Kelly Walsh High School AP Psychology Teacher: Mr. Kidneigh Room: 170 Block: 2-A Days

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1 Kelly Walsh High School AP Psychology Teacher: Mr. Kidneigh Room: 170 Block: 2-A Days Course Description: This accelerated course will prepare students for college-level psychology courses. All students that earn a C or better and are in good standing will earn honors credit on their high school transcript. This course will prepare students to take the AP Psychology Exam in the Spring. The student s score and the future college s policy will determine the number of credit hours granted. There will be a wide variety of course activities to engage student learning including experiments, observations (may include outside the classroom exploration in the community/state), guest speakers, discussions on topics in the textbook as well as current issues, journal writing, projects, videos, and supplemental readings. Topics to be covered will include the history and definition of psychology, perception, consciousness, learning, memory, intellectual development, personality, stress, mental health, and the applying of psychological principles to everyday life. Course Standards/Outcomes: 1. The student will understand contemporary perspectives to understand behavior and mental processes in context; major subfield and career opportunities; research strategies and ethical issues; and the development of psychology as an empirical science. 2. The student will understand structure and function of the neuron; organization of the nervous system; hierarchical organization, structure, function of the brain and endocrine system; how heredity influences behavior; and how psychological mechanisms are influenced by evolution. 3. The student will understand basic concepts of sensory processes; interaction of the person and the environment in determining perception; the nature of attention; sources of stress, physiological and psychological reactions to stress; and cognitive and behavioral strategies for dealing with stress and promoting health. 4. The student will understand development across the life span; stage theory of development; nature vs. nurture theory of developmental processes, and the impact of technology on development. 5. The student will understand characteristics of learning; components of cognitive learning; roles of biology and culture in determining learning; memory systems and biological bases of memory; basic elements of thinking and language; theories and developmental stage of language acquisition; and states of consciousness. 6. The student will understand motivation and emotion concepts and their effects on perception, cognition, and behavior; nature of intelligence, testing, and individual differences; and personality approaches and assessment tools. 7. The student will understand characteristics, origins, and major categories of abnormal behavior; the impact of mental disorders, and prominent treatment methods. 8. The student will understand social judgment, attitude formation, group processes, conformity, obedience, altruism, and aggression. Course Materials: Textbook: Psychology, 5th edition (Myers) 3-Ring Notebook: for assignments, notes, articles, and handouts Spiral Notebook: for reading notes Spiral Notebook for journal entries (will be collected and graded periodically)

2 Grading: Grades are calculated in the following manner: Homework/Class Activities and Exercises=35%, Tests=45%, and Participation/Attendance=20%. A=90%-100% B=80%-89% C=70%-79% D=60%-69% F=59% or less ****Attendance does have a direct impact on a student s grade. This class involves a lot of experiments/activities and discussions in which participation is crucial to being successful at learning the material. A student receives 5 points every day for attendance and participation. If the student is absent and it is unexcused/truant then he or she will lose the 5 points. Each tardy will cause the student to lose 2 attendance points. Content Standards Performance: Student level of performance on the content standards will be determined using the following pieces of evidence: final exam questions specific to the standard, research/writing assignments (including Common Assessment activity), and a reflective thematic essay. Late Work Policy: An assignment turned in late will lose 30% credit. After the unit test you will lose 50% credit on late work. Make-up Work: If a student knows he or she will be absent then they should try to complete work ahead of time or consult with me to make other arrangements. Otherwise consult with me about how best to make up your work. Classroom Expectations and Rule: Students are expected to come to class with textbook, notebook/folder, and pen/pencil. There is only one rule for this classroom: Any behavior that interferes with the teaching or learning in this room is unacceptable. **Only the severest of misbehaviors will be sent to the office and parents contacted. Most infractions will be dealt with by the teacher.** Communication/Conference: The students as well as parents are welcome to contact me when questions arise. Students can arrange to conference with me before school, after school, or during my planning time (fifth block). Parents may call and leave a message for me with the office or me at justin_kidneigh@natronaschools.org.

