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AP/IB Psychology Syllabus 2006 - 2007 IB/AP Psychology - The IB and AP programs are designed to provide high school students with an in-depth coverage of the subject material. Students are expected to master both the knowledge and skills equivalent to those of students in an introductory college level psychology course. The primary objective of this course is to prepare students to successfully complete the AP and IB exams. Supplies: - Due to the large amount of material covered in this course, it is important for students to keep a neat and well organized notebook. Students will need a three ring, loose leaf notebook and paper for this purpose. (See notebook instruction section for details.) - Please use blue or black ink pens or pencils and white paper for all work. I WILL NOT accept assignments done on color paper or written in ink colors other than blue or black. - Textbook: Psychology - Highlighters, color pens/pencils, etc. may be useful but are not required. Grading Scale: - Tests - 40% - Quizzes - 30% - Homework (HW) and Class work (CW) - 30% Assessments Used to Determine Student Progress: A variety of techniques will be used to monitor student progress covering the full realm of learning styles. Most assignments will be graded for completeness as well as mastery of material and will count toward the student's final grade. Some examples include, but are not limited to: • Notebook - A notebook is required for IB/AP Psychology. You will need a three-ring binder with white, loose-leaf paper. A. At the front of your notebook, you will need to have the course outline/syllabus (this document) B. The second section of your notebook should contain your psychology journal. You are expected to work on your psychology journal each day as soon as the bell rings (unless otherwise instructed). You will not be reminded. If we have time, we will discuss your entries as a way to review and begin class. These will be collected and graded at random! C. The third section of your notebook is to be organized by unit/topic (see course curriculum below). You need to keep all notes, handouts, worksheets, quizzes, tests, etc. in chronological order. D. The fourth section of your notebook needs to be labeled Psychological Perspectives. The material for this section will be developed throughout the course. Details and handouts will follow. - Although not required, I suggest that you also reserve a section of your notebook to maintain a running list of important people, events, terms, etc. to use as a study guide in preparation for the IB/AP exam. - Notebooks will be graded at the teacher's discretion with at least a 24 hour notice. I can not stress this enough! It is extremely important for you to maintain a neat and well organized notebook. Homework / Class Work – average accounts for 30% of course grade • Reading Checks - A brief check, usually 10 - 15 questions, will be given on most reading assignments to ascertain whether or not the students have read the required assignment and to what degree they retained the information. Although students are not required to take notes on their reading assignments, these checks are open note and having notes can only improve their score. • Homework checks - Homework assignments may be collected and graded in their entirety or, as with reading assignments, graded using a brief, usually 10 - 15 question check to determine whether or not the student has done assignment completely and accurately. • Article Reviews - Students are required to read and review an article regarding current theory and research for each unit of psychology we study beginning with Unit 3: the Biological Bases of Behavior. Details will follow. Quizzes – average accounts for 30% of course grade - There will be quizzes for most units. They will usually be closed note and will be used to monitor students’ factual recall and conceptual understanding of the material prior to testing. However, open note and take home quizzes will be used occasionally. Tests – average accounts for 40% of course grade - In-class tests will be given on the majority of units. These will be comprised of several types of objective and subjective questioning techniques utilizing all levels of Bloom’s taxonomy. These questions are designed to help student’s develop and practice the skills necessary to do well on the AP and IB exams. - Being that time is of the essence in an IB/AP course, I will, on occasion, utilize take home tests. These tests will, typically, be more in depth than the standard classroom test and will require higher level thinking skills. Students are not to work together. Any collaboration will be considered cheating and a zero given. Additional Assessments: • Essays - Writing is an extremely important component of the IB/AP curriculum. Essays similar to those given on the AP and IB exams will be assigned both in situations where students receive several days to prepare the essay as well as in timed settings. • Cooperative learning - will be used on occasion in that it affords students the opportunity to build off one another’s unique knowledge and experiences, compare their perspective and understanding of material to that of their colleagues, and allows the teacher another avenue to assess the level of comprehension and cognitive skills