AP Psychology
Summer Assignment Requirements
2015-2016
Requirement One:
Select and Read a Book
Due: Friday, August 21, 2015
1.
2.
You could consider purchasing the book or contacting your local library
about the availability of the suggested book. Check with your AP teacher
for more information.
As you read, you should take notes. Feel free to use the following
questions, or similar ones of your own, to help you while reading the book.
What was the book about?
Who wrote it?
What was the purpose of the book?
Why were you interested in reading this particular book?
How does the book you read relate to psychology? Please explain and
provide examples from the book.
 What claims does the author make? What evidence does the author use?
 What did you learn that you didn’t previously know?
 After reading the book, is there anything you would like to learn more
about?





2015-2016
AP Psychology
 Get a copy of the
book.
 Read the book.
 Take notes while
reading the
book.
 Complete the
book review and
submit.
 Use reference
materials for the
vocabulary work.
Requirements
 Read the book
and write a book
review.
If you have questions about this assignment, you can contact me at
__________________. Enjoy your summer and I look forward to meeting all
of you in August.
Summer Assignment Requirements
 Complete the
vocabulary.
Suggested Books
A Child Called “It” – Dave Pelzer: This book involves the disturbing and heart-wrenching account of a
young man who survives what is considered one of the worst physical abuse cases in the history of
the state of California at the hands of his emotionally unstable, alcoholic mother. (AP Topics --VI:
Learning; XII Abnormal Behavior, IX: Developmental Psychology)
Gifted Hands – Ben Carson: Carson provides an autobiographical account of his difficulties growing
up in Detroit’s inner-city to his current position as head of pediatric neurosurgery at the prestigious
Johns Hopkins Medical Institute. Dr. Carson has gained world-wide recognition for his advancements
in neurosurgery. (AP Topics -- VI: Learning; VIII: Motivation; IX: Developmental Psychology; XIV: Social Psychology)
Iron Heart – Brian Boyle: A graduate of McDonough High School and St. Mary’s College suffered a
near-fatal auto accident when a dump truck t-boned his Chevy Camaro. He made a miraculous
physical recovery. He not only defied the odds to walk again, but since the accident, he has gone on
to compete in numerous Ironman Triathlon competitions. (AP Topic -- VIII: Motivation and Emotion)
Awakenings – Oliver Sacks: Awakenings is the remarkable story of a group of patients who
contracted sleeping-sickness during the great epidemic just after World War I. Frozen for decades in a
trance-like state, these men and women were given up as hopeless until 1969, when Dr. Oliver Sacks
gave them the then-new drug L-DOPA, which had an astonishing, explosive, “awakening” effect. Dr.
Sacks recounts the moving case histories of his patients, their lives, and the extraordinary
transformations that went with their reintroduction to a changed world. (AP Topics – II: Research Methods;
V: States of Consciousness; VIII: Cognition)
The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat – Oliver Sacks: Oliver Sacks’s The Man Who Mistook His
Wife for a Hat tells the stories of individuals afflicted with fantastic perceptual and intellectual
aberrations: patients who have lost their memories and with them the greater part of their pasts;
who are no longer able to recognize people and common objects; who are stricken with violent tics
and grimaces or who shout involuntary obscenities; whose limbs have become alien; who have been
dismissed as having limited intellectual capabilities yet are gifted with uncanny artistic or
mathematical talents. (AP Topics: II: Research Methods; VII: Cognition: IX: Developmental Psychology)
Musicophilia - Oliver Sacks: Oliver Sacks explores the place music occupies in the brain and how it
affects the human condition. In Musicophilia, he shows us a variety of what he calls “musical
misalignments.” Among them: a man struck by lightning who suddenly desires to become a pianist at
the age of forty-two; an entire group of children with Williams syndrome, who are hyper-musical
from birth; people with “amusia,” to whom a symphony sounds like the clattering of pots and pans;
and a man whose memory spans only seven seconds - for everything but music. (AP Topics – II: Research
Methods; VI: Learning; VIII; IX: Developmental Psychology)
How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character - Paul Tough: Why do
some children succeed while others fail? The story we usually tell about childhood and success is the
one about intelligence: success comes to those who score highest on tests, from preschool
admissions to SATs. But in How Children Succeed, Paul Tough argues that the qualities that matter
more have to do with character: skills like perseverance, curiosity, optimism, and self-control. (AP
Topics - VI: Learning; IX: Developmental Psychology)
Summer Assignment Requirements
Source: AP Topics: http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/repository/ap-psychology-course-description.pdf
Requirement Two:
Write a Book Review
Due: Friday, August 21, 2015
You must compose a book review based on your reading. Use the following book review guidelines
to earn full credit for your work.
