Department of Child and Family Development
CFD 270 Human Development Across the Life Span
Fall 2015
Instructor Contact Information
Instructor: Hsing-chen Tung, Ed. D.
Office: EBA 401
Office hours:
 Tuesday 1:40pm – 2:50pm (By appointments only)
 Thursday 10am – 10:40am (Walk in okay)
Phone: 619 594-4445
Email: htung@mail.sdsu.edu
The best way to contact the instructor is through Email. Please put the course number and
your name in the email subject line. Emails are normally replied within 48 hours during
weekdays. Students may also call during the walk-in office hour.
Section and Enrollment Information
Class meeting: Tuesday & Thursday 11am-12:15pm
Class location: AH 4131
Schedule number: 20604
Course prerequisites:
 Completion of Psy 101 with D- or better.
 Credit or concurrent enrollment in CFD 270L for CFD majors and minors
Enrollment and crashing policies:
 Students will be dropped from the class if transcripts are not received by
Tuesday 8/25. Unofficial SDSU Transcripts are available at www.sdsu.edu/eservices. Highlight or circle the information that needs to be checked by the
instructor: your name and major, PSY101, and CFD 270/Psy 230/TE 170.
You may submit either a hard copy or an electronic copy of your transcripts. To submit
the electronic copy of your Degree Audit Report (or transcripts), first copy and paste it
into a document file. Then click on “Submit Prerequisites Here” on the side bar after you
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log into Blackboard. Then click on “View/Complete” and type your name. The
submission title can be your name. Then you will browse your computer to attach the
DAR or transcript file.

This course is not open to students with credit in CFD 170, General Studies 130,
Psychology 230, or TE170.
Course Description
This course introduces human development across the lifespan focusing on the three major
domains: physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional. Major theories and research in human
development will be discussed and linked to practical concerns and issues. The interacting
contributions of heredity and environment on various aspects of human development are
analyzed. The bidirectional influences between the individual’s characteristics and the
different levels of social contexts on human development are examined. Developmental
patterns among various cultural and ethnic groups are compared and contrasted for
similarities and differences. Students will be guided to construct their own meaningful
human development knowledge through in-class discussions and the term paper when
they contemplate on the development of their own and those around them.
Student Learning Outcomes
The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the National
Council on Family Relations (NCFR), and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher
Education (NCATE) have provided standards for preparing practitioners working with
children and families. This course utilizes these standards in identifying course
goals/objectives and course instructional activities, assigning course requirements, and
creating assessments. The following table identifies how these standards are aligned with
the Student Learning Objectives for the course, as well as with each course assessment.
Visit the following Web sites for detailed listings of standards:
NAEYC Initial Licensure Standards: http://www.naeyc.org/positionstatements/ppp
NCFR Content Areas: www.ncfr.org/pdf/cfle_cert/FLE_Substance_Areas.pdf
NCATE Unit Standards:
http://www.ncate.org/Standards/NCATEUnitStandards/UnitStandardsinEffect2008/tabid
/476/Default.aspx
Student Learning Objectives
Assessment
Standards
Demonstrate an understanding of
activities & quizzes
NAEYC: 1, 4a, 5
physical, cognitive, and socio3 exams
NCFR: 1-10
emotional development across the
1 term paper
NCATE: 1
lifespan
Articulate/Recognize the main
activities
NAEYC: 5
ideas in the major developmental
3 exams
NCFR: 1-9
theories and research in human
1 term paper
NCATE: 1
development
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3
Acknowledge the interacting
contribution of heredity and
environment on human
development
activities & quizzes
NAEYC: 1, 2
3 exams
NCFR: 1-9
1 term paper
NCATE: 1
Discuss/Recognize the major
similarities and differences in the
developmental patterns among
various cultural and ethnic groups
activities & quizzes
NAEYC: 1, 2, 5
3 exams
NCFR: 1-9
1 term paper
NCATE: 1, 4
Apply the knowledge of human
development to real life situations
activities
NAEYC: 1, 5
3 exams
NCFR: 1-10
1 term paper
NCATE: 1, 4
CFD Departmental Goals this Course Meets:
Goal #1: Students know and understand typical and atypical development characteristics
and needs across the lifespan.
Goal #2: Students know and understand family dynamics and interaction across the
lifespan.
Goal #4: Students demonstrate in-depth, critical knowledge of theory relevant to the child
and family development profession.
Goal #5: Students possess high-level communication skills.
Goal #6: Students demonstrate a high level of cultural competence.
Course Materials
Required text: (You will be reminded to bring the textbook to class a few times.)
Berk, L. E. (2014). Development through the lifespan (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
(ISBN: 978-0-205-95845-0)
Recommended text:
American Psychological Association (2010). Publication manual of the American
Psychological Association (6th ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychological
Association. (ISBN10: 1-4338-0561-8; This text can be purchased online for about
$20.)
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Assessment and Grading
Assignments and Exams
Required assignments
Points
possible
The three exams will be multiple-choice questions. The exams are not cumulative.
Each exam will cover information from lectures and the required readings.
180 (60
points
each)
Be on time for the exam. If you are late for the exam and a student has already
finished it and left the classroom, you will receive a zero for the exam.
No exam will be given to students before the scheduled exam time. Contact the
professor before the test for any special arrangements that are necessary. A make-up
exam will not be given except in the event of extraordinary circumstances beyond
the control of the student (e.g. severe illness or death in the family). In such
situations, a written documentation by an appropriate professional must be
provided.
There is one required term paper, My Autobiography: Self-Analysis of Development.
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points
In-class quizzes/activities (unannounced):
66
The activities and quizzes are unscheduled and will serve as participation points.
Several times throughout the semester, students will participate in activities and
some quick, low stakes quizzes during class. Each quiz will be about the foundational
material from the reading of the day, and will mostly start at the beginning of the
class. Students who come in late will not be able to make up for the quiz unless
documentation is provided. We will go by the classroom clock. Any accommodations
needed should be brought to the professor’s attention within two weeks after the
semester starts.
The in-class activities will deepen your understanding of the important course
concepts and allow you to apply the course knowledge to real life situations. You will
be guided to construct relevant human development knowledge when you reflect
with your group members on the life experiences of your own or of the people
around you.
TOTAL
300
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Final Grades
Please be advised that we do not round up for the final grade (e.g., 79.5% to be round up to B-).
Final grades will be based on the total points earned. How the total points are converted into
the final grades is as what follows:
278-300 pts. = A
269-277 pts. = A-
260-268 pts. = B+
248-259 pts. = B
239-247 pts. = B-
230-238 pts. = C+
218-229 pts. = C
209-217 pts. = C-
200-208 pts. = D+
188-199 pts. = D
179-187 pts. = D-
below 179 pts. = F
Grading Policies

