Information for Students and Parents s1
Information for Students and Parents Psychology
Mrs. Dianne Chrisman 2007/08
Voice mail: (760) 753-1121, ext. 5313
E-mail:
DESCRIPTION: The purpose of the course in Psychology is to introduce students to the systematic and scientific study of the behavior and mental processes of human beings and other animals. Students are exposed to the psychological facts, principles and phenomena associated with some of the major subfields within psychology such as sensation, perception, biological bases of behavior, consciousness, memory, learning, cognition, motivation, emotion, developmental psychology, personality, and abnormal psychology..
TEXTBOOK: Psychology. Spencer, Rathus; Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1998.
MATERIALS: Please bring the following supplies to class each day: pen, pencil, paper, textbook, and notebook.
ACADEMIC GRADES: Grades are determined by classwork, homework, quizzes, tests, projects, and group work. A weighted grade is calculated in which 50% of the grade is based on assessments (essays, quizzes, and tests), and the remaining 50% from classwork, homework, and projects. The percentage of the total points earned will determine your grade.
90-100%=A; 80-89%=B; 70-79%=C; 60-69%=D; below 60%=F
GRADE REPORTS: Your grade is posted on the Parent Portal and updated each week. If you need a written report, give me a request in writing and 24 hours notice.
HOMEWORK: Homework is an opportunity for you to investigate, analyze, and synthesize concepts. Homework will vary depending on the topic being studied. Each unit will include reading the text, vocabulary work and written responses to clarifying questions. Homework may include projects, Internet activities, worksheets, and outside readings. All homework is collected and graded.
GETTING HELP: You can get help Monday, Wednesday, and Friday before school; Tuesday and Thursday after school; and during lunch by appointment. My office is in room 122.
LATE WORK: Work that is not turned in during the class period in which it was due and is not the result of an excused absence will be considered late. You will receive a maximum of 50% of the points possible for the assignment. Late work will not be accepted after the unit test has been taken.
EXCUSED ABSENCES: When you are absent, it is your responsibility to find out what you missed and get it turned in. Make-up work must be turned in before the unit test is taken. Your assignment sheet and the website list assignments that are due. Quizzes missed due to an excused absence are excused. Tests missed due to an excused absence can be made up through an alternative assessment, typically an essay.
TARDIES: You are considered tardy if you are not in the classroom when the bell rings. If you are tardy on a day when a warm-up activity is given, you will receive a zero for that grade. Repeated tardies (more than 2) will result in a call home and eventually (more than 5) in a referral.
CONDUCT: Each class is a community of learners for whom I have the following goals.
v Students feel safe.
v Each person is able to ask for and give help.
v All students are challenged and learn.
v Students look forward to coming to class.
For these goals to be achieved, conduct must be based on common courtesy and respect. This is true not only when you interact with me, but also when you interact with your classmates. Be tolerant of others who have opinions different from your own. Use appropriate language at the appropriate time. Keep hands, feet and objects to yourself. Come to class each day on time and prepared. You are expected to follow school rules as outlined in the Code of Conduct and the District Discipline Guide. A referral will be issued for flagrant or repeated misconduct.
MRS. CHRISMAN’S PET PEEVES: There are some things I don’t want to see in the classroom. These include food, hats, cell phones and portable music devices (iPods). Instead, I want to see eager faces attending to psychology. Water is OK. All electronics should be turned off and stowed before you walk in the door.
ACADEMIC DISHONESTY: When we work to preserve academic honesty, we create an environment where equity, trust, and the credibility of the learning process are maintained. Plagiarism is the use of any idea or phrasing of an idea traceable to a single source without proper acknowledgement. You will be answering questions about your reading in the book. Be sure to use your own words for these answers.
Plagiarism is also turning in someone else’s work as your own or supplying your work to another student for them to use. Academic dishonesty is copying homework, web sites, class work, quiz and test answers from other students with or without their permission.
Students are encouraged to work together to help each other understand homework questions. Students who work together should not have identical work. Understand together; write it up alone.
Academic dishonesty will result in a zero for the assignment and a referral to the school administration. Parents/guardians will be contacted.