EXTRA-CREDIT

PSYCHOLOGY 1000

  1. THANKING A MENTOR

Select that one special person who has inspired, supported, and counseled you when you needed it most. Write up, in a letter, your thanks to them. Make sure to mention specific things they did for you. Details, not generalities are essential. Then find that special person, sit them down and read them the letter. After it’s all over, write up a short but complete summary of how it went as to their response and your feelings.

Give both to me no later than the first scheduled class the week of May 6, 2013. Successful completion of this task will add 1.5% to your final grade calculation. It also just might make you very happy.

  1. WATCHING THE WAR

Ken Burns” awarding winning documentary The War provided an intimate retelling of the hardships and triumphs Americans encountered during WWII. Equal attention was given to the experiences of soldier’s in battle and their families and communities in the US. Those that lived through and remember WWII are now at least in their mid 70’s. Those who were in their late teens or early twenties are now much older and rapidly leaving us. Due to their sacrifices, heroism and accomplishments, many call them, “The Greatest Generation”.

Find a grandparent, aunt, uncle, cousin, neighbor, or anyone else who remember WWII firsthand. Watch a clip or two of Burns work, at least twenty minutes or so. Try to include portions which show the battles abroad as well as life at home. Then have a talk.

Ask these questions:

1)Did wartime experiences shape you as a person? How?

2)How did you view your future in the midst of War?

3)Were Americans united? How?

4)Did it affect your dreams?

5)Finish the sentence – “The War came home to me when ……. “

Compare your life in 2013 with theirs during the war. Write up a summary of what ensued and how you felt about it.

Successful completion of this quest will also earn you 1.5%. Due on the first scheduled class during the week of May 6, 2013.

  1. NEW DEVELOPMENTS

Exciting discoveries about our feelings, brains, and thinking emerge consistently. I will furnish you two links to recent breakthroughs. Read these, write a 200 word summary answering the following questions and I’ll give you 1% a piece.

Go to the New York Times website – nytimes.com. Find their inner search engine and find Strangers May Cheer You Up (dated 12/08/09) and/or Memory Training Shown to Turn Up Brainpower (4/29/09).

For the Strangers article, answer the following questions.

  1. What’s the main point of this article?
  2. How did they come up with that?
  3. Do you agree?
  4. If they are correct, what should we do?

For Memory Training:

  1. What’s this about?
  2. What’s the big deal?
  3. How did they prove it?
  4. How does this expand what we discussed in class and read in the text?

Also due at the first scheduled class the week of May 6, 2013.