Unit of Study: History, Approaches, Research Methods and Statistics

Whitman-Hanson Regional High School provides all students with a high- quality education in order to develop reflective, concerned citizens and contributing members of the global community.

Course Number 645 Introduction To AP Psychology Grades 11,12 60 Days
Course Description / Introduction To AP Psychology (2 credits):
Students will acquire, process, apply, and integrate the history, methodology, and major perspectives of
psychology, with a particular focus on the scientific method and the understanding of the statistical
interpretation of data. A unit on social psychology will reinforce the methodologies and examine knowledgefrom a multicultural perspective that will encourage tolerance, and foster personal, social and civicresponsibility. Knowledge of the biological basis of behavior, sensation and perception, and levels of
consciousness will be explored.
Instructional Strategies / Instructional Strategies include but may not be limited to the following:
Lecture/Note taking
Discussion
Debate
Document analysis
Power Point and SmartBoard presentations
Research/writing/peer-editing
Creative projects
Public speaking
Cooperative group activities
Student Learning Expectations / 1.Read, write and communicate effectively.
2.Utilize technologies appropriately and effectively.
3.Apply critical thinking skills.
4.Explore and express ideas creatively.
5.Participate in learning both individually and collaboratively.
6.Demonstrate personal, social, and civic responsibility.

Unit of Study: History, Approaches, Research Methods and Statistics

MA Standard/Strands:
Time Frame: / 14 Days
Text
(Chapter/Pages) / Psychology, Chapter 1, Appendix A, Appendix B
Other Resources: / Video:
The Importance of Laboratory Animal Research
ESP Put to the Test
Secrets of the Psychics
Psychic Fakes
Genie: Secrets of a Wild Child
Scientific Problem Solvers: Careers for the Twenty-First Century
48 Hours: Animal Rights
Standard Deviants
Essential Questions
Concepts, Content: / • Recognize how philosophical perspectives shaped the development of
psychological thought.
• Describe and compare different theoretical approaches in explaining behavior:
— structuralism, functionalism, and behaviorism in the early years;
— Gestalt, psychoanalytic/psychodynamic, and humanism emerging later;
— evolutionary, biological, and cognitive as more contemporary approaches.
• Recognize the strengths and limitations of applying theories to explain behavior.
• Distinguish the different domains of psychology:
— biological, clinical, cognitive, counseling, developmental, educational,
experimental, human factors, industrial–organizational, personality,
psychometric, and social.
• Identify the major historical figures in psychology (e.g., Mary Whiton Calkins,
Charles Darwin, Sigmund Freud, G. Stanley Hall, William James,
Ivan Pavlov, Jean Piaget, Carl Rogers, B. F. Skinner, Margaret Floy Washburn,
John B. Watson, Wilhelm Wundt).
• Differentiate types of research (e.g., experiments, correlational studies, survey
research, naturalistic observations, and case studies) with regard to purpose,
strengths, and weaknesses.
• Describe how research design drives the reasonable conclusions that can be
drawn (e.g., experiments are useful for determining cause and effect; the use of
experimental controls reduces alternative explanations).
• Identify independent, dependent, confounding, and control variables in
experimental designs.
• Distinguish between random assignment of participants to conditions in
experiments and random selection of participants, primarily in correlational
studies and surveys.
• Predict the validity of behavioral explanations based on the quality of research
design (e.g., confounding variables limit confidence in research conclusions).
• Distinguish the purposes of descriptive statistics and inferential statistics.
• Apply basic descriptive statistical concepts, including interpreting and
constructing graphs and calculating simple descriptive statistics
(e.g., measures of central tendency, standard deviation).
• Discuss the value of reliance on operational definitions and measurement in
behavioral research.
• Identify how ethical issues inform and constrain research practices.
• Describe how ethical and legal guidelines (e.g., those provided by the American
Psychological Association, federal regulations, local institutional review boards)
protect research participants and promote sound ethical practice.

