School District: Bremen School District 228
Department: Social Studies
Course: Psychology
Unit #4/Title: Personality
Grade Level: 11/12
Topic Area: Personality
Time Frame:
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
18.C
Summary of the Unit:
This unit will explore personality theories and personality testing.
Enduring Understanding(s) / goal(s)
Students will understand:
Personality is defined and measured through
various theories and tests.
Different personality theorists analyze
behavior using different schools of
psychology.
Essential Questions:
1. Explanation:
Explain the differences between the six main
personality theories.
2. Interpretation:
What is the meaning of personality?
3. Application:
How might a trait theorist help us to
understand changes in personality?
4. Perspective:
What are the strengths and weaknesses of the
psychoanalytic theory?
5. Empathy:
How might we reach an understanding about
the root cause of behavior in regards to
personality?
6. Self-knowledge:
How are my views about personality theories
shaped by my relationship with family and
friends?
Key Words:
Personality, Unconscious, Id, Ego, Superego, Defense Mechanisms, Carl Jung, Alfred Adler,
Sigmund Freud, B.F. Skinner, Humanism, Self-Actualization, Carl Rogers, Trait Theory
Student objectives (outcomes):
Students will be able to:
Apply personality theories to case studies and real life events.
Compare and contrast personality theories.
Interpret and analyze personality tests.
Students will know:
How defense mechanisms influence behavior.
How different personality theorists explain human behavior.
The impact traits have on explaining personality.
Stage 2 – Assessment Evidence: Establish evidence of student understanding through
Performance Tasks and other assessments.
Performance Task (GRASP): Defense
Mechanism Project
Other Evidence: Neo- Freudian principles
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?
Students will be asked to discuss several trait theories while using important key terms in
discussing the differences between each theory.
H = How will you hook students at the beginning of the unit? (Unit Specific)
Students will be given a personality test that asks them to explore their own personality traits.
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)
Students will be taking several personality tests throughout the unit.
R = How will you cause students to reflect and rethink? How will you guide them in rehearsing,
revising, and refining their work?
Students will have to analyze and evaluate their results of personality tests taken in class.
E = How will you help students to exhibit and self-evaluate their growing skills, knowledge, and
understanding throughout the unit? (Unit Specific)
Students will create questions for a personality test that reflect each important personality theory.
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 teaching strategies will be used throughout the unit to relay important information for
each personality theory.
O = How will you organize and sequence the learning activities to optimize the engagement and
achievement of ALL students? (Unit Specific)
Student will first be introduced to different personality theorists and then apply those ideas to
multiple case studies in real life.