Honors Psychology
Alliance Leichtman-Levine Family Foundation Environmental Science High School
Instructor: Mrs. Mason Email: [email protected]
Course Description
This elective course is for highly motivated Alliance Leichtman-Levine Family Foundation Environmental Science High School students, and it will introduce the major content areas of psychology, which include: the different viewpoints applied in psychology, learning and memory, social psychology, biopsychology, and developmental psychology. We will explore topics such as identity, nature vs. nurture, helping behavior, group dynamics, and brain anatomy to name a few.
This course presents topics that are considered indispensable to a most basic understanding of human psychology and is most pertinent to the lives of high-school students and the period of cognitive and social development they currently inhabit. The course is meant to be an academic introduction to psychology as well as a place to practice academic skills, but it is also meant to encourage students to enhance their own level of self-awareness that they can develop and apply in their immediate lives.
For many students, the study of psychology is very different from other subjects they have explored. Studying psychology requires connections from research to real life. Students should expect research, reading, writing practice, activities and projects throughout the year. Students will be working with online resources, printed documents, and published research articles. In the Honors section, students will be given more independence and more rigorous timed prompts for assessments than in an introductory class. Students are expected to apply their best abilities in reading, writing, analysis, and discussion.
No upcoming assignments.
Do Now Logs (Bright Pink)
Monday-Tuesday: February 24-25 (3 points)
What is an attitude OR what are synonyms for attitude? What’s your attitude toward recycling for example? How does your general attitude affect you in your everyday life?
Wednesday: February 26 (4 points)
FREE WRITE WEDNESDAY:
Develop at least four sentences to tell about what you have on your mind today. Is there anything you’re currently looking forward to, struggling with, or interested in that you can tell about?
Thursday-Friday: February 27-28 (4 points: identify the person, list three questions)
If you could spend time with anyone, dead or alive, who would you spend time with? What are three things you would ask? (Could be a family member, an old friend, someone famous, or a historical figure.)
Monday-Tuesday: March 2-3 (2 points)
Simply Psychology defines cognitive dissonance as “a situation involving conflicting attitudes, beliefs or behaviors. This produces a feeling of mental discomfort...”
What’s a realistic scenario that might cause cognitive dissonance? Think of a time in which you may have experienced this sense of guilt or contemplation. How did you or how might you overcome the cognitive dissonance?
Wednesday: March 4 (2 points)
If someone hurt you (or when someone hurts you), what would you want them to do to make it better? Include an example scenario to help your ideas be more clear.
Thursday-Friday: March 5-6 (2 points)
To make an attribution is to make an assumption about why someone does something or acts a certain way. For instance, when you ace a quiz, what might you attribute that to? Additionally, if you have an issue with someone and they become more and more aggressive, what might you attribute that to?
Monday-Tuesday: February 10-11 (2 points)
As an adolescent, what is a challenge that people often go through? Coming out of adolescence, what do you hope to gain or to learn?
Wednesday: February 12 (2 points)
What does it mean to live a fulfilled life? What do you hope people will remember about you even after you’ve died?
Thursday-Friday: February 13-14 (3 points)
Define what morals are and explain what it means to have a strong moral compass. Why do people sometimes struggle with morality or with making good, moral decisions?
Monday: President’s Holiday
Tuesday-Wednesday: February 18-19 (3 points)
Carl Jung once said, “There is no such thing as a pure introvert or extrovert. Such a person would be in the lunatic asylum.” Restate Jung’s point in your words. Then, on a scale of 1-10, say how introverted (1) or how extroverted (10) you are. Why do you think people tend to be a bit of both?
Thursday-Friday: February 20-21 (2 points)
Comedian Jerry Seinfeld claimed, “According to most studies, people’s number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death.” Humans are social creatures, so why is it typically nerve wracking to speak in front of an audience? What advice do you have to help get over this fear?
Submit "My Child's Development" report.
Be sure to have it printed and turned in to the class basket or to my mailbox in the office by the end of the day.
