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Spotsylvania County Schools

Curriculum Map

2008-2009



www.spotsylvania.k12.va.us Course: AP Psychology

Grade Level: 11-12

Nine Essential Understandings & Questions Essential Knowledge & Skills Suggested Assessments & Resources

Weeks

1st HISTORY AND APPROACHES HISTORY AND APPROACHES HISTORY AND APPROACHES

Nine Weeks  Pre-scientific psychology  Discuss early psychologists’ effort to  Create a timeline of important contributors to

understand the structures of the mind. Psychology.

History and  Psychological science develops  Analyze the different perspectives from which

Research psychologists examine behavior and mental  Group presentations on psychological

7 Blocks

 Schools of thought process. perspectives



 Psychology’s subfields  Participate in various research techniques



 What is psychology? What makes it a science?



 How do the schools of psychology compliment

each other?



RESEARCH METHODS RESEARCH METHODS RESEARCH METHODS

 Scientific method  Describe the relationship between  Write a research paper using an experimental

psychological theories and scientific research. method and APA guidelines.

 Survey and correlation  Identify the basic elements of an experiment.

 Explain why correlational research fails to  Write an essay discussing ethical guidelines

prove cause and effect. and Milgram’s obedience study.

 Basic statistical reasoning including measures

 Describe the three measures of central

of central tendency, statistical reasoning, and

tendency.

standard deviation



 Ethics



 How do researchers study behavior?



 What does a correlation prove?



 Why are descriptive statistics important?



 Is it ethical to experiment on animals?



 Is it ethical to deceive participants?





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Nine Essential Understandings & Questions Essential Knowledge & Skills Suggested Assessments & Resources

Weeks

1st Nine BIOLOGICAL BASES OF BEHAVIOR BIOLOGICAL BASES OF BEHAVIOR BIOLOGICAL BASES OF BEHAVIOR

Weeks  Neural communication  Describe how nerve cells communicate.  Create models of the brain and neurons

(con’t)  Describe the functions of the brainstem,

 The three parts of the nervous system thalamus, cerebellum, and limbic system  Essay on the capacity for reorganization of the

Biological  Discuss the capacity of the brain to reorganize brain after accident or injury

Bases  The parts of the brain and their function following illness or injury

7 Blocks  Discuss the impact of evolutionary history on  Super hero Writing

 Divided brains genetically predisposed behavior tendencies.

 “Brain Surgery” activity

 The endocrine system and its parts and

function  Food and neurotransmitters



 Evolutionary psychology



 How does brain damage affect functioning?







SENSATION AND PERCEPTION SENSATION AND PERCEPTION SENSATION AND PERCEPTION

Sensation and  Compare and contrast the differences between  Group project and oral presentation on one of

Perception  Sensation

sensation and perception the seven senses

7 Blocks

 Weber’s law  Identify the skin and body senses and explain

how they work  Create an optical illusion based on perceptual

 Signal detection theory

 Describe the nature and functioning of the constancies and environmental cues

 The seven senses (seeing, hearing, smelling, sense organs

 Discuss illusions  “Drunk Driving” goggles activity

tasting, feeling, kinesthetic, vestibular) and  Explain how we learn to perceive

information is sent to the brain  Describe the effects of noise on hearing and  E.C. Escher Art Analysis

behavior

 Perception  Analyze the nature of sensory interaction

 Perceptional organizations and interpretation  Describe Gestalt psychology

 Describe perceptual constancies and their

 Visual constancy influence on illusions

 Sensory adaptation  Explain the importance of context and

experience in perception

 Depth cues

 Gestalt psychology

 How is information gained from the

environment?







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Nine Essential Understandings & Questions Essential Knowledge & Skills Suggested Assessments & Resources

Weeks

1st Nine  How do the five senses function?

Weeks

(con’t)  How do cues in the environment help

perception?



 How does experience affect perception?



 Can we always trust our senses and perception?



STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS

STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS  Research report on meditation and its

 Contrast conscious and subconscious

 Waking consciousness effectiveness

information processing

Consciousness  Describe the cyclical nature and possible

4 Blocks  Sleep and dreams: rhythm of sleep, sleep functions of sleep  “Sleep Diaries”

disorders, dream  Identify the physiological and psychological

effects of drugs  Drug Booklet created for younger children

 Hypnosis  Compare and contrast the theories of dreaming

significance

 Drugs and consciousness: dependence and  Evaluate the benefits of biofeedback and

addiction, psychoactive drugs meditation

 Discuss the causes of drug addiction as they

 Near death experiences relate to the nature-nurture debate

 Explain the connection between addiction and

 Why do we dream? mental illness



 Is hypnosis valid and effective?



