AP/IB Psychology Expectations
Welcome to AP/IB Psychology! I am really happy that you chose to challenge yourself with an interesting and personally applicable course. If you have already taken regular Psychology, you will find some of the concepts familiar. If not- that’s ok!
I have designed this class to be personally relevant and thought provoking while at the same time, building your skills in note taking, writing, and critical thinking. The class moves at a quick, but not impossible, pace. There will be homework every night usually in the form of reading and note taking.
Summary of the work load-
Each day: reading/notes/study guide on a section(s) in the book. Discussion and/or activity on a major concept in the reading.
Every 2 weeks (approx): Test on the unit (50 multiple choice and 1-2 free response questions for AP and IB similar papers)
Every week: Blog/Reflection: o Blogs used in education provide for a community of leaning outside of the classroom. This is a great way to generate discussion with your classmates!!! o I have a new blog set up for the class. You can access it at http://appsych2007.blogspot.com/ o All blog entries will be approved by me before they are posted. This is done automatically from the blog to me via email. o You’ll need to reflect twice a week. Blogs will be assessed every week. The requirements follow -
2 points 1 point Total Depth of topic Reflection is not only or Blog tends to be _____/ 2 points not necessarily what you more description of learned, but more what you what was learned, are thinking about what with limited (or no) you learned (how you reflection on your might apply it in your own thoughts about what lives; your frustrations or you learned and how joys from what you have you might apply it, learned; questions you and on frustrations, have). questions.
Relatedness Reflection shows thorough Some reference to _____/ 10 points X 5 reading of others’ others’ reflections. = 50 points/4 wks. reflections and response to their thoughts. Every Semester: 1 or 2 major projects that apply some major concepts. 1 Personal Relevance Paper Misc. papers/assignments applicable to the material covered.
Grading and breakdown: A 93% + Tests 40% B 85-92% PRP/Part 15% C 77-84% Projects/Blog 20% D 70-76% Notes 15% F Below 70% Quiz 10%
The AP/IB Exam: The test is in May and there is a fee. Specific dates and cost will be given as soon as I find them out. You are required to take the AP Test. Why wouldn’t you?
The IB Exam is mandatory and dates will be provided later in the year.
Text- We use Myers 7th Edition of Exploring Psychology for AP and Glassman’s Approaches to Psychology for IB
Notes: All assignments, unless otherwise specified, will be submitted in INK with name, subject, period and date in the top right corner. Assignments must be titled. When composing answers to questions, always restate or incorporate the question in the answer. Leave one blank line between each response (including sections within a question such as a, b, c. etc).
Punctuality is important. Tardies are disruptive and interrupt learning. Please be seated and ready to work when the bell rings. The district tardy policy will be strictly enforced.
When you are absent consult the class website at http://mountappsych.pbworks.com for assignments missed. For every day you are absent (excused) you have one day to make up your work. Be sure to mark “absent” at the top of your paper with the date of your absences. If you are participating in an extra curricular activity obtain prior permission from your instructor before attending. Participation is a significant part of class. Quizzes and some class activities cannot be made up out of class. It is your responsibility to turn in work missed during your excused absence.
Students have the right to keep confidential the materials, homework, tests and expressions they created through their efforts. Academic dishonesty is a deliberate attempt to disrupt the learning process by misrepresenting another’s work as your own. This includes allowing others to copy your work. Cheating of any kind will not be tolerated. You are responsible for knowing and adhering to the district academic honesty policy. Consequences are outlined in your student planner and in the policy handbook. Some assignments will be uploaded to turnitin.com. Other assignments may be periodically checked for originality. Late Work- I will accept late work with a possibility of a C for a maximum grade. This will hold until the test for the chapter at which point late work is a 0.
Email: If you can’t find me- email me. [email protected]
I have read the Course Expectations and understand them. Return this to Mr. Bradley
______Signature Date
______Print name legibly
______Parent Signature Student Signature
AP Psychology Notebooks will be QTDASC worth 10 points per chapter and will be due the day of the test. Before reading: Chunk how many pagers you have to read each night before the chapter test. Set a specific goal of how many pages you have to do tonight. Plan to finish the chapter a few days before the test so you can review. Start your session by quickly reviewing whatever you did previously.
When reading: (each section must start on a new page. number the sections as follows… 1.2 means chapter one, section 2) In red: Pose the key question for the section you are reading by turning the dark bold headings of the major sections into Q questions. Put these questions in the top center of the notebook page. Underline or box them so they standout. When you review, first try to answer all these key questions (in red) from memory. Practice recall.
TIn green: Put the major terms that answer the question you posed. Often they will be highlighted in bold print. Put the terms in your notebook at the far left. When you review, test your recall of the terms by covering the definitions.
DIn purple: Next to the terms put their definitions, copy important diagrams that summarize concepts. Circle in blue the names of important researchers or key thinkers you find. When you review you can reread your explanations and your definitions in your notebook without having to reread the text.
