AP PSYCHOLOGY - GCISD



AP PSYCHOLOGY

Syllabus

SCHOOL YEAR: 2019-2020

Instructor: Jill Compher, room A140

Tutoring: 7:50 am Mon-Fri (unless otherwise noted) and lunches by appointment

Phone: school: (817) 305-4700 x 2159

e-mail: pher@ webpage: chhs.

Moodle site: (Please ask your student for their username and password.)

COURSE DESCRIPTION: The purpose of Advanced Placement Psychology is to introduce you to the systematic and scientific study of the behavior and mental processes of human beings and other animals. You will be exposed to the psychological facts, principles, and phenomena associated with each of the major subfields within psychology. You will also learn about the methods psychologists’ use in their science and practice. SEE THE ATTACHED TIMELINE FOR SPECIFIC DATES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

TEACHING PROCEDURES: Advanced Placement Psychology is designed for secondary school students who plan to attend a four-year college and wish to complete studies in the equivalent of an introductory college course in Psychology. Satisfactory completion of the requirements of this course and a passing grade on the National AP Exam could earn you college credit in Psychology. Consequently, with few exceptions, this course will be taught as it would be on the college level. An AP course demands extra work and additional time outside the usual high school demands. You will be expected to do a great deal of INDEPENDENT reading, research, and completion of assignments. It is my firm belief that we educate ourselves and that no one can make someone else learn anything. Therefore, I am a facilitator of learning if you choose to take advantage of the opportunities. My role, besides that of a lecturer, will be to pose questions, to encourage responses, and to direct and clarify discussions.

You will begin each unit by confronting new material in a combination of the following methods of presentation: lectures, large and small group discussions, reading of text, supplementary materials, and current newspaper and magazine articles, viewing of selected videos clips, use of guest lecturers in the field of psychology, and participation in a community mental health facility field trip.

After you have analyzed the data presented, you will be asked to make inferences about the material both orally and in writing (i.e., through class discussion; individual and group presentations; written assignments, including outside observation and based on class discussion and analysis; team debates on controversial psychological issues; short issue papers; journal review, etc.). You will also be required to complete one major project each semester.

You will take a practice AP examination in order to prepare for the actual National AP exam in May.

TEXTS AND MATERIALS:

TEXT Myers, David G. Psychology. 10th Edition. New

York: Worth Publishers. 2014. (Provided by school—If you were to take this course

in college, the text would cost you approximately $85. Use the book and milk all

the knowledge you can from it, but treat it kindly. Keep its value in mind!)

STUDY The study guide provided for this course is NOT a consumable.

GUIDE: DO NOT WRITE IN IT! If you feel the need to write in a study guide, please return the

school copy and purchase your own from a college bookstore.

MATERIALS:

1. A folder or something to keep your handouts, and notes in. You may want use a folder with brads or binder for your handouts and a spiral for your notes.

2. Pens and pencils (including a set of colored map pencils)

3. Notecards --- You can do your vocabulary on notebook paper if you prefer. Ask me how!

COURSE GRADES: Your grade in this class will be determined by your performance on daily work, special assignments, participation in class, and exams. It will always be to your advantage to complete any learning enrichment materials that may be handed out in class. Additionally, there is a positive correlation between those that complete all of their study guide materials and those who earn the highest grades in the class and on the AP Exam.

Your course average will be determined by the following percentages:

TESTS, MAJOR PAPERS, PROJECTS = 70% DAILY WORK & QUIZZES = 30%

ONLINE GRADES: I will put grades in the online grade book as quickly as I can. Tests with written portions will take longer to grade. At times, assignment will be put in the system in advance. Please note the assignment due date for clarification.

PROGRESS REPORTS: I send home an email through Skyward when progress reports are available. Please make sure you have good email address listed in Skyward other than your student’s email.

TUTORIALS: It is my intention that you are very successful in this course. I will do everything within my power to see that you obtain your goals. I have very high expectations for you, and I hope that you do as well. I am available for tutorials as listed above. Please take advantage of tutorials as often as possible.

ATTENDANCE POLICY: A close relationship exists between regular class attendance and successful completion of a course. You will be expected to be in class every day. You are responsible for all information given in class: lecture notes, exam dates, assignments, hand-outs, special topics, group and individual work, projects, and special announcements. If you are absent,

You must find out what you missed from a classmate. You must arrange for someone to loan you their notes. YOU are responsible for keeping current on exam dates/changes/announcements.

