AP Psychology Syllabus CHS Social Studies Department

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1 1 AP Psychology Syllabus CHS Social Studies Department Contact Information: Parents may contact me by phone, , or visiting the school. Teacher: Mr. Ty Park Address: or Phone Number: (740) ext Online: Teacher Contact Website/Social media: Use above addresses & phone number to contact and/or request information. CHS Vision Statement: Our vision is to be a caring learning center respected for its comprehensive excellence. CHS Mission Statement: Our mission is to prepare our students to serve their communities and to commit to life-long learning Course Structure: Prerequisite: Grade of C+ or above in previous Social Studies Courses. Elective: Grades Credit: 1 credit The course will meet for 70 minutes a day every day for 18 weeks. Courses are set up in a block schedule. The estimated classroom contact hours would be more than one hundred. Recognizing the importance of student engagement and ownership of the coursework, the focus is on performance, not time. Time management is in the hands of the student, to master the curriculum in order to perform well on the AP Exam. Class Purpose: To promote an appreciation of the critical analysis of psychologists through the study of nature vs. nurture, the life span, the mind and body, learning and cognitive processes, personality and individuality, adjustment and breakdown, as well as communication and group skills. This, in short, is a study of mental processes and human behavior. The purpose is to expose students to how psychology provides tools to help us gain insight into our own behavior, as well as our relationships with others. The value of this AP class is in the three unifying themes that run throughout the coursework: psychology is a science that is rapidly evolving; human behavior and

2 2 thought are diverse, varied, and affected by culture; and the study of psychology involves active thinking, questioning, and problem-solving. Course Materials: Textbooks: Morris & Maisto, Psychology: An Introduction 11/e Pearson Prentice Hall Understanding Psychology Copyright 2006 by Glencoe / McGraw Hill Supplemental Resources: Text Resource Manual, Text Study Guide, Workbooks, Topical Articles and Readings drawn from Current Media such as books, internet, newspapers, magazines, and scientific periodicals, Controlled Experiment, Service Learning, special projects and any other secondary resources that the instructor may consider appropriate to meet course objectives. Course Objective: To provide a comprehensive presentation that interweaves all subfields of psychology: person situation, heredity environment, stability change, diversity universality, and mind-body throughout the course. To present key topics in a balanced, scientific manner that incorporates both classic and the most recent cutting-edge research developments. To prepare students to take the AP Psychology Exam that is held each spring. (Students are required to pay the fee required by the College Board to take the exam.) Students will be able to demonstrate understanding in the five domains of the National High School Psychology Standards and the American Psychological Association (APA). Objective and Curricular Goals: Standards: The domain and content areas for this course will include: methods, developmental, biopsychosocial, cognitive, and sociocultural. Topics covered in this course will adhere to Academic Content Standards for Psychology. (Curricular Requirements) 1.Methods: Introduction and Research Methods (CR 1, 2, 16, 15) Defines the science of psychology, describes its history, identifies the methods for examining behavior and mental processes, and reviews scientific careers available in the discipline.

3 3 CH1 Introducing Psychology CH2 Psychological Research Methods and Statistics CH21 Psychology: Present and Future Recognize through reading how philosophical perspectives shaped the development of psychological thought. Describe and compare through discussion or essay the different theoretical approaches in explaining behavior. Analyze through research the strengths and limitations of each theory from the early years to the contemporary approaches. Differentiate and describe how research design drives conclusions. Identify and distinguish between variables, sampling, research methods, and types of statistics. Discuss ethical issues, legal guidelines, and research practices. Special Assignment research the major historical figures in psychology. Choose one to study. 2. Biopsychosocial: Biological Bases of Behavior (CR 3) Addresses how the brain processes information and how the body adapts to the demands of its environment. CH6 Body and behavior Identify the basic processes and systems in the biological bases of behavior. Discuss the influence of drugs on neurotransmitters, the effect of the endocrine system/heredity/environment on behavior. Describe, through creative graphic organizers, the nervous system and its subdivisions and functions.

