School District: Bremen School District 228
Department: Social Studies
Course: Psychology
Unit #/Title: Introduction to Psychology
Grade Level: 11th , 12th
Topic Area: Research
Time Frame: 2-3 weeks
Date Created: 2006
Date Modified: 2010-11
Unit Designers: Eric Mollin, Jodie Hausken, Jim Curtin, Robert Reiser, Steve Kushner
Stage 1 – Desired Results: Begin with the end in mind by identifying what students should
know and be able to do.
Content Standard(s):
18.B-Understand social systems, with an emphasis on the United States
18.B- Understand the roles and interactions of individuals and groups in society
18.C- Understand how social systems develop over time
Summary of the Unit:
Unit 1 will cover the introduction to psychology and basic research methods that
psychologists use.
Enduring Understanding(s) / goal(s)
Students will understand:
Psychology is the social science that focuses
on the scientific study of behavior and
mental processes.
There are six modern approaches to the
study of psychology.
Psychological uses the scientific method to
gather empirical data.
There are many different professional areas
of study in psychology.
Essential Questions:
1. Explanation: What are the steps of the
scientific method?
2. Interpretation: How can behavior be
interpreted using the modern
approaches to psychology?
3. Application: How can the modern
approaches to psychology be used to
analyze a case study?
4. Perspective: How can ethnicity, race,
and/or gender affect behavior?
5. Empathy: What would it be like to be a
clinical psychologist?
6. Self-knowledge: How can a student
explain his/her own behavior using
each of the modern approaches?
Key Words:
Psychology, scientific method, naturalistic observation, surveys, structuralism,
functionalism, behavioral theory, biological theory, humanistic theory, cognitive theory,
sociocultural theory, psychoanalytic theory, pseudo-psychology, Carl Rogers, Sigmund
Freud, Abraham Maslow, B.F. Skinner
Student objectives (outcomes):
Students will be able to:
Apply modern approaches to case studies and real life situations.
Apply research methods and analyze experimental data.
Students will know:
clinical psychologist, counseling psychologist, organizational/industrial psychologist,
psychiatrist, developmental psychologist, psychobiological psychologist, environmental
psychologist, educational psychologist, forensic psychologist
Stage 2 – Assessment Evidence: Establish evidence of student understanding through
Performance Tasks and other assessments.
Performance Task (GRASP): Celebrity
Case Study
You are a psychologist applying an eclectic
approach to a case study on a celebrity.
Research that celebrity’s life in the computer
lab and write up a case study analysis from
multiple approaches to psychology.
Other Evidence:
Participation, research, class discussion,
presentation
Stage 3 – Learning Plan: Create learning experiences and instruction that promote student
understanding through the WHERETO process.
Learning Activities:
What sequence of teaching and learning experiences will equip students to develop and
demonstrate the desired understandings?
W = How will you ensure that all students know where they are headed in the unit, why they are
headed there, and how they will be evaluated?
Lesson plan objectives
Rubrics used as an assessment tool
UBD Stage I “Identifying Desired Results” provided for students
UBD Stage I “Identifying Desired Results” will be assessed as short answer, essay, unit test, etc
H = How will you hook students at the beginning of the unit? (Unit Specific)
Write out the question on the board: Why do people kill?
E = What events will help students experience and explore the big idea and questions in the unit?
How will you equip them with the needed skills and knowledge? (Unit Specific)
Bring in the Social Worker, Drug Counselor, and School Psychologist to discuss careers in
psychology
R = How will you cause students to reflect and rethink? How will you guide them in rehearsing,
revising, and refining their work?
Students will participate in class discussions, write journal entries, and take quizzes and selfcorrected assessments.
E = How will you help students to exhibit and self-evaluate their growing skills, knowledge, and
understanding throughout the unit? (Unit Specific)
Students will reflect upon their own behavior during this unit. They will be using class
discussion to analyze their behavior from the different approaches to psychology.
T = How will you tailor and otherwise personalize the learning plan to optimize the engagement
and effectiveness of ALL students, without compromising the goals of the unit?
Multiple intelligence research will be utilized in creating assessments
EPAS reading scores will assist teachers in tailoring instruction and assessment
Students will be given a variety of assessment choices
O = How will you organize and sequence the learning activities to optimize the engagement and
achievement of ALL students? (Unit Specific)
Students will first understand the six modern approaches to psychology. They will then practice
applying the approaches to explain behavior.