and independent & dependent
variables & identify important factors (including strengths and weaknesses) in experimentation.
5. List and describe the key concepts in descriptive and inferential statistics as applied to psychological
research.
6. Describe ethical research guidelines and practices.
Content Standards:
STATE GOAL 18: Understand social systems, with an emphasis on the United States.
B. Understand the roles and interactions of individuals and groups in society.
C. Understand how social systems form and develop over time.
Common Core State ELA or Math Standards:
Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific
textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
Students will need to know . . . (content objectives)
Students will be able to . . . (skill objectives)
Resources and assessments
(common to all like classes)
1. Summarize the necessity and advantages of a scientific approach in psychology
Multiple Choice & Free Response
2. Differentiate each of the descriptive/correlational research methods with regard to purpose, strengths & weaknesses.
Exam
3. Describe positive & negative correlations and their significance.
4. Summarize the experimental method: explain the difference between and independent & dependent variables &
identify important factors (including strengths and weaknesses) in experimentation.
5. List and describe the key concepts in descriptive and inferential statistics as applied to psychological research.
6. Describe ethical research guidelines and practices.
Instructional Unit
Name of Unit/Big Idea:
Brief Description:
Biological Psychology
Length of Course (Days/Weeks):
Essential Questions:
The Nervous System – neuron, nerve systems, brain, as related to human behavior. Endocrine system is also
examined.
10 days
1. Summarize the basics of neural functioning, including parts of the neuron, the neural impulse, and role of
neurotransmitters. Describe specific neurotransmitters and their roles in the NS, including the influence of
drugs on neurotransmitters.
2. Describe the workings of the Neural (Central and Peripheral) systems and Hormonal (Endocrine) system,
summarize how they interact.
3. Describe several techniques for studying the brain.
4. Summarize the key structures and functions of the human brain, including the cortexes and association
areas. Explain the brain’s plasticity following injury or illness. Describe split-brain research. Summarize
relationships between brain organization & handedness.
5. Discuss the relationship between genetics and behavior, and explain how traits and behaviors can be
selected for their adaptive value.
Content Standards:
STATE GOAL 18: Understand social systems, with an emphasis on the United States.
B. Understand the roles and interactions of individuals and groups in society.
C. Understand how social systems form and develop over time.
Common Core State ELA or Math Standards:
Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific
textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
Students will need to know . . . (content objectives)
Students will be able to . . . (skill objectives)
Resources and assessments
(common to all like classes)
1. Summarize the basics of neural functioning, including parts of the neuron, the neural impulse, and role of
Multiple Choice & Free Response
neurotransmitters. Describe specific neurotransmitters and their roles in the NS, including the influence of drugs on
Exam
neurotransmitters.
2. Describe the workings of the Neural (Central and Peripheral) systems and Hormonal (Endocrine) system, summarize
how they interact.
3. Describe several techniques for studying the brain.
4. Summarize the key structures and functions of the human brain, including the cortexes and association areas. Explain
the brain’s plasticity following injury or illness. Describe split-brain research. Summarize relationships between brain
organization & handedness.
5. Discuss the relationship between genetics and behavior, and explain how traits and behaviors can be selected for their
adaptive value.
Instructional Unit
Name of Unit/Big Idea: Sensation & Perception
Brief Description:
Human senses and pathways to the brain are examined, as well as visual perceptual abilities
Length of Course (Days/Weeks):
10 days
Essential Questions:
1. Summarize basic principles of sensory transduction, including absolute & difference threshold, signal
detection, & sensory adaptation.
2. Describe sensory processes (hearing, vision, touch, taste, smell, vestibular, kinesthetic, pain), including the
specific nature of energy transduction, relevant anatomical structures, and specialized pathways in the brain
for each of the senses.
3. Explain the process of color vision.
4. Identify and define the principles of perceptual organization.
5. Summarize the following types of perception. Provide examples for each:
a. Perception of depth & distance
b. Perception of motion
c. Perception of constancy (size, shape, brightness)
d. Perceptional illusions
e. Perceptual set
f. Perceptual Adaptations
6.Explain and evaluate the experience of ESP.