 How do drugs affect mental processing and

everyday functioning?



 Do people really “see the light at the end of the

tunnel” in near death experiences?









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Nine Essential Understandings & Questions Essential Knowledge & Skills Suggested Assessments & Resources

Weeks

2nd Nine LEARNING LEARNING LEARNING

Weeks  Classical Conditioning  Compare and contrast the different types of  “A Day in the Life”, identifying the types of

Learning learning conditioning and learning throughout the day

6 Blocks  Operant Conditioning  Identify different types of reinforces and

schedules of reinforcement

 Modeling  Discuss the importance of cognitive processes

to behavior

 Punishment v. Rewards  Compare and contrast the use of reinforcement

versus punishment

 Schedules of Reinforcement  Analyze the extent to which modeling

influences behavior

 What are the differences between Classical and  Evaluate various types of behavior

Operant Conditioning? modifications such as token economy and self-

control

 Is punishment effective in deterring unwanted

behavior?



 How can attitudes be classically conditioned?



 How can averse conditioning be effective for

elimination undesirable behaviors?



 What behaviors would be most likely acquired

through modeling?





COGNITION COGNITION COGNITION

Cognition  Describe memory in terms of information  Write an essay debating the validity of

4 Blocks  Information Processing

processing. repressed memories

 Compare and contrast between sensory

 Encoding, storing, and retrieval of information

storage, short-term memory, and long-term  Create a booklet for improving memory

memory.

 Three types of memory (sensory storage, short-

 What problems can arise from viewing memory  Creativity Booklet

term, long-term memory

as reconstructive?

 Discuss the structure of language  Symbolism and language activity

 Forgetting and amnesia

 Discuss the acquisition of language through

the nature-nurture debate

 Repressed and recovered memory  Discuss the role rehearsal plays in memory

 Describe the information-processing model of

 Thinking and making decisions memory

 Identify several different methods of memory



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Nine Essential Understandings & Questions Essential Knowledge & Skills Suggested Assessments & Resources

Weeks

2nd Nine  The structure and development of language retrieval

Weeks  Explain the process involved in forgetting

(con’t)  Animal thinking and language



 Is memory accurate?



 How much do emotions interfere with

decisions?



 Is there only one form of intelligence?



 Can creativity be assessed through a test?





MOTIVATION/EMOTION MOTIVATION/EMOTION MOTIVATION/EMOTION

Development  Theories of motivation  Compare and contrast the different theories of

7 Blocks emotion

 Biological and social motives  Explain the physical causes for basic rives,

motivations, and emotions

 Emotions  Analyze the different social motives of humans

 Analyze the steps in Maslow’s hierarchy of

 How does biology play a role in human needs

motives and emotions



 Why are humans intrinsically motivated for

some things and extrinsically motivated for

others?



 How do social motives impact behaviors?



 Explain the levels of Maslow’s hierarchy and

explain how they affect a person’s personality.



 Explain the process of homeostasis



 Drives and incentives



 Different types of motivation (intrinsic versus

extrinsic)



 Self-Actualization





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Nine Essential Understandings & Questions Essential Knowledge & Skills Suggested Assessments & Resources

Weeks

2nd Nine DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY

Weeks  Prenatal development  Discuss the impact of physical maturation on  Interview children of different ages in order to

(con’t) infant’s memory and motor skills look at their cognitive level and write a

 Inborn reflexes  Describe Piaget’s view of how the mind research report

develops

Development  Development during infancy and childhood  Summarize the current views regarding  Analyze responses to death and dying at

7 Blocks continuity versus stages and stability versus various ages

 Social development change

 Compare and contrast Freud and Erickson’s  “old age” simulation

 Adolescence theories.

 Summarize the theories of attachment and  Report on gender stereotyping in toy stores

 Adulthood research on patterns of attachment and their

effects

 Evaluate how the adolescent journey for

 Theories of development (Freud, Erickson,

identity is difficult by looking at Erickson and

Kohlberg, Piaget)

Marcia’s theories.

 Explain the role that nature and nurture play

 Emotional development

in regards to their social development and

gender differences.

 Cognitive development

 Compare and contrast the various methods of

parenting

 Parenting styles  Explain the stages of Kubler-Ross’s theory of

death and dying

 Death and dying



 Are we products of nature or nurture?



 Are gender differences a product of genetics or

society?



 How are the elderly viewed and valued?