3 Course Format: This class is every other day for 90 minutes for the whole school year. This facilitates completing the reading/writing assignments. Course Activities: This course will utilize a variety of strategies/approaches to better allow the students to learn and process the concepts important to the study of Psychology. Below is a list of the more utilized approaches: -Reading notes set procedure -Article readings/discussions/writings -Lectures -Videos -Hands on/role play activities -Book Review project -Journal writing -Movies with Essays -Experiments, Surveys, Inventories Course Order of Topics: **History and Approaches **Research Methods **Biological Bases of Behavior **Developmental Psychology **Sensation and Perception **States of Consciousness **Learning and Memory **Cognition **Testing and Individual Differences **Motivation and Emotion **Personality **Abnormal Psychology **Treatment of Psychological Disorders **Social Psychology Course Project: During the second half of the course each student will be required to develop a research project that utilizes some of the research methods that are used In psychology. The student will carry out their project and report to the class after receiving approval from the Instructor.

4 Course Reading and Note Taking Schedule: AP Psychology: Reading and Note-taking Schedule for Mr. Kidneigh ***The following is a guide for when we will be addressing the chapters in the book. This schedule has the due dates for your reading notes. You can always work ahead on your notes. You will have a test at the end of each chapter or pairs of chapters. Due Dates: 8/28/07 Introduction and Chapter 1--Introductory information about the nature of psychology and psychological study. 9/14/07 Chapter 2--The structures of the brain and their functions and interrelationships. 9/28/07 (Both) Chapters 3 and 4--The physical, cognitive, social, emotional, and moral development of human beings. 10/26/07 (Both) Chapters 5 and 6--How humans sense and perceive the world and how those sensations and perceptions influence human behavior. 11/5/07 Chapter 7--Exploring consciousness and the various states of consciousness that humans experience. 11/30/07 Chapter 8--Examining the components involved with learning and conditoning. 12/6/07 Chapter 9--The nature of memory and how humans can improve their memory abilities. 1/17/08 (Both) Chapters 10 and 11--Exploring thinking, language development, and the nature of intelligence. 1/28/08 (Both) Chapters 12 and 13--The nature and effects of motivation and emotion in human development and behavior. 2/1/078 Chapter 17--Stress and its role in our lives and its effects on human behavior and health. 2/7/08 Chapter 14--Learning about the nature of personality and its development through studying the different personality perspectives. 2/13/08 (Both) Chapters 15 and 16--The cause and nature of pyschological disorders and the therapies used to cure and treat them. 2/26/08 Chapter 18--Social psychology: how the individuals behavior is influenced by society and how it effects society. Weeks 35: Review/Final Projects/AP Exam/Final Exam

5 Psychology Textbook Notetaking Procedure Interactive Notetaking (100 points per chapter) Before You Start --Chunk how many pages you will need to read each night in order to complete your notes before the unit test. --Plan to finish the chapter(s) a few days before the test on it so you can begin reviewing for the test. --Start each notetaking session be reviewing briefly the notes you took the previous time. This will provide continuity and help you to remember information. Procedure for Notetaking as You Read: 1. Blue: write the section heading (large red print in book) at the top of paper. Always start a new section on a new sheet of paper. (5 points) 2. Red: pose the key question for the subsection you are reading by turning the dark bold headings (black lettering in book) into a question. (5 points) 3. Green: write the major terms that help to answer the question you posed for the subsection. Often they are underlined. Put the terms in your notebook on the far left of the page. When you review, to test your recall of the terms cover the definitions to see if you know them. (20 points) 4. Purple: next to the terms put their definitions. Write in the center of the page. You may also write any other information from the reading that helps you to understand the term. Write the names of any important researchers or psychologists mentioned with the term and circle them in blue. To review you can cover the definitions and try to recall them as you look at the terms. (15 points) 5. Orange: write your associations/questions/emotional responses/thoughts for the terms/concepts at the far right of the page next to what you wrote in purple. When you record your thoughts and feelings you are more deeply processing the information. When you review at a later time you will be able to easily access needed memories of the information. This means less re-reading of the material. (10 points) Procedure After You are Finished 6. Black: after reading a whole section (red lettered in book) write a summary of the key concepts that you learned. Include you thoughts and feelings as you do this to make it more meaningful and relevant to you which makes it easier to learn. (20 points) 7. Red: write some review questions for yourself that a partner could use to help you review or that you can use be yourself to review. These could be fill-inthe-blank, multiple choice, or potential essay questions. (15 points) 8. Last of All: Draw any tables or diagrams that are relevant to the section you just read. These can be as detailed as you desire--just remember the purpose of them is to help you learn and review important concepts. (10 points)

