Aug.

4, 2016

AP Psychology: Course Outline and Syllabus

Ms. Kristin Anstett
Mr. Bob Cook
Ms. Laura Wolf

Kristin.anstett@saschina.org
Robert.cook@saschina.org
Laura.wolf@saschina.org

Course Description
Why should we study psychology? Because Psych explores who we are, why we are as we
are, and how we think we got to be who we are. It explores the biological and environmental
bases for our personalities. It looks into how some things you didnt choose, such as your family
members, influence who you are. It also explores how choices you make, such as where you
go to school and who your friends are, influence your personality. Or did your personality
unconsciously choose your friends, your favorite activities and sports, and even SAS for you??
More specifically, the AP Psychology course is designed to introduce you to the systematic and
scientific study of the behavior and mental processes of humans and other animals. You will also
learn about the ethics and methods psychologists use in their science and practice.
Be aware that while this is can be a very interesting course, it is also difficult. It requires A LOT
OF READING. In order to properly prepare you for the AP Exam in May, this course gives you A
LOT OF TESTS AND QUIZZES. It is a college level course taught at college level speed.
Make sure that you are prepared to put in the time and effort required.

Resources:
The main resource we will utilize will be your textbook: Myers Psychology for AP.
Digital Resource: Moodle / Schoolology / Learnerator-Albert i o.

The AP EXAM:
The AP Psychology EXAM is on MONDAY, MAY 1, 2017. Please be aware that here in China,
this falls during the May Day holiday :( The two-hour exam includes a 70-minute multiple-choice
section (100 Questions) and a 50-minute free-response section (2 questions usually broken into
2 or 3 parts.)

A Note on Grading and Testing:

Your grade will also be determined by summative exams and projects.
First Semester Midterm will make up 20% of your final grade.
Assessment categories will be weighted as follows:
Content Knowledge and Comprehension
Synthesis and Analysis

Please note that the

66%
34%

Assessment Policy and Practice

The full assessment policy is located in the student handbook, which can be found on schoology
and powerschool. Please make sure you are familiar with this policy. Noted below are key
points in the Assessment Policy
Reassessment Policy
Additional attempts on summative assessments are at the discretion of the individual teachers
but must be based on the following criteria:
Puxi High Schools, proficiency level is considered a B+ and any re-assessment will not
be awarded marks above a B+. For the HS Social Studies Dept., that B+ proficiency
level translates to an 87%.
Students desiring a reassessment opportunity must approach learning with fidelity.

 During each semester, you will have two retake opportunities in AP Pysch.
In Class Exam Based Assessments
A student has the opportunity to reassess on an in class exam based assessment until
the end of the unit that follows the assessment.
If a student is absent for an assessment, the student must take that assessment at the
first available opportunity, for example, the first day when they return from illness.
If the absence is unexplained, the student will face discipline action for academic integrity,
and must still take the assessment at the first available opportunity.
Non-Exam Based Assessments
If a student fails to submit an assessment on the due date a mark will be awarded
according to the evidence collected during the learning period.
The student has the opportunity to submit the work for full grade until the conclusion of
the next learning period (i.e. end of the next unit) but this will be considered a
reassessment and the reassessment policy will be applied for that late assignment.
If a student has an unexcused absence on the day work is due the teacher follows the
same procedure as noted above.
In the event that the student does not submit a final version or does not submit additional
evidence, the mark that was awarded, based on the evidence of learning available to the
teacher on the due date becomes the students permanent mark for that assessment.

Missing Work: When formative and summative assessments are NOT completed, you will get
the opportunity to attend the Second Chance Room (SCR) until the work is completed.

Plagiarism & Academic Integrity

Plagiarism is using, copying or borrowing someone elses work and using that work as your own.
This includes copying from a text or the internet or your friends homework. In addition,
plagiarism includes working together and turning in the work as purely your own. Any student
who is caught plagiarizing or allowing his/her work to be copied will be considered to have
violated the SAS Academic Integrity Code.

Notes on Student Learner Profile:

Active Learning: Active learning is contributing to class discussion on a daily basis

through the asking of questions, commenting on others comments, furthering ideas, and
speaking respectfully and often. It also includes doing all your daily work with full effort.
Integrity: Student is focused and on task at all times. No skype. No dashboard games.
Sorry, no fantasy sports.
Responsibility: Student completes assignments both in and out of class on time and
with full effort.

Content Outline
Below are the major content areas covered by the AP Psychology Exam, as well as the
Approximate percentages of the multiple-choice section that are devoted to each area.
Percentage Goals for Exam Content Area (multiple-choice section)
I.
II .
III .
IV .
V.
VI .
VII.
VIII .
IX .
X.
XI .
XII .

History and Approaches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24%

Research Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 810%
Biological Bases of Behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 810%
Sensation and Perception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68%
States of Consciousness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24%
Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
79%
Cognition (Memory, Thinking, Language) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 810%
Motivation and Emotion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
68%
Developmental Psychology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79%
Personality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57%
Testing and Individual Differences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
57%
Abnormal Behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
79%

XIII . Treatment of Abnormal Behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

XIV . Social Psychology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

57%
810%