AP® Psychology Syllabus
2011- 2012
Classroom D
F Block: M, T, TH, S
Stan Vylet
Office: School Building Staircase
Required Reading:
- Meyers, D. (4th ed., 2010). Myer’s Psychology for AP (Textbook)
- Cannino, J.T, & Cotton, R. (2009). Picking cotton. New York, NY: St. Martin's Press. (Summer)
Course Description and Objectives:
The purpose of the AP Psychology course is to prepare students for the 2012 AP Psychology Exam. Students in AP Psychology are required to do significantly more reading, critical thinking and writing than they would in a regular non- AP class. Throughout the year, the class covers areas of psychology such as; personality, cognition, biological psychology, consciousness, sensation and perception, intelligence, memory, motivation, psychological disorders and treatment.
Class Expectations:
- No cell phones
- Class dress code, no headwear
- Inappropriate behavior that disrupts the learning environment will not be tolerated
Required Class Materials:
- iPad with the following apps:
* 5 steps to a 5
* HD Encyclopedia Psychology
* APA Journals
Class Communication by E-mail
It is important that you set up your South Kent e-mail account as soon as possible. You will be receiving e-mails several times a week notifying you of assignments, homework and other requirements for the class. If you do not set up your school e-mail, you will not be able to complete the majority of the assigned work.
Class Blog
Every student in the class will access SKS Psychology blog page. It is a place to retrieve your homework assignments, look up important due dates, and read class announcements. This blog is a place designated to talk about anything related to psychology: new topics, interesting news, research articles, videos, and notable findings.
Homework:
You will be assigned daily homework assignments. While some will be assigned in class, many assignments will be e-mailed to you. It is important that you retrieve these from your e-mail or blog, and complete them on time.
Quizzes:
Quizzes will be given regularly to check on your thoroughness of outside of class preparation. These will mainly focus on vocabulary terms from the units, but also on other material covered in class.
Tests:
After the completion of most units, there will be a unit test. These will be in the format of multiple choice questions. You will be allowed to drop the lowest test grade from the year.
Exams:
There are two exams in the course. The format is multiple choice questions and will cover several chapters at the end of each term.
Individual Research Project:
You will be required to develop an individual project or an experiment. You will do this by coming up with a research question, forming a hypothesis- which you will test by manipulating the variables. You will use one of the research methods we learned- observation, experiments, tests or surveys. You will collect your data, analyze them, and write a report on your findings using the APA format- containing: Introduction, Methods, Procedure, Results, and Discussion. You will cite your sources to show where you gained additional information about your topic.
Grading Scale:
Attendance and Participation………………......10%
Homework Assignments...............................15%
Quizzes ………………………………….....................20%
Tests………………………………….….……………….….25% (12 Unit Tests)
Exams……….………………………………………..…....30% ( 2 Exams)
*Grades are cumulative
Class Attendance:
Regular class attendance is essential and expected. If you miss a class due to an unplanned event or illness contact me the same day, via email, for your work. If you know in advance you will not be in class please notify me via e-mail. I will provide you with homework and other materials necessary so that you will be prepared upon your return to class. Schedule doctors’ appointments and other activities in advance, and look at the course plan and plan accordingly.
Late and Missing Work:
Assignments are due at the beginning of each class. For each day an assignment is late, you will receive (-2) points, which will be deducted from that assignment. If an assignment is based out of 10 points, and you fail to hand it in for 5 days, you will receive 0 points for that assignment.
Key to Success in AP Psychology:
It is essential that you complete all assignments on time, participate in class discussions, and read the assigned reading. Each unit contains a list of vocabulary terms which you will need to know. Remember that this is an AP class and you will need to dedicate serious amount of time to class and test preparation.
COURSE PLAN
UNIT 1: Psychology’s History and Approaches - - Week 1
- What is Psychology?
- Contemporary Psychology
- Perspectives in Psychology
UNIT 2: Research Methods: Thinking Critically with Psychological Science - - Week 2
- Psychological Science, Scientific Attitude and Critical Thinking
- The Scientific Method, Description, Correlation, Experimentation
- Statistics, Data, and Ethics
*TEST #1 (Units 1, 2)
______________________________________________________________________________
UNIT 3: Biological Bases of Behavior - - Week 3, 4, 5
A- Neural Processing and Endocrine System - - Week 3
- Neural Communication
- Neurotransmitters
- The Central and the Peripheral Nervous Systems
B- The Brain - - Week 4
- The Tools of Discovery: Having Our Heads Examined
- Brain’s Activity and Neuroimaging
- Older Brain Structures, the Cortex
- Brain Plasticity
- Divided Brain, Right- Left Differences
- The Brain and Consciousness
C- Genetics, Evolutionary Psychology, and Behavior - - Week 5
- Behavior Genetics, Genes and Heritability
- Gene- Environment Interaction, and twin studies
- Evolutionary Psychology: Human Nature
- Nature vs. Nurture
*TEST #2 (Unit 3- A, B, C)
______________________________________________________________________________
UNIT 4: Sensation and Perception - - Week 6
- Sensing the World: Some Basic Principles
- Selective Attention, Thresholds, Sensory Adaptation
- Vision
- The Eye, Visual Information Processing, and Color Vision
- Hearing and the Ear
- Other Senses: Touch, Pain, Taste, Smell
- Perceptual Organization and Interpretation
- Extrasensory Perception?
