AP+Psychology+Daily+Activity+2014-2015

=Fall Semester 2014=

August 11 - August 15
8/11: Teacher orientation. 8/12: Student orientation. 8/13: Handed out textbooks and covered syllabus. 8/14: Introduced chapter 1 by discussing philosophical beginnings of modern psychology. Assigned students a psychologist on whom they are top present a 2 minute review of their life and contributions to psychology, beginning tomorrow. 8/15: Started presentations on backgrounds of individual psychologists, continue on Monday.

August 18 - August 22
8/18: Continued with presentations of backgrounds from famous psychologists. Tomorrow, finish presentations and discuss nature-nurture issue in psychology. 8/19: Finished presentations and covered the structuralist school, tracing the major movements in modern psychology. Also, discussed William James, the father of psychology in the U.S., and the functionalist school. Tomorrow, psychology as a science and the major issues facing psychology today. 8/20: Discussed psychology as science and presented several issues affecting the future of psychology. Also, discussed the topic of stability versus change as it applies to personality. Continue with unit 1 tomorrow. Unit exam scheduled for next Tuesday, 8/26. 8/21: Talked about major issues in psychology and levels of analysis. 8/22: Discussed personality and contributions by nature vs nurture. Also, discussed neuroscientific approach to studying behavior as well as the various fields of psychology. Monday is unit 1 review.

August 25 - August 29
8/25: Reviewed for tomorrow's Unit 1 exam. 8/26: Unit 1 exam. Tomorrow start Unit 2. 8:27: Handed out reading for observational study and discussed limits of human intuition. 8/28: Day of prayer for Mrs. Pairitz. 8/29: Teacher retreat, no classes.

September 1 - September 5
9/1: Labor Day, no classes. 9/2: Reviewed Unit 1 exam and watched two videos on research. Tomorrow, continue in Unit 2 and discuss observation study. 9/3: Discussed Observational study and allowed students time to pair-up and discuss potential project ideas. 9/4: Viewed a TED video on moral judgement, link as follows. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOCUH7TxHRI&list=PL356A02FDDE9EE52D 9/5: Watched the following video. Also, discussed hindsight bias, characteristics of scientific method and the three personal values of a researcher, curiosity, skepticism, and humility. Topics for observation study due Monday. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVoz_pEeV8I

September 8 - September 12
9/8: Discussed case studies, surveys, and observational studies and the difference between correlation and causation. 9/9: Discussed issue of domestic abuse, incorporating the nature/nurture question in the discussion. 9/10: Discussed descriptive statistics, measures of central tendency and variability and worked some practice problems. Tomorrow, finish chapter 2. Unit 2 exam is on Monday, 9/15. 9/11: Finished Unit 2 by discussing statistical significance and major questions about psychology, including whether or not studies on animals or humans are ethical. Watched a TED video about the danger of mixing up causation and correlation; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8B271L3NtAw 9/12: Reviewed for unit 2 exam on Monday.

September 15 - September 19
9/15: Unit 2 exam. Tomorrow, start Unit 3A. 9/16: Started unit 3 by watching videos on the structure of the nervous system and the neuron, as well as the physiology of the action potential and how disease processes affect neural conduction. Continue with unit 3 tomorrow. 9/17: Viewed videos on the structure of the nervous system and the physiology of neural signal conduction. 9/18: Viewed videos on endocrine function and the effects of drugs on the brain. Tomorrow, protocol for observation study is due. 9/19: Discussed brain structure and watched two videos on structure and function of the brain. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9xJl4S6NsM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7h6Hwn9loVk

September 22 - September 26
9/22: Continued with discussion of brain function. 9/23: No classes, ICF day. 9/24: Watched You Tube video on neural imaging. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaY7I_0y4AU Also, started video on the philosophy of the mind and neuroscience. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYjlyf_FU0A 9/25: Continued with film over the mind and neuroscience. 9/26: Discussed article "The Brain Chip," from TIME magazine and introduced topic of the brain and language.

