AP Psychology Syllabus, Course Expectations, and Course Outline
Course: AP/UW Psychology
Instructor: Ms. Bridget Shee
Room: C130, HM Jackson High School
Office Hours: Daily: 2:00-2:30pm ,
Mondays until 5:00 or appointment.
Contact Information:
Phone Number: 425.385.7123
Email: bshee-anderson@everettsd.org
Course Web Site: here
Make sure you read all the way through this and click on the link at the end to fill out the
signature page.
I. Introduction
Students are exposed to each of the principles and phenomena in the discipline of Psychology. The field of
Psychology studies the most interesting, exciting, and complex of all things worth knowing: the human being.
In this course you will be introduced to the scientific study of the cognition and behavior processes of human
beings as well as other animals. The AP Psychology course provides the scope and level of academic
accomplishment expected in a college introductory psychology course. Success in this course depends on the
student’s interest in the subject as well as on his or her work ethic and motivation. Many highly motivated
students with less than outstanding academic records have successfully completed AP courses and have
obtained college credit.
My job is to facilitate as you work toward mastering the content and thinking required to do well on the AP
Psychology exam. You may enroll in the course simply because of your desire to learn about psychology and
are not required to take the AP Exam. You will, however, take a final which is set up exactly like the AP Exam
and will count as a significant portion of your grade.
Please understand from the onset a fact of paramount importance: the least important person in this
classroom is me ~ the instructor. Acting as a college student, you are expected to charge ahead on your own,
to seek, find, and internalize knowledge. In short, you must be the main agent in your educational process.
In this classroom, everyone is a teacher and everyone is a learner!
Keep in mind that this is a college-level curriculum therefore, a high standard of scholarship and dedication
will be required for success in this class.
AP Exam Date:
Monday, May 2nd @ 12 Noon. Exam cost is $91.00*
*Financial assistance available
Major areas covered on the examination are outlined below. Please notice the percentage of questions devoted
to each topic on the AP/UW Exam.
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AP Psychology Syllabus; H.M. Jackson High School
II. Course Requirements
You will need to bring these items to class daily:
1.5-subject Spiral bound notebook (or similar)- For Cornell Notes ,Warm-ups, and Journal Article Write-ups
2. Colored pencils/pens
3. No. 2 pencils and pens
4. Highlighters
5. Recommended: Index cards – for flashcards about 400 over the course of the class (not needed daily) or a
flashcard app.
III. Course Outline
Major areas covered on the examination are outlined below. This course is determined by the content that could
appear on the AP Exam.
 History and Approaches (2-4%)
 States of Consciousness (2-4%)
 Research Methods (6-8%)
 Stress, Coping, and Health
 Cognition (8-10%)
 Motivation and Emotion (7-9%)
 Biological Bases of Behavior (8—10%)
 Social Psychology (7-9%)
 Developmental Psychology (7-9%)
 Personality (6-8%)
 Learning (7-9%)
 Abnormal Psychology (7-9%)
 Sensation and Perception (7-9 %)
 Treatment of Psychological Disorders (5-7%)
 Testing and Individual Differences (5-7%)
IV. Textbook
Myers, D.G. (2007). Psychology: 8e. New York: Worth Publishers.
and/or
nd
Myers, D.G. (2014). Myers' Psychology for AP 2 Ed. New York: Worth Publishers.
Teacher provided study guides and supplemental materials.
V. Grading
Grades will be as follows: A = 93%, A- = 90%, B+ = 87%, B = 83%, B- = 80%, C+ = 77%, C = 73%, C- =70%,
D+ = 67%, D = 6o%, F = below 60%.
*Assignments earning a score of less than 60% will be marked incomplete and returned to the student for
revision. I EXPECT THE STUDENT TO COME IN AND REVISE THESE ASSIGNMENTS.
UW Grades are weighted as follows:
AP Grades are weighted as follows:
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Assessments, tests, quizzes, presentations ~50%
Practice Work ~ 20% (Cornells, HW, etc)
Final Exam~30%
Assessments, tests, quizzes, presentations ~80%
Practice Work ~20% (Cornells, HW, etc)
Any student scoring a 5 on the AP Exam — final grade will be converted to an A. Any student scoring a 4 on
the AP Exam - final grade will be converted to a B.
Grades are uploaded into LMS as soon as possible after being assessed. Please check grades online. You may
ask (nicely!) for clarification about assignments or student progress at any time.
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AP Psychology Syllabus; H.M. Jackson High School
VI. Exams
**The Exam Schedule is posted and available to students in September. Students are expected to be in class and
take exams on the day they are posted UNLESS students make arrangements in WRITING ahead of time with
the instructor. Students must notify the teacher of an absence BEFORE 7:30 am on the day of the exam. Tests
will be made up the Tuesday following the Exam after school and/or at the Instructor’s discretion.
The format for each exam will follow the AP Exam format: multiple choice and Free-Response Questions. For
the AP Exam, students must be prepared to recognize and recall vast amounts of information covered during the
course. So, in preparation for the AP Exam, course exams will be cumulative in nature; however, the emphasis
will be on the most recent unit of study. Test corrections are available and HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. If
high grades are important to your family, test corrections should be done.
Academic Integrity
Students are expected to behave as scholars in this class. Therefore, plagiarism and other forms of cheating will
NOT be tolerated. District policies will be followed for any violations.
VII. Researcher Notebook pages/Flash Cards
I require that you continue the work you began this summer, making your own researcher pages or set of flash
cards on researchers/studies covered in each unit, to help master the material. Prior students have said making a
set of vocabulary flashcards for each unit has also helped them tremendously. A vocabulary list for each chapter
is found at the end of each chapter. Include the page number for future review. An AP terms list is also on to my
website. All terms will not be covered in class; however, you will be responsible for knowing and
understanding every term on the list.
VIII. Assignments
All homework is posted on the AP calendar on Ms. Shee’s website. There is homework EVERY DAY. If you
know you will be busy, please do homework ahead of time. If no homework is posted, please review material
and go through your Psychology Review book. There will be random homework checks.. You are responsible
for your learning!
IX. Class Participation
In addition to demonstrations and class discussions, this course will also utilize group activities. One of the best
methods of learning and demonstrating that you have comprehended the material is through class participation.
Therefore, you MUST participate actively in this class. I strongly encourage you to ask questions when you feel
you do not understand something.
X. Grades
It is quite possible to do well in AP Psychology. However, it requires good study habits and continued notetaking. To ensure the best grade and a positive experience in class, students should:
1. Attend every day and participate in all activities.
2. Turn in all assignments/projects on-time .
3. Study for tests and attempt all test corrections
4. Maintain the study schedule on-line and take excellent notes (Cornell/color-coded).
5. Reflect and apply your knowledge in your own life and discuss ideas with classmates collaboratively.
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AP Psychology Syllabus; H.M. Jackson High School
XI. Classroom Behavior Expectations
This is a college classroom and you are expected to behave like adults and will be treated as such.
ATTENDANCE is crucial, expected and your own responsibility.
PARTICIPATION is crucial, expected and your own responsibility.
LEARNING is crucial, expected your own responsibility.
THE NORMS: These norms can make this optimal learning environment . . .
. . . A SAFE PLACE - Here the class comes first.
. . . A WORK PLACE — You are here to learn and I am here to teach every day.
. . . A GREAT PLACE — Let's have some fun and risk trust! Let's get into the learning zone.
XII. AP Psychology Classroom Wish List
As we work together to build the AP/UW Psychology curriculum and classroom experiments, any donations
would be greatly appreciated! The following materials are needed:
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Relaxation/Guided Imagery Music CDs
DSM-V
Copies of back issues of professional journals from any Psychology discipline
Brain-themed decorations or toys
5-senses items, Optical Illusions, Magic Eye Posters, Stereoscopes, 3-D Glasses
Mazes, Puzzle Books, Brain Teasers, IQ Tests
Growth Charts
Psychology related computer software for PC or MAC/Cool web resources
White Ping Pong Balls
Cheap Plastic Sunglass Lenses
Parents that are professionals in some area of Psychology to guest speak
Other???
REMEMBER: You are responsible for all work assigned! If you have difficulty understanding material
presented in class, I and other members of your class will do our best to aid you. Ultimately, it is your
responsibility to seek assistance.
Please download this form for your reference (you don’t need to print it for me) and click below to fill out
the form indicating that you and your parent/guardian have read and understand this.
Signature Form
(due by Friday the first week of class)
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AP Psychology Syllabus; H.M. Jackson High School