*TEST #3 (Unit 4) ______________________________________________________________________________
UNIT 5: States of Consciousness - - Week 7
- Sleep and Dreams
- Rhythms of Sleep, Dreaming, and Sleep Disorders
- Hypnosis
- Drugs and Consciousness
*TEST #4 (Unit 5)
______________________________________________________________________________
UNIT 6: Learning - - Week 8
- How Do We Learn?
- Classical Conditioning and Operant Conditioning
- Learning by Observation
*TEST #5 (Unit 6)
______________________________________________________________________________
UNIT 7: Cognition - - Week 9- 10
A- Memory - - Week 10
- The Phenomenon of Memory
- Information Processing: Encoding, Storage and Retrieval
- Forgetting: Encoding Failure, Decay
- Repressed Memory Controversy
B- Thinking, Problem Solving, Creativity, and Language - - Week 11
- Thinking, solving Problems
- Making Decisions and Forming Judgments, and Making Decisions
- Thinking and Language:
*FALL TERM EXAM (Units 1-7)
______________________________________________________________________________
UNIT 8: Motivation and Emotion - - Week 11- 12
A- Motivation - - Week 12
- Instincts and Evolutionary Psychology
- Drives and Incentives, and Hunger
- Sexual Motivation
- The Need to Belong
B- Emotions, Stress, and Health - - Week 13
- Theories of Emotion
- Expressed Emotion
- Experienced Emotion: Fear, Anger and Happiness
- Stress and Health
*TEST #6 (Unit 8) - - Jan 18
______________________________________________________________________________
UNIT 9: Developmental Psychology - - Week 13
- Prenatal Development and the Newborn
- Infancy and Childhood
- Parents and Peers
- Adolescence, Adulthood
*TEST #7 (Unit 9)
______________________________________________________________________________
UNIT 10: Personality - - Week 14
- The Psychoanalytic Perspective
- The Humanistic Perspective
- The Trait Perspective
- The Social- Cognitive Perspective
- Exploring the Self
*TEST #8 (Unit 10)
______________________________________________________________________________
UNIT 11: Testing and Individual Differences - - Week 15
- What is Intelligence?
- Assessing Intelligence
- The Dynamics of Intelligence
- Genetic and Environmental Influences on Intelligence
*TEST #9 (Unit 11)
______________________________________________________________________________
UNIT 12: Abnormal Psychology - - Week 16- 17
- Perspectives on Psychological Disorders
- Anxiety Disorders
- Somatoform Disorders
- Dissociative Disorders
- Mood Disorders
- Schizophrenia
- Personality Disorders
- Rates of Psychological Disorders
*TEST #10 (Unit 12)
______________________________________________________________________________
UNIT 13: Treatment of Psychological Disorders - - Week 18
- The Psychological Therapies
- The Biomedical Therapies
- Preventing Psychological Disorders
*TEST #11 (Unit 13)
______________________________________________________________________________
UNIT 14: Social Psychology - - Week 19
- Social Thinking
- Social Influence
- Social Relations
*TEST #12 (Unit 14)
______________________________________________________________________________
AP Exam - - May 7
Individual Projects due
Final Examination
Psychology Syllabus
2011- 2012
Classroom D
Stan Vylet
Office: School building staircase
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Required Reading:
- King, L.A. (Ed.). (2010). Experience psychology. New York, NY: McGraw- Hill. (Textbook)
- Frankl, V.E. (2006). Man's search for meaning. Boston, MA: Beacon Press.
- Cannino, J.T, & Cotton, R. (2009). Picking cotton. New York, NY: St. Martin's Press. (Summer)
Course Description and Objectives:
The purpose of this
course is to introduce students to the field of psychology as a
discipline of science rather than “common sense.” Students will explore
and become familiar with many subfields in the field of psychology.
These include; personality, cognition, biological psychology,
consciousness, sensation and perception, intelligence, memory,
motivation, psychological disorders and treatment.
Class Expectations:
* No cell phones
* Class dress code, no head wear
* Inappropriate behavior that disrupts the learning environment will not be tolerated
Required Class Materials:
- iPad with the following apps:
* 3D Brain
* HD Encyclopedia Psychology
* APA Journals
* Notebook, textbook (Always bring these along with a writing material to class)
Class Communication by E-mail
It is important that you
set up your South Kent e-mail account as soon as possible. You will be
receiving e-mails several times a week instructing you of assignments,
homework and other requirements for the class. If you do not set up your
school e-mail, you will not be able to complete the majority of the
assigned work.