4 4 Special Assignment recount historic and contemporary research strategies and technologies that support research. Identify key contributors to the biological bases theory. Choose one for in depth study. Sensation and Perception (CR 4) Examines how the brain makes meaning out of the physical sensations generated by the environment. CH8 Sensation and Perception Discuss basic principles and processes of sensory transduction through chart presentation. Explain common sensory disorders and perceptual processes in a small group setting. Challenge by research, the common beliefs in parapsychological phenomena. Special Assignment participate in the demonstration producing vulnerability to illusion. Motivation and Emotion (CR 8, 15) Examines the drives and needs that direct behavior, including sex, hunger, and social needs, as well as the range of human emotion. CH12 Motivation and Emotion Identify and apply basic motivational concepts to understand behavior of humans and other animals through examples and discussion. Recognized the biological underpinnings of motivation. Compare and contrast theories of emotion, note the strengths and weaknesses of classic research findings. Special Assignment participate in a demonstration of incentives.

5 5 Stress, Coping, and Health (CR 8, 15) Identifies how stress reactions hinder our effectiveness and proposed alternatives that lead to a healthier existence. CH15 Stress and Health Report classic research findings of specific health issues. Discuss theories of stress and the effects of stress on psychological and physical well-being. Special Assignment Take stress tests. Watch videos for full class discussion. 3. Cognitive: Learning (CR 6, 11) Demonstrates how we make changes in our behavior through experience with the environment, usually focusing on classical conditioning, operant conditioning, observational learning, and cognitive learning. CH 9 Learning Principles and Applications Explore the different kinds of learning through lecture notes and reading classic studies. Describe classical conditioning phenomenon in a graphic organizer. Predict the effects of operant conditioning and how schedules of reinforcement influence learning reinterpretation of graphs that exhibit the results of experiments. Discuss how behavior modification, biofeedback, coping strategies, and selfcontrol can address behavioral problems.

6 6 Special Assignment Take Learning Inventories. Identify key contributors in the psychology of learning. Write on one. Memory (CR 7, 15) Addresses how we remember as well as how we can improve our memory. CH10 Memory and Thought Describe the cognitive, psychological and physiological processes of memory. Graphically organize the principles that attention, encoding, storage and retrieval have in the construction of memory. Describe strategies for memory improvement Special Assignment Mnemonics exercises memory skills demonstrations. Thinking and Language (CR 7, 11) Examines the role of language, problem-solving skills, creativity, multilingualism, and intelligence testing as primary interests of researchers in this area. CH11 Thinking and Language Apply learning principles to compare and contrast various cognitive processes. Synthesize how biological, cognitive, and cultural factors converge to facilitate acquisition, development, and use of language by creating a chart. Engage in problem-solving strategies to answer a pre-designed mystery. List the characteristics of creative thought and creative thinkers.

7 7 Special Assignment Using the above list, write a persuasive paper on a person or idea. States of Consciousness (CR 5) Explores varying stages of awareness, including sleep, reaction to drugs, daydreaming, and controlled conscious processes. CH7 Altered States of Consciousness Describe various states of consciousness and their impact on behavior. Discuss the sleep cycle, theories of sleep and dreaming, symptoms and treatments of sleep disorders. Research historic and contemporary notions of hypnosis. Identify the major psychoactive drug categories and their effects psychologically and physiologically. Explain drug dependence, addiction, tolerance, and withdrawal. Special Assignment Videos on sleep disorders. Debate on drug effect facts and legalization. 4. Developmental: Lifespan Development (CR 3, 11, 9) Examines how nature and nurture influence our development from conception until death. CH3 Infancy and Childhood CH4 Adolescence CH5 Adulthood and Old Age

8 8 Discuss the interaction of nature and nurture, cultural variations, and gender in determination of behavior from lecture notes. Explain the process of fetal development, maturation of motor skills, and cognitive abilities. Compare maturational physical and cognitive challenges in childhood, adolescence, adulthood. Identify stages of cognitive, moral, and social development. Special Assignment identify the key contributors in developmental psychology. Choose one to research and highlight their perspective about the influence of socialization on development. 5. Sociocultural: Individual Differences, Personality and Assessment (CR 10, 11, 16) This unit emphasizes test construction, test selection appropriate to the context, and objective and fair-minded interpretation. Focuses on how psychologists measure and compare individual s abilities and characteristics. Demonstrates scientific explanations of personality development along with the methods psychologists use to measure personality concepts. CH13 Psychological Testing CH14 Theories of Personality Define intelligence, cultural influences, and list characteristics to measure intelligence. Compare and contrast historic and contemporary theories of intelligence. Describe labels relating to intelligence. Explain test design, standardization strategies, and techniques to establish reliability. Compare and contrast the major theories and approaches to explaining personality.

