Advanced Placement Psychology Syllabus
Fall 2013-Spring 2014 ~ N. Graber-Grace ~ Nicholas.GraberGrace@dpsnc.net
Tutoring: Thursday during Lunch; Tuesday 2:45-4:15pm
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Brief Description of Course
This is a yearlong College level course taught in a High School setting. Advanced Placement Psychology introduces
students to the systematic and scientific study of human development, behavior, learning, motivation, and personality of
human beings and other animals. Students are exposed to the psychological facts, principles, and phenomena associated
with the major areas of research in psychology. As relevant to each area, the course provides instruction in empirically
supported facts, research findings, terminology, associated phenomena, major figures, perspectives, and psychological
experiments. AP Psychology students will also learn about the ethics and methods psychologists use in their science and
practice. While the class will be rigorous, students that are committed to challenging themselves to do well with the
difficult work have the opportunity to be prepared for success on the Advanced Placement Exam in the spring.
Grading Policy
The AP Psychology Exam is scheduled for Monday, May 5th, 2014. Students will also complete a final project and
final exams within class to prepare them for the AP Exam. The in class final exam is 15% of your course grade.
Process – 50%. Process grades reflect work done
Product – 50%. Product grades reflect the acquisition of
and tasks completed during the learning process.
knowledge/skills, and are evaluated based on precision and accuracy.
Examples include:
Examples include:
 15% -- Reading Journals
 10% -- Quizzes
 5% -- Daily Commentaries,
 15% -- Tests
interactive Notebook, & Participation
 15% -- Projects: presentations, posters, etc. – anything
 5% -- Classwork & Homework
submitted as a final product
 10% -- Free Response Questions
 10% -- Final Projects: students will complete a group project
at the end of the 1st quarter and an individual project as the
 15% -- Project preparation, research,
Semester ends
group collaboration, and first drafts.
If any student is caught plagiarizing, cheating, or helping another student cheat, they will receive an automatic zero and
will not receive a chance to make up that assignment.
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Students will receive 1st quarter progress reports on 9/16 & 10/7; and a report card on November 4 th.
Students will receive 2nd quarter progress reports on 11/19 & 12/3; with report cards issued January 28 th.
Students will receive 3rd quarter progress reports on 2/11 and 3/5 with report cards issued on April 4 th.
Students will receive 4th quarter progress reports on 4/25 and 5/16 with report cards mailed on June 20 th.
Materials Required
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Spiral notebook used for daily commentaries and nothing else for this or any other class.
3 ring binder, 11 divider tabs (1 for each unit), paper, pens (2 colors), pencils, etc.
250 index cards -- rest assured, you will need them
Class Expectations: SWARM:
1. STRIVE FOR EXCELLENCE
a. Do your best work; be your best self and maintain a positive attitude and responsive body language.
b. Use edmodo, engrade, & the class website: https://sites.google.com/site/mrggpsychology/
2. WORK COLLABORATIVELY
a. Create a classroom community based on mutual respect and kindness. We are all in this together.
b. Contribute to small group and whole class activities and discussions. Assist classmates and teacher.
3. ARRIVE ON TIME
a. Be seated before the bell rings & start the warm up without me having to remind you.
b. The bell does not dismiss you – I do. Please do not pack up before we have finished our work.
4. READY TO LEARN
a. Have all your materials ready at the bel; eat and use the bathroom before class.
b. Focus on all learning activities and save social interactions for outside of class.
5. MAXIMIZE OPPORTUNITIES
a. Listen actively to fellow students and to your teacher; ask and answer questions.
b. Attend tutoring sessions & Exam Prep sessions; REGISTER TO TAKE AP EXAM
Class Rules:
1. Follow your teacher’s instructions, sit in your assigned seat, & follow all school rules.
a. Do not talk back to your teacher. If you disagree with something, talk to me privately.
2. No insults or foul language – follow the golden rule.
a. We must support each other as teachers and students. Put downs/bulling will not be tolerated.
3. Laptop computers shall be used ONLY for approved Psychology activities.
a. Students may use laptops only as directed by teacher and to conduct class related research. Use
of social media or any other non-class related sites may result in loss of computer privileges and
can lead to ISS or after school detention.
4. No use of cell phones for talking/texting/surfing the web, etc. If I see you using a phone to
communicate in any way with people outside of our classroom, or in other ways that are disruptive to
your learning, I will take it for the rest of the period.
a. No warnings, no exceptions. Keep them off and in a pocket or your bag from bell to bell.
b. I will at times permit you to listen to music while doing individual work. Violation of my
guidelines may lead to a loss of this privilege.
5. Silent, Focused Testing – Students will be silent during tests, quizzes, & other assessments.
a. Students who attempt to communicate during tests will receive a zero and retest after school.
b. Any visible electronic device during a test results in an immediate zero and retest after school.
Consequences for violating Class Expectations and Rules:
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First violation: warning
Second violation: classroom consequence; possible parent contact
Third violation: Lunch or after school detention; parent contact
Fourth violation: conference with guidance &/or intervention team; parent contact
Fifth violation: ISS /assignment to work detail/clean up crew; parent contact
Sixth Violation: Referral
Notwithstanding the above, any egregious conduct will merit an immediate referral to the office.
