Psychology I and II

Stephanie Potito
spotito@falmouth.k12.ma.us

Overview
This course will introduce students to the study of behavior and mental processes (thinking/feeling).
Students will be exploring many of the major fields of psychology which include: history of psychology,
social psychology, research methods, biology of behavior, nature vs. nurture, gender, human
development, personality, learning, cognition, emotion, stress and health and abnormal psychology.
Throughout the course, students will participate in a mixture of written work, research projects, class
discussions, oral presentations, group work, quizzes, and tests.

Finally, this course will help students develop strong academic skills such as: effective research,
writing, reading comprehension and analytical skills. Students will also develop skills to understand,
analyze, and evaluate primary and secondary source documents throughout the course.

Topics
Psychology I
Unit 1: Introduction to
Psychology/Psychological Methods
Unit 2: Biological Bases of Behavior
Unit 3: Sensation and Perception
Unit 4: States of Consciousness
Unit 5: Memory
Unit 6: Learning
Unit 7: Developmental Psychology
Psychology II
Unit 1: Thinking
Unit 2: Intelligence
Unit 3: Personality
Unit 4: Social Psychology
Unit 5: Abnormal Psychology
Unit 6: Gender Roles
Unit 7: Stress and Health
Expectations
This course is designed to prepare students for college. The following academic behaviors are
essential for academic success in this course and will count towards 30% of the semester grade:
1. Actively engage in and take responsibility for your own learning; you are organized,
prepared, and willing to ask for help.
2. Ask questions to acquire understanding in class and seek additional instruction
outside of class when necessary to clarify understanding.
3. Consistently and thoroughly complete homework assignments on time.*
4. Actively and voluntarily participate in daily classroom projects and work
independently and enthusiastically on individual projects.
5. Enjoy and participate in evaluative and analytical discussions.
6. Pursue opportunities for revision or extra-credit, if presented.
*Assignments and homework submitted late during the same unit receives partial credit.
Bring Your Own Device Policy
1. You must come to class with your laptops/devices charged
2. Lids down unless your teacher indicates otherwise
3. You must remain on task while using your laptop/device; otherwise the privilege may
be revoked.
4. Consequences
a. First inappropriate usage warning
b. Second inappropriate usage teacher detention
c. Third inappropriate usage office attention
d. Fourth inappropriate usage loss of laptop/device privilege at teacher
discretion

Grading Policies
Grades are based on a point system. Each assignment has a point value. At the end of each
grading period, total student points will be divided by total possible points to calculate the grade
for each of the following categories:
40% of the semester grade will be based on performance on major/summative assessments
such as tests, papers, projects, etc.
30% of the semester grade will be based on performance on formative/minor assessments
such as quizzes, classwork, small projects, etc.
30% will reflect academic effort based upon homework completion, class participation,
personal organization, and group contributions. Please note, that this class requires a heavy
amount of participation as it is largely based on class discussions and group work.

Call Back Days
Wednesday: 2:00 2:45
Thursday: 2:00 2:45


Remind 101

Period 1: Enter this number: (978) 422-1412 Enter Code: @fhspsych1

Period 3: Enter this number: (978) 422-1412 Enter Code: @fhspsychp3