September 29 - October 3
9/29: Continued discussion of the brain and language, including neural plasticity. Tomorrow, split-brain studies will be presented. 9/30: Discussed brain function and Williams syndrome then viewed a film on split-brain phenomenon. Film can be viewed from Daily Activity AP Psychology 2013-2014, dates 10/7/2013 and 10/8/2013. 10/1: Talked about yesterday's neuroscience seminar and viewed film on split-brain and loss of sense of time. Films are located as listed above. 10/2: Started section C of unit 3 on heredity and evolutionary psychology by discussing twin studies and what they tell us about the nature/nurture issue. 10/3: Discussed stress seniors are experiencing and evolutionary psychology, specifically, evolution of moral behavior. Watched a TED video on research in this area. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcJxRqTs5nk Also, Unit 3 exam is scheduled for next Wednesday, 10/8.

October 6 - October 10
10/6: Finished Unit 3 by discussing consciousness by using the following TED videos as guides. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_OPQgPIdKg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMrzdk_YnYY Tomorrow, review for Unit 3 exam. 10/7: Watched additional TED video on fMRI and brain function before reviewing for Unit 3 exam. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Yj3nGv0kn8 10/8: Students worked on their observation study report. Unit 3 exam rescheduled for Friday, 10/10. Tomorrow, start unit 4. 10/9: Started Unit 4 by discussing common misunderstandings about perception and bottom up processing. Tomorrow, Unit 3 exam, also, Observation Study report is due. 10/10: Unit 3 exam and Observational Study report due.

October 13 - October 17
10/13: Reviewed unit 3 exam and discussed sensory sensitivity and the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale. 10/14: Discussed field-dependent vs -independent and inattentional blindness. 10/15: PSAT 10/16: Service Day, no classes. 10/17: Handed out three articles on neuroscience for students to read by Tuesday, 10/21. Will discuss them in class. Also, covered writing the research paper this quarter. Topic proposal is due Tuesday, 10/21, annotated bibliography is due 10/31. Final research paper is due 12/16. Monday, students will work on the computer to find a research topic.

October 20 - October 24
10/20: Worked on research paper topic. 10/21: Discussed additional requirement for research paper, i.e., an outline which will be due on November 7 and is worth 25 points. Also, discussed and provided feedback on paper topics. Tomorrow, discuss articles from Science News. 10/22: Discussed three papers on neuroscience, including one on neural networks. J.P. Skycak spoke about his research work at ND. Tomorrow back into chapter 4. 10/23: Discussed information processing in the visual system. Monday, begin the auditory system. 10/24: No classes.

October 27 - October 31
10/27: Discussed the sense of hearing, touch, pain, and taste. Tomorrow continue with unit 4. 10/28: Discussed perceptual organization. 10/29: Discussed visual illusions, especially Poggondorf illusion. 10/30: Finished unit 4. Tomorrow, annotated bibliography is due and review for Unit 4 exam on Monday. 10/31: Reviewed for Unit 4 exam.

November 3 - November 7
11/3: Unit 4 exam. 11/4: Started unit 5 by viewing film by Ramachandran on the brain and the mind. Finish film tomorrow and view film on dreams. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiIVtROrtbk 11/5: Started BBC documentary of Consciousness. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIu4ESYUdsk 11/6: Continued with film. 11/7: Finish film and work on research paper outline.

November 10 - November 14
11/10: Reviewed Unit 4 exam and started film about dreaming. Continue with film tomorrow. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i539ynXmh-c 11/11: Finished film about dreaming and discussed film. 11/12: Discussed inventory on dreams and handed out dream surveys for students to keep on their own sleep patterns. 11/13: Discussed student dream surveys and hypnosis. 11/14: Watched Carl Hart movie about misconceptions over drug use and abuse. Link can be found on last year's daily activity log.

November 17 - November 21
11/17: Discussed classes of drugs, their impact on brain function and issues of addiction, tolerance, and withdrawal. Unit 5 test on Thursday. 11/18: Watched video on medicinal marijuana. Unit 5 review tomorrow. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciQ4ErmhO7g 11/19: Reviewed for Unit 5 exam tomorrow. 11/20: Unit 5 exam. 11/21: Started Unit 6 on learning by discussing classical and operant conditioning.

November 24 - November 28
11/24: Continued discussion of learning and handed out a project assignment on classical conditioning to be done on Thursday. 11/25: Learning handout and prelab for a Classical Conditioning lab tomorrow. 11/26: Classical Conditioning lab, lab report due Wednesday, 12/3. 11/27: Thanksgiving, no classes. 11/28: Thanksgiving, no classes.