Challenge common beliefs in parapsychological phenomena.

Targeted Skill(s): / Reading, writing, application, independent research, critical thinking, analysis, and discussion, mastery of essential questions, concepts, and content
See Appendix A, Reading Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies 6 – 12
Writing: / Teacher created essays, and various essays from 1992-2011 released AP essays.
See History/Social Studies sections of Appendix B, Writing Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects6 – 12
Assessment Practices: / Teacher created Unit Tests, Quizzes, Class Discussions, Projects, Essays

Unit of Study : Biological Basis of Behavior

MA Standard/Strands:
Time Frame: / 14 Days
Text
(Chapter/Pages) / Psychology, Chapter 2
Other Resources: / Video:
The Brain: Annenberg Teaching Series
Teenage Brain
Inside the Teenage Brain
Secrets of the Mind
Worth Publishers DVD: CD 1 Neuroscience
Standard Deviants
Essential Questions
Concepts, Content: /

Identify basic processes and systems in the biological bases of behavior,including parts of the brain as well as parts of the neuron and the process of transmission of a signalbetween neurons.
Identify parts of the neuron and brain through diagrams
Discuss the influence of drugs on neurotransmitters (e.g., reuptakemechanisms).
Discuss the effect of the endocrine system on behavior.
Describe the nervous system and its subdivisions and functions:

— central and peripheral nervous systems;
— major brain regions, lobes, and cortical areas;
— brain lateralization and hemispheric specialization.

Recount historic and contemporary research strategies and technologies thatsupport research (e.g., case studies, split-brain research, imaging techniques).
Discuss psychology’s abiding interest in how heredity, environment, anevolution work together to shape behavior.
Predict how traits and behavior can be selected for their adaptive value.
Identify key contributors (e.g., Paul Broca, Charles Darwin, Michael Gazzaniga,Roger Sperry, Carl Wernicke).

Targeted Skill(s): / Reading, writing, application, independent research, critical thinking, analysis, and discussion, mastery of essential questions, concepts, and content
See Appendix A, Reading Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies 6 – 12
Writing: / Teacher created essays, and various essays from 1992-2011 released AP essays.
See History/Social Studies sections of Appendix B, Writing Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects6 – 12
Assessment Practices: / Teacher created Unit Tests, Quizzes, Class Discussions, Projects, Essays

Unit of Study : Sensation and Perception

MA Standard/Strands:
Time Frame: / 12 Days
Text
(Chapter/Pages) / Psychology, Chapter 3
Other Resources: / Video:
PBS Mystery of the Senses volumes 1-5
Worth Publisher DVD 1 Sensation and Perception
Standard Deviants
The Brain: Annenberg Teaching Series
Essential Questions
Concepts, Content: / • Discuss basic principles of sensory transduction, including absolute threshold,
difference threshold, signal detection, and sensory adaptation.
• Describe sensory processes (e.g., hearing, vision, touch, taste, smell, vestibular,
kinesthesis, pain), including the specific nature of energy transduction, relevant
anatomical structures, and specialized pathways in the brain for each of the
senses.
• Explain common sensory disorders (e.g., visual and hearing impairments).
• Describe general principles of organizing and integrating sensation to promote
stable awareness of the external world (e.g., Gestalt principles, depth
perception).
• Discuss how experience and culture can influence perceptual processes (e.g.,
perceptual set, context effects).
• Explain the role of top-down processing in producing vulnerability to illusion.
• Discuss the role of attention in behavior.
• Identify the major historical figures in sensation and perception (e.g., Gustav
Fechner, David Hubel, Ernst Weber, Torsten Wiesel).
Targeted Skill(s): / Reading, writing, application, independent research, critical thinking, analysis, and discussion, mastery of essential questions, concepts, and content
See Appendix A, Reading Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies 6 – 12
Writing: / See History/Social Studies sections of Appendix B, Writing Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects6 – 12
Assessment Practices: / Teacher created Unit Tests, Quizzes, Class Discussions, Projects, Essays