Content Standards:
STATE GOAL 18: Understand social systems, with an emphasis on the United States.
B. Understand the roles and interactions of individuals and groups in society.
C. Understand how social systems form and develop over time.
Common Core State ELA or Math Standards:
Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific
textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
Students will need to know . . . (content objectives)
Students will be able to . . . (skill objectives)
Resources and assessments
(common to all like classes)
1. Summarize basic principles of sensory transduction, including absolute & difference threshold, signal detection, & Multiple Choice & Free Response
sensory adaptation.
Exam
2. Describe sensory processes (hearing, vision, touch, taste, smell, vestibular, kinesthetic, pain), including the specific
nature of energy transduction, relevant anatomical structures, and specialized pathways in the brain for each of the senses.
3. Explain the process of color vision.
4. Identify and define the principles of perceptual organization.
5. Summarize the following types of perception. Provide examples for each:
g. Perception of depth & distance
h. Perception of motion
i. Perception of constancy (size, shape, brightness)
j. Perceptional illusions
k. Perceptual set
l. Perceptual Adaptations
6.Explain and evaluate the experience of ESP.
Instructional Unit
Name of Unit/Big Idea:
Learning
Brief Description:
Length of Course (Days/Weeks):
Essential Questions:
Classical conditioning, Operant Conditioning, & Social Learning theory are examined
10 days
1. Describe and evaluate classical conditioning and the key elements in this form of learning.
2. Summarize important names, terms, & experiments associated with Classical Conditioning.
3. Describe and evaluate operant conditioning and the key elements in this form of learning.
4. Summarize important names, terms, & experiments associated with Operant Conditioning.
5. Describe the key elements in observational learning (terms, experiments, names).
6. Interpret graphs that exhibit the results of learning experiments.
7. Provide examples of how biological constraints create learning predispositions.
Content Standards:
STATE GOAL 18: Understand social systems, with an emphasis on the United States.
B. Understand the roles and interactions of individuals and groups in society.
C. Understand how social systems form and develop over time.
Common Core State ELA or Math Standards:
Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific
textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
Students will need to know . . . (content objectives)
Students will be able to . . . (skill objectives)
Resources and assessments
(common to all like classes)
1. Describe and evaluate classical conditioning and the key elements in this form of learning.
Multiple Choice & Free Response
2. Summarize important names, terms, & experiments associated with Classical Conditioning.
3. Describe and evaluate operant conditioning and the key elements in this form of learning.
4. Summarize important names, terms, & experiments associated with Operant Conditioning.
5. Describe the key elements in observational learning (terms, experiments, names).
6. Interpret graphs that exhibit the results of learning experiments.
7. Provide examples of how biological constraints create learning predispositions.
Instructional Unit
Name of Unit/Big Idea: Memory
Brief Description:
Length of Course (Days/Weeks):
Essential Questions:
Encoding, Storage and Retrieval processes of memory as well as issues related to forgetting.
7 days
1. Outline the principles that underlie effective encoding, storage, and construction of
memories.
2. Summarize the information processing theory of memory, and list and describe the different types of
memory.
3. Describe the various ways in which we remember, and how factors can influence our memory.
4. Explain the various measures of forgetting, and factors that may influence forgetting/retrieval.
5. Summarize evidence on the physiology of memory.
Content Standards:
STATE GOAL 18: Understand social systems, with an emphasis on the United States.
B. Understand the roles and interactions of individuals and groups in society.
C. Understand how social systems form and develop over time.
Common Core State ELA or Math Standards:
Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific
textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
Students will need to know . . . (content objectives)
Students will be able to . . . (skill objectives)
Resources and assessments
(common to all like classes)
1. Outline the principles that underlie effective encoding, storage, and construction of
Multiple Choice & Free Response
memories.
2. Summarize the information processing theory of memory, and list and describe the different types of memory.
3. Describe the various ways in which we remember, and how factors can influence our memory.
4. Explain the various measures of forgetting, and factors that may influence forgetting/retrieval.
5. Summarize evidence on the physiology of memory.
Instructional Unit
Name of Unit/Big Idea: Thinking, Language
Brief Description:
Length of Course (Days/Weeks):
Essential Questions:
Human Cognitions are examined.
