ADVANCED PLACEMENT PSYCHOLOGY
MEACHUM
CLASS RULES:
1) Be in your seat when the bell rings.
2) Begin working on assignments immediately upon being seated in your assigned
seat.
3) Be respectful of others’ thoughts and opinions.
4) Your education is YOUR responsibility…. have assignments in on time, read
more than is expected; write more than is expected.
5) Remain seated until the TEACHER dismisses the class.
RECOMMENDED: It is recommended (although NOT required) that students take AP
Biology or Honors Anatomy prior to enrolling in AP Psychology. It has been
found that students who have completed these courses have greater success on
the AP Psychology exam.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course offers a broad perspective on basic
psychological concepts relating to the study of thought and behavior. The
course will cover how the brain creates thoughts, feelings, and actions, and
how internal and external environments affect them.
GRADING will be on the point system and will consists of:
1) SUMMER READING will be assigned prior to the student leaving for summer break.
2) TESTS will be given at the end of each chapter and will include multiple
choice and essay questions. The multiple choice portion of the test will
count 100 points and the essay will usually count 25 points. ESSAYS are
to be 1 to 2 paragraphs in length and are to mirror psychological concepts
learned in class. ALL essays are to begin on the back of the scantron; if a
student needs additional paper, please ask. When a student is finished with
the test, turn it in, and begin reading the next chapter. ANY talking prior
to the last test being turned in will result in a zero. ALL students deserve
respect while taking a test.
Collateral for borrowing a pencil is a shoe. This is non-negotiable.
2) Points will be awarded for taking notes on the psychological content in the
MOVIES shown for each chapter. The Lambardo tapes shown reflect additional
information and research completed on psychological concepts covered. If you
are absent, these movies MUST be made up after school in their entirety.
3) GROUP RESEARCH EXPERIMENTS will be assigned to groups of 4 students during
the first and third marking periods. Participation in the experiment is
required and will be demonstrated in front of the class. Handouts must be
completed and handed in by the group. Students will receive 300 points for
their participation. If a student is absent for the presentation, they will
be given an alternate experiment to do on their own.
4) A RESEARCH PAPER will be assigned after Chapter 15 on Personality (3rd
marking period). An edited version of, “Good Will Hunting” will be shown and
a series of 9 questions will be given as a format for the research paper.
The questions will cover concepts covered in class up to and including Chapter
15. The paper will be worth up to 300 points.
5) QUIA QUIZES will be assigned for each chapter. They are to be done at
home on the internet site.
6) VOCABULARY CARDS will be assigned for each chapter/section. Side 1 should
have the word or name. Side 2 should have the a) definition and b) picture or
example. Cards will be numbered in the upper right hand corner.
5) A PROJECT will be assigned at the end of the second marking period after
Chapter 16 on Abnormal Psychology. Students will be put into groups of 5
where they will select a fairy tale and diagnose the characters with
psychological disorders. They will be expected to procure a video camera and
make a short video presentation for the class. Students will receive 200
points for their participation.
6) A NOTEBOOK (3inch 3-ring binder) will be kept and include all notes, tests
etc. from the student. The student will need 15 tabs labeled as follows:
ALL HANDOUTS in the notebook will be graded for completion.
7) POP QUIZES will be administered at the will of the teacher. You are
responsible for reading and understanding your homework assignments.
Since being present is required, absent students can not make some activities
up, however, they may do a make up assignment.
MAKE UP ASSIGNMENTS are available in this course for students who miss a game
or activity. A student may watch 30 minutes of a program with psychological
content such as Dr. Phil, and write a 4 or 5 paragraph essay which discusses
the PSYCHOLOGICAL CONCEPTS in the program. Alternate assignment may be
assigned by the teacher. These assignments are given 10 to 40 points,
depending upon the content and the analysis. The students should seek the
psychological concepts in the program and analyze those concepts drawing on
information learned in class.
P 1 - Introduces the program, guests and host.
P 2 - Viewpoint of first guest.
P 3 - Viewpoint of the second guest.
P 4 - Most important and longest paragraph - Viewpoint of the student. “HOW
DOES THIS RELATE TO YOU (the student) AND THOSE AROUND YOU?”
Additionally, all students are given 3 bathroom coupons which allow them to
use the bathroom pass. Unused coupons may be redeemed for 15 extra credit
points apiece at the end of the course.
CLASS PACING GUIDE
I. Methods Domain
Week 1-3 A Introduction and Research Methods
Myers prologue, ch 1
II. Biopsychological Domain
Week 4-6 A Biological Basis of Behavior
Myers ch 2, 3
Week 7-9 B Sensation and Perception
Myers ch 5, 6
Week 10-12 C Motivation and Emotion
Myers ch 12, 13
Week 13 D Stress, Coping and Health
Myers ch 14
III. Developmental Domain
Week 14-16 A Lifespan Development
Myers ch 4
B Personality and Assessment
Myers ch 15
Week 18 Midterm Exam
Research Paper due
IV. Cognitive Domain
Week 19-21 A States of Consciousness
Myers ch 7
B Learning
Myers ch 8
C Memory
Myers ch 9
Week 22-24 D Thinking & Language
Myers ch 10
E Individual Diff
Myers ch 11
V. Variations in Individual and Group Behavior Domain
Week 25-30 A Psych Disorders
Myers ch 16
Week 31 B Treatment of Psychological Disorders
Myers ch 17
Week 32-34 C Social and Cultural Dimensions of Behavior
Myers ch 18
Week 35 Project due after AP test
Week 36 Exams
PROJECTS
First 9-weeks: Summer Reading
Group Research Project
Paper: Monocular Cues (2-3 pages)
Second 9-weeks: Paper: Good Will Hunting (7-8 pages
Third 9-weeks: Group Research Project
Fourth 9-weeks: Fairy Tale Project
