Advanced Placement Psychology Syllabus
2015-2016
COURSE PURPOSE: This course introduces students to the systematic and scientific
study of the behavior and mental processes of human beings
and other animals. Students will be exposed to the
psychological facts, principals and phenomena associated with
each of the major subfields within psychology. They will also
learn about the methods psychologists use to explore the
processes involved in normal and abnormal perceptions,
thoughts, feelings and actions.
COURSE OBJECTIVES AND GOALS:
1. Develop an understanding of the major core concepts and theories of
psychology.
2. Learn the basic skills of psychological research.
3. Apply psychological concepts to students own lives.
4. Develop critical thinking skills.
5. Build reading, writing and discussion skills.
6. Learn about the ethical standards governing the work of psychologists.
7. Demonstrate an understanding of the differences in individual and
group behavior.
8. To provide students with the rigor of a college –level course and prepare them for post-secondary study.
9. Prepare students to receive a score of 3 or better on the AP Psychology Exam in May 2016.
COURSE TEXTS:
Myers, David G. (2007) Psychology (8th ed.) New York: Worth Publishers.
** Our text has an accompanying web site which is an excellent resource for test preparation –http://bcs.worthpublishers.com/hspsych8e
The text is eight years old so handle with tender-loving care!!!
*** Mrs. Flynn updates her school website daily. All links to handouts and notes as well as email alerts will be available on Google Classroom by using the code t13q2nu
COURSE OUTLINE: The course will be divided into the following topic areas and
addressed in the following order. We will move at a relatively
fast pace and will stick to a tight schedule so we can cover all
the text material.
I) Prologue: The Story of Psychology,
II) Ch. 1 Thinking Critically with Psychological Science
III) Ch. 2 Neuroscience and Behavior.
IV) Ch. 3 The Nature and Nurture of Behavior
V) Ch. 4 The Developing Person.
VI) Ch. 5 Sensation, Ch. 6 Perception.
VII) Ch. 7 States of Consciousness
VIII) Ch. 8 Learning
IX) Ch. 9 Memory
SEMESTER #1 ENDS
X) Ch. 10 Thinking and Language
XI) Ch. 11 Intelligence.
XII) Ch. 12 Motivation and Work
XIII) Ch. 13 Emotion
XIV) Ch. 14 Stress and Health
XV) Ch. 15 Personality.
XVI) Ch. 16 Psychological disorders, Ch. 17 Therapy
XVII) Ch.18 Social Psychology
AP Exam (scheduled for Monday, May 2, 2016 at high noon!!)
XVIII) Final projects/Experiments/Activities
EVALUATION AND GRADING PROCEDURES:
· Tests/Quizzes/Projects 60%
· Writing assignments, assigned homework and proper participation in class activities 20%
· Chapter Vocabulary cards and Binder checks 15%
· Chapter Studyguides 5%
Because AP Psychology at Lancaster High School is a transcripted course for college-level credit at Southwest Technical College we must align our grading for the SWTC credit with their institutions grading scale. What this means is that there will be two grades that come from your work in AP Psych based on two different grading scales. You will notice from the scales below that SWTC does not use pluses or minuses in their scale. Also, there will only be ONE final grade placed on your SWTC transcript at the end of the year and it will be an average of the semester #1 and semester #2 final overall percentages. ABSOLUTELY ALL OFFICIAL LANCASTER HIGH SCHOOL TRANSCRIPT INFORMATION from AP Psych will be based on the following scale……
SCALE FOR LANCASTER HIGH SCHOOL GRADING:
A = 94 – 100 B- = 80 – 82 D+ = 67 – 69
A- = 90 – 93 C+ = 77 – 79 D = 63 – 66
B+ = 87 – 89 C = 73 – 76 D- = 60 – 62
B = 83 – 86 C- = 70 – 72 F = 0 – 59
SCALE FOR SWTC TRANSCRIPTED GRADING:
93-100 = A
85-92 = B
78-84 = C
67-77 = D
66 and below = F
COURSE POLICIES:
1. Respect, Responsibility and Accountability are the “keys” to success not only in this classroom, but in life as well. These “keys” will be expected from you and expect to receive them in return.
2. All due dates for tests, projects and assignments will be posted at least one week in advance. I also maintain a website at the following address which lists all assignments and much of the material covered in class. With all the technological advantages we have to relay information to students, attendance and maintaining due dates on all assigned work is still ESSENTIAL!! Work that is handed in late (not due to absences) will not be given credit. Remember you have until the end of the day to turn a due assignment unless told otherwise.
3. In case of absence, any assignment due should be made up given the number of days absent. One reminder will be given; after that make-up work not turned in on time will be given a zero.
4. If you are here for test review, but gone on the day of the test, you will be taking the test in class on the day you return during class time (unless the absence is an extensive one).
5. You will also be allowed to retake ONE test per semester. The test retake has stipulations and a test retake form must be completed and returned before the retake is officially scheduled.