7 days
1. Define cognition.
2. Describe the roles of categories, hierarchies, definitions, and prototypes in concept formation
3. Compare algorithms and heuristics as problem-solving strategies, and explain how insight differs from both
of them.
4. Contrast the confirmation bias and fixation, and explain how they can interfere with effective problem
solving.
5. Contrast the representativeness and availability heuristics, and explain how they can cause us to
underestimate or ignore important information.
6. Describe the drawbacks and advantages of overconfidence in decision making
7. Describe how others can use framing to elicit from us the answers they want
8. Discuss how our preexisting beliefs can distort our logic
9. Describe the remedy for the belief perseverance phenomenon.
10. Describe the basic structural units of a language.
11. Trace the course of language acquisition from the babbling stage through the two-word stage.
12. Discuss Skinner’s and Chomsky’s contributions to the nature-nurture debate over how children acquire
language, and explain why statistical learning and critical periods are important concepts in children’s language
learning.
13. Summarize Whorf’s linguistic determinism hypothesis, and comment on its standing in contemporary
psychology.
14. Discuss the value of thinking in images.
15. List five cognitive skills shared by the great apes and humans.
16. Outline the arguments for and against the idea that animals and humans share the capacity for language
Content Standards:
STATE GOAL 18: Understand social systems, with an emphasis on the United States.
B. Understand the roles and interactions of individuals and groups in society.
C. Understand how social systems form and develop over time.
Common Core State ELA or Math Standards:
Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific
textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
Students will need to know . . . (content objectives)
Students will be able to . . . (skill objectives)
Resources and assessments
(common to all like classes)
1. Define cognition.
Multiple Choice & Free Response
2. Describe the roles of categories, hierarchies, definitions, and prototypes in concept formation
3. Compare algorithms and heuristics as problem-solving strategies, and explain how insight differs from both of them.
4. Contrast the confirmation bias and fixation, and explain how they can interfere with effective problem solving.
5. Contrast the representativeness and availability heuristics, and explain how they can cause us to underestimate or
ignore important information.
6. Describe the drawbacks and advantages of overconfidence in decision making
7. Describe how others can use framing to elicit from us the answers they want
8. Discuss how our preexisting beliefs can distort our logic
9. Describe the remedy for the belief perseverance phenomenon.
10. Describe the basic structural units of a language.
11. Trace the course of language acquisition from the babbling stage through the two-word stage.
12. Discuss Skinner’s and Chomsky’s contributions to the nature-nurture debate over how children acquire language, and
explain why statistical learning and critical periods are important concepts in children’s language learning.
13. Summarize Whorf’s linguistic determinism hypothesis, and comment on its standing in contemporary psychology.
14. Discuss the value of thinking in images.
15. List five cognitive skills shared by the great apes and humans.
16. Outline the arguments for and against the idea that animals and humans share the capacity for language
Instructional Unit
Name of Unit/Big Idea: Intelligence
Brief Description:
Length of Course (Days/Weeks):
Essential Questions:
Human intelligence is examined
4 days
1. Define intelligence & describe different definitions/types of intelligence.
2. Describe the relationship between intelligence and the anatomy of the brain.
3. Compare measures, types, and factors of intelligence.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Outline the history of intelligence testing and explain its significance.
Describe relevant labels related to intelligence testing (gifted, cognitively disabled, savant).
Differentiate between standardization, test norms, reliability, & validity.
Debate the appropriate testing practices, particularly in relation to culture-fair test uses.
Summarize how genetic, environmental, and cultural influences affect intelligence.
Content Standards:
STATE GOAL 18: Understand social systems, with an emphasis on the United States.
