Ms. Kris Casperson
Carnegie Vanguard High School
1501 Taft St.
Houston, TX. 77019
[email protected]
This syllabus represents a one year, college-level course that prepares students for the AP® Psychology
exam and for more advanced work in college. Earning college credit for the course depends on two factors:
students must earn a passing score on the national AP exam administered in May and the college that the
student attends must accept AP courses for credit. (Note: most colleges in our state give credit for AP courses.) Students
will learn about the field of psychology through in-depth study, discussion, demonstrations, presentations, realworld experiments, creating comparative charts, and through both independent and group projects. The student
products that are created in this course will be quite varied, including a comprehensive portfolio of their
collected work along with a suggested research project proposal (and an outline of necessary steps/components
for it to be successful) which will be completed by the end of the year-long course.
Primary Course Objectives
1.
Students will prepare throughout the year to be successful on the Advanced Placement examination in Psychology.
2.
Students will study the major core concepts and theories of psychology. And, they will be able to use the key terms in their
everyday applications and vocabulary.
3.
Students will learn the essential skills of psychological research. They will be able to devise research projects, interpret and
generalize results and be able to evaluate the validity of research reports.
4.
Students will be able to identify, investigate & apply psychological concepts within controlled applications. And, students will
also be able to consider how these concepts apply to their own lives. Additionally, they will be able to actively recognize
psychological principles when they are encountered in everyday situations.
5.
Students will develop enhanced critical thinking skills. They will become aware of the inherent danger of blindly accepting or
rejecting any potential psychological theory without careful, objective evaluation.
6.
Students will use cross-curricular applications to further develop their reading, writing, listening and discussion skills.
TEXTBOOK and RESOURCES FOR TEACHING AP® PSYCHOLOGY
Classroom Textbook: Fineburg, Amy C. and Myers, David G. Meyer’s Psychology for AP, New York: Worth, 2011.
Course Expectations: Although our class time will often allow students to openly discuss & participate in labs or
activities to test the ideas and theories we will discuss, the foundation of their knowledge will come from their outside reading and
study group sessions. [Students must participate in a peer study group from either the 1st or 7th period classes. Periodically, all
students will be expected to complete reflective activities or study-sessions in class or during lunch.] Students will be required to do
all of their textbook reading outside of class. In addition, students will be expected to maintain their materials (class
notes/handouts/lab results) throughout the year for future reference. Students will also be required to complete flashcards as we go
through the units of the textbook in order to create study resources for themselves. Additionally, each semester, the students will
select 1 independent reading text to help supplement their experiences in AP Psych. It is absolutely paramount that students keep
up with the textual content of the course. If students keep up with the reading and are present for class lectures/activities, they
will have no problem succeeding in the course (& on the AP exam).
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Regarding excessive absences: Students, please be advised that absences (& the subsequent
amount of make-up work that is generated by these absences) could become a significant barrier in a student’s
pursuit of success. As juniors & seniors, it is exclusively your responsibility to do your best to make-up any/all
missed work. However, be advised that not all in-class activities and labs can be recreated in a one-on-one
setting after-the-fact, so there is some potential for missed experiences if an absence is unavoidable. And, keep
in mind that I will not track you down to bring these assignments to your attention. It is your responsibility to
ask for make-up work.
Open Door Policy: I am always available to assist/advise any student that feels he/she is falling behind. And,
I will always encourage all of my students to have at least one “classroom buddy” that can help them keep up
with the reading/studying/assignments. You are each other’s greatest resource! Help each other out.
* Additional Course Activities and Resources that will be used in class:
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AP Psych study guide (we will use our class set of the 5 Steps to a 5, 2014 edition)
Student Workbook “Strive for a Five”
(Automatically accompanies the textbook – you may use it to assist you in reviewing, but you may not write in it.)
Interactive/Kinesthetic Labs (in-class, used to reinforce the concepts from the assigned reading)
Student-conducted observation/research/experimentation (in both: individual & group projects)
Collegeboard materials (released exams, essay prompts, scored essays, etc.)