the students have achieved. • Independent studies - will be utilized when an area of study is important but does not require extensive classroom discussion or to supplement a very involved topic. These are in-depth studies requiring the reading of the text, supplemental articles, etc. and the answering of the questions provided. Again, students are not to work together. Any collaboration will be considered cheating and a zero given. • Projects, research papers and oral presentations - may also be factored into student assessment where and when appropriate. • Extra Credit - may be given at the teacher's discretion and will be offered to the entire class. Absolutely no individual extra credit will be assigned or accepted. Communication of assignments and expectations: - A weekly agenda will be given to each student at the beginning of the week. It will contain information about the material being covered in class as well as notification of homework assignments, quizzes and tests, etc A copy of this agenda will also be available on my Southside web page. The address for Southside’s web page is www.greenville.k12.sc.us/southside/. After getting on Southside’s website, click on Faculty and then my name. Agendas can be found on the link entitled Students. - An absence does NOT excuse a student from work due on or scheduled for the day of their return i.e. homework check, reading check, quiz, and/or test. This is one of the main purposes in providing weekly agendas! - In most cases, quizzes will be announced, on agendas and in class, at least one to two days in advance. There is, however, always the possibility of a pop or surprise quiz. It is imperative that students do their homework and class work both accurately and completely. - Tests will be announced on agendas and in class approximately one week in advance. - Late work, if accepted, will result in significant point reductions(see late work) Again, this is a college level class and due to time constraints we must move quickly!! Late assignments need to be avoided whenever possible!!! - Zeros will be calculated into a student’s grade for any assignment not received or for which no correct answers were given. NO GRADES WILL BE DROPPED. Progress Reports: Progress reports will be sent home for every student every quarter regardless of grade. (see dates at end of syllabus) Attendance: See student handbook. School and district policies for absenteeism and tardiness will be strictly enforced. Please be aware that Greenville county no longer allows students to make up excessive days missed. Make-up Work: Established school and district policies will apply to all make-up work (see handbook). It is the responsibility of the student to get assignments, notes, etc. missed due to absences. Again, an absence does NOT excuse a student from work due on or scheduled for the day of their return. I am working at Southside part-time and will only be available to students at lunch and by appointment. It is important for students to deal with missed work quickly. They need to arrange a time to make-up tests, quizzes, etc. by seeing me before or after class immediately upon their return. Late Work: - Every assignment is critical and needs to represent a student’s best effort. Late work impedes student progress and understanding in addition to adversely impacting grades. Turning work in late needs to be avoided whenever possible and will result in significant point reductions on the assignment! On the rare occasion late work is unavoidable, the following point values will be deducted from the earned grade: One day = 20 pts., Two days = 30 pts., Three days or more = no credit Rules: School policies regarding tardies, absenteeism, etc. will be strictly enforced (see student handbook). In addition, I require that students refrain from behaving in a manner that is disrespectful to adults, other students, and/or themselves. My classroom is a “nice zone” and my policies are as follows: - Speak positively – if what you have to say does not make the world a better place and benefit the learning in our classroom, please keep it to yourself! - Honor and respect one another’s personal space (18” to 24” in the US) - Only pros may throw – until you are proficient enough at throwing items that someone is willing to pay you to do it, please do not throw and put other people’s safety at risk!!!! (When you are signed by the NFL, NBA, WNBA, etc., you are welcome to come and do a throwing demonstration for my classes!) - This is a classroom NOT a café – please no food or drink other than bottled water. - You have beautiful eyes – prove it! They must be visible at all times!!! - You need to be in your seat ready to begin class when the bell rings, otherwise you will be considered tardy and need to sign in on the tardy sheet. - Each student will receive two passes to leave class per quarter without penalty. Any passes granted in addition to those two will result in a 10 - 15 minute lunch detention. - Honor my bubble, please! It is fragile and after 20 years barely intact!!!! In addition, I expect students to refrain from: talking out of turn, using derogatory words and/or sarcastic tones of voice, passing notes, brushing hair and putting on makeup, sleeping and any other behavior that is determined to be disruptive and/or interferes with another’s right to learn. My