B. Understand the roles and interactions of individuals and groups in society.
C. Understand how social systems form and develop over time.
Common Core State ELA or Math Standards:
Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific
textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
Students will need to know . . . (content objectives)
Students will be able to . . . (skill objectives)
Resources and assessments
(common to all like classes)
1. Define intelligence & describe different definitions/types of intelligence.
Multiple Choice & Free Response
2. Describe the relationship between intelligence and the anatomy of the brain.
3. Compare measures, types, and factors of intelligence.
4. Outline the history of intelligence testing and explain its significance.
5. Describe relevant labels related to intelligence testing (gifted, cognitively disabled, savant).
6. Differentiate between standardization, test norms, reliability, & validity.
7. Debate the appropriate testing practices, particularly in relation to culture-fair test uses.
8. Summarize how genetic, environmental, and cultural influences affect intelligence.
Instructional Unit
Name of Unit/Big Idea: States of Consciousness
Brief Description:
Sleep & dreams, influence of drugs, hypnosis, meditation – all states of consciousness are examined
Length of Course (Days/Weeks):
4-5 days
Essential Questions:
1. Summarize various states of consciousness & their impact on behavior
2. Explain what is known about biological clocks.
3. Describe the specifics of the sleep cycle and summarize the stages of sleep.
4. Explain the multiple theories of sleep and dreaming.
5. List and describe sleep disorders & treatments.
6. Summarize hypnosis as an alternative state of consciousness, explain uses of hypnosis, and describe
hypnotic phenomena (suggestibility, dissociation).
7. Identify the major drug categories and classify specific drugs, including their psychological and physiological
effects.
8. Explain drug dependence, addiction, tolerance, & withdrawal.
Content Standards:
STATE GOAL 18: Understand social systems, with an emphasis on the United States.
B. Understand the roles and interactions of individuals and groups in society.
C. Understand how social systems form and develop over time.
Common Core State ELA or Math Standards:
Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific
textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
Students will need to know . . . (content objectives)
Students will be able to . . . (skill objectives)
Resources and assessments
(common to all like classes)
1. Summarize various states of consciousness & their impact on behavior
Multiple Choice & Free Response
2. Explain what is known about biological clocks.
3. Describe the specifics of the sleep cycle and summarize the stages of sleep.
4. Explain the multiple theories of sleep and dreaming.
5. List and describe sleep disorders & treatments.
6. Summarize hypnosis as an alternative state of consciousness, explain uses of hypnosis, and describe hypnotic
phenomena (suggestibility, dissociation).
7. Identify the major drug categories and classify specific drugs, including their psychological and physiological effects.
8. Explain drug dependence, addiction, tolerance, & withdrawal.
Instructional Unit
Name of Unit/Big Idea:
Brief Description:
Motivation, Emotion, Stress & Health
What motivates human/animal behavior, physical and psychological emotional experiences, and influence of
stress on psyche and health are examined
Length of Course (Days/Weeks):
8 days
Essential Questions:
Motivation:
1. Describe Drive-reduction, Incentive, Instinct, & Arousal theories
2. Describe Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs & criticisms
3. Summarize physiological motivators – hunger, thirst, sex
4. Summarize psychological motivators – power, affiliation, achievement
5. Summarize the role of motivation at work
Emotion:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Describe the 3 components of an emotion
Summarize the role of the autonomic nervous system in emotions
Describe the role & influence of arousal on emotions and performance
Describe & differential between James-Lange, Schacter-Singer, & Cannon Bard’s
theories of emotion
5. Describe the similarities & differences between cultures & facial expressions
Stress & Health 1. Summarize the cause of stress and types of stressors
2. Summarize the effects of stress on the body
3. Describe & differentiate the 3 types of conflict
4. Explain the Holmes & Rahe scale of life changes and its relation to illness
5. Summarize Hans Selye’s GAS theory
6. Explain the different constructive ways to deal with stress
Content Standards:
STATE GOAL 18: Understand social systems, with an emphasis on the United States.
B. Understand the roles and interactions of individuals and groups in society.
C. Understand how social systems form and develop over time.
Common Core State ELA or Math Standards:
Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific
textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
Students will need to know . . . (content objectives)
Students will be able to . . . (skill objectives)
Resources and assessments
(common to all like classes)
Motivation:
1. Describe Drive-reduction, Incentive, Instinct, & Arousal theories
Multiple Choice & Free Response
6. Describe Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs & criticisms
7. Summarize physiological motivators – hunger, thirst, sex
8. Summarize psychological motivators – power, affiliation, achievement
9. Summarize the role of motivation at work
Emotion:
1.