1. Your book review should be typed and double-spaced. You need to use a 12-point font, Times
New Roman, and one inch margins. Be sure your book review has a title page containing the
title of the book, the author, and your name. It should be submitted in a report cover.
2. The book review should be between two and three pages.
3. Your book review must encompass the following topics:
•
•
•
Background
o Who wrote the book?
o What is the author’s perspective about this topic?
o Why was it written?
o When was it written?
o Who is the intended audience?
o Is this book reliable? Why? Why not?
Pressing Claims
o What claims does the author make?
o What evidence does the author use?
o How does the book's language indicate the author's perspective?
Your Evaluation
o How did the book affect you? Were any previous ideas you had on the subject
changed, abandoned, or reinforced due to this book?
o What was one meaningful quote from the book? Why was this quote meaningful
to you?
o Would you recommend this book to others? Why? Why not?
Summer Assignment Requirements
Name ___________________________________________________________________________________ Period __________
Category: Process Grade
AP Psychology
Scoring Guide for Summer Reading Assignment Requirement 2
Due: Friday, August 21, 2015
Organization
4
The review begins with
a clear thesis statement
that identifies the work
by title, author, and
succinctly states a critical
position on one aspect of
the work. The body
introduces and provides
specific points for the
critical review; specific
points are supported with
details and examples
from the work. The
conclusion leaves the
reader with a memorable
final point or a strong
impression of the writer’s
critical impression.
Summer Assignment Requirements
3
The review begins with a
thesis statement that
identifies the work by
title and author, and
indicates a critical
position on some aspect
of the work. The body
provides specific points
that are supported with
evidence from the book.
The conclusion brings
the review to an
appropriate close.
2
The review begins with
a thesis statement that
identifies the work by
title and author, but it
may not clearly indicate
a critical position on the
aspect of the book
being reviewed. The
body is only partially
supported with
evidence from the book.
The conclusion may be
weak, repetitive, or
missing.
1
The review does
not begin with a
thesis statement,
and the writer fails
to identify the work
by title and author.
The body does not
develop a critical
position. No
organization plan is
evident.
Earned Points
Elements of
Critical Review
4
The purpose of evaluating
the work is achieved,
thereby deepening the
reader’s understanding of
the work. The review
establishes, explains, and
adheres to the topic
questions throughout the
paper. The tone is
appropriate to the
content of the critical
evaluation.
Total Points
Earned
Final
Grade
____X 10
_____/100
Summer Assignment Requirements
3
The review offers some
insight into the book. For
the most part, the review
establishes, explains, and
adheres throughout the
paper. The tone is
generally appropriate to
the content of the critical
evaluation.
2
The review offers little
insight into the book.
The review does not
really focus on the
response topics
throughout the paper.
The tone is not
appropriate to the
content of the critical
evaluation.
1
The review does
not offer insight
into the work. The
review fails to
address the
response topics or
does not present
an understandable
point of view. The
tone is
inappropriate or
inconsistent.
Total Points Earned
Points Earned
Requirement Three:
Complete Vocabulary
Due: Friday, August 28, 2015
Using any source, define each of the bolded terms below and give an original example of each term. Do
not use the examples from the resource you are using! The internet can be very resourceful but be
cautious and select credible sites. Also the public library has several psychology text books available that
you can check out including Psychology by David Myers, Psychology in Action by Karen Huffman,
Psychology by Don H. Hockenbury, and Psychology by Carole Wade.
You will also need to turn in a completed work-cited page using the APA format. The work-cited page
must include the resources you used to complete the vocabulary assignment. Please click on the link
(http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/) to see examples of how to document your
resources.
---------------------------------You must be intrinsically motivated to be in this class for there are very few extrinsic motivators.
Hopefully, you will get in the flow even before class begins. I’m certain that all of you did not miss the
critical period, therefore you should be able to use both fluid intelligence and crystallized intelligence to
find answers. Additionally, you will be using your Broca’s area and Wernicke’s area to communicate
with everyone in our class while using correct grammar, proper syntax, morphemes, and phonemes.
