December 20/21: Final Exam

1) Tricky Vocabulary Review Game. We played the "Golden Chair" game and the winners were Joe Stradling and Brian Neff

2) Final Exam. Grades are posted and the actual score was a 96. Good job this wacky semester!


Assignments:

1) Relax and Rest!

(If you want to get ahead, read chapter 11 and do the notecards!)

See you January 8th!

December 17: Review Game

1) No Neuron Note.

2) You evaluated me.

3) Tricky Vocabulary Review Game. You played the "Golden Chair" game today, challenging students to answer the questions as quickly as possible. We will play the review game before we take the final exam. The winner of the game will not have to take the final and get 100%!!!


Assignments:

1) Study EVERYTHING!

2) Final Exams. 2B on Thursday at 10:40. 3B on Friday at 8:10.

December 13: Review

1) No Neuron Note.

2) Chapters 9 and 10 Test Review. We went over the correct answers on the Memory and Cognition test. There were obvious problems with the questions related to: iconic memory, proactive/retroactive interference, availability/representativeness heuristics.

3) Tricky Vocabulary Review Game. We graded the list of 185 questions of the tricky vocabulary from chapters 1-10. Then we started the review game where you will challenge another student to answer the questions as quickly as possible. We will play the review game on Monday and before we take the final exam. The winner of the game will not have to take the final and get 100%!!!


Assignments:

1) Study "Tricky Vocabulary" list.

2) Final Exams. 2B on Thursday at 10:40. 3B on Friday at 8:10.

December 11: Chapter 9/10 Test (SNOW!!!)

Today we had yet another shortened class because of the late start from the snow. YEAH!

1) Neuron Note. You read answers from the Neuron Note. You do not need to write a new question on test days.

2) Since we only had 70 minutes for class, we immediately started the 100 multiple choice test on chapters 9 and 10. If you were absent, you can take the test in the IMC tomorrow with Mrs. Foster. She takes lunch from 11-12. If that does not work, plan to take the test on Thursday.

3) Since the final exam is next week, you received a list of 185 questions of the tricky vocabulary from chapters 1-10. Your job is to try to answer the questions on you own without notes as a review of what you remember. Then, use your notes and textbook to finish the rest of the questions for next class. We will be playing a review game with these vocabulary words.


Assignments:

1) Tricky Vocabulary Review Guide is due next class.

2) Final Exams. 2B on Thursday at 10:40. 3B on Friday at 8:10.

December 7: Language

Today we had the pep assembly so we didn't have as much time as a normal class.

1) Neuron Note. You read answers from last year's Neuron Note and you wrote a new question based on textbook reading. And you got an article on availability heursitic from TIME.

2) Cliches: We talked about insight again and "A-Ha!" moments by looking at a drawing of many goofy pictures for cliches such as: "Time Flies" or "Killing two birds with one stone."

3) Language Notes: We talked about the part of language (phomenes, morphemes, syntax, semantics, grammar), Chomsky vs. Skinner, and the different stages of language development.

4) Discovering Psychology - Language Development: We watched another Philip Z. video. There were some pretty cute kids using language.


Assignments:

1) Chapter 10 pp.413-417 on animals and thinking.

2) Chapters 9 and 10 test is next class on Tuesday, December 11th.

December 5: Cognition

Today was a late start so we didn't have as much time as a normal class.

1) Neuron Note. You read answers from last year's Neuron Note and you wrote a new question based on textbook reading on memory.

2) We talked about insight and "A-Ha!" moments by trying to figure out riddles together. We had some "A-Ha!" moments and some big groans. ;)

3) Discovering Psychology - Cognitive Processes: We watched another Philip Z. video. It covered major concepts from the beginning of the chapter on cognition that you read last night.

3) Mental Set and Fixedness with Rope Magic: You got a partner and a rope and tried to figure out how to separate once you were intertwined. It was fun and you got to see how you approach problems in the same way over and over.

4) "Memory Pill" article from Newsweek: You had time to read this.

Assignments:

1) Chapter 10 pp.401-412 on language.

2) Chapters 9 and 10 test is Tuesday, December 11th.