6. A 3-ring binder is required also for the course. Students are encouraged to bring their binders to class each day. All book notes, class notes, handouts and returned quizzes should be kept in this and organized according to each chapter covered. Again this will be incredibly helpful in preparing for the AP exam. We will have binder checks the approximately once a quarter.
7. Course quizzes given will be short, 20-30 item multiple choice in form. These quizzes will be open notes/take home and will cover any information covered in the course to date, so again students are encouraged to bring their binders to class so they can utilize the materials they have collected.
8. Vocab cards are required for vocabulary words covered in each chapter. They should be on full or half 3x5 cards ONLY and turned in at the end of each chapter covered. You will also have a vocabulary quiz before each chapter test. Afterwards I suggest keeping them in a shoebox for future reference as well as preparation for the AP test if taking it. ALSO, part of the final at the end of the year will be to turn in ALL organized chapter notecards!
GREAT WEBSITE FOR REVIEW AND PREPARATION:
Myers Psychology 8e http://quizlet.com/class/23660
9. Much of the assigned reading material will not be covered in class because of time constraints; however, you will still be responsible for knowing the material. Daily preparation is important!! The assigned chapter readings are
crucial when preparing for each test. 70% of all test material will come from your assigned reading and 30% from class lecture, discussions and demonstrations.
10. Remember the work turned in with your name on it should be YOURS! Any incidents of plagiarism or cheating will be handled according to the set school board policy (see online student handbook pgs. 19-20).
11. Cell phones and other electronic devices WILL NOT BE NEEDED for this class therefore they should never be seen or heard during AP Psychology instruction. If at any time a cell phone or other electronic device is needed for class, Mrs. Flynn will let you know in advance!J
The above policies are in place in order to help you prepare for life after high school as well as higher education. If you don’t agree with any of the above then this probably isn’t the course for you!! I am available for questions and concerns over course material before and after school as well as 3rd and 5th hours first semester and 2nd and 4th hours second semester.
THE ADVANCED PLACEMENT EXAM IN PSYCHOLOGY:
The AP exam in Psych is approximately two hours long and includes a 70 minute multiple choice section covering 100 questions and it accounts for 2/3 of the test grade. The second portion of the test consists of a 50 minute free response section where students answer two essay questions and this accounts for 1/3 of the test grade
The exam is scored on a five-point scale: 5= extremely well qualified, 4= well qualified, 3= qualified, 2= possibly qualified and 1= no recommendation. Most colleges grant credit and placement for a score of 3 or above. Check with Mr. Hughey about specific college requirements.
The test will be given very early May and the cost to take the exam is around $90. I encourage students who feel prepared and have the time to devote to a complete review of the ENTIRE COURSE to take the exam, but you are not required to do so and no extra credit is given for taking the AP test. In the twelve years we have offered the AP Psych exam there has been a 90% success rate for those who have taken the exam and have received a passing score and college credit (av. score has been approx.. a 4). In either case all students will leave this class with a binder of information that will be VERY beneficial when taking a college or technical school psych course since most majors require one or more psychology classes.
TRANSCRIPTED CREDIT IN THE WISCONSIN TECHNICAL COLLEGE SYSTEM
Successfully completing AP Psychology at LHS can grant you credit towards graduation from LHS, but it can also grant you regular technical college credit.
Transcripted credit recognizes the skills you attained while in high school and gives you recognition for a class completed. The grade you receive in AP Psychology class each SEMESTER will be the grade you are granted on the technical college transcript. There is NO cost to you for the technical college credit. This is of great benefit to students attending a school in the technical college system, but also for those students attending a 4-year school that accepts transcripted credit from Southwest Technical College. Most schools within the UW System will accept such credit and so will private institutions who have agreements with SWTC. PLEASE CHECK WITH MR. HUGHEY AND THE SCHOOL YOU PLAN ON ATTENDING TO BE SURE YOU DO NOT NEED TO TAKE THE AP EXAM TO ACHIEVE COLLEGE CREDIT FOR INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY!!!!!!! In other words transcripted credit can save you time from having to study for the AP exam and also save you and your parents lots of money by earning college credit while in high school!!!! A representative from SWTC will be here in mid-September to provide details on transcripted credit.
Feel free to contact Mrs. Flynn directly with any questions or concerns.
Mrs. Flynn’s contact information is:
Email:
Phone: (608) 723-2173 ext. 377
LOOKING FORWARD TO A GREAT SCHOOL YEAR!!! J
****Please detach this portion of the syllabus and place it as the first**** page in your Psych binder
ADVANCED PLACEMENT PSYCHOLOGY COURSE CONTRACT
Signing the following means that the student agrees to follow the set guidelines and procedures for the course. This also shows that parents/guardians have read the syllabus and know what Mrs. Flynn is expecting of her AP Psych students. This class is going to be challenging, but fun as well and good communication between parents, teacher and student is essential to each participant’s success in the course. Communication through the use of e-mail for both students (school account) and parents will be utilized if available.
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student signature date
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student e-mail address
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parent/guardian signature date
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parent/guardian e-mail address
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parent/guardian phone contact