Thinking About AP Psychology?

Considering taking a psychology course during the upcoming school year?

If you're interested in trying to understand human behavior and thinking at a deeper level, then you'd enjoy a class in psychology.

In AP Psychology, we learn about how psychological scientists systematically investigate human behavior in order to understand its causes and consequences. This includes applying psychological concepts and principles to real-world situations that may look very familiar to you.

In fact, after taking a psychology course, it's hard NOT to see psychology unfolding in the world around you. 

In AP Psychology, that learning comes with the added bonus of earning college credit. Not only are you likely to pick up some college credits for the course, you'll be a stronger student because of your understanding of human memory and learning (that you can apply to learning in all of your courses).

Still not sure? This video features psychology teachers and students describing some benefits from taking psychology at the high school level.

Textbook Pick-Up Dates Approaching!

 Greetings, AP Psych students!

You may already have received messages from me about these dates, but I thought I'd post them here as well.

If you are enrolled in AP Psychology for the 2021-22 school year, you are encouraged to pick up your course textbook and materials between 8 AM and 5 PM on one of the following dates:

Monday, August 23rd

Tuesday, August 24th

You'll get to meet your instructor, get questions answered, and have the opportunity to ease into the school year by starting your reading at a more relaxed pace. 

Looking forward to meeting you!

Mrs. Welle

Back to School Shopping for AP Psych

I hope this message finds you enjoying a pleasant summer. However, according to virtually every retail establishment I’ve visited during the past two weeks, it’s time for back-to-school shopping. Whether that thought excites you or makes you cringe, I figured I’d give you a heads up about what you’ll need for AP Psych. That way, we can streamline your shopping trip (whenever it happens). 

Required:

• Be sure to pick up a 3-ring binder for use throughout the year in AP Psych. You’ll need this to keep your notes and handouts organized by topic area. Look for one 1.5 to 2.5 inches in width (3 in is usually too unwieldy to carry in a backpack daily). By spring, when you’re reviewing for the AP Psych exam, you’ll be SO GLAD you kept all of your notes/handouts organized this way!

• You’ll also want paper for note-taking (loose-leaf or notebook, your choice). Student preference is the key here: some folks like to use loose-leaf paper so they can insert notes into the binder by topic area, others like keeping their notes all in one notebook (post-it tabs to mark chapters/units can be helpful if going that route). If you like notebooks, be aware that many students fill up their notebooks by spring in AP Psych, so having more than one on hand will help. Also, some students prefer to keep their book notes and class notes separate (not a bad idea), so you’ll want to think about your “system” when shopping.

• Pens and pencils are going to be necessary. Perhaps this is obvious, but I thought I’d be thorough. 

Optional:

Strive for a 5 Study Guide (approximate cost $30; accompanies the textbook). This workbook helps students process what they read in the text and practice skills in preparation for unit tests and the AP Psych Exam. The district provides each student with a copy; HOWEVER, because the district’s copies will be reused from year-to-year, students cannot write in them. That is a bummer, because they are set up like workbooks and would be much easier to use if students could write in them.  

If you would like to purchase your own, the easiest way to do so is to order via an online seller like Amazon or Ebay. (This is also likely to be cost effective, since our textbook is no longer the newest edition of this book, so people will sell the older copies for cheaper.) Product details are below:

Title: Strive for a 5: Preparing for the AP Psychology Examination, 2nd Edition

Authors: Alison Herzig, Laura Brandt, and Nathaniel Naughton

ISBN-13: 978-1464156052

ISBN-10: 1464156050

Home Office Supplies?

While we’re preparing for in-person instruction, it is entirely likely that there will be periods during which we may have to shift to remote learning this  year. If you have the means to do so, it might be worth thinking about what home office supplies you might need in your at-home learning space to make it productive. Some ideas:

• Printer & ink? While you will not be required to print anything from home, last spring many of my students preferred to print out some electronic resources and handouts for ease of use and to get a break from all the screen time.

• Stapler and 3-Hole Punch - again, not a requirement, but if you regularly use these things at school you might find yourself missing them as you try to stay organized at home.

If you have any questions, feel free to shoot me an email or ask when you come in to pick-up your textbook in August 17-20! Enjoy the rest of your summer, and happy shopping!

Mrs. Welle

Word Scramble

When directed by your instructor, complete this Word Scramble Exercise.

Emotion Demo

Today we'll be exploring various phenomena connected to emotion.

To complete the cartoon activity, please complete this form.

Synesthesia

Need a refresher on what synesthesia is? Check out this video:

Thresholds Online Demo

Today in class we'll be exploring basic principles of sensation, including absolute thresholds.

When prompted, check out this interactive demo on absolute thresholds in order to build your understanding of this concept.