Psychology for the College Bound Student

This class is for students who might want to study psychology but do not want to do a lot of reading. This class is for those who want to study psychology but may be struggling readers.  Great for all learners. Perfect for dyslexic, ADHD, learning disabled and neurodivergent students. Lots of fun. Minimal reading. Very practical. 

Taking a psychology course in high school can teach you how to be a better student, prepare you for any career, and help you better understand your world. The benefits of studying psychology are numerous. Learners gain not just social and emotional learning skills but academic ones like how to conduct and analyze research. Studying psychology also promotes many of the social and emotional learning skills that are crucial to a students’ overall academic achievement and mental health. This class provides an overview of psychology and prepares students for college learning.

A psychology elective is perfect for young adults who are hungry to understand themselves and others. These young ponder also want to know how to better understand the way people think, make decisions and behave the way they do. This class will probe these areas while also familiarizing students with prominent psychologists and their theories.  Learners will gain awareness about why they procrastinate, lose things, make impulsive decisions, and are often guided by their emotions while learning about such theorists as Freud, Erikson, Piaget, etc. The class will engage in much broader social society questions.  This class will be guided by reading, discussion, speculation and, of course, the best part, real life application.

The real-life application will have learners investigating some of the theories on their own. Learners will find this particularly amusing because they get to apply what they are learning to real life. While this class is comprehensive in scope, it is also simple and fun. The chosen class texts are easy to read. Struggling learners are engaged to enroll due to the simplicity of the class.

The course is designed to be an introduction to the science and profession of psychology. The course will assist learners in the development of a foundation of basic knowledge in order to pursue further studies in specific areas of psychology. The course will survey introductory topics such as learning, memory, sensation and perception, personality, lifespan development, physiological basis of behavior, stress and health, psychological disorders, social psychology, and research methods. 

The class will be lively with relevant case examples and stimulating learning activities to make the study of psychology come alive to help students better understand themselves and the people around them. The instructor is warm, friendly and knows how to break seemingly complex material into easy-to-understand parts

Learners will receive a grade based on their participation in weekly discussions and the creativity and completion of their fun psychology projects. Unschoolers will really enjoy this class. Homeschoolers may request a grade report and class summary after class. 


Class format:
Welcome (first class) and check-in of weekly psychology experiment
Weekly Discussion Review of weekly reading and application – Selected psychologist and related theory
Weekly Questions: Describe the theory. Why is it pertinent to psychology today? 
Video of related theory, psychologist or historic experiment and subsequent discussion

Texts; 101 Psychology, Adams Media- book just 11.95

Week 1
INTRODUCTION
The Psychology of Studying -- Reflective Learning and
Learning to Navigate the Course

Week 2
CHAPTER 1
Introduction to Psychology and Research Methods
(1) Read Weekly Content
(2) Answer DQ (Discussion Question)

Week 3
CHAPTER 2
Brain and Behavior
(1) Read Weekly Content
(2) Answer DQ

Week 4
CHAPTER 3
Human Development
(1) Read Weekly Content
(2) Answer DQ

Week 5
CHAPTER 4
Sensation and Perception (We will cover Sensation this week)
(1) Read Weekly Content
(2) Answer DQ

Week 6
CHAPTER 4
Sensation and Perception (We will cover Perception this week)
(1) Read Weekly Content
(2) Answer DQ

Week 7
CHAPTER 5
Intelligence and Language
(1) Read Weekly Content
(2) Answer DQ
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Week 8
CHAPTER 6
Conditioning and Learning
(1) Read Weekly Content
(2) Answer DQ

Week 9
CHAPTER 7
Memory
(1) Read Weekly Content
(2) Answer DQ
(3) Take 3rd Required Quiz

Week 10
CHAPTER 11
Personality
(1) Read Weekly Content
(2) Answer DQ

The instructor has taught this class in her homeschool coop for five years. Many of her students have taken and passed the College Board Psychology AP exam and/or the Psychology CLEP exam. The instructor is also a college professor. This class is just a general overview of psychology and uses the paperback book Psychology 101 for Teens. It is not meant to replace an entire year of Psychology. It is just a brief introduction to psychology. It is perfect for learners thinking about a career in psychology.