Advanced Placement Psychology

Fall 2009 Syllabus

Teacher Contact Information:   

Home = 384-9339       difranco.deb@gmail.com 

OPHS = 525-2511    ddifranco@mail.clay.k12.fl.us

2010 AP Psychology = Tuesday, May 11th at noon.

 

About AP Psychology:

            The College Board’s Advanced Placement Program first offered AP Psychology testing in 1992.  The test consists of 100 multiple-choice questions and two essays.  It is a timed test allowing 70 minutes for the multiple-choice section and 50 minutes to complete the two essays.  A score of 3 or above on the standardized test is necessary to earn college credit.  More competitive universities require a score of 4 or 5.

            This course will prepare you for AP testing and college-level course work in general.  It will be challenging and attempt to improve your critical thinking, writing technique, research skills, and metacognition while increasing your understanding of the scientific study of the mind and behavior. 

 

Textbook: 

          Myers, David  G. (2004).  Psychology.  New York:  Worth Publishers.

   Or     Myers, David G. (2007).  Psychology.  New York:  Worth Publishers.

Web Resource:

            www.difranco.net (Click on “AP Psych OPHS” under courses for my website).

 

Syllabus for Fall – 2009

 

First Quarter:

§  Prologue.  The Story of Psychology

§  Chapter 1.  Thinking Critically with Psychological Science

§  Chapter 2.  Neuroscience and Behavior

§  Chapter 3.  The Nature and Nurture of Behavior

§  Chapter 4.  The Developing Person

§  Chapter 5.  Sensation

 

Second Quarter:

§  Chapter 6.  Perception

§  Chapter 7.  States of Consciousness

§  Chapter 8.  Learning

§  Chapter 9.  Memory

§  Chapter 10.  Thinking and Language

§  Chapter 11.  Intelligence

Student Requirements: 

  • Students are expected to READ all assigned chapters and materials.
  • Each student will keep a 3-RING BINDER notebook to be submitted the day before each test.  Late notebooks will have a -5 point penalty.

      Included in the notebook:

      —The class syllabus will be the first page of the notebook.

      —Section 1 is for AP handouts and supplemental readings.

      —Section 2 is a dated class journal with notes from each day of class.  If absent,

          write Absent on the dated page and find out and list what you missed.  (You    

          will lose 2 participation points per absence or for days with no journal entry).

      —Section 3 is for your chapter outline.  All chapters must be outlined.   

         Partial outlines will receive only partial credit.  If outlines are typed they must

         be highlighted and initialed on each page to prove it is your original work.

      —Section 4 is for corrected  graded tests.    Half credit (1 point for a 2 point

          (question) will be awarded for finding the answer to missed multiple-choice

          questions and writing the page number from the book where this concept

          appears followed by a sentence to correct your answer.  This is extra-credit

          and while encouraged is not mandatory.

      —Section 5 is for your personal grade graph.  Graph your own grade, corrected

          grade, and class mean (listed on “Beat the Mean” board).

 

Testing:

  • There will be a test after every chapter.  Tests will mirror the AP Psychology format with multiple-choice and free-response or recall questions.
  • It is advised to take TESTS on scheduled test dates which will be posted on the side white board at least one week in advance.  Make-up tests must taken after school within one week.   Note:  There is no extra-credit on make-up tests.

 

Quarter Projects: 

§  First Quarter Project:   Psychology Magazine.  This is a group project

      (3 or 4 students) using a magazine format.  The project requires  

      creativity and the application of psychological concepts.  There will

      be a group grade and an individual grade.  Specific directions will follow.

§  Second Quarter Project:  Famous Experiments and People in Psychology.  This will be a partner project using research to describe an important psychological experiment and the scientists involved.  There will be an oral presentation.  Students must provide a picture of the scientist and his biography, a detailed description of the experiment using illustrations or demonstrations, and a discussion about the ethics of this experiment.

Grades:           Tests               =  70%

                   Notebook        =  30% (includes participation points)

                        TOTAL          = 100%

                                    Extra-credit   =  5 points for Chapter LINCS.

The Quarter Grade is the average of the chapter grades and one project grade.

      The Semester Grade is the average of the 2 quarter grades and the Semester Exam.