PENN STATE, ALTOONA Fall 2006 HDFS 129: Introduction to Human Development and Family Studies (Section 004) TR 10:50 12:05, 113 Cypress

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1 PENN STATE, ALTOONA Fall 2006 HDFS 129: Introduction to Human Development and Family Studies (Section 004) TR 10:50 12:05, 113 Cypress Instructor: Dr. Margaret S. Benson 122 Hawthorn Office Hours: W, 10-12; 1-3, and by appointment. Course Description: This course serves as an introduction to the field of Human Development and Family Studies. It will examine the course of individual development across the life-span, and the ways in which families function and change at different times in an individual's life. The life-span approach to the study of individuals and families supports a multi-disciplinary perspective, utilizing several different areas of scientific inquiry (psychology, sociology, biology, anthropology, etc.) rather than one single framework in order to maximize our understanding of human development. We will draw on material from these different fields as we work through the material in the textbook. Required Texts: Santrock, John W. (2006). Life-Span Development, 10 th Edition. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill. This text is available at the book store, as is the Student Study Guide which accompanies it. Both are listed as required. You are strongly urged to read the New York Times, which you can pick up for free at various places around campus during the week... Instructional Goals: By the end of the term students should: 1. Be acquainted with the life-span approach to the study of Human Development and Family Studies, with basic information in the field, and with the methods of acquiring and evaluating this information. 2. Be familiar with the norms and milestones of individual development across the life-span. 3. Be familiar with the structure and functions of the family. 4. Recognize the importance to individuals and families of the broader contexts in which development occurs. 1

2 5. Recognize the major developmental theories and theorists, and the role of theories in building an information base. 6. Have a basic grasp of the methods used to gather and analyze data in the social sciences. It is the goal of the instructor that the course promotes the professional development of students who intend to go into human services, broadly defined. (HDFS majors please note that this course addresses the program goals number 1, 2, 4,5,7,8, and 11 at an elementary level. You may check these in detail in the HDFS Majors Handbook) Course Requirements: To get a satisfactory grade in this course, students must complete each of the following: * A Midterm exam worth 50 points, to be given in class (exact date is indicated on the course outline). It will be both multiple-choice questions, and essays. They will draw on all the material covered in the course C the textbook, the lectures, and any videos or films we watch. Make-up exams, in the form of an essay test, will be given for those who were verifiably sick. * QUIZES, a minimum of 7 quizzes, each worth 10 points. These will be composed of short answer questions. They will take only 15 minutes of class time, and will be started promptly at the beginning of class. Be late to class at your own peril. * Six In-Class projects, worth 30 points (or 5 points each). As the name suggests these are projects that will be done all or in part in class. When these will take place is indicated on the day-by-day outline of the course. Other information on them will be posted on ANGEL. * An Old Age Simulation, worth a total of 50 points. A hand-out on this project will be posted on ANGEL * A Final exam, worth 100 points. This exam will also be a combination of multiplechoice and essay questions. Make-up exams are available, but only for those who can verify that they were ill the day of the final, and cannot be given until the beginning of the spring term. In sum, grades are based on the following: Mid-term exam Final In-class projects Quizzes Old-age project TOTAL 50 points 100 points 30 points 50 points 50 points 300 points 2

3 Here are the lowest number of points you must get to obtain the corresponding letter grade for the term: A 276 B 246 C 216 A- 264 B D 186 B+ 255 C+ 225 F < 186 * Note that Faculty Senate rules prohibit giving undergraduates final grades between C and D. If it=s not a C, than it will be a D. Relevant Policies: Academic Integrity Academic Integrity is the pursuit of scholarly activity free from fraud, deception, and academic dishonesty. It is assumed that all the students in the course are honest people, and that no one will cheat on any exam, or in doing any project. But let us spell this out a bit. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarizing, fabricating information or citations, facilitating acts of academic dishonesty by others, having unauthorized possession of examinations, submitting work of another person as one=s own, or submitting one=s own work that has been previously used, or is concurrently being used in another class without consulting the instructor, or tampering with the academic work of other students. Penalties for academic dishonesty may include an F for the assignment or exam in question, or an F for the course. For further information students are referred to the University's policy on academic integrity found on the Altoona College home page (( under Academics and then AAcademic Affairs.@ Grades A grade is not a gift, it is something you earn. (So I don=t Agive@ you a grade.) It is not my policy to Acurve@ grades. Disabilities The Penn State University encourages people with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation please contact the Office of Health and Wellness at (814) in advance of your participation or visit. Classroom Climate Together we are trying to create a community of learners, and to that end it is also assumed that we will treat each other with mutual respect. This includes respecting other people=s views and the experiences on which they are based, and their personal and professional backgrounds. But it also includes the simplest forms of politeness such as being in class on time, and attending to class matters during class time (no private conversations, no cell phone calls). 3