Bathroom Policy: students get 3 hall passes per 9 week period (6 total). No passes in the first or last 30
minutes of class. Teacher must approve the use of passes.
Unit Information
Unit 1 - History, Approaches, and Research Methods
Content and/or Skills Taught:
Reading:
 Myers - Chapter 1, Thinking Critically with Psychological Science (p. 18)
 Griggs – Chapter 1
Essential Questions:
 What is (and isn’t) psychology?
 How is psychological research conducted?
 What are the criteria of ethical expriments?
Learning Outcomes:
 Outline the major subfields and career opportunities that comprise psychology.
 Distinguish between different research strategies used by psychologists to explore behavior and mental
processes.
 Analyze the ethics and methods psychologists use in their science and practice.
 Classify and employ basic concepts of statistical data.
 Analyze the development of psychology as an empirical science.
Major Assignments and/or Assessments:
 Unit 1 Exam
 Research Project Design and Ethics Reflection
Unit 2 - Social Psychology
Content and/or Skills Taught:
Reading:
 Myers - Chapter 18, Social Psychology (p. 694)
 Griggs
Essential Questions:
 How do people influence each other?
 How do psychological factors influence individual decision-making
Learning Outcomes:
 Illustrate how the structure and function of a given group affects the behavior of the group and the
individual.
 Summarize attributional processes where individuals form judgments about the self and others.
 Verify the influence of stereotypes on attributions of behavior.
 Assess classic studies dealing with the concepts of conformity, compliance, and obedience.
Major Assignments and/or Assessments:
 Unit Project
 Unit Exam
Unit 3 - Developmental Psychology
Content and/or Skills Taught:
Reading:
 Myers - Chapter 4, The Developing Person (p. 134)
 Griggs – Chapter 7
Essential Questions:
 How do humans develop physically, cognitively, and socially throughout the lifespan?
 How do Nature and Nurture interact to make us who we are?
Learning Outcomes:
 Explain development as a lifelong process.
 Analyze research techniques used to gather data on the developmental process.
 Differentiate between heredity and environment issues.
 Analyze and critique developmental theories.
 Discuss issues surrounding the developmental process (physical, cognitive, social, and moral
 dimensions of development).
 Identify sex roles and sex differences.
Major Assignments and/or Assessments:
 Unit 3 Exam
 Cross-generational interview project
Unit 4 - Biological Basis of Behavior
Content and/or Skills Taught:
Reading:
 Myers - Chapter 2, Neuroscience and Behavior (p. 56)
 Myers - Chapter 3, The Nature and Nurture of Behavior (p. 98)
 Griggs – Chapter 2
Essential Questions:
 How do nature and nurture interact?
 How does biology influence behavior?
Learning Outcomes:
 Identify the structure and function of a neuron.
 Describe and explain the organization of the nervous system.
 Review the structure and function of the brain.
 Differentiate among technologies and clinical methods for studying the brain.
 Compare and contrast the specialized functions of the brains hemispheres.
 Describe the structure and function of the endocrine system.
 Assess how heredity interacts with environment to influence behavior.
 Explain how psychological mechanisms are influenced by evolution
Major Assignments and/or Assessments:
 Unit 4 Exam
 Candy Neurons
 Swim Cap/Model Brain
 Superhero Project
Unit 5 - Sensation and Perception
Content and/or Skills Taught:
Reading:
 Myers - Chapter 5, Sensation (p. 192)
 Myers - Chapter 6, Perception (p. 230)
 Griggs – Chapter 3
Essential Questions:
 How do our senses register information?
 How do our brains perceive the sensory information we encode?
Learning Outcomes:
 Explain thresholds and limitations of sensory processes and their basic concepts.
 Examine the anatomy and function of the senses, emphasizing vision and hearing.
 Define sensory adaptation, sensory disorders, and perceptual acuity.
 Interpret the nature of attention.
 Describe the interaction between the person and the environment in determining perception.
Major Assignments and/or Assessments:
 Unit Exam
 Sensation Children’s Book
Unit 6A – Abnormal Psychology
Reading:
 Myers - Chapter 16, Psychological Disorders (p.618)
 Griggs – Chapter 10
Essential Questions:
 What are the causes and effects of psychological disorders?
 What does it mean to label a behavior as abnormal?
 What are potential explanations for abnormal behaviors?
Learning Outcomes:
 Explain how standardization, norms, reliability, and validity apply to testing.
 Evaluate types of tests and confront the ethical issues that arise in connection with the use of tests.
 Examine the nature of intelligence and intelligence testing.
 Discover the impact of heredity and environment on intelligence.
 Discuss human diversity and individual differences.
 Define the etiology and diagnostic criteria for the following disorders: anxiety, somatoform, mood,
schizophrenic, organic, personality, and dissociative.
Major Assignments and/or Assessments:
 Unit 11 Exam
 Diagnose a dictator
 Glogster Project
Unit 6B - Treatment of Psychological Disorders
Reading:
 Myers - Chapter 17, Therapy (p. 658)
Essential Questions:
 How do psychologists treat psychological disorders?