goal is to create a comfortable and emotionally safe environment for students to think, communicate, and learn. Consequences will typically be applied as follows: 1st offense: verbal counseling 2nd offense: 5 - 15 minute lunch detention 3rd offense: lunch detention, parent/guardian contact 4th offense: administrative referral Course Curriculum: the following course of study surpasses the expectations of the state guidelines and objectives and was designed to meet the more stringent requirements of the AP and IB programs - all units will be supplemented with additional material. Unit Chapter(s) % on AP Intro: Taking the AP and IB exams Supplemental 1: Research Methodology Chap 1, Supplemental 6-8% - Definition of Psychology - Experimental, correlational, and clinical research - Statistics (measuring research data): descriptive and inferential (IB only requires descriptive!) - Ethics 2: Foundations of Psychology Prologue, Supplemental 2-4% - Logic, Philosophy and the history of Psychology as a science. - The seven major approaches to psychology: biological, behavioral, cognitive, humanistic, psychodynmaic, sociocultural, and evolutionary/sociobiological - Three key perspectives of Psychology: biological, learning, cognitive (IB) 3: Biological/Physiological Basis of Behavior Chap 2, 3 8-10% - The nervous system: study of, structure, functions, affects on behavior. - The brain: study of, structure, functions, affects on behavior. - The endocrine system: study of, structure, functions, affects on behavior. - Genetics - Nature v. Nurture 4: Sensation and Perception Chap 5, 6 7-9% - Thresholds. - Sensory mechanisms. - Sensory adaptation. - Perceptual processes. - Perceptual development. - Functions of perception. 5: States of Consciousness Chap 7 2-4% - Aspects of consciousness. (2 Ind. Studies) - Sleep and dreaming - Psychotropic Drugs - Hypnosis 6: Learning Chap 8 7-9% - Classical conditioning. - Operant conditioning. - Perspectives on learning. - Biological factors - Cognitive processes in learning. - Social learning. 7: Cognition Chap 9, 10 8-10% - Memory + short term + long term - Thought - Language - Problem solving and creativity 8: Intelligence and Testing Chap 11 5-7% - Testing + standardization and norms + reliability and validity + types of tests + Ethics and standards in testing - Intelligence + theories of… + nature v. nurture debate + diversity 9: Motivation and Emotion Chap 12, 13, 14 7-9% - Biological bases - Theories of… - Basic motives: + Survival + Hunger / thirst + Development of and sexuality + Pain + Maternal + Curiosity + Social - Emotion. + Theories of emotion - Stress 10: Developmental Psychology Chap 4 7-9% - Life span approach - Research methods - Nature v. nurture - Dimensions of development: + physical, cognitive, social and moral development - Developmental theories - Gender, sex roles and sex differences 11: Personality Chap 15 6-8% - Theories and approaches to personality. - Assessment techniques - Development: childhood through adulthood. + self-concept, self-esteem + growth and adjustment 12: Abnormal Psychology Chap 16 7-9% - Definition. - Theories of psychopathology. - Diagnosis of psychopathology. + anxiety disorders, somatoform disorders, mood disorders, schizophrenic disorders, organic disorders, personality disorders and dissociative disorders 13: Treatment of psychological disorders. Chap 17 5-7% - Approaches: + insight therapies (psychodynamic/humanism) + behavioral + cognitive + biological (psychopharmacology/psychosurgery) - Modes of Therapy. + i.e. individual, group - Community and Preventative Approaches 14: Social Psychology Chap 18 7-9% - Group Dynamics - Attribution processes - Interpersonal perception - Conformity, compliance, obedience - Attitudes and change in… - Aggression and anti-social behavior - Organizational behavior (see unit 15) 15: I/O Psychology (Industrial/Organizational) Supplemental 2-4% Review and Exam Prep. IB Curriculum: 1. Three perspectives: (Paper 1 – 2 hours) - Biological - Cognitive - Learning 2. Optional Area: (Paper 2: choose 1 – 1 hour) - Comparative psychology - Cultural psychology - Dysfunctional behavior* - Health psychology - Lifespan psychology* - Psychodynamic psychology* - Social psychology* * provides the most benefit for both the AP and IB programs 3. Research methodology: (internal assessment) - Quantitative research methods (descriptive only) - Ethics - Simple experimental study Major Assignments: At this time, the major assignments for AP/IB Psychology consist of: - Two (2) Independent Studies - Chap 7, supplemental - Research Paper on a specialty area of Psychology – 2nd semester. (Each student will choose an area from the list above (see IB optional area – Paper 2) (all students are required to complete a research paper) - IB internal assessment: one experiment – 1st semester. (IB students only) Details and due dates will follow. Important Dates: AP and IB Exams: AP Exam: May 15, 12 pm IB Paper 1: May 17, pm IB Paper 2: May 18, am Interim Progress Reports: 1st quarter: Sept. 19 2nd quarter: Nov. 29 3rd quarter: Feb. 15 4th quarter: May 1 Report Cards: 1st quarter: Oct. 26 2nd quarter: Jan. 23 3rd quarter: March 29 4th quarter: June 6 (mailed) As I stated in previous communications, many students find their junior and senior years to be especially challenging. Research shows that the single