AP PSYCHOLOGY
ESSENTIAL UNIT 7 (E07)
(Developmental Psychology)
(JULY 2012)
Unit Statement: The student will learn how humans develop from conception to death,
with a focus on prenatal development, motor development, socialization, cognitive
development, adolescence and adulthood.
Essential Outcomes:
1. The Student Will discuss the interaction of nature and nurture (including cultural
variations) in the determination of behavior.
2. TSW explain the process of conception and gestation, includng factors that
influence successful fetal development (e.g., nutrition, illness, substance
abuse).
3. TSW discuss maturation of motor skills.
4. TSW describe the influence of temperament and other social factors on attachment
and appropriate socialization.
5. TSW explain the maturation of cognitive abilities (e.g., Piaget’s states, information
processing).
6. TSW compare and contrast models of moral development (e.g., Kohlberg,
Gilligan).
7. TSW discuss maturational challenges in adolescence, including related family
conflicts.
8. TSW characterize the development of decisions related to intimacy as people
mature.
9. TSW predict the physical and cognitive changes that emerge as people age,
including stepts that can be taken to maximize function.
10. TSW describe how sex and gender influence socialization and other aspects of
development.
11. TSW identify key contributors in developmental psychology (e.g., Mary
Ainsworth, Albert Bandura, Diana Baumrind, Erik Erikson, Sigjund Freud,
Carol Gilligan, harry Harlow, Lawrence Kohlberg, Konrad Lorenz, Jean
Piaget, Lev Vygotsky).
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QSI AP PSYCHOLOGY SEC E07
Copyright © 1988-2012
Materials:
Basic Resource:
Exploring Psychology In Modules, Modules 7-10
Experience Psychology, Chapter 8
Additional Resources:
Myers and/or King Powerpoint Presentations
Myers and/or King Testbanks
Videos identified in the Course Outcomes
Applicable Textbook website
Websites:
In addition to the websites identified in the Course Outcomes, the following websites may
be helpful.
1. King - The Science of Psychology
2. Myers 7e in Modules
3. HippoCampus Psychology - Homework Help
4. Course-notes for Psychology Psychology Home
5. Encyclopedia of Psychology - Psychology Websites
6. BBC News - How much can a baby understand?
7. Neural Exercises Boost the Aging Brain | Going Mental | Big Think
8. How Modern Life Affects the Brain | Going Mental | Big Think
9. A New Reason to Blame, or Thank, Your Mother | Smart Journalism. Real
Solutions. Miller-McCune.
10. Official Crayola Site - Free coloring pages, crafts, lesson plans, games and more
YouTube - Natalie Time Lapse: Birth to 10 years old in 1 minute 25 sec
11. Kohlberg Stages of Morality
12. GMU's Online Resources for Developmental Psychology
13. The Secret Life of the Brain
14. Stages of Pregnancy Pictures Slideshow: See the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Trimesters of
Mom & Baby on MedicineNet.com
15. Free Brain Age Game
Mandatory Assessments:
1. AP style multiple-choice exams must be used. The majority of the
questions should require students to use higher order thinking skills such as
synthesis and evaluation in which the student must combine knowledge and
skills across the unit.
2. Students must be required to complete the Examination Analysis form that
is contained as an attachment to the Course Outcomes. Students who have
taken the class report the value in helping them properly learn the TSWs.
3. Teacher generated or AP published free-response questions. Free response
questions can be taken directly from the AP Central site with rubrics
already created to use as an assessment tool.
Optional Assessments:
1. Create flash cards for the unit. Students have reported after the AP Exam
that they wish this was mandatory. Teachers may want to take this student
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QSI AP PSYCHOLOGY SEC E07
Copyright © 1988-2012
2.
3.
4.
5.
feedback into account in designing their teaching for this and all other
essential units.
Students present their approach to a free-response question to the class.
This holds students accountable demonstrating the ability to dissect freeresponse questions and for developing an outline to answer the question.
The focus is on students’ learning to answer the question asked.
Interview an older person (eMail and SKYPE OK) that the student knows
fairly well, with regard to their development over the lifespan. Create a
chart or timeline detailing the responses to this interview and then
“introduce” the person to the class in an oral report.
Using the supplemental reading, Dibs in Search of Self, have students write
about Dib’s developmental trajectory as well as that of his mother, father,
and sister. Allow for extrapolation, as the book does not reveal all and
students will need to make supported predictions to create a full profile.
If young children are available for replication studies of Piaget’s classic
findings, have students write a research plan (refer to EO 1) and conduct
actual studies. Be sure to obtain supervisor and parental permission before
any contact with minors. As a follow-up, introduce students to criticisms of
Piaget’s methodology and updates to Piaget’s conclusions. Have students
reflect upon this in light of their own experimental experiences.
Teacher to Teacher:
1. This unit is interesting to students if they can see the studies in action.
YouTube has many classic studies available for viewing. Two fun and
interesting factoids-- QSI has employed the grandson of the psychologist
who invented the visual cliff experiement as well as the person who moved
into B.F. Skinner’s home after he left the University of Minnesota.
2. One challenge to this unit is that it is highly subjective-- different theorists
had different theories of development. The past few units have been more
concrete and students may need reminders that much of psychology is
hypothesis, testing, research, and theory.
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QSI AP PSYCHOLOGY SEC E07
Copyright © 1988-2012