Classroom lectures/Documentaries/Crash Course videos/TED Talks
Local Experts in a psychological career field (Guest Speakers)
Independent reading assignment (students will select a full non-fiction text to read each semester)
Hock, Roger R. Forty Studies that Changed Psychology: Explorations into the History of Psychological Research, 6th ed. New
York: Prentice Hall, 2009.
o In addition, many classroom resources will include articles from periodicals such as Psychology Today, Scientific America’s
Mind, and Science, and also frequent publications from the American Psychological Association.
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AP Psychology: Course Content
Each textbook unit topic is listed, along with the predicted percentage for how each category will be represented on the AP Psychology exam.
(*percentages provided by Collegeboard)
Semester 1
Semester 2______________
2-4% Unit 1: History and Approaches
8-10% Unit 2: Research Methods
8-10% Unit 3: Biological Bases of Behavior
6-8% Unit 4: Sensation and Perception
2-4% Unit 5: States of Consciousness
7-9% Unit 6: Learning
8-10% Unit 7: Cognition
6-8% Unit 8: Motivation and Emotion
Final Exam & Review
Semester 1 Final Exam (Units 1-8)
7-9% Unit 9: Developmental Psychology
5-7% Unit 10: Personality
5-7% Unit 11: Testing and Individual Differences
7-9% Unit 12: Abnormal Psychology
5-7% Unit 13: Treatment of Disorders
8-10% Unit 14: Social Psychology
AP Test Prep and Review
AP Psych Exam: Monday, May 2nd @ Noon
Post-AP Test Activities/Final Exam Review
Semester 2 Final Exam (Units 9-14)
What you can expect:
Major Grades: Course Content Assessments: 50%
Unit Tests: At the conclusion of most of our units, a unit test will be given. Most often, these tests will be in a
similar format of the AP Psychology Test, consisting of multiple choice questions (with 5 answer choices) and
also free response questions.
Projects: Students will have to occasionally complete individual & group projects to reinforce their classroom
learning. These projects will be extended over multiple days/weeks and will always be accompanied with a
scoring rubric.
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Independent Reading Assignment: Students will select one text each semester and complete an assigned project
or activity that is associated with their text.
Labs/Quizzes/U-book: 35%
Quizzes: Announced or unannounced quizzes may be given at any time throughout the year. Usually quizzes are
based upon the reading or the activities from the previous day(s). However, occasionally, the quizzes will be
covering cumulative information.
Labs: Students will actively & responsibly participate in labs which will allow them to explore/apply the
concepts that they are learning in each unit.
U-book: Students will be asked to maintain an “active notebook” to record their own individual
responses/inquiries to what is being taught/discussed in class. Assignments can range from year-long (journaling)
to short & specific (respond to a particular lab/assignment).
Minor Grades: 15%
Homework: In addition to the outside reading, students will occasionally be asked to complete short assignments
to help reinforce the reading.
Class work: Students will often have small in-class activities or tasks to complete. In addition, as part of the class
work grade, all students are expected to actively participate in classroom discussions.
Notebook checks: Students will occasionally be asked to produce a specific item from their notebook or to turn
them in for a quick spot-check to ensure that they are taking notes. This is meant to encourage them to keep up
with their course materials and resources.
Peer Study-Group Sessions: To help students create and maintain a supportive study structure, they will
periodically be asked to complete reflective assignments or hold study-group sessions during class time or lunch.
Semester Final Exams: At the end of each semester, a final exam will be given consisting of multiple choice
questions taken from the previous quizzes and unit tests.
2016 AP Psychology Exam: The AP Exam will be on Monday May 2nd, 2016 at noon.
CLASSROOM SUPPLIES:
Specific Items ~ you will need 1 dedicated “AP Psych” binder (or bound notebook & folder) to collect &
maintain all of the materials that we generate in class. You will also need a notebook (like a composition book
or spiral). You will need at least 1 large pack of notecards and a pack of post-its (any color/size).