9 9 Special Assignment Interpret the meaning of scores in terms of the normal curve. Debate the appropriate testing practices. Take intelligence and personality inventories.

10 10 Psychological Disorders (CR 12) Investigates patterns of behavior that are considered deviant or distressful in our culture and includes how psychologists diagnose these patterns. CH16 Psychological Disorders Research contemporary and historical conceptions of what constitutes psychological disorders using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Take notes and discuss the major diagnostic categories and their corresponding symptoms. Evaluate the strengths and limitations of the various approaches of psychological disorders. Special Assignment Reading Sane in Insane Places, the Rosenhan study and watching One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, discuss diagnostic labels and the insanity defense. Treatment of Psychological Disorders (CR 13) Discusses the various intervention methods, including psychotherapy and medical interventions that mental health practitioners use in treating abnormal conditions. CH17 Therapy and Change Describe the characteristics of empirically based treatments of sociological disorders. Research the major treatment orientations used in psychotherapeutic intervention. Summarize effectiveness of specific treatments and prevention strategies. Special Assignment Research major figures in psychological treatment. Premier one therapist. Debate ethical practices.

11 11 Social and Cultural Dimensions of Behavior (CR 14) Explores how we perceive the social world and how we behave in relation to other people. This unit explores how social and cultural contexts influence behavior. CH18 Individual Interaction CH19 Group Interaction CH20 Attitudes and Social Influence Recognize the fundamental attribution error and self-serving bias. Explain how individuals respond to expectations including groupthink, conformity, and obedience to authority. Discuss attitudes on self-fulfilling prophecy and the impact of the presence of others on individual behavior, noting persuasion and the bystander effect. Describe the impact of gender, race, ethnicity and the process of differential treatment. Special Assignment Demonstration of Solomon Asch s experiment. Participate in a benign simulation of the Zimbardo Prison Experiment. Video and discussion of the Milgram Experiment. Writing Assignments / Presentations: Current events or issues invite the practical application of the course objectives. Class, Text, and Video Notes of each chapter will be required. Power-point and lecture of chapter sections will be presented in order to guide the reading of the textbook, as well as to introduce new vocabulary, video enrichment, demonstrations, and review. Students will be expected to demonstrate understanding on assessments. The major assignments that students will be expected to complete: Review of Literature and presentation Empirical Articles with class presentation and peer evaluation. Research major contributors to psychology. Research a psychological disorder in order to produce a Pamphlet Practice in analyzing graphs, charts, tables, and diagrams.

12 12 Evaluation: Evaluation is a process employed to assess and measure the extent to which students are demonstrating the desired skills and knowledge required of them for this class. Evaluation will be both formative and summative with evaluation techniques being varied. It is an ongoing process that provides feedback for both the teacher and the learner in terms of the stated objectives. Students may be evaluated in the following manner: Quizzes / Tests / Semester Exam / practice AP tests Written/ Essays Class Discussions / Student Participation Home work / Group work / Class work / Video notes Special Projects = Research / Study Presentations / Research Pamphlet / Experiment Community Involvement / Participation in Health Fair AP Psychology Exam Grading: The course grade is a weighted average consisting of the following elements: Quarterly Grades 20% (each) Semester Exam Grade (first ten units) 20% The weights to determine student grades are as follows: Preparation (quizzes) 20% Participation (class assignments, class discussion) 20% Evaluation (essays, notebook, research paper) 30% Assessment (tests, project, presentation) 30%

13 13 CHS AP Psychology Syllabus After you have reviewed the preceding packet of information with your parent(s) or guardian(s), please sign this sheet and return it to me so that I can verify you understand what I expect out of each and every one of my students. Student Name (please print): Student Signature: Parent/Guardian Name (please print): Parent/Guardian Signature: Date: