AP Psychology
Ms. Marquardt
2014-2015
Contact Info: The best way to get in touch with me is by email at elizabetha.marquardt@cms.k12.nc.us.
Please do not hesitate to ask questions, raise concerns, or request missed assignments at any time.
Website:
My wiki page is elizabethmarquardt.cmswiki.wikispaces.net/. I will post assignments, useful links, and
occasionally notes here.
Introduction and Goals
AP Psychology is a college-level course in introductory psychology. It will introduce you to the
systematic and scientific study of the behavior and mental processes of human beings. You will be exposed to
the psychological facts, principals, and phenomena associated with each of the major sub fields within
psychology. You will also learn about the methods psychologists use to explore the processes involved in
normal and abnormal perceptions, thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
This class is year-long on either A or B day. The AP Psychology test will be on May 4, 2015. The test
will be paid for by CMS and all students enrolled in the class are required to take it. If you do not take the AP
exam, you will take a teacher-made final exam that will count for 25% of your final grade.
Course Outline (subject to change)
1st Quarter
Unit I: History and Approaches
Unit II: Research Methods
Unit III: Biopsychology
Unit IV: Sensation and Perception
2nd Quarter
Unit V: States of Consciousness
Unit VI: Learning Theory
Unit VII: Cognition and Memory
Unit VIII: Intelligence and Testing
Midterm (cumulative)
3rd Quarter
Unit IX: Motivation and Emotion
Unit X: Life Span Development
Unit XI: Personality Theory
Unit XII: Abnormal Psychology
4th Quarter
Unit XIII: Therapy and Treatment
Unit XIV: Social Psychology
Review
Materials
● Psychology for AP, 1st edition (Meyers)
o Provided by CMS, available both in print and online
● Barron’s AP Psychology
o You are required to obtain only the book, not the book and CD package. There will be required
readings from this book. If purchasing this study guide presents a hardship to you, please let me
know immediately and one will be provided for you.
● Supplies for note taking
o You will want to have a way to keep and organize all of your class notes, homework, handouts,
and returned assignments for the entire year.
Assignments/Workload
We will have 14 units in this class and the end-of-year review. Each unit will culminate in a unit test.
There will also be periodic vocabulary quiz and frequent reading assignments. One project will be assigned
each quarter.
I cannot stress enough that this is a college level class. You should be prepared to spend at least an hour
outside of class for each class meeting reading, completing assignments, and studying. It is highly
recommended that you go over your notes from class each day that they are taken. Studying like this
throughout the year will significantly increase your preparedness for the AP exam and result in less stress at the
end of the year.
Grading
In this class, each assignment will be worth a variable number of points based on the amount of work
required. For example, tests will generally be worth 80 to100 points while quizzes and homework assignments
will generally be worth 10 to 25 points. At the end of the quarter, your grade will be determined by the
percentage of possible points that you earned.
For an A, you must earn at least 93% of the possible points.
For a B, you must earn at least 85% of the possible points.
For a C, you must earn at least 77% of the possible points.
For a D, you must earn at least 70% of the possible points.
There will be no extra credit given in this class.
Tutoring:
I will be available for tutoring every Monday and Thursday after school until 3:30 and most mornings by
appointment. Please let me know if you intend to come. I am often available other afternoons by appointment.
Tutoring is a good opportunity to get help if you’re struggling with something, but it can also be a good time to
make up missed work or even to do homework if you have a lot of distractions at home.
Make-Up Work:
Students will have five school days from the day they return to class to turn in missed assignments and
to make up tests. Tests must be made up before or after school. If you are in class on the day of a test you will
take the test unless you have made prior arrangements in writing with your instructor. Missed quizzes will be
taken on the next test day.
It is your responsibility to get your missed assignments and any notes/handouts from me, your
classmates, or my wiki page. It is also your responsibility to make arrangements to take missed tests and
quizzes.
Late Work:
When work is due on a day that a student has an excused absence the work will be accepted within five
school days of the student’s return to class with no penalty. In the event that a student is in class on the due date
and does not turn in the work on time, the work will be accepted later at half credit. Online reading assignments
will be docked one point if they are completed after the deadline.
Behavior Guidelines
The majority of student in this classroom are here to learn, and that can be difficult when students are
behaving inappropriately. You are expected to actively participate in class by taking notes, paying attention,
working in groups, and contributing your questions and opinions when appropriate. Any behavior that detracts
from anyone’s participation, including sleeping, cell phone use, talking out of turn, or distracting others from
lecture or group work, is not allowed.
As an AP student, it is essential that you do your own work in order to benefit from the assignments.
Copying from a classmate, website, or other source is cheating, which will result in a referral and a zero for the
assignment.
Signature: Please visit my wiki page to fill out the Student Information Form and to submit an electronic
signature. Thank you!
I have read the syllabus for Ms. Marquardt’s AP Psychology class and agree to the procedures and expectations
outlined there. I am aware that it is my responsibility to keep up with my own grades and assignments using the
tools (website, Power School, etc) described in the syllabus.
Student signature ________________________________________________
Date_________
Parent signature _________________________________________________
Date_________
Parent contact information (please print clearly):
Active email ______________________________________________________
Preferred phone number ___________________________ Type of phone: cell
home
work
Is there anything I should know about you as a student (such as a medical condition that I should be aware of)?
Do you have any concerns as we start the school year?