And, for the more general items, you will need notebook paper, pens, pencils, a basic calculator & highlighters.
Student Notebooks:
Students will need to maintain two notebooks for this course.
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The first notebook should be brought to class every day for note-taking/labs/daily activities/etc. In addition, you will need to keep up
with multiple handouts and reference materials throughout the year. Please make every attempt to be organized enough to have these
materials at the ready. It is absolutely critical that you are able to collect & maintain your materials from one semester to the next. You
will take complete and detailed notes in class (and on your own – in the case of homework assignments). Review the notes often. If you
are absent, it is your responsibility to get the class notes from a classmate.
The second notebook (called your “U-book”) & it will be used exclusively for recording your own observations/experiences. You will be
asked – periodically – to be specifically cognizant of certain aspects of your daily life. In these instances, you will record your response in
your U-book. You will occasionally be asked to turn this in for a grade, but it is first & foremost a record of your own account/experiences
within this course. [I recommend using a medium-to-large hard backed-journal or a composition notebook.]
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Late Work Policy:
You are juniors & seniors. All assignments will be turned in on time.
This is an AP class, and in line with a college course, and – as such - late work is unacceptable. All late
assignments will receive a zero.
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 * The only “Minor Grades” exception to this policy will be assignments that are using a “homework pass” that I
will give to you. You will receive 1 per cycle and it can be used to either: skip a homework assignment or to turn
one in late with no grading penalty. [Please note that major projects/labs/quizzes & U-book assignments are not
included in this opportunity.] These passes are non-transferable. {It will be your responsibility to keep track of the
homework pass. I will not issue replacements.}
 The only other exception for this is from our assignment category of “Major Grades.” These late projects will
automatically lose 20 points for being turned in late (even if it is submitted a minute after a clearly specified
date/time). Please make sure that you are always aware of the due dates (& times) for these projects because
some are due by 9:00 a.m. & some are due in class. Late projects that are 2 days late will receive a MAXIMUM
grade of a 70. Projects turned in after this will receive a zero.
Attendance/Tardies/Retake Policy = please see your student handbook
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Please refer to the class webpage often to refer to the course calendar and to access
electronic copies of handouts. Additionally, under the “Study Aids” tab, I will have
supplemental study materials and recommended links and resources available to you
throughout the year.
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Please take care of your textbook. (I recommend a book cover.)
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 ~ PROTECTING OUR CLASSROOM CULTURE ~ Due to the candid discussions that we will be having in class, you
are expected to be fully considerate and respectful of your peers’ opinions – at all times. Aspects of Psychology
often touch each family differently, so students are expected to be open-minded and considerate of the varying
perspectives that might arise as we discuss all of the facets that we examine. Students are always highly
encouraged to learn from the perspectives of others. And, above all, students will maintain a positive and
supportive classroom for all students so that they may feel safe & comfortable in sharing their views. No
bullying or belittling will be tolerated. Students are expected to be mature enough to uplift each other and
exercise empathy to understand multiple perspectives. You have all read & acknowledged the Student Honor
Code and you have also agreed to uphold the Academic Honor Code. Students are expected to embody a
positive and supportive role while they are in my classroom. Any violations of our classroom trust will
immediately be referred to the administration. {For instance, you do not have permission to record audio/video
of any of the activities that we are doing in class. If you violate this edict, you will lose your cell phone/recording
device and be referred to Mr. Garner with a Level II offense.} In accordance with our campus policy, all cases of
academic dishonesty will be reported & receive a zero and an office referral.
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Teacher’s Note: I am so excited to have this course, and I hope that you are too! This year will be a lot of
work, but I hope that it will become a labor of love for you. I am also hoping that – no matter what you plan
to study in college – this course broadens your personal perspective and helps you learn about the amazing
power of the human mind. Thank you for joining me on this journey!
~ Ms. Casperson
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