AP Psychology

Welcome! My name is Kristie Stevens, and this is my fifth year at CHS—as a teacher. I started my

career at Woodland High School in Woodland, Washington, but I am very glad to be

home. I graduated from Camas High School; earned my B.A. in English Language and

Literature from the University of Washington; and completed my M. A. in Teaching at

Concordia University.

In my classroom, students will; engage daily with critical questions about

psychology; interact with tough concepts in a hands-on manner; and learn in an environ-

ment that is both challenging and fun! Psychology is my favorite course to teach, and AP

presents the opportunity to investigate the material at a deeper and more meaningful

level.

AP courses are rigorous and designed to expose students to higher-level

material with the opportunity to receive college credit at course’s end. In

order to receive credit, students must take and pass the AP exam. This year’s AP Psychol-

ogy exam is scheduled for Tuesday, May 12, 2020 at 12:00 PM. The exam is two hours

long: students are given 70 minutes to respond to 100 multiple choice questions and 50

minutes to compose answers to two free response questions. Students will be familiar-

ized with the test’s format and question types throughout the course. AP exams are grad-

ed on a five-point scale. Some colleges will accept a score of three (3) or better for credit,

although many schools will now only accept scores of four (4) or better. The fee to take

the AP exam has been $92 in the past, but may be subject to change. If you are subject to

financial hardship, please let the AP coordinator know about this during registration. We

will work with you to provide your student this opportunity. More information about cost

and registration will be forthcoming, as we get closer to the deadline.

This course will be challenging, and those students who wish to be successful must be

willing to pay attention, work hard, and foster their own learning outside of the class-

room. I am confident that every student can meet these goals. Please see the curriculum

note for specific course objectives and helpful supplemental materials.

Don’t Lose This Address! Unit agendas, audio lectures, make-up assignments & handouts, and general infor-mation regarding our classroom will be available and consistently updated at the follow-ing web address:

staff.camas.wednet.edu/blogs/stevensap

Students are expected to check this resource frequently and will be held accountable for its contents, particularly during weather delays or after absences.

Room 407 360-833-5750

kristie.stevens@camas.wednet.edu

Grading Breakdown

My gradebook is promptly updated and divided into the following categories:

Assessments encompass unit multiple choice exams, formal free response questions, and extended projects; Daily Work includes those assignments completed to assess progress toward daily learning targets; and Listening & Speaking is connected to meaningful participa-tion in class discussion and smaller checks for understanding.

A 93-100%

A- 90-92%

B+ 87-89%

B 83-36%

B- 80-82%

C+ 77-79%

C 73-76%

C- 70-72%

D+ 67-69%

D 60-66%

F 0-59%

Assessments 50%

Daily Work 35%

Listening & Speaking 15%

Keys to Success with Ms. Stevens

1. Stay organized! Pay attention

to our unit agenda, keep on

top of your copy notes, and

make sure that you save

everything to create a com-

prehensive study guide for

the exam!

2. Take advantage of opportuni-

ties to refine knowledge!

Give review Kahoots another

try at home; study your lec-

ture notes; start a Quizlet;

and always come in for test

corrections!

3. Stay curious! If you want to

learn something, you certain-

ly will. Remember, psycholo-

gy is really all about you.

4. Don’t be discouraged if

something doesn’t go your

way. Occasional difficulties

build character and teach you

how to keep going when

things get rough.

5. Work hard! Hard work is

always noticed and appreci-

ated.

6. Grade bumps are not a thing.

You earn the grade you re-

ceive; end-of-term requests

for grade increases will not

be honored.

Course Scope & Sequence

Here is a proposed scope and sequence for our course. The College Board has

made some changes to our course this year, so units will be long and more

comprehensive than they have been in the past. All new instruction will be

completed by Spring Break in order to ensure several weeks for exam review.

Instructional dates are subject to change, especially due to weather delays.

Students should expect an AP-style multiple-choice exam and practice free

response question for each unit prior to the exam. Grades may be improved

by test corrections and metacognition within a week of exam administration.

Please be aware that no one AP Psychology text book or study guide contains

all the information that may be on the exam. Our course is designed to give

you the best chance for success, but please feel free to supplement with other

resources. I recommend the Barron’s AP Psych study guide, collaborative

Quizlets, AP Central practice exams, and Crash Course psychology videos.

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Unit of Study Portion of Exam Q’s

1. Scientific Foundations of Psychology 10-14%

2. Biological Bases of Behavior 8-10%

3. Sensation and Perception 6-8%

4. Learning 7-9%

5. Cognitive Psychology 13-17%

6. Developmental Psychology 7-9%

7. Motivation, Emotion, & Personality 11-15%

8. Clinical Psychology 12-16%

9. Social Psychology 8-10%

10. Comprehensive Exam Review N/A

11. Extended Psychological Application N/A

Technology Note

Chromebooks: This year, every

student is responsible for his or

her own Chromebook. Some

guidelines:

Bring it to school!

