Course Syllabus

Teacher: Mr. Moerer- Rm.#5

Course Title: Psychology

Curriculum Area: Social Studies

Course Description:
Psychology is the study of the complex interaction between the mind and human
behavior. Topics will include: child development, perception, learning, intelligence and
creativity, personality, mental illness and treatment of mental illness. Several research
projects will be conducted as part of the course.
Objectives:
Students will be able to:
Unit 1
define psychology,list areas covered in the filed of psychology, state the benefits derived from studying psychology, cite
the major achievements of the founders of psychology, summarize the approaches of the five , major schools of thought
Unit 2
detail the physical, emotional and cognitive development of children (birth to age 14), differentiate between Piagets
stages of development, explain various theories on fostering childrens intellectual growth, debate the genetics vs.
environment issue as related to child development, evaluate the effects of television viewing on children.
Unit 3
give a comprehensive definition of a teenager, identify the psycho -social, emotional, and cognitive changes occurring in
teens, distinguish between the four styles of teens (hedonist, idealist, conventionalist, psychopath), comment on current
teen issues including peer pressure and self-esteem, provide evidence of a distinct teen subculture, explain the various
stages of moral development.
Unit 4
explain how we perceive the world, examine the factors which influence perception, develop perceptual illusions, design/
conduct a formal experiment using illusions, assess the validity of ESP.
Unit 5
distinguish a learned behavior from a reflex behavior, analyze stimulus and response relationships, create examples of
classical conditioning, explain how environmental factors can affect conditioned responses.
Unit 6
examine the process of thinking, show how concepts and imagery are vital components of thought, assess theories of
language development, list the characteristics of short and long term memory, show how memory can be distorted or lost,
assess various memory improvement techniques.
Unit 7
define intelligence (g and multiple), assess and categorize hypothetical IQs, critique a standard IQ test, comment on the
debate over intelligence and its role in society, debate societys treatment of mentally handicapped/ gifted individuals,
distinguish creativity from intelligence, develop examples of creativity.
Unit 8
describe their own personality, assess projective and objective personality tests, explain Freuds views on personality, esp.
id/ego/superego, examine defense mechanisms and assess their use, compare various non-Freudian personality theories to
Freudian theories, select and justify the theory or combination of theories which best describes personality.
Unit 9
distinguish between normal and abnormal behavior, give characteristics of the most common neurotic illnesses, diagnose
various neurotic illnesses in hypothetical patients, give characteristics of the most common psychotic illnesses, diagnose
various psychotic illnesses in hypothetical patients, list the most probable causes for various types of mental illness,
assess the link between personality type and mental illness, recount the historical treatments for mental illness,
distinguish a psychiatrist from a psychologist, describe modern psychoanalytic therapies for mental illness, describe
modern physical therapies for mental illness, assess the mental health treatment system in America.

Text and Materials:

You will use the Psychology (Holt McDougal, 2010) book provided along with
additional information and articles. As you may not write in the book, you will need a
notebook for assignments and notes. I recommend a single-subject notebook.

Grading Policy:
50% test/ 25% daily work/ 25% performance-based assessments, which will morph
into 90% of your semester grade, plus the semester final. Daily grades are on a +, -, 0 scale
where a + equals a 100 (indicating honest effort on all the assignment), a - equals a 50%
(indicating a poor effort) and a zero equal to the amount of work accomplished. Tests are
graded on a 100 point scale.
Assignments will generally be posted on the assignment board on Monday, so there
is no need to claim I didnt know as a reason for not completing an assignment.
Additional grading policies are found in the student handbook.
Attendance Policy:
There is a proven relationship between attendance and grades. Be here and work if
you intend to earn a good grade.
General Rules:
Any behavior which reduces attention to the class plan is forbidden.
You will be treated according to your behavior- act as an adult, youll be treated as an
adult. Behave as a child, you will be treated as a child. Penalties for misbehavior will vary
according to the violation and past record of behavior. Be respectful, be focused, work hard.
Bathroom/ locker/water- take care of these before/after class with the exception of a
restroom emergency. Phone calls- nope. Unauthorized use of electronic devices is banned
and will result in penalties (3 Strikes/ cell prison) Gum/candy/pop- if I see or hear it
(including wrappers), you lose it. Talking- when called on or when discussing an issue in
groups, it is good; when someone is talking for the benefit of the class (answering a
question, etc..) you should refrain from talking.
Course Outline:
Introduction/ What is Psychology?
Child Development
Adulthood
Perception
Learning and Memory
Intelligence
Personality
Mental Illness
Treating Mental Illness
in addition, various mini-units may be used

1 week
2-3 weeks
1 week
2 weeks
2 weeks
2 weeks
2 weeks
2-3 weeks
2-3 weeks