best predictor of a student’s academic success is the involvement of their parent(s) or guardian(s). I am asking you and your student to commit to a system of active communication with each other and myself throughout the year. I will provide students with an agenda each week that gives detailed information related to the material being covered in class and any assignments, quizzes or tests scheduled. A copy of the weekly agenda will also be available on my web page. (from Southside’s home page, click on faculty, then my name, then click on the link entitled student). My web page will also include important dates for the 2006-2007 school year, class syllabi, list of students who need to make up work and other useful information. Parents/guardians are encouraged to use their student’s syllabus, notebook and weekly agendas as well as my web page to become involved and remain informed about class progress. If you should need to get in touch with me for any reason, you may call the school, my room at 355-8749, email me at mfford@greenville.k12.sc.us or by using any of the email links available on my web page. I look forward to a great year and thank you in advance for your efforts in making it a success. State Guidelines and Objectives: Writing for the American Psychological Association’s Committee on Psychology in the Secondary Schools, Cynthia Baum and Ira Cohen (1989) recommend that in developing a course of study in psychology, the educator should consider the following major objectives: • Students should study the major core concepts and theories of psychology. They should be able to define key terms and to use these terms in their everyday vocabulary. Students should also be able to compare and contrast major themes in psychology. • Students should understand the basic skills of psychological research. They should be able to devise simple research projects, interpret and generalize from results, and evaluate the general validity of research reports. • Students should be able to apply psychological concepts to their own lives. They should be able to recognize psychological principles when they encounter them in everyday situations. • Students should develop critical thinking skills. They should become aware of the danger of blindly accepting or rejecting any theory of human nature and institutions without careful, objective evaluation. • Students should build their reading, writing, and discussion skills. • Students should learn about the ethical standards governing the work of psychologists. They should maintain high ethical standards and sensitivity in applying the principles of psychology to themselves, other people, and other organisms. More specifically, the NCSS argues in its Expectations of Excellence: Curriculum Standards for Social Studies (1994) that social studies programs at the high school level should include experiences that provide for the study of individual development and identity so that the learner can • articulate personal connections to time, place, and social/cultural systems; • identify, describe, and express appreciation for the influences of various historical and contemporary cultures on an individual’s daily life; • describe the ways that family, religion, gender, ethnicity, nationality, socioeconomic status, and other group and cultural influences contribute to the development of a sense of self; • apply concepts, methods, and theories about the study of human growth and development, such as physical endowment, learning, motivation, behavior, perception, and personality; • examine the interactions of ethnic, national, or cultural influences in specific situations or events; • analyze the role of perceptions, attitudes, values, and beliefs in the development of personal identity; • compare and evaluate the impact of stereotyping, conformity, acts of altruism, and other behaviors on individuals and groups; • work independently and cooperatively within groups and institutions to accomplish goals; and • examine factors that contribute to and damage one’s mental health and analyze issues related to mental health and behavioral disorders in contemporary society. This course should acquaint students with the basic psychological theories and tools of analysis. Students are exposed to the psychological assumptions, principles, and phenomena associated with each of the major subfields within psychology. They also learn about the methods that psychologists use in the practice of their science. • The student will begin to examine human behavior. • The student will identify various methods and measuring tools used by psychologists. • The student will trace the historical development of psychology. • The student will explore major psychological theories and theorists. • The student will compare and contrast significant prominent therapeutic approaches. • The student will examine a variety of topics common to the study of psychology, such as memory, perception, learning, motivation, emotions, personality theories, and stress. • The student will analyze the human brain and neurological physiology as it applies to behavior (normal and abnormal), learning, addiction, and emotions. • The student will assess his or her own behavioral patterns. • The student will explore his or her own motivation, goals, fears, developmental patterns, and value structure. |
