ADVANCED PLACEMENT PSYCHOLOGY
Course Syllabus and Classroom Policies / Procedures
2012-2013
Teacher: Mrs. Smith
Welcome to AP Psychology!! You are to be commended for taking this opportunity to develop study habits and skills to complete college level studies while in high school. Some of the goals of the AP Program include: learning self-assessment, learning to ask meaningful questions, learning by teaching others, and developing metacognitive skills. These are all principles we will discuss throughout the context of this course as well as your growth and development as an AP student. I understand that this may be your first AP course and you may find times when you feel a little overwhelmed, but never fear, we will work together to meet not only the course goals, but to meet your own goals, and motivate you to learn more. It is my hope that by the end of this course you will thoroughly comprehend the principles of Psychology, and will have obtained the necessary skills at hand to enroll and succeed in additional AP courses. This is a rigorous course, but the material is interesting and fun to learn about, so as long as you put your mind to it anyone can be very successful. I enjoy and pride myself on a class that is run smoothly and organized, one where students are able to ask questions, have discussions, and work together, so as long as the classroom procedures and polices are followed this will be possible, and we will all have a greater experience exploring psychology. I am excited to be teaching all of you and look forward to a successful year!!
The AP Program
From its inception 20 years ago, the AP program has broadened to include more schools, students, and examinations than ever before. The Psychology exam is one of the newest members of the AP family, with the first exam being offered in 1992. Each May, the AP Examinations are administered at Homewood/Flossmoor Community High School and other participating schools throughout the world. The fee for each examination is approximately $86. The College Board grants fee reductions to students who demonstrate financial need. The examination will be a maximum of two hours long. The exam is a blend of multiple-choice questions and a free-response essay section specifically designed to measure the full range and depth of the students’ knowledge. The exam will be discussed in more detail throughout the year. It is expected that students taking an AP course do take the exam, but it is not required to pass the course.
Course Objectives
1. Students will prepare to do acceptable work on the Advanced Placement Examination in Psychology.
2. Students will study the major core concepts and theories of psychology. They will be able to define key terms and use these terms in their everyday vocabulary.
3. Students will learn the basic principles of psychological research. They will be able to devise simple research projects, interpret and generalize from results, and evaluate the validity of research reports.
4. Students will be able to apply psychological concepts to their own lives. They will be able to recognize psychological principles when they are encountered in everyday situations.
5. Students will develop critical thinking skills. They will become aware of the danger of blindly accepting or rejecting arguments without careful, objective evaluation.
6. Students will build their reading, writing, and discussion skills.
7. Students will learn about psychology as a profession and become aware of the educational requirements which must be met to pursue such careers. They will learn about the ethical standards governing the work of psychologists.
Course Materials
1. Textbook: Myers, David G., Myers’ Psychology For AP. Michigan: Worth Publishers, 2011.
2. Supplemental Textbook (still required): Hock, Roger R. Forty Studies That Changed Psychology. 4th Ed. Pearson Education, Inc., 2002.
3. Supplies:
a. Three ring binder to keep reading guides, handouts, and lecture outlines
b. A shoe box or container of some kind to keep vocab cards
c. 3x5 note cards (for Vocabulary cards, you will need a lot)
d. Pens, pencils, and notebook paper (we will be taking notes everyday)
**Bringing the textbook to class is not required, unless stated by the teacher.**
Classroom Expectations/Policies
· You are expected to be polite, courteous, and respectful to all people in the classroom and to treat the room itself with care at all times.
· YOU are responsible for YOUR behavior. Think before you act or speak.
· Use appropriate language at all times. Offensive/Inappropriate language WILL NOT be tolerated.
· Please follow school dress code according to student handbook.
· No use of cell phones or MP3 player use during class.
· Observe all rules in the school handbook.
· Arrive on time and prepared with all materials and homework. You are required to have a pen or pencil and your psychology binder everyday. Note taking is MANDATORY in this class!!
· Bathroom passes will be limited to 2 per semester; you will still have to ask permission. (you will be given the passes at the start of each semester, use them wisely)
Attendance/Tardy Policy
Missing class or arriving late will only serve to hinder your progress in this course. Good attendance will help you succeed in this class, therefore the school policy regarding attendance and tardiness (according to the student handbook) will be closely followed in the course.
Tardies
1st Tardy – Teacher informs student of the tardy and gives a verbal warning.
2nd Tardy – Teacher informs student of the 2nd tardy and sends referral to the dean’s office. A letter or phone call to the parents is made by the dean.
3rd Tardy – Teacher sends the student and referral to the dean. The dean assigns a 5 hour Saturday Detention.
4th Tardy – Teacher sends the student and referral to the dean. Dean arranges parent conference or student may be dropped from the course.
5th Tardy - Teacher sends the student and referral to the dean. Dean will give additional consequences and/or student may be dropped from course.
Attendance
· Unplanned Excused Absence: On the day you return, turn in any assignment that were due the day you missed. Obtain any missed handouts from the “yesterday’s handouts” or from the teacher. Talk to the teacher BEFORE or AFTER class to arrange any make-up tests or quizzes and obtain a copy of the notes from another classmate.
· Planned Excused Absence: If you know you are going to be absent speak with teacher ahead of time to find out what you are going to miss and arrange time to make the work up.
**IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO FIND OUT WHAT YOU MISSED!!**
You are given 2 DAYS per each day missed to make-up any work. Any Unexcused Absence: You will be given a zero for ALL of the work, tests, or quizzes that were done on days you were gone and cannot be made up.