December 1 - December 5
12/1: Discussed operant conditioning and watched a film about Skinner's work. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeEBq2bhIZw 12/2: Discussed schedules of reinforcement and watched a film about these schedules. Also, discussed biofeedback. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ofbt16AJgg 12/3: Watched film on mirror neurons and discussed the role of these neurons in observational learning as well as development of empathy and the role it plays in cultural evolution. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DY1HAJGpyVw 12/4: Introduced chapter 10 on Personality and discussed what personality is and what are individual differences based in personality. 12/5: Discussed preconceptions about personality and handed out and inventory for each student to establish their own theory of personality and then plot where 15 famous psychologist might lie along each dimension of this inventory. We'll discuss this inventory Monday.

December 8 - December 12
12/8: In unit 10 discussed inventory on various dimensions of personality. Finish discussion tomorrow. 12/9: Finished inventory and watched two videos on Freud's psychosexual development theory of personality. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nG7yosFQHP4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdawTFsCNtc&list=PLbKSbFnKYVY0dPRjfo6JjaHCuo2beTCDc 12/10: Watched video on Maslow's hierarchy and Humanistic theory of personality. 12/11: Watched video and discussed biologic, behaviorist and trait theories of personality. 12/12: Discussed trait theory.

December 15 - December 19
12/15: Finished unit 10 by taking several personality inventories and discussing their validity. 12/16: Study time for final and research paper due. 12/17: Final exams. 12/18: Final exams. 12/19: Final exams.

January 5 - January 9
1/5: Reviewed fall semester final exam. 1/6: Started Unit 7A on memory by discussing students' current understanding of what memory is. Also, handed out a take-home inventory for students to assess self-defining memories. 1/7: Discussed take-home inventory and used memory task to illustrate encoding, storage and retrieval of information. 1/8: Snow day, no classes. 1/9: Snow day, no classes.

January 12 - January 16
1/12: Watched short video on living without memory and discussed encoding and its role in recall. 1/13: Talked about visual vs. auditory encoding and semantic vs. visual encoding. Also, discussed mnemonic devices for aiding memory. 1/14: Talked about iconic and STM or working memory. Viewed a TED video on working memory but that video was taken down. Other videos on working memory are available on YouTube. Please check them out on your own. 1/15: Presented video on Neuroscience and Memory. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdzmNwTLakg 1/16: Finished neuroscience video and watched 60 Minutes video on superior autobiographical memory. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zTkBgHNsWM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1th1fVIc8Vo

January 19 - January 23
1/19: MLK Day, no classes. 1/20: Watched videos on forgetting and eye witness testimony. Tomorrow, quiz over videos from this unit. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PB2OegI6wvI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-SBTRLoPuo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4V6aoYuDcg 1/21: Reviewed unit 7A and took a quiz covering the videos used in unit 7A. Tomorrow, begin unit 7B. 1/22: Started unit 7B by completing overview survey and discussion of results. 1/23: Continued in unit 7B and covered how to write a research proposal using APA format. A sample proposal was provided. Research topic is due by 1/30.

January 26 - January 30
1/26: Discussed cognitive complexity. 1/27: Discussed problem solving. 1/28: Discussed problem solving. 1/29: Discussed possible errors in thinking, e.g., confirmation bias and fixation. 1/30: Discussed errors in judgement.

February 2 - February 6
2/2: Snow day, no classes. 2/3: In Unit 7B, started discussion of language and thinking. 2/4: Continued discussion pf language and started a video by Steven Pinker about psycholinguitics. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-B_ONJIEcE 2/5: Finished Pinker video and reviewed for Unit 7 exam tomorrow. 2/6: Unit 7 exam.

February 9 - February 13
2/9: Started unit 8 on Motivation. 2/10: Continued discussion of motivation. 2/11: Presented procedure of "noting" for students to learn to focus on internal sensations as a way of directing attention away from negative thoughts and emotions. 2/12: Presented method of "Move Perspective" and stated discussion of theories of motivation. 2/13: Discussed article from Science on "Our skewed sense on space." Also, discussed Maslow's hierarchy of needs and began with hunger and its biological basis.

February 16 - February 20
2/16: President's Day, no classes. 2/17: Discussed motivational concepts, including instincts, drives and incentives, optimal arousal, and a hierarchy of motives. 2/18: Discussed hunger, the physiology and psychology of hunger. Also, discussed eating disorders and viewed a TED video on anorexia. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEysOExcwrE 2/19: Snow day, no classes. 2/20: Snow day, no classes.