Papers must be turned in AT THE BEGINNING OF THE CLASS ON THE DAY THEY ARE
DUE. Both the hard copy and the Turnitin copy need to be on time. 10 minutes into
class, assignments are considered late. An assignment will receive a reduction of 20
points for being late each week.

Assignments delivered via E-mail are not accepted. However, if you are not able to
turn in your assignments during class because of extraordinary circumstances, your
Turn-It-In copy still needs to be submitted by the time it is due, and you need bring a
hard copy of the assignment and a documentation signed by a professional by the next
class. After verification of your circumstances, your assignments will then be
considered on time. Email the instructor immediately to explain about your
extraordinary circumstances!

Students must write their own names on the in-class activity sheets. Students who
arrive 15 minutes late (by classroom clock) to class may not write their names on the
activity sheets. Likewise, students who leave class early, after completing the activity,
will not receive credit. An in-class assignment/quiz needs to be handed in right after it
is finished for credit. Falsification will result in no credit for the activity, plus 8-point
deduction in the course score.

An attempt to correct any error in the posted grades would not be honored if it has
been two weeks since the points were earned. Within a week (or two) after points
are earned, grades will be posted on Blackboard. Please monitor your own progress and
contact the instructor immediately if you suspect any error.

Missed in-class assignments must be made up within two weeks after your absence. A
written documentation signed by an appropriate professional is needed to make up an
in-class assignment. Each student is allowed only one absence for the semester and may
make up that missed in-class assignment without documentation.
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CFD 270 Course Activities and Schedule
Week/Date
1
8/25
Topics
Introduction of Course
Reading
Syllabus
* Due: Proof of prerequisites
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
8/27
History, Theory, and Research Strategies
Ch. 1
9/1
Genetic & Environmental Foundations
pp. 44-53
9/3
Genetic & Environmental Foundations
pp. 53-77
9/8
Prenatal Development, Birth, & the Newborn
Ch. 3
9/10
Physical Development in Infancy & Toddlerhood
Ch. 4
9/15
Cognitive Development in Infancy & Toddlerhood
Ch. 5
9/17
Instructions of Term Paper (Bring guidelines & textbooks)
9/22
Emotional & Social Development in Infancy & Toddlerhood
9/24
Review for Exam #1
9/29
Exam #1 (Ch. 1-6)
10/1
Physical & Cognitive Development in Early Childhood
Ch. 7
10/6
Emotional & Social Development in Early Childhood
Ch. 8
10/8
Physical & Cognitive Development in Middle Childhood
Ch. 9
10/13
Emotional & Social Development in Middle Childhood
Ch. 10
10/15
Physical & Cognitive Development in Adolescence
pp. 360-380
10/20
Physical & Cognitive Development in Adolescence
pp. 380-399
10/22
Eomotional & Social Development in Adolescence
Ch. 12
10/27
Instruction of APA Style Writing and Citation -- bring APA Manual,
or print APA booklets posted on Blackboard; Review for Exam #2
10/29
Exam #2 (Ch. 7-12)
11/3
Physical & Cognitive Development in Early Adulthood
Ch. 13
11/5
Emotional and Social Development in Early Adulthood
pp. 462-478
11/10
Emotional and Social Development in Early Adulthood
pp. 478-499
11/12
Physical and Cognitive Development in Middle Adulthood
Ch. 15
Ch. 6
Paper due
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7
13
14
15
16
17
11/17
Emotional & Social Development in Middle Adulthood
pp. 530-545
11/19
Emotional & Social Development in Middle Adulthood
pp. 545-561
11/24
Physical & Cognitive Development in Late Adulthood
Ch. 17
11/26
No class - Thankgiving
12/1
Emotional & Social Development in Late Adulthood
pp. 602-620
12/3
Emotional & Social Development in Late Adulthood
pp. 620-637
12/8
Death, Dying, & Bereavement
Ch. 19
12/10
Review for Exam #3
12/15
Final Exam (Ch. 13-19) on Tuesday 10:30am-12:30pm
Course Assignments
One Term Paper
In the term paper, you will analyze the important factors shaping your development by
using the theories and research from the textbook as support. Instructions will be posted
on Blackboard as well as discussed in class.
Course Policies and Expectations