Posted by Mrs. Lynn Ovaska at 7:42 PM 0 comm

December 3: Memory Construction and More

1) Neuron Note. You read answers from last year's Neuron Note and you wrote a new question based on textbook reading on memory. I'll be back on top of your own questions next week.

2) Scientific American Frontiers "Don't Forget" We watched the rest of this video. It covered a study on a man with a super hippocampus who can remember faces, importance of emotions and amygdala with memory, Elizabeth Loftus and how our memories are not accurate, and new research on Alzheimer's.

3) Memory Construction: I shared some more information on Elizabeth Loftus, I gave some websites that might be of interest, and I passed out an interview of her.

4) "Memory Pill" article from Newsweek: You had time to read this.

Assignments:

1) Start chapter 10.

2) Chapters 9 and 10 test is Tuesday, December 11th.

November 29: Memory Lecture and Activities

In-Class Activities:

1) Neuron Note. You read answers from last year's Neuron Note and you wrote a new question based on textbook reading on memory. I'll be back on top of your own questions next week.

2) Memory Lecture and Activities: We spent class taking notes and doing activities that relate to the three stages of memory -- Encoding, Storing, and Retrieving. We started by trying to remember the Seven Dwarfs! :) Here were the activities for each stage.
Encoding:
List the Presidents -- Serial Position Effect
Pronounce the sentences vs. Imagine the sentences -- Imagery is key to encoding!
Mnemonics: Peg Word, Method of Loci, Keyword
Storing:
Trying to remember a series of digits -- 7+/-2
Rajan Mahadevan Video -- Amazing storage of pi 3.14159....
Story of Man with Hippocampus Damage -- STM vs. LTM
Retrieving:
Rest, Slumber, Comfort, Awake, etc. NO SLEEP! -- Retrieval Inaccuracy

3) Scientific American Frontiers "Don't Forget" We watched the first ~15 minutes of this video on the man known as EP who has a damaged hippocampus and cannot form new memories and another man who cannot recall information from in past. We'll finish this video next class period.



Assignments:

1) Finish chapter 9 (thru page 382).

2) FYI: Chapters 9 and 10 test is Tuesday, December 11th.

November 27: Ovaska Returns and Test Review

In-Class Activities:

1) Neuron Note. You didn't have answers to read today, but you wrote a new question based on textbook reading on memory. Some of you did not read so plan to get up to speed on the reading assignment listed below.

2) I'm back! And it is time to get used to each other again! :) We spent the beginning of class reviewing the chapters that you studied while I was out on maternity leave. This was good for you -- to see what you remember and good for me -- to see what you know. Thanks to Ms. Foster for all her hard work!

3) Chapter 8 Test Review. We put the test data on the overhead so you could see how you did as a class as well as how you did in comparison with your classmates. Since the highest score was an 96, Ms. Foster curved the test by adding 4 points to everyone's tests. We went over the questions that most students got wrong and you were able to write down the reasoning behind those tricky questions. I also tried to give page numbers so you could look up those concepts again.

General comments about the trickiest questions: Many of you missed the ones related to UCS, UCR, NS, CS, CR Make sure that you can identify those when given an example.



Assignments:

1) Read chapter 9 up to 372.

2) FYI: Chapters 9 and 10 test is Tuesday, December 11th.

Stage Theorist Lecture/Notes, 10/2/07

Today in class I lectured and the students wrote notes over Piaget, Erikson, Kohlberg, and Freud the whole period. Students need to continue on with the textbook reading, note taking, notecards, AND start working on their developmental project (due 10/9).

9/20/2007, Evolutionary Psychology

Today in class we reviewed the test scores and went over the questions that we marked wrong. We then watched an awesome video that introduced us to Evolutionary Psychology and Developmental Psychology while still building on the neuroscience we learned last chapter. We then filled out a fun worksheet about the evolutionary psychology perspective and talked about various aspects of evolutionary psych.

Assignment: Read through page 125

9-18-07 Test Day over Brain & Biology

Today we took our 2nd test, Mrs. Foster has it graded and the scores are online.
Assignment - You should read pages 99-116 for class on Thursday.

BABY GUS!

Hi AP-Psychos!