Class Blog
Every student in the
class will access SKS Psychology blog page. It is a place to retrieve
your homework assignments, look up important due dates, and read class
announcements. This blog is a place designated to talk about anything
related to psychology: new topics, interesting news, research articles,
videos, and findings.
Homework:
You will be assigned
daily homework assignments. While some will be assigned in class, many
assignments will be e-mailed through Google docs, or posted in the Psych
Spot. It is important that you retrieve these and complete them on
time.
Quizzes and Papers:
Quizzes will be given
regularly to check on your thoroughness of class preparation. These will
mainly focus on vocabulary terms from the chapters, but also on other
material covered in class. In this class we will be using APA style. There are three papers students will need to complete this year.
Tests:
There are ten chapter
tests during the year. The format of these is multiple choice and short
answer questions. You will be allowed to drop the lowest test grade from
the year.
Exams:
There are two exams in
the course. The format is multiple choice questions and will cover
several chapters at the end of each term.
Class Attendance:
Regular class attendance
is essential and expected. If you miss a class due to an unplanned
event or illness contact me the same day, via email, for your work. If
you know in advance you will not be in class please notify me via
e-mail. I will provide you with homework and other materials necessary,
so that you will be prepared upon your return to class. Schedule
doctors’ appointments and other activities in advance, and look at the
class calendar for important test dates and plan accordingly.
Late and Missing Work:
Assignments are due at
the beginning of each class. For each day an assignment is late, you
will receive (-2) points, which will be deducted from that assignment.
If an assignment is based out of 10 points, and you fail to hand it in
for 5 days, you will receive 0 points for that assignment.
Grading Scale:
Homework Assignments………………..……..10%
Quizzes …………………………………………........15%
Papers...………………………………………………..20% (3 Papers)
Tests………………………………….………………….25% (10 Chapter Tests)
Exams…… ……………………………………………..30% (2 Exams)
(Grades are Cumulative)
__________________________________________________________________________________
COURSE PLAN
Chapter 1: The Science of Psychology-- Week 1
- Defining Psychology and Exploring Its Roots
- Contemporary Approaches to Psychology
- Psychology’s Scientific Method
- Types of Psychological Research
- Research Samples and Settings
- Conducting Ethical Research
*TEST #1
______________________________________________________________________________
CHAPTER 2: The Brain and Behavior-- Week 2-4
- The Nervous System
- Neurons
- Structures of the Brain and Its Functions
- Brain Damage, Plasticity, and Repair
- Genetics and Behavior
*TEST #2
*PAPER #1
______________________________________________________________________________
CHAPTER 3: Sensation and Perception – Week 5-6
- How We Sense and Perceive the World
- The Visual System
- The Auditory System
- Other Senses
*TEST #3
______________________________________________________________________________
CHAPTER 4: States of Consciousness—Week 7
- The Nature of Consciousness
- Sleep and Dreams
- Psychoactive Drugs
- Hypnosis and Meditation
*TEST #4
______________________________________________________________________________
(Outside of Textbook Material) CONSCIOUSNESS AND MACHINES—Week 8
- What is Consciousness?
- Can Machines be Conscious?
- Talking Robots
*PAPER #2
______________________________________________________________________________
CHAPTER 5: Types of Learning—Week 9
- Types of Learning
- Classical Conditioning
- Operant Conditioning
- Observational Learning
- Biological, Cultural, and Psychological Factors in Learning
*TEST #5
______________________________________________________________________________
CHAPTER 6: Memory—Week 10
- The Nature of Memory
- Memory of Encoding
- Memory Storage
- Memory Retrieval
- Forgetting
*TEST #6
*FALL TERM EXAM (December 12-14)
______________________________________________________________________________
CHAPTER 10: Personality—Week 11-12
- Psychodynamic Perspectives
- Humanistic Perspectives
- Trait Perspectives
- Social Cognitive Perspectives
- Biological Perspectives
*TEST #7
______________________________________________________________________________
(Outside of Textbook Material) HUMANISTIC PERSPECTIVE—Week 13
- Man’s Search for Meaning
*PAPER #3
______________________________________________________________________________
CHAPTER 11: Social Psychology—Week 14-15
- Social Cognition
- Social Behavior
- Social Influence
- Intergroup Relations
- Close Relationships
*TEST #8
______________________________________________________________________________
CHAPTER 12: Psychological Disorders—Week 16-18
- Defining and Explaining Abnormal Behavior
- Anxiety Disorders
- Mood Disorders
- Eating Disorders
- Dissociative Disorders
- Schizophrenia
- Personality Disorders
- Stigma
*TEST #9
______________________________________________________________________________
CHAPTER 13: Therapies—Week 18
- Biological Therapies
- Psychotherapy
- Sociocultural Approaches and Issues in Treatment
- The Effectiveness of Psychotherapy
*TEST #10
*FINAL EXAM (May 30- June 1)