Millennium Brooklyn High School
237 Seventh Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11215
Telephone: (718) 832-4333
Fax: (718)-499-2126
www.millenniumbrooklynhs.org
Kevin Conway, Principal (I.A.)
Lindsey Baumgarten, Asst. Principal, Special Ed
Nigel Franklyn, Asst. Principal of Organization
Course Title
Teacher(s)
Department
Credits
Semester
Meeting Time
Teacher Email
Class Website
Psychology
Ms. Syetta
Upper House Humanities
2
Fall-Spring
45 minutes per period / 4 times per week
tsyetta@millenniumbrooklynhs.org
http://www.syettapsychology.weebly.com
Course Description and Relevant Standards
During this year-long Psychology elective course, 12th graders will explore a myriad of themes and topics
essential to an introductory course offering. This course is taught with the emphasis on student participation.
Important topics of study include but are not limited to: research methods, developmental theories, stress and
conflict, the brain and nervous system, nature and nurture issues, maturation, emotion, perception, personality
theories and psychological disorders. It encompasses a broad area of research about human behavior,
information that should be available to all high school students who want to understand themselves and others
better. The goal of this course is to create active intellectual and emotional involvement by the student, not only
in learning about the science of psychology, but in life as well.
Course Objectives:.
1. Students will critically analyze the major theories in the field of psychology. They will define, recognize,
and incorporate psychological terms into their daily vocabulary.
2. Students will learn psychological research methods. They will practice these research skills by
completing several independent research projects.
3. Students will become familiar with various psychological experiments and assess how psychologists
answered questions through experiments, case studies, self-reports, and surveys.
4. Students will develop critical thinking skills through the incorporation and discussion of various
controversial topics in the field of psychology.
Classroom Expectations:
Throughout the year, I have high expectations of you and your ability to conduct yourself exceptionally. To that
end, I ask that you follow these basic rules:
1. Treat everyone in the classroom with respect. No insults, name calling, profanity, or derogatory words
2. Bring all materials, as required, and be prepared for class with all homework and assignments
3. Refrain from speaking out while others are addressing the class. You may disagree with an idea or
opinion, but you must do so politely.
4. Arrive to class on time and be seated when the bell rings, ready to go
5. In the event that a student misses a class, it is the student’s responsibility to determine what he or she
missed
Millennium Brooklyn High School
237 Seventh Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11215
Telephone: (718) 832-4333
Fax: (718)-499-2126
www.millenniumbrooklynhs.org
Kevin Conway, Principal (I.A.)
Lindsey Baumgarten, Asst. Principal, Special Ed
Nigel Franklyn, Asst. Principal of Organization
6. Electronics may NOT be used in the classroom during scheduled instructional time unless teacher
directed as a planned part of lesson or learning activity
Unit
Unit 1: History and
Approaches
Essential Question(s)
How has psychology developed throughout history?
Why is psychology considered a science?
Unit 2: Research Methods
How do scientists conduct scientific research?
Why is it essential to follow a code of ethics?
How do psychologists draw appropriate conclusions about behavior from
research?
How does neural communication impact the body?
How do biological processes relate to behavior?
How do the five senses receive and translate signals to the brain for processing?
How does each of the senses affect behavior?
How do sensation and perception differ?
How do psychologists define consciousness?
How does lack of sleep affect behavior?
How do psychologists define learning?
How do principles of operant conditioning work to create learning?
How do principles of classical conditioning work to create learning?
How do humans think?
How do humans encode, store and retrieve information from memory?
How can one increase their motivation to behave in various ways?
What role do emotions play in behavior?
Unit 3: Neuroscience
Unit 4: Sensation and
Perception
Unit 5: States of
Consciousness
Unit 6: Learning
Unit 7: Cognition
Unit 8: Motivation and
Emotion
Unit 9: Developmental
Psychology
Unit 10: Personality
Unit 11: Abnormal
Psychology and Treatment
How do people grow and develop physically throughout their lifetime?
How do people grow and develop socially throughout their lifetime?
How do people grow and develop intellectually throughout their lifetime?
How do psychologists define and study personality?
How do psychologists measure and define abnormal behavior?
How are the various psychological disorders identified and defined?
Millennium Brooklyn High School
237 Seventh Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11215
Telephone: (718) 832-4333
Fax: (718)-499-2126
www.millenniumbrooklynhs.org
Kevin Conway, Principal (I.A.)
Lindsey Baumgarten, Asst. Principal, Special Ed
Nigel Franklyn, Asst. Principal of Organization
Required Materials
1 1/2 “ Three-ring Binder
Blank Subject Divider Tabs
College-Ruled Loose Leaf Paper
Pens (Blue or Black)
Texts, Media, and Resources
Textbook:
Psychology
Supplemental Materials:
Crash Course Psychology
Various articles and videos relevant to the topics
discussed in class
Grading Policy
Grading:
Percentages:
* HOMEWORK – 20 %
* CLASSWORK & PARTICIPATION – 20 %
* EXAMS & QUIZZES – 30 % [Correct tests for half credit]
* PROJECTS (Essays, Presentations) – 30 %
Homework:
Late homework will not be accepted.
Absence and Lateness:
If you are absent, you have one day to make up any missing assignments. It is the student's responsibility to
find out what assignments and notes they missed and make them up in a timely manner.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism:
 Academic integrity is of paramount importance. Actions have consequences!
 Cut and paste is considered plagiarism. Always cite your resources.
 It is okay to ask someone for their reasoning methods, but it is not okay to copy their work. When in
doubt, cite it.
 Any cheating that occurs is a zero on the assignment, and a parent phone call.
Millennium Brooklyn High School
237 Seventh Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11215
Telephone: (718) 832-4333
Fax: (718)-499-2126
www.millenniumbrooklynhs.org
Kevin Conway, Principal (I.A.)
Lindsey Baumgarten, Asst. Principal, Special Ed
Nigel Franklyn, Asst. Principal of Organization
Psychology Student-Parent Information and Syllabus Agreement Form
For students:
I have read the syllabus, and I agree to abide by the classroom policies.
Student Name:________________________________________
Student Signature:_____________________________________
For parents:
By signing below, you acknowledge that you have reviewed the syllabus with your child and are
aware of the class policies.
Parent/Guardian Printed Name:_______________________________________________
Parent/Guardian Signature:___________________________________________________
Preferred e-mail for contact:___________________________________________________
Preferred phone number for contact:___________________________________________