Unit of Study : States of Consciousness

MA Standard/Strands:
Time Frame: / 7 Days
Text
(Chapter/Pages) / Psychology, Chapter 4
Other Resources: / Video:
The Brain: Annenberg Teaching Series
ABC Sleep Deprivation
CD:
Glass Armonica Recording
Meditation Instruction
Essential Questions
Concepts, Content: /

Describe various states of consciousness and their impact on behavior.
Discuss aspects of sleep and dreaming:

— stages and characteristics of the sleep cycle;
— theories of sleep and dreaming;
— symptoms and treatments of sleep disorders.

Describe historic and contemporary uses of hypnosis (e.g., pain control,psychotherapy).
Explain hypnotic phenomena (e.g., suggestibility, dissociation).
Identify the major psychoactive drug categories (e.g., depressants, stimulants)and classify specific drugs, including their psychological and physiologicaleffects.
Discuss drug dependence, addiction, tolerance, and withdrawal.
Identify the major figures in consciousness research (e.g., William James,Sigmund Freud, Ernest Hilgard).

Unit of Study : Social Psychology

MA Standard/Strands:
Time Frame: / 13 Days
Text
(Chapter/Pages) / Psychology, Chapter 12
Other Resources: / Video:
Worth Publishers DVD 3 Social Psychology
Quiet Rage: Stanford Prison Experiment
Eye of the Storm
Jane Elliot: A Class Divided
Standard Deviants
Stanley Milgram: Conformity and Independence
Essential Questions
Concepts, Content: / • Apply attribution theory to explain motives (e.g., fundamental attribution error,
self-serving bias).
• Describe the structure and function of different kinds of group behavior (e.g.,
deindividuation, group polarization).
• Explain how individuals respond to expectations of others, including groupthink,
conformity, and obedience to authority.
• Discuss attitudes and how they change (e.g., central route to persuasion).
• Predict the impact of the presence of others on individual behavior (e.g.,
bystander effect, social facilitation).
• Describe processes that contribute to differential treatment of group members
(e.g., in-group/out-group dynamics, ethnocentrism, prejudice).
• Articulate the impact of social and cultural categories (e.g., gender, race,
ethnicity) on self-concept and relations with others.
• Anticipate the impact of behavior on a self-fulfilling prophecy.
• Describe the variables that contribute to altruism, aggression, and attraction.
• Discuss attitude formation and change, including persuasion strategies and
cognitive dissonance.
• Identify important figures in social psychology (e.g., Solomon Asch, Leon
Festinger, Stanley Milgram, Philip Zimbardo).
Targeted Skill(s): / Reading, writing, application, independent research, critical thinking, analysis, and discussion, mastery of essential questions, concepts, and content
See Appendix A, Reading Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies 6 – 12
Writing: / Teacher created essays, and various essays from 1992-2011 released AP essays.
See History/Social Studies sections of Appendix B, Writing Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects6 – 12
Assessment Practices: / Teacher created Unit Tests, Quizzes, Class Discussions, Projects, Essays

Appendix A: Reading Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies 6–12 [RH]

The standards below begin at grade 6; standards for Pre-K–5 reading in history/social studies, science, and technical subjects are integrated into the Pre-K–5 Reading standards. The CCR anchor standards and high school standards in literacy work in tandem to define college and career readiness expectations—the former providing broad standards, the latter providing additional specificity.

