Robert S. Welch Center for Graduate and Professional Studies
GOUCHER COLLEGE
TEACHER’S INSTITUTE FOR SUMMER 2010
AP PSYCHOLOGY
2010 GOUCHER COLLEGE
SYLLABUS / FRAMEWORK FOR THE WEEK
ED591 Preparing students for the AP Exam: Psychology
Dates: June 21 - June 25, 2010
Time: Monday-Thursday 8:30-4:00, Friday 8:30-1:00
Instructor: Alan Feldman, Glen Rock High School Glen Rock NJ
Felpsy@optonline.net
Required Reading: Students are to read Teaching Introductory Psychology: Survival Tips
from the Experts , Edited by Robert Sternberg
Please indicate below a summary of the work to be covered each day during the workshop
indicating teaching procedures, books referred to, and in general all materials used. Include with
this course outline the method of evaluation you will use for grading the participants. This will
be used to indicate what was covered for our graduate credit and CEU authorities.
DAY 1 – Session
1 Participant introductions including teaching experiences, text used, aspects of course that each
person likes to teach, has trouble teaching and what each participant wants to get out of the
course. Participants will also discuss their favorite resources for teaching the course and how
they use these resources. Discuss syllabus for week and expectations for class. Possible videos to
watch and discuss. Expectations include giving a lesson with assessment to the class for
feedback and evaluation. These will commence Thursday Session 2. Participants will also be
assigned one chapter from Teaching Introductory Psychology: Survival Tips from the Experts
edited by Robert Sternberg. The participants should summarize this chapter and discuss how the
author’s perspective is useful in teaching the course. All participants will be asked to read a
classic article on psychology or an important demonstration or experiment in psychology and to
write a 2-page summary and give oral report to class about topic. Class will generate list of
important experiments/simulations students should have in-depth knowledge of for AP
psychology Also, participants will be required to discuss an important experiment in the history
of psychology and to describe it to the class including teaching strategies and an evaluative
component. Give "fun" quiz on psychologists (50) plus hand out of 75 psychologists students
need to be aware of-discuss contributions of these psychologists. List terms associated with each
of the major psychologists. Also give out top 100 most influential psychologists of the 20th
century from APS publication. Discuss methods to teach history of psychology in class.
2 In depth discussion of AP psychology test. Cover all aspects of the multiple choice and essay
questions including structure and nature of test; teaching strategies and how to prepare students
for the AP psychology examination. Each participant will discuss what they do to prepare
students for the AP test with problems and concerns. Describe the 08 essays with practice
scoring actual student samples. Describe how the AP psychology committee devises essays.
Students in pairs will be assigned to make up one integrative essay question and one essay
concerning research methods. This work will be done in pairs. Discussion of the essay questions
from 1992-2010. (This will be done all week at appropriate times.)
3 Continue working on assignments (devising essays) for 20 minutes. Briefly discuss progress
with other participants to get needed feedback. Discussion of multiple-choice question writing
techniques, how to choose and evaluate multiple choice questions for inclusion on their own
tests. Have discussion of a variety of texts and web sites that have multiple choice questions for
AP Psychology, especially AP central. Review essay questions devised by class and do some
together. Discuss the A and AS level psychology courses in England.
4 Discussion of the 1999, 2004 and 2007 multiple choice questions. Students will take part of
these tests in a timed format-the last 40 of each test (most difficult questions). Hand out list of
100 terms that are important in psychology and discuss the terms including how to use them in
instruction. Discuss in detail a list of confusing terms or pairs of terms in psychology. Go over
old essay questions form 1992-2010 Homework, take the 1994 released multiple choice
questions, determine the demonstration/experiment/activity plan for lesson they will present.
Read section from Sternberg’s Teaching Tips on the triarchic approach to teaching psychology.
DAY 2-Session
1 Class will finish going over the 1999, 2004 and 2007 MC questions. Review the 1994
questions and discuss how the test has changed from 1994-2007. Discussion of summer
assignment and what to do after the AP test. Participants will be given handouts for research
methods and statistics and these will be done together in class. Each handout will be discussed in
detail. Do in class essay on research methods and discuss (Kripke example, the 1998 essay and
2004 Franklin essay.) Terms important for each of these sections will be distributed and teaching
strategies will be discussed and evaluated. Review the differences between random sampling and
random assignment. Participants will also contribute their own techniques for teaching these
sections. Describe statistics series from Annenberg. Homework on AP statistics will be given
out-due Wednesday first session.
Participants will be given handouts for social psychology and these will be done together in class
Use of video clips for these sections especially the Zimbardo Candid Camera tapes (social
psychology), Social Connections, Quiet Rage, Obedience, Conformity and Obedience and
Primetime series. Distinguish between conformity and obedience. Resources specific to these
sections will be discussed.
2 Discussion of Robert Sternberg's perspective on teaching psychology. Background of
Sternberg's life and career and show video of Sternberg discussing his theory of intelligence.
Describe his research on love and how to use it in class. Describe the background of his ideas on
teaching psychology and the associated research. Discuss 20 pages of activities based on
analytic, practical and creative approaches to the teaching of psychology.
3 Participants will be given handouts for developmental psychology and these will be done
together in class. Discuss the case of Genie in detail and do related handouts. Relate to the
critical period hypothesis. Each handout will be discussed in detail. Participants will also
contribute their own techniques for teaching these sessions. Show video clips per this content
area especially from Infants World, Kids World, Child s World. Discuss Childhood series,
Everybody Rides the Carousel, Life's First Feelings and When the Bough Breaks & The 7 UP
Series Sample interactive essay questions will be developed and discussed. Show sections of
Kid’s World and Child’s World and discuss. Critique Kohlberg and Piaget.
4 Describe sensation and perception section of AP course. Do table illusion and describe the
Ames room and Stroop test. Go over the important terms in this section and do 5 other major
demonstrations here. Ben goggles, Pulfrich, spiral, threshold 1 and 2 (envelopes), Janus Illusion,
Cow illusion, Wundt Jastrow and signal detection theory. Describe the research of Gibson and
Walk and show related video. Discuss the Diane Ackerman series here. Review the depth
perception cures and demos of Jeremy Wolfe Materials on brain section-Phineas Gage,
homunculus, Secrets of the Mind etc
DAY 3 - Session
1 Discussion of 125 Goodies for Psychology and how they can be used in the course.
Participants will be given handouts for the section learning. Discussion dealing with all aspects
of learning with an emphasis on the new research on Pavlov by Rescorla and Plomin. Watch
classic film footage from 1904 and 1920. Describe research updating Pavlov and the work of
Daniel Todes of Johns Hopkins.
2 Continue the discussion of learning. Do Scotty application and practice Programmed Learning
guide. Discuss two factor theory and schedules of reinforcement. Complete chart comparing
classical and operant conditioning. Do 3 learning demonstrations; balloons, spray bottle, shaping.
3 Discussion of Sperling’s research on sensory storage memory plus other classic memory
research. Discuss aspects of memory research including some important demonstrations. Dr.
Benjamin's list of 107 essential terms for intro psych, déjà vu demonstration, eyewitness
testimony simulation. Participants will discuss the research study that they read about for
homework from yesterday and will present the study to the class. Discuss its relevance,
procedures and why it was influential. Critique the research. Participants should include an
assessment for the study.
4. Show video Secrets of a Wild Child and Feral Children and discuss methods of using this
resource to teach across content areas. Discuss Janet Werker's research in language development
in infants and show module 25 from The Mind Series and discuss how to use in class-relate to
quasi-experiments.
I will be available after class for any assistance necessary for tomorrow’s presentation.
DAY 4-Session
1 Participants will give relatively brief reports ion the college level introductory teacher they
read about in Teaching Introductory Psychology: Survival Tips from the Experts edited by
Robert Sternberg.
2 Do a few activities from the thinking and cognition section of AP course. Show Bransford
puzzle, cat/dog puzzle and Discuss Smullyan and heuristics. Discuss the classic nail problem. Do
newspaper ESP trick and discuss. Participants will deliver lesson plans to other participants and
will provide feedback on those they observe. Comments should be positive and enhance the
lesson.
3 Participants will deliver lesson plans to other participants and will provide feedback on those
they observe. Comments should be positive and enhance the lesson
4 Discuss statistics and research methods part of course. Show section from Against All Odds.
Discuss normal curve in greater detail, different formulas for standard deviation, and statistical
significance. Discuss research methods including longitudinal and cross sectional studies. Secrets
of the Psychics.
DAY 5-Session
1 Describe activities for the sleep and states of consciousness chapter. Give out handouts for
after AP test-science fiction stories. Give out any remaining handouts of old AP essay tests and
discuss. Discuss other demonstrations including subliminal persuasion. Show KK Wisconsin
DVD with activities. Show DVD on blind sight briefly and discuss.
2 Show media tape, Franks tape and discuss. (Other videos left) Participants will raise questions
that merit further discussion. Instructor will discuss the lives of numerous well-known
psychologists. Organize the chapters with graphic organizers-use Richard Gross’s approach.
Grading will be based on:
Class participation and attendance
Participant presentation of lesson plan with assessment.
Discussion of chapter from Teaching Introductory Psychology: Survival Tips from the
Experts edited by Robert Sternberg.
Clarification of confusing term-essay turned in including how to teach.
Discussion of psychologists chosen from top 75 list
Goucher College no longer issues grade slips. You can obtain your grade approximately two (
2 ) weeks after the end of the course by going to the Goucher website ( mygoucher) and follow
the prompts to receive your grade. If you have misplaced your password, please contact the help
desk and they will guide you through this procedure. ( 410-337-6322)
If you need a paper copy of the grades for your tuition reimbursement, you will need to request a
transcript in writing. To do that, pick up a request form in Room 120 Van Meter Hall or on the
website, download the form, sign and mail or fax it to Student Administrative services or call
SAS at 410-337-6500 and ask for Lori Wolinski who can help you with this issue.