Advanced Placement Psychology Course description

Transcription

1 Advanced Placement Psychology Mr. Hafferkamp Course description The Advanced Placement Psychology course is a full year junior/senior elective designed to introduce students to the systematic and scientific study of the behavior and mental processes of human beings and other animals. Students will be exposed to the psychological theories associated with each of the major subfields within psychology. These include research methodology and statistics, neurobiology, development, personality, sensation and perception, learning and memory, states of consciousness, thinking and intelligence, motivation and emotion, psychological disorders, therapy, and social psychology. Much emphasis is placed on learning and applying the research methods that psychologists use in their science and practice. The course is intended to provide the scope and academic challenge expected at the college level. Critical thinking, reading, writing, research, and debate are stressed. Emphasis is placed on preparing students to take the AP exam in May. All students enrolled in this course are expected to take the AP Psychology Exam. Any senior (including those on capstones) not taking the AP Exam will be required to take a 4 th quarter assessment the day the rest of the class takes the AP Exam. Expectations This course is a very intensive study of psychology and demands a great deal of effort on the part of the student. The curriculum moves at a fast pace so as to ensure that all topics on the AP exam have been covered by early May. Students will be assigned a great deal of independent reading from the college text to coincide with class discussion, labs and activities. Students are regularly tested on their reading and class notes. In addition, students will be assigned position papers on controversial topics within psychology and each student will participate in at least one formal debate. Every student will be asked to present a lesson to the class from a famous study in psychology. Class discussion and personal applications of course content are essential to retaining all the information learned over the course of the year. Students will often participate in classroom activities and labs or be asked to analyze case studies from film. Keep in mind that when an individual chooses to come to class unprepared it affects everyone: debate team members, presentation partner, lab partner, etc. Finally, attendance is another essential component of AP Psychology. Students cannot make up class discussion, activities and labs by reading the text. Excessive absences almost always lead to lower grades. Summer Assignment Students enrolled in AP Psychology are required to complete a summer reading and writing assignment. This helps the student gain a better knowledge of the reading, writing, and critical thinking expectations of the course and helps the teacher get a jump- start on a very lengthy curriculum. Students MUST have the entire summer assignment completed for the first day of class or the student will be immediately dropped from the course! No excuses. Every student must have a three- ring binder to store class notes and handouts. Students may also benefit by purchasing an AP review book. The review book is helpful but not required. I recommend McGraw- Hill s 5 steps to a 5. The cost is around $20. You will be assigned our text Psychology in Modules 9 th ed. by David Myers.

2 Questions to Think About Before You Begin This AP Course 1. Why are you taking this class? Are you motivated to learn psychology and ready for a college- level class? Are you serious about the mandatory AP Exam in May? 2. What are your priorities? Are academics near the top of the list? It is not the expectation of your teacher that this course consumes your life, but if academics are not one of your top priorities, this is probably the wrong course for you. 3. How much time can you devote to the class? The time required will depend on your strengths and weaknesses, but as a rule you will have about 45 minutes of home preparation per night for this class. If you are unable to keep up with this amount of daily preparation, this is probably the wrong course for you. 4. Are you a strong reader? Nothing will occupy more of your out- of- class time than reading the 60 Modules of the college level textbook. (20 Modules you will be doing independently without teacher direction) If you are a good and self- motivated reader, you have a distinct advantage. If you are not willing to become best friends with your textbook, this is probably the wrong course for you. 5. Are you a strong writer? This course will demand you have a good foundation in writing and research. In the course of the year you will be writing 2 position papers, a literature review, frequent essays, and a research study all at the college level. 6. Are you ORGANIZED? Time management is essential for success. You are likely to have daily HW, a long- term project and a short- term assessment all going on at the same time. 7. Can you do more than memorize? AP courses require that you apply content to new situations, make connections between various chapters in your text, analyze and critique research and employ higher- order critical thinking skills. 8. Are you willing to become an active participant in your learning? Student participation is an essential ingredient to learning in all classes but it is especially true in psychology. In this class you will be asked to teach a lesson, share current events, role- play, formally debate controversial issues, and so much more. If you are planning to sit quietly in class and seldom speak, this is probably the wrong course for you. Materials distributed by the College Board (the organization that owns the Advanced Placement program) say, All students who are willing to accept the challenge of a rigorous academic curriculum should be considered for admission to AP courses. Each student, in consultation with his or her parent(s), is in the best position to judge whether an Advanced Placement course is an appropriate choice or likely to lead to high stress and a feeling of being overwhelmed. Your level of motivation is extremely important. If you want to succeed in this course, and are willing to put in the necessary time and effort, YOU WILL SUCCEED! Attitude, study skills, determination, and discipline count for a lot. Success is not always defined as an A on your report card but what you learn about yourself and others. If there is any question in your mind as to whether this is the right course for you, see your AP teacher to discuss the course in greater detail. WELCOME TO AP PSYCHOLOGY!