February 23 - February 27
2/23: Discussed obesity and weight control. 2/24: Started discussion of sexual motivation. Continue discussion tomorrow. 2/25: Continued discussion of sexual motivation. 2/26: Discussed belonging and review questions for unit 8A. 2/27: Started Unit 8B.

March 2 - March 6
3/2: Continued in unit 8B discussing cognition and emotion. 3/3: Discussed motivational aspects of fear. 3/4: Discussed anger. 3/5: Worked on finishing Unit 8B and/or research paper. 3/6: Worked on finishing Unit 8B and/or research paper.

March 9 - March 13
3/9: Reviewed for Unit 8 exam. Exam is tomorrow. 3/10: Unit 8 exam. 3/11: Started Unit 12 on Abnormal Psychology. Tomorrow and Friday, watch film "A Beautiful Mind." 3/12: Film. 3/13: Film.

March 16 - March 20
3/16: Finished movie. Tomorrow back into unit 12. 3/17: Reviewed Unit 8 exams and assigned students to their groups for 4th quarter PowerPoint project. 3/18: Watched TED video about schizophrenia and discussed mental disorders and their treatment. Continue with unit 12 tomorrow. 3/19: Unit 12. 3/20: Discussed anxiety disorders and assigned groups for end of quarter power point presentations.

March 23 - March 27
3/23: Gave students time to find a government agency for their 4th quarter project. Tomorrow, back in unit 12. 3/24: Discussed mood disorders. 3/25: Discussed bipolar disorder, suicide and schizophrenia. Tomorrow finish unit 12. 3/26: Finished Unit 12, tomorrow begin Unit 13. 3/27: Started Unit 13 on therapies.

March 30 - April 3
3/30: Continued therapies discussing psychoanalytic and humanistic and behavioral approaches. 3/31: Discussed group/family therapy and started evaluation of various therapies for their effectiveness. 4/1: Viewed a film with Carl Rogers performing therapy using a humanistic approach. Continued discussion of therapy effectiveness from unit 13. 4/2: Discussed biomedical therapies and their efficacy. The Units 12 and 13 exam will be on Tuesday, April 14. 4/3: Spring break begins, no classes.

April 13 - April 17
4/13: Reviewed Units 12 and 13 for tomorrow's exam. 4/14: Units 12 - 13 exam. 4/15: Watched video about "Chomsky and Krauss Dialogue, Origins Project," and assigned it for students to watch and write a synopsis. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ml1G919Bts0 4/16: Started Unit 11. 4/17: Worked on projects.

April 20 - April 24
4/20: Watched second part of the Chomsky/Krauss discussion. 4/21: Reviewed Units 12 & 13 exam and discussed possible schedule for AP Psychology Practice Final exam. Will make the exam available next week. 4/22: Continued with Unit 11. 4/23: Unit 11. 4/24: Reviewed for AP practice exam and viewed TED video on social intelligence. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CM2wIS8UejE

April 27 - May 1
4/27: Unit 11, discussed principles of test construction. 4/28: Unit 11, discussed dynamics of intelligence. 4/29: Discussed heredity and environmental factors influence on intelligence from Unit 11. 4/30: Finished discussion of Unit 11. 5/1: Field Day, reviewed Unit 11 for test next Tuesday.

May 4 - May 8
5/4: AP test in psychology today, students worked on Power Point presentations. 5/5: Unit 11 exam. Tomorrow, begin Unit 9 on Developmental Psychology. 5/6: Started Unit 9. 5/7: Unit 9. 5/8: Unit 9.

May 11 - May 15
5/11: Watched video "Piaget on Piaget," which can be found in lates year's daily activity for 3/20/14. 5/12: Students worked on their Power Point projects. 5/13: Unit 9, Developmental Psychology. 5/14: Discussed suicide statistics. 5/15: Study day, several students gone to funeral mass.

May 18 - May 22
5/18: WUD over Unit 9 and started powerpoint presentations over government programs. 5/19: Powerpoint presentations. 5/20: Powerpoint presentations. 5/21: Powerpoint presentations. 5/22: Powerpoint presentations.

May 25 - May 29
5/25: Memorial Day, no classes. 5/26: Reviewed for final exam covering unit 9. 5/27: No class. 5/28: Final exam on unit 9, Developmental Psychology.