AP Psychology - Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools



AP Psychology1st Quarter Syllabus, 2013Jerome CannonCourse Overview Advanced Placement Psychology is designed to introduce students to the systematic and scientific study of human development, behavior, learning, motivation, and personality. Students are exposed to the psychological facts, principles, and phenomena associated with psychology. They also learn about the ethics and methods psychologists use in their science and practice. The study of psychology enables students to recognize and cope with uncertainty and ambiguity in human behavior.Text: Psychology, by David MyersExpectations:Assigned nightly reading in the text is critical for success in this course. Read critically for content understanding and stay on pace with our weekly reading schedule posted on my website. Pop quizzes are always a plete all written assignments in a thorough, critical manner. Labs and a variety of other activities will be frequently graded and will comprise 20% of your quarter average. Take advantage of these opportunities!Contribute to class discussions and ask questions for more insightful understanding. The course will be much more rewarding if you are an active plete the 1st quarter research project. An early start will pay huge dividends in managing both your stress and success.AP Course Demands It should be understood that the expectations of this class are consistent with those of any advanced placement course. Students should expect a workload similar to what they would experience at the collegiate level. This includes extensive reading, note taking, discussion and research.AP Exam One of our most important objectives during the course of the year is to prepare for the AP Exam. All students enrolled in AP classes are required to take the AP Exam in order to receive AP credit. A passing score on this test will result in college credit for an introductory psychology course. The cost of the exam is approximately $86. However, students who take more than three AP Exams will have their fees for those additional exams paid for by the school district. Any student who opts not to take the AP Exam will receive honors credit for the courseFirst Quarter Objectives The first quarter curriculum will be comprised of the first four chapters in the text. The primary objective is to begin a study of general topical areas in the field of psychology as well as learning the foundations of psychological research.Specific Areas of StudyChapter 1: The foundations of research in Psychology (scientific method, correlation methods, experimentation, statistical analysis)Chapter 2: Neuroscience and Behavior (Neural communication, nervous system, Endocrine System, Brain)Chapter 3: Nature, Nurture and Human Diversity (behavior genetics, human nature, human nurture, gender development)Chapter 4: Developmental Psychology (prenatal and newborn, infancy and childhood, adolescence, adulthood)Grading Scale:A 100-93B 85-92C84-77D76-70F69-01st Quarter GradingTests60% (4 tests at 15% each)Daily Assignments20% (labs, activities, etc.)Research project20%Research Project The first quarter research project will be an applied research effort involving Developmental Psychology. Project options will include role play, volunteer work, and interviews. The assignment will be given during the first two weeks of class and will be due a week before the end of the first quarter.AP Psychology2nd Quarter Syllabus, 2013Jerome CannonGeneral Outline: This quarter will include some intriguing topics of study in psychology including sleep and dream activity and others that afford more practical application such as memory, language tools and learning strategies. Previous first quarter studies of the brain and developmental issues will play a significant role in our exploration of these new topics.Specific Areas of Study:Chapter 5 and 6Sensation and Perception (Biology of sensory organs, brain organizational cues)Chapter 7States of Consciousness (Sleep, Dreams, Hypnosis, Drug States)Chapter 8Learning (Classical and Operant Conditioning)Memory 9(Memory (Memory Strategies, Use of Mnemonic Devices)Chapter 10 Thinking and Language (Problem Solving and Language Terms)GradingChapter Tests60% (5 tests at 12% each)Research Project20%Daily Assignments20%Semester GradesYour semester grade, which is the permanent grade recorded on your transcript, will be based on the following percentages:First Quarter40%Second Quarter40%Semester Exam20%Research ProjectThe research project for this quarter will be an applied project. This will be a “hands on” experiment involving some type of self-assessment, interview, role play, or other options of direct contact where you are the experimenter. You may choose either a written paper or an oral presentation to express your work. The project will be assigned within the next several days and will be due a week before the end of the second quarter.AP Psychology3rd Quarter Syllabus 2013Jerome CannonGeneral Outline: The third quarter presents some fascinating and more sophisticated topics of study including human motivation, emotions, and Abnormal Psychology. Our previous studies during the course of the year will provide an important foundation for the exploration of these topics. In Abnormal Psychology, we will investigate its causes, symptoms, and possible treatments. We will also consider theories of personality as potential explanations for mental illness and will use these theories as a basis for possible treatment designs. This