EL SEGUNDO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

EL SEGUNDO HIGH SCHOOL

 

COURSE OF STUDY

 

Course Title:      PSYCHOLOGY

Department:      Social Studies

Grade Levels:   11th – 12th

 

COURSE DESCRIPTION

 

This course is designed to introduce students to the theoretical concepts of psychology and to use this knowledge to develop a curiosity about the causes of human behavior.  The emphasis of this course will include the study of famous psychologists and their theories on personality, learning, and human development.  The lifespan development domain will provide learning opportunity about processes that occur throughout life.  This course will give students the knowledge, attitudes, and skills that will help them understand and appreciate our multi-generational and multi-cultural society.  The sociocultural domain will explore psychological disorders and their treatment.  Students will develop the ability to understand issues from diverse points of view and interact effectively with others.

 

Length: One semester

Prerequisite for Enrollment: None other than appropriate grade level

Type of Course: Meets graduation requirement

 

COURSE OUTLINE
Based on the National Standards for Psychology

A. Approaches to Psychology (Personal/Social Development; Effective Communication; Meaningful Integration of Core Knowledge)

1. Students will compare and contrast the biological, behavioral, cognitive, and sociocultural perspectives and apply these concepts to their own behavior.

2. Students will role-play the major subfields of psychology.

 

B. Methods of Psychology (Critical Thinking/Problem Solving; Effective Communication; Meaningful Integration of Core Knowledge)

1. Students will demonstrate how the scientific method applies to psychology by designing an experiment and researching psychological studies and their methods of research.

2. Students will discuss the ethical issues involved in psychological research and practice.

 

C. Cognitive Processes (Effective Communication; Meaningful Integration of Core Knowledge; Critical Thinking/Problem Solving)

1. Students will demonstrate the use of theories of learning in applied examples.

2. Students will explain Pavlov’s theory and label elements in classical conditioning examples.

3. Students will describe how consequences influence behavior.

4. Students will explore the role of expectation in promoting learning.

5. Students will explain and provide examples of Binet’s four-part definition of intelligence.

 

D. Human Development (Personal/Social Development; Critical Thinking/Problem Solving; Meaningful Integration of Core Knowledge; Effective Communication)

1. Students will analyze the nature vs. nurture debate as it applies to the various developmental stages.

2. Students will describe research on child development and apply the concepts to develop a parenting skills presentation.

3. Students will describe similarities and differences in development across cultures.

4. Students will outline and apply the theories of Piaget, Erickson, Kohlberg, and Marcia to life situations.

5. Students will explore the concept of gender as it applies to experiences of males and females in their development.

6. Students will explore the role of critical periods in learning and language development.

7. Students will explain sexual development at each state in the life cycle and its impact on the individual.

8. Students will analyze the development of self-esteem and it  throughout the life cycle.

 

E. Theories of Personality (Personal/Social Development; Critical Thinking/Problem Solving; Meaningful Integration of Core Knowledge; Effective Communication)

1. Students will demonstrate the theories of Freud, Jung, Horney, Skinner, Rogers, and Maslow.

2. Students will compare how different personality approaches address the influences of free will and determinism.

3. Students will analyze how each approach would assess a case history and evaluate which theories relate best to their own life experiences.

 

F. Stress, Coping, and Health (Meaningful Integration of Core Knowledge; Effective Communication)

1. Students will develop a presentation on causes and impact of stress and coping mechanisms.

2. Students will develop projects on negative coping mechanisms, i.e. alcohol, tobacco, drugs, suicides and their psychological and physiological impact.

 

G. Psychological Disorders and Treatment (Meaningful Integration of Core Knowledge; Effective Communication)

1. Students will distinguish the common characteristics of abnormal behavior and identify the symptoms of selected nonpsychotic and psychotic disorders.

2. Students will identify major treatment orientations used in therapy.

3. Students will read case students of individuals dealing with mental illness, physical disabilities, child abuse, etc. and share their case with the class.

 

INSTRUCTIONAL METHODS

            A. Interactive activities

            B. Discussion, class work, and homework

            C. Group and individual research projects

            D. Lectures

            E. Journal writing

            F. Cooperative learning

            G. Book and article presentations

 

EVALUATION OF STUDENT WORK

            A. Tests

            B. Essays

            C. Group projects

            D. Homework

            E. Book reports

            F. Presentations

            G. Classroom participation

 

INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL

            A. Textbook: Psychology and You