6 Unit 1: Psychology Historical Origins, Perspectives/Approaches, Theories and Important Psychologists **Introduction and Chapter One reading notes required. Research in the Psychological Laboratory: Truth or Triviality? Why Study Psychology Science and Pseudoscience General Topics Studied: Origins of psychology role of science and philosophy, Perspectives of psychology, Subfields of psychology, Applied vs. basic research, Important early pioneers of psychology, Types of research case study, survey, naturalistic observation, experimentation, correlational study, Critical thinking skills involved with research, Ethics in psychological studies. - Important Psychologist Project - Survey Project create, administer, compile, report - Observation Walk Activity - Critical Thinking Activities - Case Study Activity - Lorenzo s Oil Movie and Essay Unit 2: Psychology and Biology **Chapter Two reading notes required. The End of Nature Versus Nurture? The Amazing Brain: Is Neuroscience the Key to What Makes Us Human? The Structure of the Human Brain General Topics Studied: Organization of the nervous system and its functions, Structure and function of the neuron and types of neurons, Structure and function of the Endocrine System, Structures and functions of the brain, Relationship between our physical body and our mental processes and behavior, Influence of genetics on human psychological development. - Wagner Preference Inventory - Brain Diagrams Structures and Functions Exercise - Evolutionary Psychology Exercise - Awakenings Movie and Essay

7 Unit 3: Human Development **Chapters Three and Four reading notes required. Fetal Psychology? A Peaceful Adolescence The Borders of Healing General Topics Studied: Prenatal development stages, Lifespan development, Piaget s Cognitive Development Theory, Erickson s Psychosocial Development Theory, Kohlberg s Moral Reasoning Development Theory, Identity, Gender Identity, Gender Schema, Longitudinal and Cross-Sectional Research, Nature vs. Nurture, Heritability - Gender Roles Exercise - Kohlberg Moral Reasoning Exercise - Who am I? Project and Presentation - Development Theories Role Play Skit Activity - Dead Poet s Society Oil Movie and Essay Unit 4: Sensation and Perception **Chapters Five and Six reading notes required. The Senses A Matter of Taste Sensational Tune-ups General Topics Studied: Sensation versus Perception, Bottom-up and Top-down processing, Sensory interaction, Sensory adaptation, Basics on how each sense works to collect information for the brain, Importance of attention to perception, Perceptual sets, Perceptual adaptation, Thresholds absolute, just-noticeable-difference, Weber s Law, Visual capture. - Optical Illusions Activity - Overlapping Fields of Vision Activity - Monocular Cues Cartoons Exercise - Sound Localization Activity - Just-Noticeable-Difference with Playing Cards Activity - Time Perception Activity - Sensory Deprivation Video - Blind Walk Activity - Miracle Worker Movie with Essay

8 Unit 5: States of Consciousness **Chapter Seven reading notes required. Mysteries of the Mind Vision: A Window on Consciousness General Topics Studied: Consciousness, Nature of sleep, Stages of sleep, REM sleep, Sleep Disorders, Hypnosis, Psychoactive drugs, Physical and psychological dependence, Tolerance and withdrawal, Near-death experiences - Sleep and Dream Journal Activity - Sleep Debt Inventory Activity - Lark or Owl Activity - Guided Relaxation Activity Unit 6: Learning and Memory **Chapters Eight and Nine reading notes required. Learning Begins Even Before Babies Are Born, Scientists Show Teaching for Understanding "The Town that Skinner Boxed" Memory Flexibility "Lots of Action In the Memory Game" General Topics Studied: Classical Conditioning, Operant Conditioning, Social Learning, Learning styles, Nature of learning, Encode-Store-Retrieve, Short/Long term memory, What memory does for us as humans, Mneumonic devices, Types of memory - Examples of Learning Discussion Activity - Classical/Operant Conditioning Exercise - Remembering a Penny Activity - Mneumonic devices Memory Strategies Activity - Types of Memory Activity - Clive Wearing Video - Regarding Henry Movie with Essay