Grades 6–8 students: / Grades 9–10 students: / Grades 11–12 students:
Key Ideas and Details
1.Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources. / 1.Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, attending to such features as the date and origin of the information. / 1.Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, connecting insights gained from specific details to an understanding of the text as a whole.
2.Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions. / 2.Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of how key events or ideas develop over the course of the text. / 2.Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary that makes clear the relationships among the key details and ideas.
3.Identify key steps in a text’s description of a process related to history/social studies (e.g., how a bill becomes law, how interest rates are raised or lowered). / 3.Analyze in detail a series of events described in a text; determine whether earlier events caused later ones or simply preceded them. / 3.Evaluate various explanations for actions or events and determine which explanation best accords with textual evidence, acknowledging where the text leaves matters uncertain.
Craft and Structure
4.Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary specific to domains related to history/social studies. / 4.Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary describing political, social, or economic aspects of history/social studies. / 4.Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including analyzing how an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term over the course of a text (e.g., how Madison defines faction in Federalist No. 10).
5.Describe how a text presents information (e.g., sequentially, comparatively, causally). / 5.Analyze how a text uses structure to emphasize key points or advance an explanation or analysis. / 5.Analyze in detail how a complex primary source is structured, including how key sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text contribute to the whole.
6.Identify aspects of a text that reveal an author’s point of view or purpose (e.g., loaded language, inclusion or avoidance of particular facts). / 6.Compare the point of view of two or more authors for how they treat the same or similar topics, including which details they include and emphasize in their respective accounts. / 6.Evaluate authors’ differing points of view on the same historical event or issue by assessing the authors’ claims, reasoning, and evidence.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
7.Integrate visual information(e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and digital texts. / 7.Integrate quantitative or technical analysis (e.g., charts, research data) with qualitative analysisin print or digital text. / 7.Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, as well as in words) in order to address a question or solve a problem.
8.Distinguish among fact, opinion, and reasoned judgment in a text. / 8.Assess the extent to which the reasoning and evidence in a text support the author’s claims. / 8.Evaluate an author’s premises, claims, and evidence by corroborating or challenging them with other information.
9.Analyze the relationship between a primary and secondary source on the same topic. / 9.Compare and contrast treatments of the same topic in several primary and secondary sources. / 9.Integrate information from diverse sources, both primary and secondary, into a coherent understanding of an idea or event, noting discrepancies among sources.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
10.By the end of grade 8, read and comprehend history/social studies texts in the grades 6–8 text complexity band independently and proficiently. / 10.By the end of grade 10, read and comprehend history/social studies texts in the grades 9–10 text complexity band independently and proficiently. / 10.By the end of grade 12, read and comprehend history/social studies texts in the grades 11-CCR text complexity band independently and proficiently.

Appendix B: Writing Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects 6–12 [WHST]

The standards below begin at grade 6; standards for Pre-K–5 writing in history/social studies, science, and technical subjects are integrated into the Pre-K–5 Writing standards. The CCR anchor standards and high school standards in literacy work in tandem to define college and career readiness expectations—the former providing broad standards, the latter providing additional specificity.

Grades 6–8 students: / Grades 9–10 students: / Grades 11–12 students:
Text Types and Purposes

Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content.

Introduce claim(s) about a topic or issue, acknowledge and distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically.
Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant, accurate data and evidence that demonstrate an understanding of the topic or text, using credible sources.
Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.
Establish and maintain a formal style.
Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented.

/ 1.Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content.

Introduce precise claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and create an organization that establishes clear relationships among the claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.
Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly, supplying data and evidence for each while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both claim(s) and counterclaims in a discipline-appropriate form and in a manner that anticipates the audience’s knowledge level and concerns.
Use words, phrases, and clauses to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships between claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and evidence, and between claim(s) and counterclaims.
Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.
Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from or supports the argument presented.

/ 1.Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content.

Introduce precise, knowledgeable claim(s), establish the significance of the claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and create an organization that logically sequences the claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.
Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly and thoroughly, supplying the most relevant data and evidence for each while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both claim(s) and counterclaims in a discipline-appropriate form that anticipates the audience’s knowledge level, concerns, values, and possible biases.
Use words, phrases, and clauses as well as varied syntax to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships between claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and evidence, and between claim(s) and counterclaims.
Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.
Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from or supports the argument presented.

Writing Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects 6–12 [WHST]