Cheating/Plagiarism
Cheating or plagiarizing (copying) is not acceptable at any time and if done during a test will result in a zero for that test/quiz with no make-up privileges. No warning has to be given. To avoid any questions of cheating, there will be no talking, whispering, looking around the room, or other questionable behavior during exams and certain class assignments. You are also expected to maintain a level of academic integrity including but not limited to the following: no copying of other students homework, tests, quizzes, no getting the answers to tests or quiz questions ahead of time, you should always properly cite sources, and never cut and paste information from the internet.
Class Participation
It is my expectation that all students will participate in all class activities and discussion. As motivated students, I would also expect you to formulate and ask questions on a regular basis.
Homework
All homework is expected to be turned in promptly at the beginning of the period on the day that it is due. You are allowed to turn in assignments late, but they will only be accepted the same day it is due by 3:15. (We are human and sometimes we do forget things, like leave it in a locker or car). After that, no late work will be accepted. Technological difficulties are NOT an excuse for late work. If a project or paper is due, I expect it to be completed and turned in on the due date. I will not accept disks or alternative forms of an assignment. Give yourself enough time so that you can overcome any technological mishaps or get any questions you have answered and still turn in your work in on time. All assignments must have your name and class period on it. FYI: You are going to be expected to do some form of reading every night!! Plan ahead and give yourself time.
Exams
Upon completion of each chapter or unit, an exam will be given consisting of multiple-choice questions and one or two free-response essay questions. Periodic quizzes will also be given (usually based on the reading).
If you are absent the day before a test or a quiz, you will be expected to take the test with the rest of the class since all tests are announced days in advance.
Grading
Since our objective is to prepare you for the national AP Exam you will take in May, your grade for each grading period will consist of college-level multiple-choice exams, free response exams, quizzes, class participation, other daily grades, and a semester final exam for each semester. The grades will be based on the following scale:
89.5 – 100 % = A 89.4 – 79.5 % = B 79.4 – 69.5 % = C 69.4 – 60 % = D Less than 60% = F
Note: In order to pass a semester you must pass at least two of the three components (the two quarters and the final) used to configure your final grade. Each quarter is worth 40% and the final is worth 20%.
Tips for Students
1. Take complete class notes, date them, and keep them in your binder. Put them in your own words. Don’t write down something you don’t understand without asking about it. Leave some blank space on each page to make additions and clarifications. It is very important to review your class notes each day while they are still fresh in you mind. Expand them, clarify them, and add examples so that they will make sense when you go back to study them.
2. Lean to read more effectively. You can ready more effectively by doing the following:
· Read actively; don’t just look at the words. If you spend a half-hour reading, but are unable to recall anything when you are done, you have wasted your time.
· Take notes as you read (will be given reading guides to make this easier). If you condense a 30 page chapter to a few pages of good notes, its going to be much easier to review. Keep a list of questions about the reading to ask in class. Therefore, it is advantageous for you to read the assignment before coming to class so you can ask questions and be able to follow the class lecture and discussion.
· Do not ignore pictures, diagrams, tables, and sidebars in your textbook. These features serve to make the text more interesting and may include important information.
3. Half the battle is vocabulary. You are required (for you own good….trust me!!) to make vocabulary flash cards on 3x5 note cards for the terms at the end of each chapter early in your reading. The flashcards provide an excellent means of review come test time. Keep them somewhere safe along with the reading guides to be used later as study tools.
4.
Note: Procedures may be changed or added by the teacher as needed.
Helpful websites:
http://apcentral/collegeboard.com
this is the College Board’s website with tips and info about AP in general, and pages on psychology specifically
www.apa.org
home page of the American Psychological Association
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/neurok.html
the neuroscience for kids website
TENTATIVE COURSE OUTLINE
Outline may change slightly as we go through the course of the year
**Look for correspondence with the College Board course description summary**
Fall Semester 2012
Unit 1 and Unit 2: Psychology’s History and Approaches and Thinking Critically with Psychological Science
Unit 3: Neuroscience and Behavior
Unit 4: Sensation and Perception
Unit 5: States of Consciousness
Unit 6: Learning
Unit 7: Memory
Unit 7: Thinking and Language
Comprehensive Semester Final Exam
Spring Semester 2013
Unit 11: Intelligence
Unit 8: Motivation, Emotion, and Stress
Unit 9: Developmental Psychology
Unit 10: Personality
Unit 12 and 13: Psychological Disorders and Therapy
Unit 14: Social Psychology
Comprehensive Semester Final Exam
**NATIONAL AP EXAMINATION will be given in early May.
Please don’t be afraid to get help and ask questions if you do not understand something. I am willing to help you in whatever way I can. I will respect you, give you feedback on how well you are succeeding, and be fair. If you want to speak with me, please see me before or after school (Room 213 North Building) or make an appointment. Feel free to reach me by e-mail or school phone.
Mrs. Smith
Email:
(please put your full name in the subject line)
School Phone Number: 799-3000 ext: 5318
Parent / Guardian Signature
I, ______, have read and understand the course syllabus and
(Please print Parent / Guardian name)
classroom procedures/policies outlined for my son / daughter in regard to his or
her AP Psychology course. I also understand that I should feel free to contact
the teacher via e-mail or school phone with any questions or concerns at any point
throughout the school year.
______
(Parent / Guardian Signature) (Daytime phone #)
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(Parent E-Mail address) (Evening phone #)
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(Student signature) (Student Name Printed)
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(Date)
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AP Psychology Syllabus, Procedures, & Policies