Patterson High School
Teacher: Ms. Megan Nichols
Subject: Psychology
Lesson Date: Tuesday, March 6th
Unit Title: Learning, memory and motivation
CLGs/SC Assessment Limits/Standards: (What are the skills being taught?)
Agenda: (What is the snapshot of my class flow?)
1. DO now
2. Scenarios for engagement
3. Notes
4. Apply research methods preparation
5. Share out
6. Closing
Lesson Objective: (What will my students KNOW by the end of the lesson? What will they DO to learn it?)
SWBAT describe and apply appropriate research methods to given situations within the context of our upcoming education project.
TIME
INSTRUCTIONAL SEQUENCE
Get started/Drill/Do Now: (What meaningful activity will students complete as soon as they enter the classroom?)
Teacher will greet students at the door. Music will be playing. Students will have minutes to complete do-now.
5
mins
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Students will respond in journal to the follow prompt: Recall that our upcoming project is to design a school that will be successful based
on what we learn about psychology. If you wanted to learn if there was a relationship between a clean school building and student
success, how might you go about figuring this out?
Teacher will review do-nows verbally and review business + agenda for the day.
Engage/Motivation: (How will student interest be sparked? Is there prior knowledge that should be tapped? Is there vocabulary that must be cleared?
20
mins
15
mins
15
mins
20
mins
15
mins
5
mins
Is there brainstorming that student need to complete before the lesson begins?)
Students will be put into small groups and will each be provided with a concrete example of research methods. Students will report to the
group on their findings by creating an image, rap, skit or paragraph summary of their reading (this is a lead in to tomorrow’s lesson on
multiple intelligences).
Explore/Explain: (Explicit teaching/”I do”/modeling/teacher led.)
Teacher will transition and explain that psychologists use different types of research in order to reach the goals of psychology (review CFU
here from yesterday: describe, explain, predict and influence). Using the appropriate method is essential so that we don’t end up with
inaccurate results.
Teacher will lecture using PP or doc cam, using guiding questions to lead students to fill in responses. Students will be charged with
helping teacher come up with less than 7 word summary and/or picture of each type of research. Teacher will set expectation: sitting
professionally, no side conversations, no phones out, with me for 15 minutes for higher level notes—these are the notes used by an AP
class at a charter school in Raleigh, NC—if we want to the best class in the school, we need to increase the rigor of our work.
Key points:
1. Psychology begins with an observation and a research question that is narrow and specific. (review)
2. Psychologists use various research methods in order to reach the goals of psychology (review): to describe, explain,
predict and influence behavior. Accurate and appropriate use of these research methods is necessary in order to
have your work be credible. There are pros and cons to each of these methods; these allow psychologists to
determine how to approach a research question accurately.
Practice as Class: (”We do”/guided practice/teacher involved.)
Students will participate in a think-pair-share to answer high level identification questions at the bottom of their notes. Students will have 1
minue + 30 seconds to respond to each, then will all YELL answer when teacher calls time. Teacher will debrief and explain for less than 1
minute. Repeat 8 times.
Practice as Pairs/Groups/Alone: (“You do”/teacher monitors and facilitates.)
Students will work in their Unit 2 project groups to determine the type of research they will employ in order to gather evidence in response
to their research question that they determined the previous day. Students will complete attached planning template and calendar for
research methods.
Evaluate Understanding/Assessment: (How will I know if students have achieved today’s objective?)
*Discussion: Student lead discussion in which students share research question and research method + plan with class. Class will
determine if it is reasonable, if it fits with the question and offer supporting criticisms + pose questions.
Closing Activities/Summary: (How will I tie up loose ends, reinforce the objective and connect the lesson to the unit?)
WIM—teacher will ask students to explain why what we learned today will matter in the wider context of the course, the project and/or their
lives. Will push student to understand that we need to be able to spot errors in research (will be covered in the following week).
Enrichment/Extension/Reteaching/Accommodations: (How will my lesson satisfy the needs of all learners?)
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Resources/Instructional Materials Needed: (What do I need in order to teach the lesson?)Notes sheets, doc cam or PP (can use chart paper if necessary), examples
for engagement,
Notes:
Post-Lesson
Reflection:
Next Steps:
1. Case study: Genie
In 1970 an unusual and unfortunate discovery was made in California. A 13-year-old girl known as “Genie” had
spent all 13 years of her life locked in a room isolated from the world. Her parents had kept her harnessed to a
potty-chair, which allowed only small movements of her hands and feet. At night Genie was put in a type of
straitjacket and forcefully placed in a wire cage. Her parents refused to communicate with her in any way and
demanded Genie’s siblings avoid any form of communication with her as well.
When she was found by social services and the police, she had several physical problems and could not speak or
understand language.
From: Understanding Psychology
2. Naturalistic observation: Jane Goodall
Jane Goodall observed chimpanzees in Tanzania for several years. Over time, the chimps became sufficiently used
to her presence that she could creep closer, no longer needing binoculars to observe them. With this advance she
began to make field observations that soon revolutionized the field of primatology.
Among Goodall's more significant discoveries were the close-knit social ties and complex relationships within
chimpanzee groups, maintained by networks of grooming and food sharing. She noted that the powerful loving bonds
between mothers and their offspring, and laterally among siblings, created mother-centric groupings. These, along
with sex, food sharing and grooming, were the glue of chimpanzee society. Goodall has also observed chimpanzees
hunting pigs and other moderately sized animals and warfare between rival "tribes". But by far, the most stunning
discovery of all was her observation of "tool" use among chimpanzees. Prior to her work it had been asserted that
humans were the only creatures that used tools. Goodall repeatedly observed chimps searching for "the perfect twig",
then stripping it of leaves, and patiently dipping and withdrawing it into mounds to consume termites. Since then,
other animals including birds have been observed using tools.
From: http://www.nndb.com/people/796/000023727/
3. Survey:
Imagine that you are in charge of the website Eharmony.com. You are hoping to increase
membership by convincing people that most people who use eharmony.com find their spouse.
You recruit a team of psychologists to design and distribute a survey that will get the results you
need. Who will you try to give the survey to? What questions might you ask?
4. Experiment: Little Albert experiment
John Watson and Rosalie Rayner conducted one of the most famous and controversial studies in psychology using an 11-month-old boy who came to be
known as Little Albert. With Little Albert, Watson demonstrated that many fears are conditioned through an association with other fearful situations.
Before the experiment, Little Albert was a normal baby who was afraid of loud noises but not much else. Little Albert loved playing with small animals
until Watson taught him to become afraid of a white rat by repeatedly banging a steel rod with a hammer whenever Albert was given a white rat to play
with. Little Albert’s fear generalized to other similar objects, such as Watson’s white hair and a Santa Claus mask. Watson clearly demonstrated that
fears could be conditioned, but his methods have been roundly criticized, especially since conditioning was never reversed.
From: http://www.neatorama.com/2007/06/26/3-famous-psychology-studies-that-would-be-illegal-today/