Mrs.

Faitel’s AP Psychology 2017-2018 Syllabus

cfaitel@fremont.k12.ca.us
Course Purpose:
Welcome to AP Psychology! This college­level course aims to prepare you for the AP Psychology Exam on Monday, 
May 7th, 2018 and “to introduce you to the systematic and scientific study of the behavior and mental processes of 
human beings and other animals.” (Course Description for Advanced Placement Psychology). More importantly, you 
should gain self­understanding and an appreciation of the complexity and wonder of the human brain. Our textbook is 
Psychology for AP, 2nd edition by David Myers. Success in this course requires active class participation, strong reading
and writing skills and a willingness to devote considerable time outside of class to reading and review.  

Course Expectations:
In this college-level course, you are expected to 1) COME TO CLASS REGULARLY, missing class as rarely as
possible. Inform me of absences ahead of time when you can. When absent, check School Loop and email me and a
classmate to find out what you missed; submit this work as soon as you return to school (not to class).
2) Arrive on time EVERY DAY, 3) prepared with the materials needed and 4) be ready to participate actively and
respectfully in class discussions, which will determine your daily participation grade. 5) You are responsible for your
own learning, and you must complete course reading and written assignments BEFORE the due date.
6) You are expected to check School Loop EVERY DAY, and take notes on material presented in class, including
during class discussions. 7) All assignments should be done independently unless otherwise directed, and you are
expected to act with integrity during quizzes and exams. 8) You are expected to write clear, concise personalized
notes and clear, effective analytical essays.
Materials needed:
You will need TWO 1½ inch, 3 ring binders, with 8 DIVIDERS and a great deal of LINED PAPER in each. Please
keep ONLY psychology course materials in these binders, one of which MUST BE BROUGHT TO CLASS EVERY
DAY. You will also need to bring pencils and pens, index cards, a notebook and highlighters.
Course Grading:
Your final semester percentage grade will be determined by the following categories:
Exams (Unit tests & comprehensive exams) = 50% of the total grade
Preparation (Daily assignments & quizzes) = 25% of the total grade
Projects (Semester projects & article annotations) = 15% of the total grade
Participation (Attendance & daily participation) = 10% of the total grade
Your final semester LETTER grade will be based on the following percentages:
91-100% = A 80-90% = B 70-79% = C 0-69% = NC
Exams will include multiple-choice questions and 1-2 free-response essays. IF YOU MISS A TEST FOR ANY
REASON, including illness, YOU MUST BE PREPARED TO TAKE A MAKE-UP EXAM OF ESSAY
QUESTIONS ON THE SAME MATERIAL. Make-up exams are very rarely offered in college, and you should
become accustomed to this policy. You are therefore highly encouraged to avoid being absent on test days. Plan ahead,
as you can usually take the test early if needed. This policy also prevents you from having to wait for a classmate to
make up an exam before you can see your test results.
Late work will not be accepted, except in very rare circumstances that I have previously approved.
It is YOUR responsibility to see me THE DAY YOU RETURN TO SCHOOL after an excused absence and turn in
homework that was collected the day of your absence. You must make arrangements with me to make up quizzes,
classwork or tests missed WITHIN 2 days of your return to school. Failure to do so will result in a zero for the
assignment missed. Work from UNEXCUSED absences cannot be made up. Extra credit is not offered.
A contract is ONLY available for those students who have not earned a passing grade for first semester. The highest
final grade possible for a contract is 70%. A contract may be requested IF you have earned at least an OVERALL
grade of at least 60% and you have earned at least 70% in the categories of preparation, projects and participation.
Participation measures your attendance, focus and class contributions. You earn up to 2 points on non-Block Days and
up to 4 points on Block Days (except on test days). Points are earned by arriving to class on time, by paying attention
and by working on assigned tasks, sharing your ideas and helping group members as needed. Your first two excused
absences (or « off days ») will not result in a loss of points. However, subsequent excused absences will result in a loss
of points. Unexcused absences will result in the loss of these points.
FIRST SEMESTER ONLY, you may correct your unit exams and earn back some of the points you missed. Test
corrections MUST be written under my supervision during Advisory or lunch, and your work MUST be submitted
within one week of the exam date. Corrections cannot be made on quizzes, comprehensive exams or your final exam.
School-wide Outcomes & Classroom Expectations:
You are expected to follow Irvington’s four school-wide outcomes of personal responsibility, social responsibility,
communication & critical thinking. While in class, you are expected to:
1) Treat everyone with respect, and avoid interrupting others while they are talking in class. You may disagree with an
idea or an opinion, but you must do so politely and courteously once the other person has finished talking.
2) Arrive to class on time and be ready to work when the bell rings. Stay engaged and avoid leaving class!
Bring water and use the restroom ahead of time. Bathroom passes are for emergencies only, and NEVER during a
lecture or presentation. If you must use the restroom, you must ask for permission, sign out, take the pass & YOUR 
CELL PHONE MUST REMAIN IN MY DESK during your absence, to be returned as soon as you return to the 
classroom.  I dismiss class, not the bell. 
3) Be sure all absences are EXCUSED. Determine what you’ve missed during an absence, turn in homework the
day you return to school and MAKE UP work missed within 2 school days of your return. You cannot earn
credit if you “forget” to turn in this work. NO EXCUSES PLEASE! Late work is NOT accepted unless your
