BAA Course: Psychology 11 District Name: Cowichan Valley District Number: 79 Developed by: Sian Peterson, Sue Emblem, Leslie Jo Stubbe, and Mike Moroz Date Developed: September 2004 Schools Names: Principal s Name: Chemainus Secondary School, Cowichan Secondary School, Frances Kelsey, Lake Cowichan Secondary, Cowichan Adult Learning Centre Mr. Grant Foster, Mr. Pat Duncan, Mr. Al MacLeod/Ms. Marilyn Sandford, Mr. Jeff Baker, Ms Jo Keeping Board/Authority Approval Date: February 2, 2005 Board/Authority Signature Course Name: Psychology 11 Grade Level of Course: 11 Number of Course Credits: 4 Number of Hours of Instruction: 120 Prerequisite(s): none Special Training, Facilities or Equipment Required: A fully equipped classroom with audio visual equipment. Course Synopsis: An introductory course to the scientific field of psychology and the study of human behavior.
Rationale: Psychology education involves students in learning about the science of psychology. The overall aim of the course is to have students seek, analyze, create, understand and discover while gaining a further appreciation of psychological science. As students explore the variety of topics in this course it is the ultimate goal that we, as educators, will help students excel as human beings as they gain a greater understanding of human behavior. The psychology course is organized to foster students growth, development, and understanding of cultural diversity. At the end of the course, students are expected to have an understanding of psychological concepts, theories, research findings and applications. Organizational Structure: this introductory course may include, but is not limited to the following units of study: Unit Title Time Unit 1 Introduction to Psychology 5 hours Unit 2 Learning and Cognitive Processes 25 hours Unit 3 The Workings of the Mind and Body 30 hours Unit 4 Altered States of Consciousness 30 hours Unit 5 Development Across the Lifespan 30 hours Total Hours 120 *Some of the learning outcomes have been adapted from the following teaching resource: Kasschau, R. A. (1995). Understanding Psychology: Teacher s Edition. New York: McGraw Hill. Unit 1: Introduction to Psychology 5 hours This first unit sets the context for the course by describing psychology as an empirically-based, scientifically-conducted, discipline. This unit introduces students to the origins, development, and perspectives of psychology, setting the foundation for a consideration of research methods and theories by which the students can then begin to acquire knowledge about this field of study. Curriculum Organizers Why study psychology? Overview of psychology & history Professions within psychology Be able to describe the range of topics studied within the psychology field Be able to describe careers available and specialized fields in psychology Be able to understand why one studies psychology. Be able to describe the historical background of this field of study.
Unit 2: Learning and Cognitive Processes 25 Hours This unit explores a variety of learning theories, memory, and thought processes. The understanding of learning principles is then applied not only to human behavior but also to animal behavior. The study of memory and thought processes discovers how information is stored and retrieved and how our minds work in creative ways to deal with information. Curriculum Organizers Learning Principles and Applications Memory and Thought Outline the principles and techniques of the three basic learning principles: classical conditioning, operant conditioning and modeling. To understand the factors involved in the process of learning To apply these principles of learning to human and animal behavior To understand and describe information processing To identify the different memory systems To explain different memory theories. To understand from a psychological perspective the following concepts: thought, units of thought, types of thought. To understand problem solving and how problem solving strategies develop in humans To apply the learning to situations around them and see an application to everyday life. Unit 3: The Workings of the Mind and Body 30 Hours This unit studies three key topics: the body and behavior, sensation and perceptions, and motivation and emotion. Study of the physical body systems combined with its influence on human behavior will give students an introductory understanding of nature vs. nurture. Discussion and exploration of the topics studied will allow students to question, discuss and research areas that interest them. Curriculum Organizers: Body and Behavior Sensation and Perception Motivation and Emotion Be able to understand the basic working of the nervous system and the hemispheres of the brain. Be able to gain an understanding of how psychologists study the brain with reference to recording, stimulation, and lesions. Understand the workings of the endocrine system. Be able to acknowledge the association between human and animal behavior within the realm of ethnology, sociobiology, and the relationship between nature and environment. Describe the field known as psychophysics.
