2024
Advanced Placement Psychology Syllabus
Instructor: Donna Godwin (A.A. Waycross College, B.A. Tift College, M.Ed. SS. Valdosta
State, M.Ed. Eng. Valdosta State, Ed.S. SS. Valdosta State)
Phone: 912-287-2351 (Ext. 51202)
Email: dgodwin@ware.k12.ga.us
Website: http://sites.google.com/site/godwinsgoodies
Textbook: Psychology AP Psychology fourth edition by Saundra K Ciccarelli and J Noland White
Course Description: AP Psychology is a one semester course at Ware County High School. This course conforms to the College Board topics for the Advanced Placement Introductory Psychology Examination. The AP Psychology course introduces students to the systematic and scientific study of human behavior and mental processes It covers methods, approaches and the history of psychology as a science, biological bases of behavior, sensation and perception, states of consciousness, learning, cognition, motivation and emotion, developmental psychology, personality, testing and individual differences, abnormal psychology, treatment of psychological disorders and social psychology.
Course Outline: With approximate timeframe
Unit 1: Scientific Foundations of Psychology (2 weeks)
Unit 2. Biological Basis of Behavior (1.5 weeks)
Unit 3. Sensation and Perception(1.5 weeks)
Unit 4. Learning (1 week)
Unit 5: Cognitive Psychology (1 week)
Unit 6: Developmental Psychology (1.5 weeks)
Unit 7: Motivation, Emotion, and Personality (1 week)
Unit 8: Clinical Psychology (2 weeks)
Unit 9: Social Psychology (1.5 weeks)
Evaluation Procedures/Grading:
Chapter Tests: 70% (Multiple Choice and Discussion Exams)
Daily: 30% (daily grades: class work and homework)
Extra Help:
You are encouraged to consult with me any concerns you have that you are not realizing your potential in this class. Talking to me or using one of the following methods are tools for your use to communicate your concerns: Email: dgodwin@ware.k12.ga.us or 912-287-2351.
Materials:
Bringing your notebook, a 3 ring binder with notebook paper in it, with a pen or pencil will take care of your needs. On Discussion exams, blue or black colored ink pens are required. (Index cards are used for vocabulary).
Make Up Work:
All students will be given 2 school days to make up any missed work.
Each May, the AP Examinations are administered at participating schools throughout the world. The examination will be two hours in length. The examination is a blend of 100 multiple choice questions and two required free-response essay questions specifically designed to measure the full range and depth of students’ knowledge.
Nationally, there is an average range of 66-72% of all AP Psychology exams are 3 or higher. In Georgia, the passing rate has been between 58-62% for Psychology. For 90 % of the colleges, a grade of “3” (the University of Georgia) would earn you credit for that course. For schools of the caliber of Duke and Georgia Tech, a score of a “4” is required in Psychology. A “5”, the highest score possible, is required by the service academies and Harvard among a very few other schools. The best comprehensive source to discover your colleges score requirements for Advanced Placement is: www.collegeboard.com
Since our objective will be to prepare you for the national AP Exam which is given in May, your grade for each grading period will consist of college-level multiple choice exams, discussion exams, and daily grades.
You will be permitted to retake one exam at the end of the semester. It will be a different exam than the one you took the first time, but of the same difficulty level. Retakes count, for better or worse, so be prepared!
Extra credit points will be awarded normally by completing the vocabulary words accompanying each chapter to be turned in at the latest by the date of exam; points will be awarded on the following scale; 1-10 words: 1 point; 11-19 words: 2 points; 20-29 words: 3 points; 30-39 words: 4 points; 40-49 words: 5 points, etc. (The maximum number of bonus points to be awarded is 10. The maximum score on any test is 100.) These points will be added to the test grade of the chapter from which the words come. The words must be HANDWRITTEN on index cards OR recorded and USED on quizlet.com by review games or practice testing.
Multiple Choice Exams will usually consist of 40-50 questions covering 1 or 2 chapters.
At Least 2 Discussion Exams will be administered to give you the practice of taking a timed, college-level discussion exam.
KEY TO SUCCESS IN AP PSYCHOLOGY:
3/4ths of the battle is vocabulary. I suggest you make a set of vocabulary flash cards on 3x5” index cards for the term at the end of each chapter. As you make the cards, you are already beginning to learn the vocabulary. The flashcards provide an excellent means of review. These can be turned in for extra credit referred to earlier; they will be returned to you.
National Examination Date: Monday, May 9, 2024 @ 12:00 PM