4 Class Cancellation and Weather Contingency Guide Our College web site maintains a Aclass cancellation@ site which you can reach from the College home page. If I am ill, I will post class cancellations on that page; change my voic message, indicating that I will not be able to attend class; and notify my staff assistant, Jenn Puhatch, who will post a notice outside her office B 103 Hawthorn. (All of this seems useful once you know I=m sick, but not so useful until then, but what can one do.) Another issue has to do with the weather, and this shouldn=t be an issue for us until November or December, when we begin to have to worry about snow or icy roads. The Altoona College has a compressed schedule for days when the weather is really awful. You can check this out on the College web page ( When we are to use this compressed schedule it will be announced on local radio and TV. Note that using that schedule, this class would not meet until 12:00. If one has a long way to travel, as I do (I live in State College), one cannot simply give oneself more time to make the journey, and still arrive promptly.. In order to be prepared for this I have come up with the following guidelines for all of us to follow when preparing to come to this class on a snowy day when the compressed schedule has not been invoked.. 1. I will cancel my morning classes, and office hours, if any of the following school districts cancel: The State College Area School District; The Tyrone Area School District; Bellwood-Antes School District; the Altoona Area School District. These are the school districts I travel through. I will then change my voic message to say that class is canceled, and you can check by calling my office number ( ). I will post the class as cancelled. I will do both of these before 8 am. I will also send a message to my staff assistant, Jenn Puhatch, and she will post the cancellation notice outside her office B 103 Hawthorn. So that=s a third place you can check. 2. If it has snowed, or there are reports of icy patches on the roads, but the school districts have not canceled, or have only delayed., I will probably attempt to get here. But check my voic anyway. If I can only travel at 25 mph it takes me two hours to get to campus 3. If I do not cancel class, and you get to class and I=m not there, please give me 15 minutes grace before you decide to go do something else. 4. If you live off campus, and if the school districts you travel through cancel, you may miss class and I will excuse you. If you live off campus and the roads you must travel are treacherous, please use your best judgment about getting to class. You are under no obligation to risk life or limb, or even the health of your car, attempting to get here. 4

5 PENN STATE ALTOONA HDFS 129 Instructor: M. Benson Fall 2006 Day-by-Day Outline of Course NOTE: Though topics and reading assignments usually stay in this order, dates may change as we accommodate ourselves to the rhythm of the class. Any changes will be discussed in class, and will be posted to our page on ANGEL. The date of the Midterm will not change. DATE TOPIC/PROJECT/EXAM ASSIGNED READING (to be done before you come to class!) SEPT 9/5 Course overview Course expectations activity Assumptions about development (use the developmental quiz) 9/7 Introduction to the Life-Span Perspective; Issues in the study of Development Text, Chapter 1 & 2 9/12 Theories of human development Text, Chapters 1 & 2 9/14 Research methods Text, Chapter 2 9/19 Finish Research methods Project 1 (memory project) 9/21 The study of the family NOTE: material on the family is not in the text; don=t miss class. See Santrock, pg 479 9/26 study of the family continued 9/28 Genes and the Environment Text, Chapters 3&4 OCT 10/3 Project 2 (health of America=s children) Dutch famine winter lecture? 10/5 Infancy Trust vs. Mistrust/Attachment Text, Chapter 7 10/10 Piaget and the Sensorimotor stage Text, Chapter 6 10/12 MIDTERM 5

6 10/17 Early and Middle Childhood Cognitive development in early and middle childhood Text, Chapters 8 & 10 10/19 Initiative vs. Guilt Identity development in early childhood 10/24 Industry vs. Inferiority Friends and peers in childhood Project 3 (friends in childhood) 10/26 Adolescence Ego identity vs ego diffusion Adolescent identity Text, chapter 9 Text, chapter 11 Text, Chapters 12 & 13 (today s topic is from Chapter 13) 10/31 continued NOV 11/2 Peers, peer groups, and dating Text, Chapter 13 11/7 Cognitive development in Adolescence and Young Adulthood Project 4 (formal operations) 11/9 Young Adulthood Intimacy vs. Isolation Autonomy vs. Attachment 11/14 Careers and personalities Project 5 (Holland) Text, Chapters 12 & 14 Text, Chapters 14& 15 Today, chap. 15 Text, Chapter 14 11/16 11/21 TBA The 21 st of November is pretending to be a Friday; follow your normal Friday schedule. We do not have class. 11/23 THANKSGIVING 6

7 11/28 Generativity vs. stagnation What is it about Middle Age? 11/30 finish middle age Text, Chapter 17 DEC 12/5 Old Age Ego Integrity vs. Despair Old-Age Simulation due Project 6 (Longevity test) Chapters 18, 19 & 20 12/7 The developmental tasks of old age Activity theory; social support systems 12/12 Cognition in old age Dementia and depression Chapter 20 Chapter 19 12/14 The final for this class has been scheduled for Wednesday, December 20, from 1:00-2:50 pm, in room 113 Cypress. Final exams are mandated by the University Faculty Senate, and times for them are set by the Registrar. Finals cannot be given at alternate times, and make-up finals are not available during finals week. Therefore, do not plan to leave for home until after this exam. 7