Psychology Unit #1

UNIT #1: APPROACHES TO PSYCHOLOGY

Unit Overview: The objectives of the 3-credit courses in psychology are designed
to develop within the student the skills and understandings that make it possible for
more effective living in our complex environment. The student s attention will
focus on the scientific approach to understanding human behaviour so that he or
she may appreciate more fully the reasons that underlie one s own acts and those
of one s fellows. Within this specific unit we will be looking at the topics of; Why
Study Psychology?, A Brief History of Psychology, Psychology as a Profession,
What is Research?, Problems and Solutions in Research, and Statistical Evaluation.
Generative Topic: Before going deeper into psychological theories we must first
understand the essential basics, without a complete understanding of these deep
learning can not occur.
Aim/Big Idea(s): Throughout this first unit we will e covering many basic
concepts such as Why Study Psychology?, A Brief History of Psychology,
Psychology as a Profession, What is Research?, Problems and Solutions in
Research, and Statistical Evaluation. These topics will provide a strong foundations
for which students can build their knowledge.
Essential Questions:
1.) What is Psychology?
2.) Why study Psychology?
3.) How do we conduct research?

Master List of Learning Activities and Experiences:

1.) Psychology Interest inventory
2.) Ch.1 Vocabulary activity
3.) The Scientific Method
4.) The four goals of Psychology
5.) Ch.1 Application Activity
6.) History of Psychology
7.) Ch.2 Vocabulary Activity
8.) Psychology Historical Timeline
9.) Quick Lab: Day analyzation (Hourly)
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10.) The historical Approaches to the study of Psychology

11.) The Four Humours: Analyzing the Case Study

Master List of Materials, Equipment and Resources:

1.) Lesson Plan
2.) Worksheets/quizes
3.) Powerpoint (If needed)
4.) Resources: Understanding Psychology- Glenco

Assessment:
Tool
1.) Psychology
Interest inventory

Outcomes
N/A

2.) Ch.1
Vocabulary
activity

N/A

3.) The Scientific

Method

N/A

4.) The four goals

of Psychology

Description

N/A

FOR AS

This activity will be one that

will allow students to explain
what interests them as well as
where their current knowledge
is with the study of Psychology.
Students will fill out a form
given by myself.

This will be an activity

followed by a worksheet. First
the students will be filling out
what they know about each
term on the white board and
then the following class
students will be completing a
worksheet based on these vocab
words.

This will be an activity where

students have the opportunity to
explore the scientific model in
more depth and conduct a basic
experiment of their choosing
(Must be approved by me) and
fill out their findings using this
method.

This will be an activity where

students are required to explain
the four different goals of
psychology and speculate on
whether this covers all it needs
to or not.

OF

Tool
5.) Ch.1
Application
Activity

Outcomes

Description

N/A

This activity will be used to

ensure that students have a
strong understanding of the
goals psychology. Students will
use the four goals to answer a
small variety of psychological
questions. Students will work in
groups and discuss this.

N/A

7.) Ch.2
Vocabulary
Activity

N/A

8.) Psychology
Historical
Timeline

N/A

9.) Quick Lab:

Day analyzation
(Hourly)

N/A

10.) The historical

Approaches to the
study of
Psychology

N/A

This activity will be a lecture

based one where students learn
about the historical timeline
associated with psychology.
This will line the students up
for the project which will
follow closely behind.

This will be an activity

followed by a worksheet. First
the students will be filling out
what they know about each
term on the white board and
then the following class
students will be completing a
worksheet based on these vocab
words.

This is an activity where

students will fill out a timeline
with the important and
significant dates/details
associated to them. This will be
directly related to the history
lecture will be textbook based.

This is an activity where

students will log anything that
happened to them significantly
by the hour for 12 hours. The
following class we will be
taking a behaviouralist
approach to analyzing
everything that we did during
this time.

This will be a project where

students are required to show
their knowledge of the different
schools of thought associated
with psychology.

OF

This will be a quiz which

checks in with how students are
handling the material thus far.
This will include vocabulary.