3 Advanced Placement Psychology Summer 2015 Assignment Failure to complete the entire summer assignment for day one of class will result in your immediate removal from AP Psychology. No Excuses! You have all summer, so don't wait until the last minute and run into unexpected technology problems. I will be checking my during the summer so contact me if you have questions or problems. 1. READ Module 1 (History/Perspectives), Module 43 (Stress), Module 44 (Health), and APPENDIX A (Careers) in your Myers textbook. 2. Complete a handwritten OUTLINE (no typed pages) of Modules 1, 43, 44, and Appendix A. For Modules 1, 43, & 44, be sure you included definitions of all the vocabulary terms listed in the "Review" section at the end of each Module in your outline. Orally try the practice questions at the end of the Module in the review to check your comprehension. Then check the answers, which are printed at the back of the textbook under Appendix B. 3. Go to this link: Click on Module 1: The Story of Psychology. Then, click on PsychSim 5 Tutorial: Psychology s Timeline. Complete the worksheet that I provided for you on this PsychSim. (If you ever lose a worksheet you can always print another copy from the site. Do not bother to submit your results online since you are using the worksheet instead! (Sometimes PsychSim tutorials includes a video. If your computer does not have the software to open it that s OK just skip it and continue to NEXT page) 4. Free Response Essay The AP exam in May includes something called free response questions that ask you to apply your knowledge of psychology to a new situation. When you have completed all of the above assignments, read the free response question provided in this packet. Write in essay form (no bullets) your answer to all parts of the question. Give specific examples. This should be typed. No need to do an introductory paragraph or worry about transitions or a conclusion on this writing task. Just answer the question. I am not looking for a traditional five- paragraph essay that you would write for an English or History class. The readers of the AP exam will only look at the quality and accuracy of your answer, not your writing style. For this assignment that is what I will be focusing on as well. This will count as a QUIZ grade. 5. In- class quiz on Modules 1, 43, & 44 independent reading on second day of class. The textbook website (where you completed the PsychSim) has several practice quizzes listed for each Module. You might want to try some of these to check your comprehension before our in- class quiz. 6. Appendix A: Career Investigation Mini Project Review the Careers in Psych Mini- Research Investigation Sheet provided. I have assigned you a Psychology Career to investigate. Conduct your research and share your results in a BROCHURE. This will count as a QUIZ grade combined with your free response essay Each student will have a chance to orally share their career with the class.

4 Checklist of materials you MUST have for the FIRST DAY of class: Outline of Modules 1, 43, 44, & Appendix A Completed Worksheet for PsychSim Psychology s Timeline Completed Free Response Essay Do all parts! Completed Career Investigation Mini Project Free Response Essay for Modules 43 & 44 John graduated from Westford Academy and will be attending Stanford University in California this fall. He plans to be living on campus in a triple with two other roommates. He is majoring in pre- med, so his freshman schedule includes some challenging courses. John and his parents are on campus for freshmen orientation in July when he discovers that his room request was never received and that he has no on- campus housing with only three weeks to go before classes start. Relate each of the following concepts to John s situation. Give specific examples to illustrate how each point ties into John s life. Type A Personality GAS phases 1, 2, & 3 Immune system Problem- focused coping Biofeedback Epinephrine/Norepinephrine Hypertension CAREERS in PSYCHOLOGY Mini Research Investigation The US Dept. of Labor reports that employment in the field of psychology is expected to grow by 15% by You have been assigned the following psychology career to investigate: Your task is to do some research and find the following information about your career: a) detailed job description looking for more than a couple of sentences (Be sure to put this in your OWN words. If you copy and paste from the website it will earn a 0% for plagiarism) b) what type of clients do you interact with? c) years of schooling and degree required d) average salary range e) any down sides to this job? f) Include at least 2 sources ( URL s alone are fine for this ) where you got your info. g) don t forget to put your name and class block on the back You will be presenting your researched information in the form of a BROCHURE. A template can be found on the WA library website. Be creative, include pictures, make it easy to read, and be sure to include your sources. When we cover psychology careers at the end of Module 1 you will be asked to orally share your brochure with the class. Afterwards the brochures will be posted on the classroom bulletin board for classmates to browse. This assignment will be combined with your free response essay to count as a QUIZ grade. Some sources to try out first: list.htm

5 Careers in Psychology: Psychiatrist Clinical Psychologist School Psychologist Psychiatric Nurse Sports Psychologist Experimental Psychologist Art Therapist Forensic Psychologist Human Factors Psychologist School Psychologist Counseling Psychologist Psychometricians or Psychometric Psychology Child Psychologist or Developmental Psychologist Youth Counselor Military Psychologist Psychiatric Social Worker Social Psychologist Public Health Psychologist Media Psychologist Educational Psychologist Crisis Intervention Counselor Neuropsychologist Career Mini Research Project Rubric Career: Name: Block: Detailed Job Description: /25 Client Description: /15 Schooling/Degree: /15 Salary: /10 Down sides of job: /15 Sources (at least 2) /10 Easy to read/creativity: /10 Final Grade: /100 See you in the fall! me with any questions!