9 Unit 7: Thinking, Language, and Intelligence **Chapters Ten and Eleven reading notes required. Theory of Multiple Intelligences: Is It a Scientific Theory? Smart Genes? Can Animals Think? "Mysteries of the Mind" General Topics Studied: Judgment and Decision-making, Common errors in thinking, Problemsolving strategies heuristics and algorithms, Need for cognition, Language nature of and acquisition of, Language development in humans, Intelligence nature of and debate over, Single intelligence vs. multiple intelligence, Measuring ability and intelligence, Validity and reliability, Creativity nature and development of, Genetics and Cognitive ability - Wordles Activity - Mind Trap Activity - Overconfidence and Framing Activity - Double Speak and Simple Language Device Activity - Remote Associates (Creativity) Activity - Circles Activity - Sample IQ Test Activity - Apollo 13 or Castaway Movie with Essay Unit 8: Motivation and Emotion **Chapters Twelve, Thirteen, and Seventeen reading notes required. The Gold Medal Mind What's In a Face? Emotional Intelligence: Do You Have It? "Ambition: Why Some People are Most Likely to Succeed" General Topics Studied: Drive Reduction Theory hunger and sex, Achievement motivation, Intrinsic and Extrinsic motivation, Theory X and Theory Y, Type A or B Personality, Arousal Theory, Incentive Theory, James-Lange Theory, Cannon-Bard Theory, Schachter s Theory, Facial Expressions, Relative Deprivation Phenomenon, Adaptationlevel Phenomenon. - Work Preference Inventory Activity

10 - Type A or Type B Activity - Multidimensional Anger Inventory Activity - Phineas Gage video - Time Perception Activity - Rudy Movie (good for motivation) - To Sir with Love Movie with Essay (combines motivation and emotion) Unit 9: Personality, Psychological Disorders and Therapies **Chapters Fourteen, Fifteen, and Sixteen reading notes required. Exploding the Self-Esteem Myth The Testing of America The Stability of Personality: Observations and Evaluations "Mental Disorders Are Not Diseases" "The Age of Depression" "The Quest for a Cure" "New Hope for People with Schizophrenia" General Topics Studied: Theories dealing with personality Psychodynamic, Trait, Humanistic, Socio-Cultural, Definitions of psychological disorder and psychotic disorder, Types of disorders and how to recognize them, DSM IV what is it?, Causes of mental illness and psychological disorders, Types of therapies and their theoretical origins, drug therapy, electro-convulsive therapy - Personality Inventory (Trait Theory) Activity - Internal vs. External Locus of Control Activity - Desirability for Control Activity - Obsessive-Compulsive and Depression Activity - Dissociation and Anxiety Activity - What s My Disorder? Activity - Psychological Therapy Role Plays Activity - A Beautiful Mind Movie with Essay - Snake Pit Movie with Essay Unit 10: Social Psychology **Chapter Eighteen reading notes required. How to Spot a Liar Reducing Prejudice: Combating Intergroup Biases To Err Is Human "Mirror, Mirror: Seeing Yourself As Others See You"

11 General Topics Studied: Attribution Theory, Fundamental Attribution Error, Role and Norm, Social influences, Prejudice and Stereotypes, Deindividuation, Aggression/Antisocial, Conformity, Superordinate goals for groups/organizations, Influences of the individual on the group and the group on the individual - The Haves and Have Nots Activity - Cliques in School Activity - Simon Says Activity - Aggression Exercise - Social Influences Essay - Remember the Titans or Glory Road Movie with Essay