Course Overview: Human development is an amazing process that begins at conception and continues over the life course. This class provides an introduction to the fundamentals of children’s physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development, from the prenatal period through adolescence. We will use a scientific framework to guide our study of how children develop. Students are expected to acquire a basic understanding of how factors within the child, family, and broader society shape the process of development, and we will focus in detail on several key issues facing children in our society today.
Prerequisite: PSYC 101 (PSYC 10) – General Psychology.
Course Website: A Blackboard website will be maintained for this course
(http://blackboard.unc.edu). Enter your onyen and password to access the system.
Text: Hetherington, Parke, Gauvain, & Locke (2006). Child Psychology: A
Contemporary Viewpoint (sixth edition). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill. Please note that older versions of the book are floating around, but BE SURE to get the 6 th edition. Older versions cannot be used, the content has changed.
Other Required Readings : Additional required readings will be posted on Blackboard.
Grades: Grades for this class will be determined using the following criteria:
Exam 1
Exam 2
Exam 3 (final)
Research Paper
Assignments:
100 points
100 points
100 points
50 points
50 points
400
Service Learning : There is an optional service learning opportunity for this class through the APPLES program. Students interested in volunteer internships (3-5 hours per week) may register for this option. This is a good option for students wishing for more direct experience working with children and/or adolescents. Only a limited number of internship placements are available, so APPLES may not be able to include everyone.
If you sign up, you will earn an additional hour of course credit, which will be listed as
PSYC 294. Placements will be made on first-come, first-served basis. TA Tanee
Hudgens will manage this aspect of the class so please contact her if you have any questions.
Exams : Each exam is worth 100 points. Exams contain multiple choice questions and short answer essay questions. The final exam is not cumulative, it will focus only on the last unit of material.
Make-up exams: No make-ups for Exam 1 or Exam 2 will be given unless there is a medical or family emergency that can be documented.
For medical or family emergencies, you will need a note from a doctor

that explains your inability to take the exam. I suggest you contact your academic dean if there is an emergency situation that results in you missing exams – death in the family, serious accident, etc. If you miss an exam because of an emergency, contact the instructor by email or leave a phone message in the office BEFORE the exam, if possible. If you have a legitimate and documented emergency, see Dr. Taylor to make arrangements for the missed exam. The instructor reserves the right to deduct points for lateness on make-up exams and there is no guarantee that a make-up exam will be given. In accordance with university policy, no make-ups will be given for the final exam. As noted in the UNC undergraduate Bulletin: "When students are unable, for reasons clearly beyond their control, to take a final examination at the scheduled time, they can be excused only by the director of Student
Health Service or their academic dean". Our class is very large and therefore we will rigorously adhere to this make-up exam policy.
Assignments : Several assignments will be given. Some may be take-home assignments, others may be closed book, in-class assignments. Hard copies of all assignments are due in class (do not email the assignments). Late assignments will not be accepted. If you know you will miss an assignment, please email your TA at least 24 hours in advance and a make-up will be considered (Dr. Taylor will make decisions about giving make-up assignments). If you miss an assignment because of an unexcused absence, you may not make it up and will lose the points for that assignment.
All assignments should be typed and be sure to include your name and student ID number.
Research Paper : Each student will write a 6-page research paper on a topic of interest.
Specific instructions for this paper will be provided later. Students must have their topics approved. This assignment is worth 50 points and is due at the start of class on
Tuesday, November 20th, 2007. If your paper is turned in late on this date (anytime after the papers are collected in class), 15 points will be deducted. Absolutely no papers will be accepted after 5pm on Nov. 20th, so print yours early to avoid mishaps!
Attendance and Courtesy : Please make an effort to attend every class and be punctual. Lateness is distracting to other students and the instructor so please arrive on time. PLEASE turn cell phones OFF!!!! Also, it is distracting to IM in class. Use your computers for class-related work during lectures.
Office hours : Stop by anytime during my office hours (Wednesdays 1:30 -3:00pm), no need to make an appointment. If my office hours do not work for you, email me anytime and schedule an appointment. Please do not attempt to meet with me right before class, since I won’t be able to give you my full attention. Feel free to see your TA during his/her office hours, too, if necessary (office hours are listed at the top of the syllabus and are posted on the webpage).
Honor Code : The Honor Code is in effect in this class and at all others at the
University. I am committed to treating the Honor Code violations seriously and urge all students to become familiar with its terms set out at http://honor.unc.edu
. If you have questions, it is your responsibility to ask me about the Code’s application. All exams, written work, and other projects must be submitted with a written statement that you

have complied with the requirements of the Honor Code in all aspects of the submitted work.
Example Schedule of Readings and Assignments
TUESDAY THURSDAY
8/21
Introduction to PSYC 250
8/28
Ch. 2: Heredity and Environments
8/23
Ch. 1 – Themes, Theories, & Methods
Assignment: YOU (not graded)
9/04
Ch. 3: Prenatal Development and Birth
9/11
Ch. 4 con’t.
Research Paper Instructions
8/30
Ch. 2, con’t.
Assignment #1: Fragile X
9/06
Ch. 4: Infancy - Sensation, Perception,
& Learning
9/13
Ch. 5: Growth
Assignment #2: Motor Development
9/18
Ch. 5, con’t.
9/25
Ch. 6: Emotional Development and
Attachment
10/02
Ch. 6 con’t.
Research Paper Topics Due
10/09
Ch. 7: con’t.
9/20
9/27
Ch. 6, con’t.
10/04
Exam 1
Ch. 7: Language
10/16
Ch. 8: Cognitive Development – Piaget and Vygotsky
10/23
Ch. 8, con’t.
10/30:
Ch. 10: Intelligence and Achievement.
10/11
Ch. 7 con’t.
Assignment #3: Genie
10/18
NO CLASS
Happy Fall Break! ☺
10/25
Ch. 9: Cognitive Development – The IP
Approach
11/01
Ch. 10, con’t.

11/06
11/13
Ch. 11, con’t.
Exam 2
11/20
Peers and Friends: Ethnic / Racial
Identity Development
Research Papers Due
11/27
Ch. 14: Morality, Altruism, and
Aggression
12/04
Ch. 15, con’t. (last class)
Tuesday, Dec. 11 th
, 12noon
Final Exam
Assignment #4: Achievement
11/08
Ch. 11: The Family
11/15
Ch. 12: Peers and Friends
Assignment #4: Peers
11/22
NO CLASS
Happy Thanksgiving ! ☺
11/29
Ch.15: Developmental
Psychopathology
Assignment #5: Behavior Problems