How are you doing? I hope that you are studying hard for Tuesday's test on Chapter 2. You are in good hands with Ms. Foster. Make sure you keep up the hard work so you can impress her with your knowledge and skills! :) I miss you all and will try to keep in touch.

As you know, Baby Gus arrived last Monday. Everyday living around the Ovaska household has drastically changed. He is amazing and I look forward to sharing him with you!

Here is the story: Around 6 am on Monday, the 10th, I started having regular contractions. Around 7:30 am, I called Ms. Foster and said, "Today's the day!" When Period 2B was starting, I called the doctor and they said, "Come in!" I waited a bit and went for a short walk since the contractions were only 10 minutes apart and the weather was great. We arrived at the hospital at around the start of Period 3B (when I took this picture of my belly). Then the contractions stopped!

After ~5 hours of irregular contractions, they started again and Gus was born at 6:26 pm. He weighed 7lbs 12 oz. His official name is August Arvo Ovaska. August -- after Eric's uncle Gus who was a fisherman on Lake Superior and Arvo -- after Eric's dad who died when Eric was 20 years old.

Gus was a blue smurf baby since he came fast and we live in the mountains. After a little oxygen and hollering, he was pink and happy. We called all our family and had our daughters, Maddie and Elise, come over and meet him.


The girls were super excited and gave him lots and lots of kisses that night. Gus and I left the hospital Wednesday evening and our family has been lying low since then. We all have a lot of adjusting to do, but Gus seems very settled. He sleeps most of the day and is up from 4 am to 5:30 am at night. (It's a good thing I am not your teacher right now...I don't have all my neurons firing properly...hey, can you explain what happens during action potential for Tuesday's test?).



Who does he look like? 2-year-old Elise or 5-year-old Maddie? I guess we'll have to wait and see.

I hope that you all are well and making the most of AP Psychology. Keep on REALLY reading the chapters, taking THOROUGH notes, and MEMORIZING the vocabulary.


Take care,

Mrs. Ovaska

September 6: Test Review and Introduction to the Brain

In-Class Activities:

1) Neuron Note. You didn't have answers to read today, but you wrote a new question based on last night's textbook reading on neural communication.

2) Prologue/Chapter 1 Test Review. I put the test data (distribution, mean, median, mode, standard deviation, histrogram, grade scale) on the overhead so you could see how we did as a class as well as how you did in comparison with your classmates. Since the highest score was an 95, I curved the test by making the total points 95, not 100. We went over the questions that most students got wrong and you were able to write down the reasoning behind those tricky questions. I also tried to give page numbers so you could look up those concepts again. No matter how you did, you should be motivated to improve your test preparation, notetaking, vocabulary memorization, and study plans. As you learn more and more about what to expect from these tests and adjust your system for this class, you will be more and more successful.

General comments about the trickiest questions: Many of you missed the ones related to the early philosophers and psychologists. Study the chart on the bottom of page 3 and memorize those early names. Make sure you know that psychological research is broken down into three categories: description, correlation, experimentation.

Scantron Issues: The IMC scantron machine did not do a good job marking the ones with errors. We ran the scantrons through the E-Wing machine after class today and it re-marked the wrong ones better. Test scores did not change, but it made the wrong ones easier to read.

3) Neuron Model Assignment Explanation: For the weekend, your job is to make a model of a neuron with readily available supplies from your house. It must have all the parts (axon, dendrites, cell body, nucleus, myelin sheath labeled AND defined. Be thorough and thoughtful, and have fun and be creative.

4) The Behaving Brain Video. Another classical Philip Zimbardo introduction to the unit. This one gave you LOTS of information on how neurons communicate, parts of the brain, as well as the cool ways they study the brain (EEG, PETscans, etc)

Assignments:

1) Read chapter 2 pages 65-76.

2) Neuron Model is due on Monday.

3) Make those notecards so you can just review vocabulary next week

4) FYI: Chapter 2 test is Tuesday, September 18.

September 4: Our First Test!

In-Class Activities:

1) Neuron Notes. You didn't need to write a new question, but I gave you the responses from the last two classes' questions. You had time to read before the test.