6.
7.
8.
Describe the 3 components of an emotion
Summarize the role of the autonomic nervous system in emotions
Describe the role & influence of arousal on emotions and performance
Describe & differential between James-Lange, Schacter-Singer, & Cannon Bard’s theories of
emotion
9. Describe the similarities & differences between cultures & facial expressions
Stress & Health 1. Summarize the cause of stress and types of stressors
7. Summarize the effects of stress on the body
8. Describe & differentiate the 3 types of conflict
9. Explain the Holmes & Rahe scale of life changes and its relation to illness
10. Summarize Hans Selye’s GAS theory
11. Explain the different constructive ways to deal with stress
Instructional Unit
Name of Unit/Big Idea:
Human Development
Brief Description:
Length of Course (Days/Weeks):
Essential Questions:
Physical, Cognitive & Social development across the human lifespan
10-11 days
1. Compare the interaction of nature and nurture in the determination of behavior.
2. Summarize physical and motor development of the neonate and infant.
3. Summarize and evaluate Piaget’s stages of cognitive development.
4. Describe the influence of temperament and other social factors on attachment.
5. Summarize and evaluate Kohlberg’s stages of moral development
6. Summarize and evaluate Erikson’s stages of social development
7. Explain and compare the major events of adolescence, adulthood, and the changes
associated with aging.
8. Describe how sex and gender influence socialization and other aspects of development.
9. Summarize Kubler-Ross’s research on death and dying.
Content Standards:
STATE GOAL 18: Understand social systems, with an emphasis on the United States.
B. Understand the roles and interactions of individuals and groups in society.
C. Understand how social systems form and develop over time.
Common Core State ELA or Math Standards:
Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific
textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
Students will need to know . . . (content objectives)
Students will be able to . . . (skill objectives)
Resources and assessments
(common to all like classes)
1. Compare the interaction of nature and nurture in the determination of behavior.
Multiple Choice & Free Response
2. Summarize physical and motor development of the neonate and infant.
3. Summarize and evaluate Piaget’s stages of cognitive development.
4. Describe the influence of temperament and other social factors on attachment.
5. Summarize and evaluate Kohlberg’s stages of moral development
6. Summarize and evaluate Erikson’s stages of social development
7. Explain and compare the major events of adolescence, adulthood, and the changes
associated with aging.
8. Describe how sex and gender influence socialization and other aspects of development.
9. Summarize Kubler-Ross’s research on death and dying.
Instructional Unit
Name of Unit/Big Idea: Personality
Brief Description:
Length of Course (Days/Weeks):
Essential Questions:
Theories of human personality development and description
9 days
1. Describe how Freud’s life shaped the theory of Psychoanalysis
2. Summarize Freud’s work — levels of consciousness, structure of personality, stages of development,
defense mechanisms (define & explain all), therapy, & dream analysis
3. Compare/Contrast the Neo-Freudians (Jung, Horney, Adler, Erikson)
4. Describe & critique other methods of explaining personality
a. The Humanistic/Phenomenological Perspective (Maslow, Rogers)
b. Trait perspective (Allport, Eysenck)
c. Social-Cognitive Perspective (Bandura, Rotter, Seligman)
5. Define & describe different personality assessment techniques (from each perspective)
Content Standards:
STATE GOAL 18: Understand social systems, with an emphasis on the United States.