TARDIES: Tardiness is a disruption to all concerned. See CHHS handbook for current tardy policy.

SKIPPING CLASS: If a student skips class when a test or daily grade is completed in class, a ZERO will be recorded for the assignment.  The retest will be given for the test with the highest grade of a 70 recorded.  The late work policy will apply for daily work skipped.

TECHNOLOGY: Students must follow district and campus technology guidelines with personal devices in class as well as classroom technology. See CHHS handbook for the current technology policy. Inappropriate behavior with classroom technology may result in an immediate office referral.

LATE WORK: Assigned work is due at the beginning of the class period. Late work will be accepted by the guidelines provided by the campus office. One formative assessment per six weeks will be accepted late. Please be aware of campus guidelines!

ABSENT WORK: It is your responsibility as a student to make arrangements with me for your make-up work following each absence. Students must have all missed work made up and turned in the day following their return to school. For example, if a student is absent Monday and returns on Tuesday, the missed work is due on Wednesday. If the make-up deadline is missed, a score of zero will be recorded. The tardy policy outlined in the Student-Parent handbook will be strictly enforced.

TESTS: You will be expected to take exams on the scheduled exam days. If you are absent, but were present when the exam date was announced, you will be expected to take exams on the scheduled exam days. If you are absent but were present when the exam date was announced, I prefer that you take the exam PRIOR to your absence; however, if that is not possible you will be expected to take the make-up ON THE DAY OF YOUR RETURN. Failure to meet an appointment for a make-up exam will result in a zero for that exam.

RETAKES: You may retake any exam (not a long term project) if the following provisions are met:

1. Each student must make an appointment with me to review his or her test.

2. You have 5 days from the date of receiving your grade to conference for a retest. A conference and retest may not happen in the same day. Conference…Study…Retest!

3. If a student fails to meet an appointment for a conference or retest, the grade will remain from the original test.

4. The retest is a completely different test than the original covering the same material. Students may earn back a maximum of a 70 on a retest.

There will be no retakes on the practice AP exam.

SCHOLATIC DISHONESTY: Scholastic dishonesty includes but is not limited to cheating on a test, text messaging for any reason during a test, plagiarism, collusion (unauthorized collaboration with another person(s) in preparing written work for the fulfillment of course requirements), and falsifying academic records. Any incident of scholastic dishonesty in connection with AP Psychology will earn you a zero (0). Do not dishonor yourself in this way. The CHHS Academic Dishonesty Policy will be strictly enforced.

THE ADVANCED PLACEMENT EXAMINATION IN PSYCHOLOGY:

The AP Exam in Psychology is given in May at a cost of $91. (Subject to change.)

The exam is approximately 2 hours long and included both a 70-minutes multiple-choice section and a 50-minute free-response (essay) section.

The test is scored on a five-point scale:

5 – Extremely Well Qualified 4 – Well Qualified

3 – Qualified 2 – Possibly Qualified 1 – No Recommendation

Many colleges grant credit and placement for qualified work (a score of 3 or higher) on the exam. Students should check with the colleges they plan to attend to see if the colleges give credit for the exam and for what score they give credit. Beginning in 2016, all students who make a three will receive credit at any Texas state school.

In order to ensure that I am able to teach effectively and you are able to learn effectively, we must have a few class rules:

Rules

1. Be an active participant.

2. Complete work honestly.

3. Be in your seat when the bell rings.

4. Bring all books and materials to class.

5. No food or drink (except water) is permitted in the classroom.

6. Any cell phones or headphones visible will be confiscated and given to an assistant principal. The new cell phone policy allows for cell phone use during passing periods – not during instructional time.

Misbehavior while a substitute teacher is present will result in an office referral without warning.

Parents / Guardians will be notified upon my return.

PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING, SIGN IT, AND RETURN IT TO ME BY THE BEGINNING OF THE NEXT CLASS PERIOD.

Printed Student Name: _______________________________________ Period:________________

I have read and understand the content of this document (the AP Psychology Course Syllabus and the subsequent Course Outline). I have given a copy of this document to my parent(s). I understand that I have full access to the psychology Moodle course by asking my student for his or her username and password.

______________________________________________ ________________________

Student Signature Date

______________________________________________ ________________________

Parent or Guardian Signature Date

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