Welcome to AP Psych!!! I look forward to a very interesting year with you, and there are a few things you need to do to prepare for that. Below are the summer assignments for this course, each of which has a specified due date. There is a penalty for any assignment turned in late. In order to complete and turn in these assignments, you will need internet access and you will have to obtain a book from the list below.
The assignments below are intended to prepare you for the school year ahead and to spark some thoughts about psychology. Be sure to take your time and do these assignments with care. If you have any questions at all, feel free to e-mail me as soon as possible. If you turn an assignment in late for ANY REASON, there is a penalty of one letter grade off per day late. Please turn assignments on time or early!
If you ever have ANY questions, you can e-mail me at Lara.Herrera@BrowardSchools.com
ASSIGNMENT #1 DUE FRIDAY, JUNE 13 BY 10:00 P.M. (Do this right now!!!)
E-MAIL SETUP (5 POINTS)
It is necessary for you to have a working e-mail address for this course that you check regularly. (If you do not have one, go to www.hotmail.com , www.yahoo.com , or www.gmail.com to set up a free account.) To earn these five points, simply email me at
Lara.Herrera@BrowardSchools.com
and introduce yourself. Please include the following info in your e-mail:
• your first and last name, and what you prefer to be called
• your grade level next school year
• why you chose to take AP Psychology
• which SLC you will be in (Health Pavilion, Sci-Tech, Downtown, or Studio)
• any other info you would like to share
IF YOU DO NOT HEAR BACK FROM ME WITHIN 48 HOURS, I DID NOT RECEIVE YOUR EMAIL! CHECK MY E-MAIL ADDRESS CAREFULLY AND TRY AGAIN UNTIL YOU HEAR BACK FROM ME.
ASSIGNMENT #2 DUE AUGUST 1 BY 10:00 PM
READ BOOK OF CHOICE BELOW AND WRITE REACTION PAPER (50 PTS.)
E-mail your completed assignment to Mrs. Herrera by 10PM on August 1st.. If the assignment is not completed, you may be asked to WITHDRAW from A.P. Psychology.
The objective of this assignment is to introduce you to many areas that we will be discussing throughout the year...development, disorders, addiction, treatment, motivation, emotion, neuroscience, etc.
2A. READ ONE OF THE THREE books on the following list. Used and new copies can be found on amazon.com, half.com, or bn.com, but do find a copy of what you want right away so that you can have the summer to work on this.
(Option 1) Ramachandran, V.S. (2005) A Brief Tour of Human Consciousness: From Imposter Poodles to Purple Numbers. (ISBN-13: 9780131872783) How can people come to believe that their poodle is an impostor? Or see colors in numbers? Francis Crick, co-discoverer of DNA, said of V. S. Ramachandran's first book, "The patients he describes are fascinating, and his experiments on them are both simple and ingenious." With his unique energy and style Ramachandran now shares his insights into the mind from such everyday human experiences as pain, sight, and the appreciation of beauty to the ultimate philosophical conundrums of consciousness. (This is an excellent and easy to understand intro to neuroscience, which you will really need to understand in the first quarter.)
(Option 2) Pipher, M. (1994) Reviving Ophelia. Random House Books: New York. (ISiBN: 0-345-39282-5) The phenomenal #1 New York Times bestseller. More than 1.5 million copies sold.
This is the groundbreaking work that poses one of the most provocative questions of a generation: Why are American adolescent girls falling prey to depression, eating disorders, suicide attempts, and dangerously low self-esteem? Dr. Pipher posits that it's America's sexist, look-obsessed "girl-poisoning" culture-one in which girls are constantly struggling to find their true selves. In Reviving Ophelia, these girls' uncensored voices are heard from the front lines of adolescence. Personal and painfully honest, this is a compassionate call to arms, offering strategies with which to revive these Ophelias' lost senses of self. (Even though this book was written a few years ago, people your age are surprised at how much they connect with the stories in the book. It is still very up-to-date.)
(Option 3) Covey, Sean. (2006) The Six Most Important Decisions You'll Ever Make. (ISBN-10: 0743265041) In this practical and lively self-help title, the author argues that teens have six key decisions to make, and that their choices will make or break their futures. The decisions involve getting a good education, choosing true friends, getting along with parents, dating and sex, avoiding addictions, and establishing a healthy sense of self-worth. Covey provides tips for making and following through on each of these areas and delivers concise sound bites of advice peppered with colorful graphics, cartoons, and movie quotes... For example, regarding school, he gives tips on dealing with stress, time management, learning disabilities, and preparing for college. He is frank in discussing sex and dating myths and the dangers of STDs and teenage pregnancy... its quick and easy tips will appeal to most readers.—Jane Cronkhite
2B. Upon finishing the book, you will TYPE a three page reaction paper, DUE BY EMAIL ON AUGUST 1ST BY 10:00 P.M. TO LARA.HERRERA@BROWARDSCHOOLS.COM. This MUST be typed, double-spaced, Times New Roman, 12 font, in essay form, and three pages long. You MUST incorporate the following ideas into your paper:
1. Identify a "common thread" or theme of the book. Use specific examples from the book to illustrate the theme.
2. In what ways does any part of the book reflect/connect with your own experiences, or the experiences of the others in your life? Use AT LEAST 3 specific examples.
3. In what ways do the experiences of the people featured in the book differ from your own experiences, or the experiences of the others in your life? Use specific examples.
4. What is your general reaction to this book? (Were you surprised? What did you learn? Was it interesting? Did any parts have special significance to you? etc.) Explain.
ASSIGNMENT #3 DUE (FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL): ONLINE VOCABULARY ACTIVITY: I will post assignment #3 on this blog site August 2. It will be due on the first day of class.
EMAIL ME IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS! LARA.HERRERA@BROWARDSCHOOLS.COM