Protect it with a case!

Make sure it is charged!

Only use as directed in

class! Chromebooks will

not be out all day, every

day. (This means that you

should have it available

to you at a moment’s

notice. This is as im-

portant a supply as paper

or pencil!)

Cell Phones: Please:

Keep them away during

class (unless you have

permission from me)! We

will use them on occasion,

and you will know exactly

when those occasions are.

Know they will be confis-

cated for the duration of

the class period if repeat-

ed offenses occur.

Understand that points

will be deducted from

your most recent Listen-

ing/Speaking assignment

if your device needs to be

confiscated.

Classroom Policies & Expectations

Supplies: You are required to bring pa-

per, a writing utensil, tech, and assigned

work to class each day. I also encourage

you to invest in a binder or pocket folder

to keep track of your materials. The best

study guide is a well-organized record of

the year’s work!

Tardies: There will be an entrance activ-

ity posted on the screen each day. If you

are not at your desk and working on the

entrance activity when the bell rings, you

may be marked tardy. If we are working,

I have already taken attendance, and you

are late.

Dismissal: Students must remain quiet-

ly in their seats until I dismiss them.

Wrapping up work early and lining up by

the door are not permitted. I reserve the

right to hold students after class for any

reason. I dismiss you; the bell does not.

Bathroom Breaks: Bathroom breaks are

made at the student’s discretion but

should be avoided during the first and

last ten minutes of class. Please place

the classroom pass (the hedgehog) on

your desk and excuse yourself. Breaks

should not typically exceed five minutes.

I as the instructor reserve the right to

question students who make frequent or

unusually long visits tot he facilities—I

don’t want you to fall in and drown.

Food & Drink: As long as garbage and

mess are kept to a minimum, food and

drink are acceptable. Please, however,

refrain from bringing loud or smelly

treats to class.

Manners: I do not permit disrespectful

behavior in my classroom. Do not lounge

inappropriately on my furniture or throw

your trash toward the garbage. Any slurs

will result in an immediate trip to the

office. Remember your pleases and

thank you’ s, and check your attitude at

the door.

Absences: Excused absences should be

handled according the protocol of the

school office. Students who know that

they will be absent ahead of time are

responsible for the work due while they

are gone (if it is available and feasible).

Late Work: Barring an excused absence,

any late work will be accepted at 50% off

per day. *Please talk to me if you are

concerned about your ability to complete

an assignment!

Make-Up Work: Students have one day

per excused day that they were gone to

complete and hand in any work that they

may have missed. If students do not

comply with this timeline, the late work

policy goes into effect. Tests and quizzes

must be made up within a week of their

initial administration, or you will receive

a zero.

Re-Do’s & Retakes: Because of the pac-

ing of this course—and in order to help

prepare you for academic expectations

consistent with college curriculum—

there are no redo’s or retakes offered for

work in this class. However, you may

earn back points on exams using the

classroom test correction procedure.

Academic Integrity: All work you pro-

duce and turn in for this class should be

your own. Even if you are working on

assignment with a friend, your answers

should be unique. Any plagiarism (yes,

ANY) will result in a zero (in some cases,

for both parties) on the assignment in

question.

Help from the Teacher: Please see my

contact information the first page and

don’t hesitate to use it! Conference peri-

od is also a fantastic option.

Consequences: Any violation of these

policies will be dealt with using a step

system. Your first offense will be met

with a verbal reprimand or conference;

subsequent offenses may be dealt with

via parent contact, detention, or referral.

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PARENT & GUARDIAN PROFILE

PRIMARY PARENT OR GUARDIAN: ____________________________________________________________

BEST AVAILABILITY: _______________________________________________________________________

PREFERRED MODE OF CONTACT: ___________________________________________________________

PARENT PHONE NUMBER: ________________________________________________________________

PARENT E-MAIL ADDRESS: __________________________________________________________________

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION?:

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

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Thank you for reviewing this syllabus with your student. I feel so fortunate that I get to spend my day with students

like yours, and I hope that you are as confident as I am that we will have a fun and productive year together. For

their first graded assignment, students must return this piece of paper ensuring that you have read, understand,

and approved of the information in this handout. Thank you for helping them succeed!

By signing, I confirm that I have read these expectations and accept Ms. Stevens’ criteria for this class.

STUDENT NAME (PRINTED): _____________________________________________________________________

STUDENT SIGNATURE: _________________________________________________________________________

PARENT NAME (PRINTED): _____________________________________________________________________

PARENT SIGNATURE: __________________________________________________________________________

COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, OR CONCERNS: