Essential Questions for Psychology Today!

Debra ParkClark University

July 2012

http://www.apa.org/education/k12/national-standards.aspx

Resources for Teachers

Resources for Teachers

Overarching Themes of Standards

Scientific Inquiry DomainPerspectives in Psychological ScienceResearch Methods, Measurement, and StatisticsBiopsychology DomainBiological Bases of BehaviorSensation and PerceptionConsciousnessDevelopment and Learning DomainLife Span DevelopmentLearningLanguage DevelopmentSociocultural Context DomainSocial InteractionsSociocultural Diversity

Domains and Standards Areas

Cognition DomainMemoryThinkingIntelligenceIndividual Variations DomainMotivationEmotionPersonalityPsychological DisordersApplications of Psychological Science DomainTreatment of Psychological DisordersHealthVocational Applications

Domains and Standards Areas

STANDARD AREA: Perspectives in Psychological Science

CONTENT STANDARDSAfter concluding this unit, students understand:1. Development of psychology as an empirical science2. Major subfields within psychology

Performance Standards

CS 1: Development of psychology as an empirical scienceStudents are able to (performance standards):

1.1 Define psychology as a discipline and identify its goals as a science 1.2: Describe the emergence of psychology as a scientific discipline. 1.3 Describe perspectives employed to understand behavior and mental processes 1.4 Explain how psychology evolved as a scientific discipline 

What we would like YOU to help us with are the performance indicatorsExamples: PS 1.2 Describe the emergence of psychology as a scientific discipline.

Students may indicate this by (performance indicators):a. Explaining how Wilhelm Wundt’s research became the basis of experimental psychology and  influenced others to research human behavior.

PS 1.4 Explain how psychology evolved as a scientific disciplineStudents may indicate this by (performance indicators):b. Trace the accomplishments of psychological scientists of the 19th, 20th and 21st

        centuries.      (BTW use PSYCH SIM – activity for this!)

  

STANDARD AREA: RESEARCH METHODS, MEASUREMENT, AND STATISTICS

CONTENT STANDARDSAfter concluding this unit, students :1. Research methods and measurements used to study behavior and mental

processes2. Ethical issues in research with human and non-human animals3. Basic concepts of data analysis

CS 1PS 1.1 Describe the scientific method and its role in psychology.PS 1.2 Describe and compare a variety of quantitative (eg, surveys, correlations, experiments) and qualitative (eg, interviews, narratives, focus groups) research methods

What we would like YOU to help us with are the performance indicatorsExamples: 

PS1.2 Describe and compare a variety of quantitative (eg, surveys, correlations, experiments) and qualitative (eg, interviews, narratives, focus groups) research methods

Students may indicate this by (performance indicators):

Reviewing research studies and determining the appropriateness of the methods used to conduct the research.

Developing a hypothesis and outlining the steps they will use to conduct a research study on a topic/problem/questions of their choice.

Understanding by Design Unit Plan Unit Title: Intelligence Grade/Subject: 11, 12 Psychology Duration of Unit: 10 days Big Ideas: Nature, Nurture, Growth, Assessment, Diversity, Fairness 

STAGE 1 – DESIRED RESULTSAPA HS Psychology Standards:Standard Area: IntelligenceContent Standards After concluding this unit, students understand: 1. Perspectives on intelligence2. Assessment of intelligence3. Issues in intelligence NJCCS Social Studies 6.3 Active Citizenship in the 21st Century: All students will acquire the skills needed to be active, informed citizens who value diversity and promote cultural understanding by working collaboratively to address the challenges that are inherent in living in an interconnected world.

Enduring Understanding(s) Students will understand that: Psychological knowledge, like all scientific knowledge, evolves rapidly as new discoveries are made. Psychological knowledge can be related to everyday life There are multiple perspectives by which psychologists study and explain human behavior. Heredity and environment interact in the development of an individual across the lifespan. Scientific evidence is used to explain all findings in the field of psychology. Intelligence is more than a score on a test. A multi-cultural and global perspective recognizes how diversity is important to understanding intelligence.

Essential Question(s): How is intelligence defined and measured? How did the uses and abuses ofIntelligence testing impact the lives of people of color/other groups in our society? How should intelligence testing be used? How can the results of various measures of intelligence be applied in the real world? How can we define and measure intelligence in such a way that the results are valid and culturally fair? How is our thinking/intelligence affected by the information provided by our culture and environment? Can decision making skills be developed to overcome poor judgment and problem solving abilities? Is intelligence more than being smart in school? 

Stage One: Start with Standards Identify EU’s and EQ’s

Enduring Understanding(s) Students will understand that: Psychological knowledge, like all scientific knowledge, evolves rapidly as new discoveries are made. Psychological knowledge can be related to everyday life There are multiple perspectives by which psychologists study and explain human behavior. Heredity and environment interact in the development of an individual across the lifespan. Scientific evidence is used to explain all findings in the field of psychology.

Enduring Understanding(s) Students will understand that:

Intelligence is more than a score on a test. A multi-cultural and global perspective recognizes how diversity is important to understanding intelligence.

Any other suggestions???

Essential Question(s): How is intelligence defined and measured? How did the uses and abuses ofIntelligence testing impact the lives of people of color/other groups in our society? How should intelligence testing be used? How can the results of various measures of intelligence be applied in the real world? How can we define and measure intelligence in such a way that the results are valid and culturally fair? How is our thinking/intelligence affected by the information provided by our culture and environment?

Essential Question(s):

Can decision making skills be developed to overcome poor judgment and problem solving abilities? Is intelligence more than being smart in school?

Any other suggestions???

Student Objectives/Learning Outcomes: Students will: Discuss the conceptualizations of intelligence.Trace the history of intelligence testing and discuss its use and misuse.Identify current methods of assessing human abilities and explain measures of reliability and validity.Determine the biological, cultural and environmental factors that influence intelligence.Review the research that has been conducted on what is known about intelligence and present a summary of this research. Discuss what areas of intelligence are still in question and present their findings.

STAGE 2 – ASSESSMENT EVIDENCEPerformance Task(s): Analyze the results of an intelligence testAssess the validity of an intelligence test Develop a test to measure a specific trait and disseminate/ score/ analyze results and present to class (groups of three) 

Other Evidence:Essays/ Compare and Contrast theoriesMC Test on unitHWDiscussionArticle Review

Research and present what is known/unknown/still needs to be discovered about intelligence (groups of three).

PPt/Visuals to accompany presentation

Performance Assessment

Use Article and Websites here:

http://www.apa.org/monitor/2012/05/intelligences.aspx

http://www.indiana.edu/~intell/apa96.shtml

http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/iku.html

STAGE 3 – LEARNING ACTIVITIES Learning Activities: Day 1 Lecture with PowerPoint Days 2-3 Discussions - large group and small group Day 4 Reading / Article Reviews from APA and other resources on line (laptops/lab) Days 5-6 Reading and discussion of the APA research Days 7-9 Student Presentations*** Days 10 Test *** Groups of 3 students working outside of class to prepare presentations Extension Activity: Choice of

1. Test development and dissemination to students / analysis of results/ presentation or

2. Research and Presentation on What is Known and Unknown about Intelligence Materials and Resources: Myers 8th Ed. Psychology PP/lecture notes/Activities http://www.apa.org/education/k12/intelligence.aspx http://www.gifted.uconn.edu/siegle/research/Correlation/Intelligence.pdf http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/iku.html

Stage 3 –Plan your learning activities and daily lessons

Submit Performance IndicatorsIndividuals and groups are invited to submit suggested Performance Indicators for the second revision of the National Standards for High School Psychology Curricula.

Content Standard 1: Research methods and measurements used to study behavior and mental processesStudents are able to (performance standards):1.3 Define systematic procedures used to improve the validity of research findings, such as external validity.Students may indicate this by (performance indicators):a.  Describing how test validity and reliability are established and related b.  Determining which of two tests would be more useful for a particular purpose when given relevant data about validity and reliability   

Content Standard 3: Issues in IntelligenceStudents are able to (performance standards):3.1 Discuss issues related to the consequences of intelligence testingStudents may indicate this by (performance indicators)a. Explaining the history of intelligence testing and identifying

how it have been used and misused.b. Describing the link between intelligence testing and the eugenics

movementStudents are able to (performance standards):3.2 Discuss the influences of biological, cultural, and environmental factors on intelligenceStudents may indicate this by (performance indicators):a. Characterizing how studies of identical versus fraternal twins help establish the role of heredity in determining individual differences in intelligenceb. Explaining the role of cultural and group norms in establishing the frames of reference we use in thinking about individual differences  

http://apacustomout.apa.org/commentstandards/default.aspx

Contact Info:debrapark@msn.com

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