AIn orange: Put YOUR associations, questions, emotional responses at the far right- next to whatever you have written from the text in purple. When you record your thoughts and feelings about what you are reading you more deeply process the information in a personally meaningful way. When you review some weeks or months later, these associations will help trigger memories of when you first saw the material, activating your context clues and your state dependent memory insuring recall.
After Reading: (do this on the next separate page- after your notes)
SIn Blue: (after each section) After you have finished reading a major section, sum up in a few sentences what you learned. Include your own main insights and feelings about what you gained personally from the chapter. Again, you are insuring the material is meaningful and relevant to you because you have made connections to your life experience.
CIn Black: (10 questions minimum at the end of the chapter only) Write up your check up questions. These could be fill ins, or a trial multiple choice question or potential essay questions. When you review, go directly to these check up questions. Use them to drill yourself on the material or trade check up questions with a study partner. Write questions on concepts on which you are struggling with. This will help you learn.
Rationale for the colors: The brain likes contrast and novel stimuli. Color does that for the brain. If you find that having that many pens is s bother, then write your notes in the traditional black and blue, but use colored highlighters to get contrast.
Experiment with this system. Be creative! Make your notebook highly individual. AP Psychology Personal Relevance Papers
Below are a list of topics you may select for your personal relevance papers. Keep in mind the purpose of these papers are to help you identify real- life applications of the principles you read in the book or that we talk about in class. You are expected to produce a 2-page paper (double spaced, 12 point, neatly typed, appropriate grammar, etc) regarding the personal relevance of the topic areas in your life. You may select one or two of the listed topic areas for your paper. Using topics from the chapter that are not on this list is permissible if they are particularly relevant to your life. Grading will be entirely subjective on my part. Discussion that shows you have an understanding of the principles and specific examples from your life as to how the principles apply will be graded more favorably than will more general examples of relevance.
5- Excellent grasp of concepts, many specific personal examples, great insight, goes extra mile by citing research/information not stated in text. (you must cite specific research for a 5!) 4- Excellent grasp of concepts, many specific personal examples, great insight. 3- Understanding of concepts, a few personal examples. 2- Basic Understanding of concepts, general examples (like ones in text) 1- Poor or incorrect understanding of concepts. Contains no examples. 0- Assignment not turned in.
Topics for the papers include, but are not limited to:
Chapter 1 Chapter 4 -The Hindsight Bias -Neonatal Reflexes -Overconfidence -Physical Development -Illusory Correlations -Motor Development -Perception of Order -Cognitive Development in Random Events -Piagetian Stages -Correlation meaning -Imprinting/attachment Causation Fallacy Chapter 5 Chapter 2 -Top-Down Processing -Neural Scanning -Bottom-Up Processing -Neurotransmitter -Subliminal Stimulation Function/Dysfunction -Sensory Adaptation -Psychotropic Drugs -Feature Detection -Neuro-Muscular Disorders -Figure/Ground -Endorphins -Size-Distance illusions -Localization of Functioning -ESP -Sympathetic/Parasympathetic -Stimulation
Chapter 3 Nature/nurture debate Natural selection Temperament Environmental influence Gender typing Social learning theory Chapter 6 -Daydreams and Fantasies Chapter 11 -Circadian Rhythms -James Lange-Cannon Bard Th. -REM Sleep -Two factor theory -The Effect of Sleep -Nonverbal communication Loss -Subjective well being -Sleep Disorders -Adaptation-level phenomenon -Hypnosis -General adaptation syndrome -biofeedback Chapter 7 -Classical Conditioning Chapter 12 Principles -Freud- psychoanalytic perspective -Operant Conditioning -Defense Mechanisms Principles -Trait Perspective -Punishment -Esyenck model -Observational Learning -Big Five Model -Insight Learning -Maslow -Rogers Chapter 8 -Self Serving Bias -Automatic Processing -Locus of control -Effortful Processing -Learned Helplessness -Chunking -Sensory Memory Chapter 13 -Moods and Memories (State- -Rosenhahn Study Dependant Memory) -Anxiety Disorders -Eyewitness Testimony -Mood Disorders -Semantic vs Episodic Memory -Schizophrenia -Repressed Memories -Personality Disorders -Dissociative Disorders Chapter 9 -Confirmation Bias Chapter 14 -Fixation -Fundamental Attribution Error -Functional Fixedness -Conformity and Obedience -Representative -Social Facilitation Heuristic -Deindividualization -Availability Heuristic -Ingroup Bias -Overconfidence -TV and Aggression -Framing -Psychology of Attraction -Belief Perseverance -Bystander Effect -Superordinate Goals Chapter 10 -Optimum Arousal Chapter 15 -Incentives -Fundamental Attribution Error -Maslow's theory -Foot-in-the-door phenomenon -Physiology of hunger -Cognitive Dissonance -Psychology of hunger -Group Conformity -Anorexia/Bulemia -Groupthink -Adolescent Sexuality -Social Facilitation -Intrinsic/Extrinsic motivation -Social Loafing -Prejudice -Bystander Effect