Arrive on time and stay for the duration of the class. Participation in class, including
listening, taking notes, and speaking up. Attendance and class participation are
expected and directly correlated to grade.
Completion of readings on time, which helps you understand lectures better and earn
good scores on quizzes and exams

Completion of assignments on time, which ensures that you avoid late assignment
penalty

Be present for detailed instructions for the term paper and for APA style writing

Download and print out the PowerPoint slide presentation for each lecture. The slides
will be posted on Blackboard a few days before each lecture.

College-level quality writing: legible and proofread. An assignment will be returned to
you prior to grading if it is difficult to read. In most cases, your assignments will then be
late and you will lose points. Consider using the free Mentoring Services provided by
the CFD department to improve your writing if necessary. The application form is
posted under “course documents” on Blackboard. You can also make an appointment at
the Writing Center of the university at http://writingcenter.sdsu.edu/.

Conduct of integrity: Plagiarism is SIX or more words in succession borrowed from
another student’s work or published literature without quotation marks. Rephrasing
others’ ideas without citation is also plagiarism. Instances of cheating and plagiarism
will result in failure of the course and referral for disciplinary procedures.
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
Classroom etiquette: Turn off cell phones prior to class. Headsets and cell phones are
not allowed during class and the exams. Laptops are a great device for taking lecture
notes, but it is very disrespectful to be emailing and surfing the Internet during class.
Please refrain from chatting and other inappropriate behaviors during class. Points will
be deducted for such behaviors.

The course syllabus, announcements, and course documents will be posted on
Blackboard. Announcements might also be sent via Email. It is recommended that
students provide an SDSU Rohan student Email account for Blackboard and check for
course communication on a regular basis.
 Student Work Samples: Your work, without the name, may be selected by the
instructor to keep on file. The work that is selected will be used solely for the purposes
of evaluation from higher education accreditation institutions (e.g., NAEYC, NCATE).
 Guidelines for Turnitin.com: Students agree that by taking this course all required
papers may be subject to submission for textual similarity review to Turnitin.com for
the detection of plagiarism. All submitted papers will be included as source documents
in the Turnitin.com reference database solely for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of
such papers. You may submit your papers in such a way that no identifying information
about you is included. Another option is that you may request, in writing, that your
papers not be submitted to Turnitin.com. However, if you choose this option you will be
required to provide documentation to substantiate that the papers are your original
work and do not include any plagiarized material.
Teaching Methods
Human Development is a fascinating subject matter and the course is intended to be
relevant, meaningful, and inspirational! The ultimate goal of the course is that you will be
ready to use the human development knowledge you have acquired right after you finish it,
and develop the habit to continue learning about yourself and from people around you.
Multimedia, such as videos and photos of children and families in action, will be shown to
illustrate developmental characteristics/issues. Lectures and demonstrations will be used
often to introduce the course concepts. During the lectures, whole group discussions will
also take place. Your thoughts and comments are welcomed, and your practical knowledge
gained from working with people of different ages will certainly enrich our discussions.
During class, students will often be working on independent and group activities and
answering questions when lectured concepts are applied, personal development is
reflected upon, knowledge is meaningfully constructed, and critical thinking is encouraged.
The aim of completing these activities is to hone understanding so that you will not only do
well on all other graded work you will submit, but also gain practice on applying
knowledge to real-life situations.
Student Computer Help Line: (619) 594-6134
Student Blackboard Support: scc@rohan.sdsu.edu
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Student Disability Services (http://www.sa.sdsu.edu/sds/)
If you are a student with a disability and believe you will need accommodations for this
class, it is your responsibility to contact Student Disability Services at (619) 594-6473. To
avoid any delay in the receipt of your accommodations, you should contact Student
Disability Services as soon as possible. Please note that accommodations are not
retroactive, and that I cannot provide accommodations based upon disability until I have
received an accommodation letter from Student Disability Services. Your cooperation is
appreciated.
Absence from a Class
The course schedule is subject to change. Changes made will be announced in class. It is the
student’s responsibility to find out about the changes from your classmates or the
instructor if you are absent from a class. Students need to borrow the detailed notes from
their classmates after being absent.
Below please write down the names, phone numbers and emails of three classmates whom
you could call to borrow notes after your absence.
1.
2.
3.
To be enrolled in CFD 270, I have read and accept the policies and terms as herein stated.
___________________________________________
Student Signature
__________________________
Date
 Keep this page for yourself.
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