There will be all sorts of transduction and parallel processing happening in our brains as we journey into
the world of Psychology. Our hippocampus will be very busy as we encode and find memory storage for
information. You will be asked for the retrieval of information on unit tests without the use of artificial
intelligence or other assistance. Instead you can use mnemonics, chunking, imagery, and acronyms.
In this class, we will study different topics. We will talk about hormones, those chemical messengers
circulating throughout our body. We will also examine narcolepsy, sleep apnea, insomnia, night terrors,
split brain, or a lobotomy. These situations make learning very difficult.
I can guarantee that this class will test your ideas of what is and is not a norm. I can also guarantee that
this class will at times upset you, forcing you into critical thinking, self-disclosure, and into belief
perseverance.
At the same time, this class will enlighten you about psychological disorders. The class will help to
remove our fixations (non-Freudian definition here please), functional fixedness, prejudices, and
stereotypes. We will also study treatments and therapy. This may inspire us to be more altruistic.
Your creativity will be valued in this class. Your attitude is critical for success and social loafing, slacking,
or procrastinating are never good ideas. Working together to pass the AP Exam is one of our
superordinate goals. So, have a wonderful summer. Keep your neural networks going and be certain to
protect your brainstem, limbic system, and cerebral cortex as our brains have only so much plasticity.
Summer Assignment Requirements
Name:
Category:
____________________________________________
Process Grade
AP Psychology
Scoring Guide for Summer Reading Assignment Requirement 3
Due: Friday, August 28, 2015
Term
1. Intrinsically motivated
2. Extrinsic motivators
3. Critical period
4. Fluid intelligence
5. Crystallized intelligence
6. Broca’s area
7. Wernicke’s area
8. Morphemes
9. Phonemes
10. Transduction
11. Parallel processing
12. Psychology
13. Hippocampus
14. Encode
15. Memory storage
16. Retrieval
17. Mnemonics
18. Chunking
19. Imagery
20. Narcolepsy
21. Sleep apnea
22. Insomina
23. Night terrors
24. Split brain
25. Lobotomy
26. Learning
27. Norm
28. Critical thinking
29. Belief perseverance
30. Psychological disorders
AP
Psychology
Topics
VIII
VIII
VI
VII
VII
III
III
VII
VII
III
III
I
VII
VII
VII
VI
VI
VI
VI
V
V
V
V
III
III
VI
XII
VI
VI
XII
31. Fixations
32. Functional fixedness
Summer Assignment Requirements
XI
XI
Was the term
accurately defined?
(1 point each)
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
Y
N
N
Does the original example
demonstrate understanding of
the term? (1 point each)
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
Y
N
N
Term
33. Prejudices
34. Stereotypes
35. Therapy
36. Altruistic
37. Creativity
38. Attitude
39. Social loafing
40. Superordinate goals
41. Neural networks
42. Brainstem
43. Limbic system
44. Cerebral cortex
45. Plasticity
AP
Psychology
Topics
XIV
XIV
XIII
XIV
VII
XIV
XIV
XIV
III
III
III
III
III
Points Earned
Was the term
accurately defined?
(1 point each)
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Does the original example
demonstrate understanding of
the term? (1 point each)
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
Y
N
________/45 points
________/45
Total Points Earned
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
VIII.
IX.
X.
XI.
XII.
XIII.
XIV.
History and Approaches
Research Methods
Biological Bases of Behavior
Sensation and Perception
States of Consciousness
Learning
Cognition
Motivation and Emotion
Developmental Psychology
Personality
Testing and Individual Differences
Abnormal Behavior
Treatment of Abnormal Behavior
Social Psychology
________/90
AP Psychology Topics
Source: http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/repository/ap-psychology-course-description.pdf
Summer Assignment Requirements
Sequence of
Sources
Source Citations
Total Points
Earned
4
Work-Citied (APA Format) Rubric
3
2
All entries are
formatted in
APA style and
include
necessary
parts of
citation and
proper
punctuation.
Final Grade
_____/95
Summer Assignment Requirements
All entries are Entries are
formatted in
missing crucial
APA style but
information, or
some parts
missing several
parts.
are out of
order; or
some entries
are incorrectly
formatted.
Total Points Earned
1
Entries are
listed
alphabetically
by author's last
name or by
article's title.
No entries are
correctly
formatted.
_______/5
0
Entries are
not listed
alphabetically.
No entries are
provided.