absence was excused & the work was turned in within 2 days of your return to school. Do NOT wait until Block
Day tutorial! Work missed due to an UNEXCUSED absence cannot be made up.
4) Contribute in a positive way to the class by taking an active part! Listen carefully, form your own questions and
conclusions. Avoid side conversations, doing other class homework, eating, arguing, drawing, sleeping or secretly
using electronic devices. The use of smart phones, iPods, or other electronic devices is strictly forbidden UNLESS
THEY ARE BEING USED FOR A SPECIFIC CLASS ASSIGNMENT and they will be confiscated after one warning.
You are expected to keep your purses & backpacks on the floor rather than on the desks.
Cheating/Plagiarism:
You are ALWAYS expected to do your own work and act with academic integrity. You can ask a classmate for help,
but you should NEVER copy his/her work directly. If a classmate asks YOU for help, guide him/her to the correct
textbook page or give a personal example without showing your own work or giving answers. This is cheating and
does NOT allow your classmate to learn the material. If you COPY someone’s work or ALLOW someone else to copy
your work, you will BOTH be given a zero, with NO opportunity to make up the points lost.
When doing Internet research, cutting and pasting information from a website is considered plagiarism which is not
permitted. Always cite your source (use Purdue Owl if needed). When you haven’t copied directly but have used some
of an author’s ideas, you must still cite your source!
Any cheating will result in a zero on the assignment, a parent phone call and email, a detention and possibly a report in
your permanent file with school administration.
Homework, Classwork & Quiz Policy:
For each assignment, you must include the following information in the top right hand corner: your full name, the
assignment name (such as “Text notes pgs. __ -__”), your class period AND the due date.
Homework must always be HAND-WRITTEN except in circumstances that I have previously approved. Your work is
ALWAYS due on the due date at the BEGINNING of class, within the first 3 minutes. It will not be accepted after that
time, even if you “find” it later in the class period. If you are not in class but on campus earlier or later in the day, you
are still expected to stop by my room and turn in your homework, unless you went home violently ill and you can
return to class with a note from a guardian verifying the situation. If for whatever reason I am not in my room, IN
THIS CASE ALONE your work can be left in my mailbox with a note of explanation.
Homework will be checked and collected RANDOMLY. Though your notes or assignments are not checked every day,
you MUST keep up with the assigned reading and notes. I may not collect notes for 3 days but then, without warning,
ask for you to turn in your notes from the past 3 days. Is this clear? ALWAYS BE PREPARED TO TURN IN YOUR
WORK BY BRINGING YOUR COMPLETED HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS TO CLASS, JUST IN CASE
THEY’RE COLLECTED! Late work is rarely accepted, but please ask!
Quizzes may be administered without notice as you’re expected to study the course material every night. These
quizzes verify your reading comprehension and completion. Come see me during lunch or Advisory Tutorial
periods for help if needed! Email me questions BEFORE 9 PM and I will do my best to answer them.
Success in the course:
1) START ORGANIZED. STAY ORGANIZED.
2) Check School Loop REGULARLY to keep up with homework.
3) Take notes in your OWN words AS YOU READ and avoid writing something down that you do not
understand. Ask questions in the margins of your notes (with a large “?” to draw your attention to it) and seek
clarification in class. When taking notes, leave some space for clarifications and examples.
*REVIEW YOUR NOTES EACH DAY WHILE THEY ARE STILL FRESH IN YOUR MIND, EVEN WHEN
SUCH STUDYING HAS NOT BEEN EXPLICITLY “ASSIGNED”.
4) Read ACTIVELY rather than passively! Preview, pause at the end of every 2-3 paragraphs and summarize
mentally, in your own words, what you have just read.
5) Review the pictures, cartoons, diagrams, tables and sidebars in your textbook. They include interesting
information and helpful tips.
6) Whenever possible, RELATE THE COURSE INFORMATION TO YOUR OWN LIFE. This will facilitate
your “encoding” or processing of the information and allow for more successful recall later.
7) Pick a “study buddy” or two to create a study group you can contact regarding work when you’re absent, and
with whom you can review for quizzes and tests. AVOID BEING ABSENT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
8) ASK if you have questions, preferably in class when others with the same question or concern may benefit.
Use your tutorial time wisely and make an appointment to see me when you need additional help.
AP Psychology Course Unit Outline:
I. History & Approaches 2-4%
II. Research Methods 8-10%
III. Biological Bases of Behavior & Genetics 8-10%
IV. Cognition 8-10%
V. Sensation & Perception 6-8%
VI. States of Consciousness 2-4%
VII. Learning 7-9%
VIII. Developmental Psychology 7-9%
IX. Testing & Individual Differences 5-7%
X. Motivation & Emotion 6-8%
XI. Personality 5-7%
XII. Abnormal Behavior 7-9%
XIII. Treatment of Abnormal Behavior 5-7%
XIV. Social Psychology 8-10%
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Mrs. Faitel’s AP Psychology Syllabus Signature Form
DUE ON or BEFORE FRIDAY, SEPT. 8th, 2017
My child and I have read and understood the contents of Mrs. Faitel’s course syllabus.
Student’s name (printed)_______________________________________________________________________
Student’s signature: _____________________________________________________ Date: ________________
Parent/Guardian’s name (printed)________________________________________________________________
Parent/Guardian’s signature: _______________________________________________ Date: _______________
Parent/Guardian phone number: ________________ Parent/Guardian email:______________________________
Are you currently registered on Irvington’s School Loop system? Yes No
What is the best method for me to contact you? (Circle one) Phone E-Mail