quarter will provide a window to the many useful applications of psychology in the business world, clinical settings, and the academic realm.Specific Areas of StudyChapter 12 and 13Motivation and EmotionsThese chapters will focus on how human behavior is affected by biological and emotional factors. These chapters will be presented together since motivational factors have a direct impact on our emotions as well as our behaviors. Specific topics of study will include eating disorders, sexual behavior, the biological basis for human drives, and practical applications for dealing with problematic emotions.Chapter 14Theories of PersonalityThis chapter will discuss past and present theories about personality development. Four major perspectives will be considered: the psychoanalytic approach, the trait perspective, the humanistic model, and the socio-cultural approach. Included will be discussions concerning the controversial theories of Sigmund Freud as well as modern perspectives based on the ideas of Carl Rogers, Gordon Allport, Abraham Maslow and Albert Bandura. Personality evaluation and testing will also be studied in this chapter, with each student having the opportunity to take the Myers Briggs personality inventory, a popular test for evaluating personality traits for practical applications.Chapter 15Abnormal PsychologyThe focus of this chapter is mental illness and abnormal behaviors. Discussions will center around neurotic and psychotic behaviors and specific classifications of mental illness. Specific cases of various forms of mental illness will be studied to illustrate certain characteristics of each type of diagnosis. Discussions will also explore the role of biology and brain chemistry in affecting these disorders.Chapters 16 and 17Therapy Strategies for Mental Illness and Stress ManagementOur study will be based on treatment designs for the mental illnesses discussed in chapter 15. Included will be drug therapies and specific counseling therapies. Chapter 17 will focus on the conditions of stress and anxiety and evaluate the physical and emotional problems that result from daily and prolonged stress reactions.GradingTests 60% (4 tests as structured above at 15% each)Research project20%Daily Assignments20%Research ProjectThis research project will be a cooperative assignment consisting of teams of three. The focus will be the major topics of chapter 15 and 16 and will involve a role play dialogue between a patient diagnosed with a specific mental illness and a therapist using a prescribed therapy design. The third student in the team will present background information on the patient and a summary of the therapy design. Some class time has been reserved for the organization and planning of your work.AP Psychology4th Quarter Syllabus, 2013Jerome CannonGeneral OutlineThe fourth quarter will entail a study of Social Psychology (Chapter 18)and a comprehensive review for the AP exam. Specific Areas of StudyChapter 18Social Psychology (Social Thinking, Social Influence, Social Relations)AP Exam ReviewA significant part of the 4th quarter will be spent in preparation for the AP exam. This will be done through a variety of exercises including 10 review quizzes, a practice AP exam, and a 4th quarter project. Keep in mind that the AP exam is constructed on a more general basis concerning terms and issues and thus our review will be designed accordingly.Review QuizzesEach of the 10 review quizzes will be preceded by an in-depth class review. Each quiz will be taken with a partner to foster peer discussion, teaching and ultimately, more effective review. Please note that make-ups for any missed quiz must be done in 3 days and will be taken individually. Failure to comply will result in a 0. At least one quiz will be designed to practice the writing portion of the AP exam and the others will consist of objective (multiple-choice) questions. Below is a list of the quizzes and their respective units of study.Quiz 1The Experimental Method and Neurobiology (Chapters 1 and 2)Quiz 2Developmental Psychology (Chapters 3 and 4)Quiz 3Sensation and Perception (Chapters 5 and 6)Quiz 4States of Consciousness and Learning (Chapters 7 and 8)Quiz 5The Cognition chapters- Memory, Language, Intelligence (Chapters 9,10,11)Quiz 6Motivation and Emotions (Chapters 12 and 13)Quiz 7Psychological Perspectives and Mental Illness (Chapters 14 and 15)Quiz 8Therapies and Stress Management (chapters 16 and 17)Quiz 9Social Psychology (Chapter 18)Quiz 10 Prior AP Exam Essay QuestionAP Practice ExamTwo prior AP Exams (1994 and 1999) have been released and may be taken as practice exams. We will take at least one of these in class this quarter. This exam will be graded in a manner that reflects the AP assessment (1-5) but will not count towards your 4th quarter average. This exercise should prove helpful in preparing you for the exam and building a comfort zone in what to expect and how to study.GradingTests 60% (Chapter 18 at 10%, review quizzes at 50%- 10 at 5% each)4th Qtr Project20%Final Exam20%4th Quarter ProjectThe 4th quarter project will be designed to review key elements of the course. Options will include a debate or other creative venues to review critical issues in Psychology. More information will be forthcoming this week.Final ExamThere will be senior exemptions for the final exam subject to our school board policy. This exam will be taken after the AP exam and will take place during the regular exam schedule. ................
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