Chapter 1 Quiz

6.) History of
Psychology

FOR AS

Tool
11.) The Four
Humors:
Analyzing the
Case Study

Outcomes

Description

N/A

This is an assignment where

students are asked to go back to
the beginning of psychology
and how it relates to modern
day psychology.

FOR AS

OF

Unit Lessons Overview:

Lesson #1:
Lesson Overview: This first lesson of the course will be introductory lesson
where I introduce myself to my students and gain a sense of where they are at with
knowledge on Psychology. Students will fill out an interest inventory and begin
working with the vocabulary of the first uni during this lesson.
Activities:
1.) Introduction to course
2.) Psychology Interest inventory
3.) Ch.1 Vocabulary activity
Assessment: Psychology Interest inventory (FOR)

Lesson #2:
Lesson Overview: During this lesson we will be digging a little deeper into the
vocabulary used within the first unit to ensure a strong understanding of the
terminology that will be used. After this we will be exploring the scientific method
and conducting one or more experiments and scientifically analyzing the results.
Activities:
1.) Ch.1 Vocabulary activity
2.) The Scientific Method
Assessment: The Scientific Method (OF)

Lesson #3:
Lesson Overview: During this unit we will be discovering the four goals of
psychology through a lecture based class. After this lecture a worksheet will be
provided for students to concrete their understanding of this concept. Afterwards
we will be doing a exercise of using the vocabulary from this chapter in a sentence
and talking to other classmates using this.
Activities:
1.) The four goals of Psychology
2.) Vocabulary Activity #2 (Fitting the vocal into the four goals)
Assessment: The four goals of Psychology (OF)

Lesson #4:
Lesson Overview: This will be a discussion based class where students will use
their knowledge of the four goals of psychology to answer psychological questions
in groups. Groups will rotate through 4-5 different questions during this class.
Activities:
1.) Ch.1 Application Activity
Assessment: Ch.1 Application Activity (FOR)

Lesson #5:
Lesson Overview: In this class we will be doing a basic review of the concepts
that we have began to cover. This will be followed by a quiz which will test the
major concepts we have focussed on during this first week of class.
Activities:
1.) Review of Ch.1
2.) Ch.1 Quiz
Assessment: Ch.1 Quiz (OF)

Lesson #6:
Lesson Overview: This will be a lecture based class where students begin to gain
an understanding of the historical contexts within psychology. After this lecture we
will be doing another vocabulary activity with these new words.
Activities:
1.) History of Psychology
2.) Ch.2 Vocabulary Activity
Assessment: Ch.2 Vocabulary Activity (FOR)

Lesson #7:
Lesson Overview: During this lesson students will be showing their knowledge of
the major events and thinkers of psychology by creating a timeline dating and
describing all important dates and events throughout history. After this is complete
students will be introduced to the next assignment which will take place in class
tomorrow.
Activities:
1.)Psychology Historical Timeline
2.) Introduction of Quick Lab: Day analyzation (Hourly)
Assessment: Psychology Historical Timeline (OF)

Lesson #8:
Lesson Overview: During this class we will actually be doing the quick lab
described in the previous lesson. Students will take a behaviouralist approach to
analyze everything the have done in the last X amount of hours. Once this
assignment is completed students will be given a break followed by a discussion on
the behaviouralist approach.
Activities:
1.) Quick Lab: Day analyzation (Hourly)
2.) Discussion about the behaviouralist approach
Assessment: Quick Lab: Day analyzation (Hourly) (OF)
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Lesson #9:
Lesson Overview: In this lesson we will be discovering similarities and different
throughout different historical approaches in psychology. Students will be
discussing which one they find more believable.
Activities:
1.) The historical Approaches to the study of Psychology
2.) Discussion on what seems different/the same
Assessment: The historical Approaches to the study of Psychology (FOR)

Lesson #10:
Lesson Overview: In this lesson we will be taking a historical case study and
doing the activity related to it. Once this case study is completed students will have
the chance to discuss their thoughts and findings on this subject at hand.
Activities:
1.) The Four Humors: Analyzing the Case Study
Assessment: The Four Humors: Analyzing the Case Study (OF)