2) Prologue/Chapter 1 Test. You completed your first of 14 multiple choice exams that you will take this year. 100 multiple choice questions in 70 minutes. The questions came from the writers of the textbook, so you should have memorized those first 50+pages. If you were absent, you will take the test at the beginning of class on Thursday while we go over the correct answers. Please come early so you can get settled and get it completed without missing too much of the rest of class.

3) Brain/Biology Outline. You received the new outline for this next unit. You should use it to get organized. The BRAIN is great! The chapter 2 test will be on September 18...start making those notecards tonight!

Side Note: As you visit Powerschool to check your test score, please think about what you did to prepare for the exam. If you didn't do as well as you thought you would, you need to rethink how you prepared. This is a college-level class with a college-level textbook and college-level tests. You must not only memorize the vocabulary, but make those concepts real. What can you do differently to improve your score for the next test? We will go over the tests on Thursday and you can use that time to ask questions and learn more about these concepts before we move on. If you did well on the test, find someone who didn't do so hot and help them prepare better for the next test. Not only will you make a friend, but it will help you know the concepts even more as you explain them.

Assignments:

1) Read chapter 2 pp. 57-65

2) Make those notecards! Mastering the vocabulary early is key since we will use those words throughout the next chapter.

August 30: Statistics

In-Class Activities:

1) Neuron Note: You wrote one last Neuron Note before the test. Unfortunately, there were technical difficulties with printing the answers to the last Neuron Note questions so you were not able to read my responses. You will get the answers to today's questions and last class' questions on Tuesday.

2) Real Research. Mrs. Foster presented her research from college to show you the actual details of psychological studies. She provided you with one of her surveys, informed consent, debriefing, and her hypotheses. We had a good conversation about set up, sampling issues, ethics, and more.

3) Central Tendency and Height. You all became "data" and we organized ourselves into a dichotomy, trichotomy, continuum, range, and histogram with mean, median, mode.

4) Standard Deviation Notes. We went step-by-step through the calculations of standard deviation using the example of punting distances. I explained the Normal Curve and its key percentages: 68%, 95%, 99.7%

5) Correlation Coefficient Notes. You do not need to know how to calculate it, but you do need to know what it means. There are two major questions to ask: Is it positive or negative? What is the strength? We went through examples and I encouraged you to find more this weekend.

6) Finding a Representative Sample with M&Ms. Each of you got a sample of 10 M&Ms. You calculated the percentage of each color of your M&Ms sample. Is it representative of the entire population of M&Ms' colors? No. So we calculated the entire class' M&M sample. Was it representative of the entire population of M&Ms? No. But it made the point of sampling and it tasted good.

Here is the distribution of colors:
13% Brown, 14% Yellow, 20% Orange, 13% Red, 16%Green, 24% Blue

For more M&Ms info, visit: http://us.mms.com/us/

Assignments:

1) Finish Chapter 1

2) Study for the first big test on Tuesday. 100 Multiple Choice Questions in 70 Minutes. get together with your study buddy. Review flashcards. Re-read the sections that were confusing. Send a message to the Email Group if you cannot figure out a concept. Good Luck! Remember to overlearn!

August 28: Research Methods

In-Class Activities:

1) Neuron Note. You read responses from last class' questions and you asked new questions in regards to the reading.

2) We spent the entire class taking notes about different research techniques and working with our naturalistic observation data.

First, we brainstormed different human behaviors that make us curious. This is what research psychologists do, spend their days ask questions, using the scientific method to find answers to those questions, refining their questions, and doing more studies.

Then you shared with class where you observed.

We took notes over Description Research methods of surveys, naturalistic observation, interviews, case studies and all of pros and cons for using them.

You got back together with your naturalistic observation partner and you made a list of interesting behaviors you observed.

Then we took notes over Correlational Research or Non-Experimental Research and how it is used to find associations between variables. We discussed when and why it is used.

You got back together with your partner and developed hypotheses based on the interesting behaviors.

Then we took notes over Experimentation and analyzed the five basic parts of an experiment: Hypothesis, Independent Variable, Dependent Variable, Experimental Group, and Control Group. You heard about Theresa Amabile's experiment examining creativity and competitive rewards. We dissected her experiment into the five basic elements. We also discussed operational definitions, confounding variables, random assignment, lab vs. field experiments, and replication.