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Nine Essential Understandings & Questions Essential Knowledge & Skills Suggested Assessments & Resources

Weeks

3rd Nine PERSONALITY PERSONALITY PERSONALITY

Weeks  Explain the development of personality though  Describe Freud’s view of personality structure  Students take the Myers-Briggs personality test

the different psychological perspectives in terms of the Id, Ego, and Superego.

Personality (Psychoanalytic, humanistic, trait, and social  Analyze the contributions of Neo-Freudians.  Students will compose a personality analysis

6 Blocks cognitive)  Describe the humanistic perspective. paper

 Discuss research regarding the consistency of

 Explain the self and the unconscious mind behavior over time and across situations.  Students will analyze the personality of a

 Compare and contrast the psychoanalytic and friend, famous person, or cartoon character

 Freud’s Psychosexual development behavioral theories of personality.

 How is personality affected by the nature /

 Freud’s explanation of the personality (Id, ego, nurture debate?

superego, unconscious)  Discuss the points of view for personality

development according to Freud, Bandura, and

 Are personalities constant over time or do they Skinner.

change with each new experience?  Explain and support one defense mechanism

and it’s effectiveness in dealing with

 Do personality tests really assess personality? frustration and conflict.



 What are the three parts of Freud’s description

of the personality and how do they influence

people’s behavior?



 What are the purposes of personality

development?



 What are defense mechanisms and what role do

they play in psychological adjustment and

behavior changes?



 Name and explain the various defense

mechanisms.



 What are the strengths and weaknesses of the

behavioral approach, humanistic approach,

psychoanalytic approach, and social cognitive

approach to personality?



 What is the trait theory of personality?



 What are the advantages of describing

personality using the five-factor model?



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Nine Essential Understandings & Questions Essential Knowledge & Skills Suggested Assessments & Resources

Weeks

3rd Nine TESTING AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES TESTING AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES TESTING AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES

Weeks  How is intelligence assessed?  Discuss whether intelligence tests are  Research: Can intelligence be faked?

(con’t)  Analyze the construction of psychological tests culturally biased

 Evaluate the need and logic behind

 How is intelligence assessed? psychological testing

 Analyze the construction of psychological tests  Determine what accounts for group differences

on intelligence scores

 Cultural biases in tests  Compare and contrast the different theories of

Intelligence intelligence

4 Blocks  Types of intelligence  Compare and contrast aptitude and

achievement tests

 Measuring achievement, abilities, and interests  Evaluate the purpose for objective and

projective testing

 Personality testing



 Reliability, validity, and standardization of

tests



 Norms and testing



 Intelligence Quotient



 Aptitude and achievement tests



 Personality tests, objective tests, and projective

tests









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Nine Essential Understandings & Questions Essential Knowledge & Skills Suggested Assessments & Resources

Weeks

4th Nine PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS AND

Weeks TREATMENT TREATMENT TREATMENT

 Classifications of Psychological Disorders  Explain the difference between “normal” and  Case studies dealing with different

Disorders “abnormal” behaviors psychological disorders

8 Blocks  Major Psychological Disorders  Identify the criteria used to judge whether

behavior is psychologically disordered.

 Drug addiction  Describe the aims of the DSM-IV

 Describe and evaluate the medical model of

 Psychotherapy abnormal behavior

 Describe the prevalence and symptoms of

 Psychoanalysis various disorders and the timing of their onset.

 Explain how excessive anxiety may lead to

 Cognitive therapy phobias or panic disorders.

 Describe the commonalities and differences

among the psychotherapies.

 Biomedical therapy

 Identify the common forms of drug therapy

 Humanistic therapy



 What are the signs of mental illness?



 What is the DSM-IV and how is it used?



 What a re the five symptoms of schizophrenia?



 What are the different types of schizophrenia?



 What is involved in psychotherapy?



 How does society view mental illness?









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Nine Essential Understandings & Questions Essential Knowledge & Skills Suggested Assessments & Resources

Weeks

4th Nine SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY

Weeks  Interpersonal relationships  Explain the “foot in the door” phenomenon  Students will create, administer, and analyze

 Explain and discuss the results of the Milgram the results of a survey that deals with social

 Group impact on personal behavior and Zimbardo experiments attitudes

Social  Explain how stereotypes may lead to prejudice

Psychology  Conformity & obedience and discrimination

5 Blocks  What factors go into our determining who we

 Formation of attitudes will be friends with?

 Prejudice and persuasion  Compare and contrast verbal and non-verbal

communication

 Fundamental attribution theory



 Social Facilitation



 Bystander Effect



 Cognitive dissonance



 Groups and norms



 Altruism









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