B. Understand the roles and interactions of individuals and groups in society.
C. Understand how social systems form and develop over time.
Common Core State ELA or Math Standards:
Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific
textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
Students will need to know . . . (content objectives)
Students will be able to . . . (skill objectives)
Resources and assessments
(common to all like classes)
1. Describe how Freud’s life shaped the theory of Psychoanalysis
Multiple Choice & Free Response
2. Summarize Freud’s work — levels of consciousness, structure of personality, stages of development, defense
mechanisms (define & explain all), therapy, & dream analysis
3. Compare/Contrast the Neo-Freudians (Jung, Horney, Adler, Erikson)
4. Describe & critique other methods of explaining personality
a. The Humanistic/Phenomenological Perspective (Maslow, Rogers)
b. Trait perspective (Allport, Eysenck)
c. Social-Cognitive Perspective (Bandura, Rotter, Seligman)
5. Define & describe different personality assessment techniques (from each perspective)
Instructional Unit
Name of Unit/Big Idea: Psychological Disorders & Treatment
Brief Description:
Psychological disorders and methods of treatment
Length of Course (Days/Weeks):
10-12 days
Essential Questions:
1. Define contemporary & historical conceptions of what constitutes a disorder.
2. Explain the ways we diagnose disorders, including the use of the DSM-IV.
3. Explain classifications of disorders and appropriate therapies.
4. Summarize explanations for disorders according to the major theoretical perspectives.
5. Compare/contrast different therapies according to the major theoretical perspectives
Content Standards:
STATE GOAL 18: Understand social systems, with an emphasis on the United States.
B. Understand the roles and interactions of individuals and groups in society.
C. Understand how social systems form and develop over time.
Common Core State ELA or Math Standards:
Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific
textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
Students will need to know . . . (content objectives)
Students will be able to . . . (skill objectives)
Resources and assessments
(common to all like classes)
1. Define contemporary & historical conceptions of what constitutes a disorder.
Multiple Choice & Free Response
2. Explain the ways we diagnose disorders, including the use of the DSM-IV.
3. Explain classifications of disorders and appropriate therapies.
4. Summarize explanations for disorders according to the major theoretical perspectives.
5. Compare/contrast different therapies according to the major theoretical perspectives
Instructional Unit
Name of Unit/Big Idea: Social Psychology
Brief Description:
Length of Course (Days/Weeks):
Essential Questions:
Content Standards:
Common Core State ELA or Math Standards:
Influence of social interaction on human thought and behavior
8-10 days
1. Define Attribution theory & describe the ways in which people explain behavior. Explain how the
fundamental attribution error can affect our analysis of behavior
2. Summarize & describe how attitudes and actions may influence each other. Explain key terms relating
to attitudes & actions.
3. Define Conformity. Describe experiments associated with conformity. Summarize factors that may
influence conformity.
4. Define Obedience. Describe experiments associated with obedience. Summarize factors that may
influence obedience.
5. Summarize the influence of the group. Define & explain key terms associated with group influence
(facilitation, loafing, deindividuation, polarization, groupthink).
6. Identify & define components of prejudice. Summarize factors that may influence prejudice.
7. Describe aggression, research done on aggression, and summarize factors that may influence
aggression.
8. Summarize findings on attraction, describe factors that may influence attractions, explain the different
types of love.
9. Summarize & define altruism. Describe factors that influence altruism. Define & explain key terms
associated with altruism (bystander, social exchange/norms)
STATE GOAL 18: Understand social systems, with an emphasis on the United States.
B. Understand the roles and interactions of individuals and groups in society.
C. Understand how social systems form and develop over time.
Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific
textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
Students will need to know . . . (content objectives)
Students will be able to . . . (skill objectives)
Resources and assessments
(common to all like classes)
Multiple Choice & Free Response
1. Define Attribution theory & describe the ways in which people explain behavior. Explain how the fundamental
attribution error can affect our analysis of behavior
2. Summarize & describe how attitudes and actions may influence each other. Explain key terms relating to attitudes
& actions.
3. Define Conformity. Describe experiments associated with conformity. Summarize factors that may influence
conformity.
4. Define Obedience. Describe experiments associated with obedience. Summarize factors that may influence
obedience.
5. Summarize the influence of the group. Define & explain key terms associated with group influence (facilitation,
loafing, deindividuation, polarization, groupthink).
6. Identify & define components of prejudice. Summarize factors that may influence prejudice.
7. Describe aggression, research done on aggression, and summarize factors that may influence aggression.
8. Summarize findings on attraction, describe factors that may influence attractions, explain the different types of
love.
9. Summarize & define altruism. Describe factors that influence altruism. Define & explain key terms associated with
altruism (bystander, social exchange/norms)