You got back together with your partner and tried to operationally define your hypotheses from your observation and determine a plan for trying to do more research on your prediction.

Assignments:

1) Read Chapter 1 pp. 41-47

2) Psych Sim on Descriptive Statistics and Correlation. Use the textbook's website and complete the two simulations. Then practice what you learned with this handout.

August 24: Introduction to Research

Good Job Everyone! We survived the first full week of classes and I hope you have developed an efficient system to handle reading the textbook, taking notes, making notecards, and more.

In-Class Activities:

1) Neuron Note...You read my responses to last class period's questions and wrote new questions. FYI: I noticed when I was cleaning up that many 3B students took the 2B Neuron Note responses. Make sure to look at the top of the sheet to get the correct class period Neuron Notes

2) You turned in your textbook website assignment. If you did not get it done, please do it ASAP. Late work will earn half points and I will not accept it once it becomes a habit.

3) We had a pop quiz on pages 1-30. You used your notes and notecards. If you were absent, make it up in class on Tuesday.

4) We watched the Phil Zimbardo video segment "Understanding Psychology" to get our minds turned on to why psychologists do experiments and other types of research. It talked about placebo effect, double-blind studies, correlation is not necessarily causation, placebo effect, and more.

5) You got the Naturalistic Observation assignment. With a partner, you are to observe two or more people interacting for ~10 minutes and take notes. Once your notes are complete and before you talk to your partner, you write up a 1-page summary of your observation and then swap with your partner. After reading their response, you record the differences in your observations. You must complete this assignment before class on Tuesday.

6) Chris Hazard, a school psychologist with the district, spoke to you about an opportunity to volunteer at LAHS with other students who has a wide range of autism.
If you have questions or want more information, contact her: c.hazard@laschools.net
Here is more information about autism from the Autism Society of American: http://www.autism-society.org

Assignments:
1) Read chapter 1 pp. 31-42
2) Naturalistic Observation

August 22: Approaches to Psychology

In Class-Activities:

1) You wrote a Neuron Note and read the responses to last class' Neuron Note questions. This will be a regular activity at the start of class every day. Hopefully, you will make the most of it.

2) We made sure everyone was ready to start learning so it was the last time to show me a book covered, parent signature, binder with dividers, and notecards. We also made sure we had communicated via email so I can create an email group.

3) As a way to really understand each perspective of psychology, you broke into teams of 3 and made a poster of all the approaches to psychology. In your group, you compared the chart on page 11 in your textbook with the College Board Outline and then with the "Psychology & You" textbook's explanation of the approaches. You made a web of perspectives. With each perspective, you wrote the definition, listed famous people, and gave examples. At the end of class, we talked about the pros and cons of each viewpoint and analyzed a situation with a woman who was depressed after dating a man of a different religion. The goal of the day was to REALLY understand the differing views psychologists take when examining human behavior.

Assignments:

1) Read the beginning of chapter 1 up to page 30.

2) Complete all the notecards for the Prologue and chapter1.

3) Visit the textbook's website and complete the handout. This will give you a chance to sample all that it has to offer.

August 20: History of Psychology

In-Class Activities:

1) You wrote your first Neuron Note. This is a way for you to ask me questions about the reading every class period. If you do not have a question from the reading, you can make a thoughtful comment. I do this activity for many reasons but the main one is so you continually review the reading. Think about it: You read and took notes over the assigned pages last week. Today, you reviewed your notes by thinking about them as you wrote your Neuron Note. Tonight, I am responding to your questions and you will be able to read all the answers on Wednesday. It keeps you reviewing and reviewing the reading. If you do not read, please do not waste your time and my time writing a bogus question. This daily activity is for serious students who have genuine questions and thoughts about the reading.

2) I checked your Book Cover, Parent Signature, Binder with Dividers, and Notecards. I need you to develop a system and these easy activities some me that you are getting yourself organized. I am impressed by some of you. Those of you who could not do these simple assignments need to reconsider whether or not you can keep up with this class. It is an AP elective and you will need to be on top of the assignments. Please think about your ability to participate fully if these easy tasks were too much.