Update Your Agenda:
Complete Intro to Social Psych AND complete YOUR PART of Jigsaw: Social Psych Key Figures
Update your packet T.O.C with today’s date:
Introduction to Social Psychology
Social Psychology Key Figures
Do Now Log:
Think about how you want to write out your ideas first, then write them out as clearly and as detailed as you can.
Carl Jung once said, “There is no such thing as a pure introvert or extrovert. Such a person would be in the lunatic asylum.” Restate Jung’s point in your words. Then, on a scale of 1-10, say how introverted (1) or how extroverted (10) you are. Why do you think people tend to be a bit of both?
INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY (40-45 min)
One person in each row, pick up the HONORS packet from the front table. Make sure the heading says Honors Psychology.
INDEPENDENTLY and QUIETLY: Read closely and annotate the introduction article by highlighting key phrases and information that helps to explain what the field of social psychology focuses on and studies.
Ask questions and make connections in the margins.
WITH YOUR PARTNER: Complete the word bank activity on page 2.
JIGSAW SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY KEY FIGURES (60 min)
Work in a team of three or four and focus on ONE KEY FIGURE on page 3 or 4. Each team member will take on a role (A, B, or C). Each person record your work on your own binder paper. This work will be presented next class.
A: Who is the psychologist and what is their theory?
Provide a SHORT bio to give some context about the life of the psychologist. Is he alive or dead? What era did he live in? Where did he live and study/work? Include at least one interesting fact or quote by the key figure! Then define and describe the theory that the psychologist is known for.
B: What is an experiment he is best known for? Why did he do the experiment? What did he find?
Tell about what the psychologist wanted to investigate and why he wanted to investigate it. Explain how the experiment was set up and carried out. Tell about the findings and conclusions of the psychologist based on their work.
C: What's a real life example that shows the concept they're known for?
Provide at least one research based, real to life example of the concept the psychologist is known for. What does this teach us about the human experience? Then create at least one realistic scenario/example and illustrate it to clearly demonstrate your assigned topic.
If you have a 4th person, they are person D: Group support! What questions did you have? What resources did you use?
Check in with person A, B, C, and offer support. On your binder paper, record questions or points of confusion that come up in your group. If any websites beyond simplypsychology.org were used, take note of that.
Do Now Logs (Light Blue)
Monday-Tuesday: January 27-28 (2 points)
Think about a family that is about to have their first baby. What advice would you offer a pregnant woman? What advice would you offer a new dad/family? Specifically, what should the family think about or plan to ensure healthy development of their child?
Wednesday: January 29 (2 points)
A big part of development and of who we are is rooted in our memories. What is one of your earliest memories? AND What is one of your favorite memories?
Thursday-Friday: January 30-31 (2 points)
What does it mean to be a man and to be a woman? What are some expectations or stereotypes behind these gender labels? Furthermore, what does it mean to be transgender?
Monday-Tuesday: February 3-4 (2 points)
Thinking about the research that you have done or the experiences you have had, what is something that a man typically does/experiences that a woman does not? Why do you think that difference might exist?
Wednesday: February 5 (2 points)
Imagine your future kid or a niece or nephew. What kinds of things do you imagine teaching them? What would you want them to do well or do regularly?
DO NOW LOGS (Bright Blue)
Wednesday 1/15
This unit, we will be exploring some ways in which people tend to change over time. Imagine three different people: a 6-year-old, a 16-year-old, and a 36-year-old. What are some likely goals that each of them might have for themselves?
Thursday/Friday 1/16-1/17
What are at least two characteristics you see in yourself that you also see in another family member? If you don’t see or recognize similarities between you and a relative, you can write about the similarities between two people who you know are related.
MLK Holiday -- No School Monday
Tuesday/Wednesday 1/21-1/22
Identity can be defined as “the qualities, beliefs, etc. that make a person different from others; who someone is.” Tell about your identity. Include at least three adjectives to tell about who you are.
Thursday/Friday 1/23-1/24
What is something that your primary caregiver (parent, grandparent, etc.) does that you appreciate? What do you think is the hardest part of being a parent or grandparent?