Define and discuss the following: threshold, Weber s law and signal detection. Understand and define the principles of perception. Explore the area of extra sensory perception. To understand biological and social motives. To define and understand the following key ideas/concepts: Drive reduction theory and Maslow s hierarchy of needs. To understand the difference between expressing emotions from an innate standpoint and a learned behavior. To explain physiological and cognitive theories of emotion. Unit 4: Altered States of Consciousness 30 Hours In this unit students will gain a thorough understanding of altered states of consciousness. This is a state that involves a change in the following mental processes: sensation, perceptions and thought patterns. A thorough study of altered states will give students an understanding that when they break down behavior into components they will be more conscious of that behavior. Curriculum Organizers: Sleep and Dreams Hypnosis Hallucinations and Sensory Deprivation Psychoactive Drugs Biofeedback and Meditation Gain an understanding of sleeping and dreaming from the current research that is happening in that field of study. Be able to define altered states of consciousness including hypnosis and hallucination. Be able to discuss the effects of drug states Be able to understand the physical and cognitive effects of sensory deprivation. Be able to describe the work and research that has been completed in the fields of biofeedback and meditation. Unit 5: Development Across the Life Span 30 Hours This unit explores the key concepts of growth and change as they apply to the development of human beings across the lifespan. Biological, cognitive and social influences will be studied. Curriculum Organizers Infancy and Childhood Adolescence Adulthood and Old Age Be able to understand fetal development and the physical development of young children.
Understand the development of language. Be able to compare theories of social development. Gain an understanding of the following theories: cognitive-development theory, and Kohlberg s stages of moral reasoning. Define adolescence. Be able to describe the following as it applies to adolescence: physical, cognitive and ideological changes. Understand social development of adolescence in relation to family and peers. Be able to describe the following as it applies to adulthood: physical, sexual and intellectual changes. Understand the stages of dying. Instructional Component: will include, but not limited to: Direct instruction Indirect instruction Discussions Independent instruction and research Group work/ co-operative learning Video tape analysis Related field trips Individual and group projects Brainstorming Story telling Guest speakers Case studies Assessment Component: Assessment will include but not be limited to the following: Written assignments Participation Quizzes Oral presentations Tests/exams Projects Independent research projects Media scrapbook Learning Resources: the learning resources may include but are not limited to the following: A. Videotape Material: The following videos are available at the School District Resource Centre and listed by catalogue number: VSPY Past, present and promise VSPY Sensation and perception VSPY Understanding Research VSPY Learning VSPY The behaving brain VSPY Remembering and forgetting VSPY The responsive brain VSPY Cognitive processes VSPY Judgment and decision making VSPY Language development VSPY Motivation and emotion
VSPY The mind awake and asleep VSPY The mind hidden and divided VSPY The self VSPY Testing and intelligence VSPY Sex and gender VSPY Maturing and aging VSPY The power of the situation VSPY Constructing social reality VSPY Psychopathology VSPY Psychotherapy VSPY Health, mind and behavior VSPY In space, towards peace VSPY A union of opposites VSPY New directions VSPY The torment of schizophrenia VSPY Attention deficit disorder VSPY Post-traumatic stress VSPY Obsessive compulsive disorder VSPY Panic and agoraphobia VSPY Pathological gambling VSPY Autism B. Print Materials: print materials for this may include but are not limited to the following: Text: Understanding Psychology Understanding Psychology Teacher Resource Binder Lessons in Psychology James Eder Walch Publisher Understanding Psychology-Student Book Walch Publisher Psychology Today Magazine Internet resources The Complete Idiot s Guide to Psychology: Joni Johnston, Psy. D. ISBN 0-02-863538-4 C. Teacher Resource Websites: (a few places to start) The following list of sites will give a new teacher of psychology a starting point when organizing the high school psychology class-please add to your favorites on your web page! * American Psychological Association http://www.apa.org * American Psychological Society http://psych.hanover.edu/aps * Office of Teaching Resources in Psychology http://www.lemoyne.edu/otrp * Society for the Teaching of Psychology http://teachpsych.lemoyne.edu/ * Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools http://www.apa.org/ed/topsshomepage.html