3) We completed a "quiz" that challenged your assumptions. For example, what professional baseball player stole the most bases in a year? The answer is Sophie Kurys, a female who played on the Women's Professional Baseball Team of the Racine Belles in 1946. While trying to understand human behavior, we jump to conclusions that we believe to be true, but we haven't seen the whole picture. I encourage you to let go of your overconfidence in what you know to be true and realize much of our assumptions are not 100% accurate.

4) We watched the first in a video series called "Discovering Psychology." It is a bit outdated, but a fabulous review on the major units of study. Philip Zimbardo, former professor and researcher at Stanford and APA President, is the narrator and we will use these short videos to get ourselves tuned into the chapters we cover. Today's video was a simple introduction to psychology with a great review of the major historical figures.

5) I lectured on the History of Psychology: its roots, its beginning as a science and as therapy, as well as current views.

Assignments:

1) Read the rest of the Prologue pp.9-16 Take serious notes and think about what you might ask as a Neuron Note question on Wednesday.

2) Send me an email answering one of the eight FAQ of psychology.

3) Finish all the vocabulary notecards for the Prologue and Ch.1

August 16: First Day of Class

In-Class Activities:

1) I welcomed you and told you about myself. You also met Mrs. Foster who will be teaching while I am out on maternity leave.

2) We went through the AP Psychology Expectations handout, the College Board's AP Psychology outline, and Advice from Last Year's AP Psych students. This is a college level class and we will be taking the AP exam in May. If this commitment is too much, you should make an appointment with your counselor for a schedule change. There are other electives that might better suit your needs.

3) You completed a notecard of information about yourself: basic information as well as your strengths/weaknesses/worthwhile learning experiences/ineffective learning experiences.

4) You got your textbook.

5) You completed a survey on contentious topics of psychology. We had a Agree/Disagree discussion on the topics of IQ and gender differences. Nature vs. Nurture, man!

Tonight's Assignments:

1) Cover your book
2) Have your parent's sign the AP Psych Expectations handout.
3) Email me at l.ovaska@laschools.net
One topic from you textbook that interests you.
One coll fact about yourself.
4) Read the Prologue pp.1-9 and take superstar notes.
5) Make notecards of all the vocabulary in the Prologue.
6) Get a binder with 14 dividers that correspond with the units on the College Board Outline

Extra Information:

Not only should you visit this blog at: http://ovaska-appsych.blogspot.com/, the American Psychological Association at: www.apa.org, but you should explore the textbook's website at: http://bcs.worthpublishers.com/myers7e

Welcome to AP Psych 07-08!

Welcome New AP Psych-os!

AP Psychology starts tomorrow and I am psyched! I hope you all are too. I have everything set for our first meeting and I hope you are daydreaming about all that you will learn in AP Psych! Before I post the details of class, I want to start by explaining why this blogspot exists...

Over the years, I have used many ways to communicate with students regularly outside of class, but this year, I decided to try a blog, so http://ovaska-appsych.blogspot.com/ was born. My goal is for you to feel very connected to AP Psych and never feel like you "don't know what is going on." Please bookmark this blogspot and visit it before you go to bed on B days. I will post our class activities, assignments, great websites, fresh ideas, and more.

As you start to use this blog for information, please let me know if you have any suggestions. I think it will be great since I am a part time teacher (B days only), am teaching in P-Wing this year, and am 6 weeks away from having a baby. Despite all those handicaps, AP Psychology will be a fantastic experience and this blog will help us communicate better.

Are you ready to jump right in? I absolutely love teaching about human behavior and truly look forward to learning with you. I have taught AP Psychology part time at LAHS since my first daughter was born in 2002. It is a fascinating class, and my former students and I have worked hard to successfully prepare for the AP Exam. In addition to my enthusiasm, you are getting a bonus this year -- a fabulous substitute teacher while I am out on maternity leave. Mrs. Foster is equally passionate about psychology and is very qualified to teach in my absence.

In conclusion before I go to bed (it's a school night!), let's make this blogspot worthwhile and use it to stay connected. I can't wait to meet you tomorrow...