 How effective are the different psychological treatment methods?
Learning Outcomes:
 Compare and contrast treatment approaches such as insight therapies (psychodynamic and
 humanistic), behavioral, cognitive, and biological approaches.
 Explore the modes of therapy (individual and group).
 Evaluate community and preventive approaches to psychological disorders.
Major Assignments and/or Assessments:
 Unit Exam
 Disorder / therapy role play
Unit 7 – Learning & Motivation
Content and/or Skills Taught:
Reading:
 Myers - Chapter 12, Motivation and Work (p. 454)
 Myers - Chapter 8, Learning (p. 308)
 Griggs Chapter 4
Essential Questions:
 What motivations drive human behavior?
 How do humans learn and what factors affect learning?
 How does learning occur as a result of cognitive, social, or biological factors?
Learning Outcomes:
 Compare and contrast principles involved in classical and operant conditioning.
 Identify processes in cognitive learning.
 Describe biological factors that impact learning.
 Explain social learning.
Major Assignments and/or Assessments:
 Unit Exam
 7 terms any way
Unit 8 - Cognition: Memory, Thinking, and Language
Content and/or Skills Taught:
Reading:
 Myers - Chapter 9, Memory (p. 342)
 Myers - Chapter 10, Thinking and Language (p. 384)
 Griggs Chapters 5 & 6
Essential Questions:
 How do humans encode, store, and retrieve memories?
 How do humans solve problems?
 How do thinking and langugage influence each other?
Learning Outcomes:
 Describe processes of encoding, storing, and retrieving information into short-term and long-term
memory.
 Discuss methods for improving memory.
 Explore various theories used in language acquisition.
 Examine problem solving strategies and the role of creativity.
Major Assignments and/or Assessments:
 Unit Exam
Unit 9 - States of Consciousness
Content and/or Skills Taught:
Reading:
 Myers - Chapter 7, States of Consciousness (p. 264)
Essential Questions:
 How are the different levels of consciousness experienced?
 How are altered states of consciousness experienced?
Learning Outcomes:
 Classify the stages and characteristics of sleep and the theories that explain why we sleep.
 Analyze theories used to explain and interpret dreams.
 Assess basic phenomena and uses of hypnosis.
 Categorize the different psychoactive drugs and their effects.
Major Assignments and/or Assessments:
 Unit 9 Exam
 Sleep and Dream Journal
Unit 10 – Personality and Intelligence
Content and/or Skills Taught:
Reading:
 Myers - Chapter 15, Personality (p. 574)
 Griggs – Chapter 8
 Myers - Chapter 11, Intelligence (p. 418)
Essential Questions:
 How do different psychological theories explain personality development?
 How does personality influence an individual’s thoughts, behavior, and actions?
 What is intelligence and (how) can it be measured?
Learning Outcomes:
 Identify and explain personality approaches and their important contributions to the understanding of
psychology.
 Analyze different tools and tests used in personality assessment.
 Identify the role of self-concept and self-esteem in development of the personality.
 Explore factors that contribute to growth and adjustment of personality.
 Explain how standardization, norms, reliability, and validity apply to testing.
 Evaluate types of tests and confront the ethical issues that arise in connection with the use of tests.
 Examine the nature of intelligence and intelligence testing.
 Discover the impact of heredity and environment on intelligence.
 Discuss human diversity and individual differences.
Major Assignments and/or Assessments:
 Unit 10 Exam
 Celebrity Personality Assessment
 Op-ed on the reliability of standardized testing
Unit 11 - Emotion, Stress, and Health
Content and/or Skills Taught:
Reading:
 Myers - Chapter 13, Emotion (p. 498)
 Myers - Chapter 14, Stress and Health (p. 530)
Essential Questions:
 How do people express and experience emotion?
 What responses to stress enable a healthy lifestyle?
Learning Outcomes:
 Identify theories of motivation.
 Examine biological and environmental cues instigating basic drives or motives.
 Analyze theories and physiology of emotion.
 Explore psychological and physiological reactions to stress.
Major Assignments and/or Assessments:
 Unit Exam
End of Quarter Projects:
 6 Psychology Terms
 Mid-term Review project
 Display Board – The Psychology of….
 Practice AP Test
Required Textbooks
Title, Author: Psychology 7th Edition, Myers
Publisher: Worth Publishers
Published Date: 2004
Description: This is a college level textbook. All students will be expected to complete reading assignments
and detailed reading notes nightly. Class work will be designed to help you to better comprehend the facts,
research findings, concepts and terminology detailed in the book.
Title, Author: Psychology: A Concise Introduction. Griggs, Richard A.
Publisher: Worth Publishers
Published Date:2009.
Description: Much lighter weight than the text book. Material is presented in a straight forward and logical
format. I have personally purchased this book for you to use throughout the course. I am lending you my
own copies, and expect them to be returned in good condition. Lost or missing books must be replaced at the
expense of the student; we will work together to find the lowest cost option available (usually online).
Other Course Materials
Material Type: Other
Description:
Students will become familiar with a variety of psychological resources throughout the course.