Endocrine System Assignment

In class you will do a little basic research on the endocrine system and the impact it has on behavior.  First you will find out about the endocrine system in general, and then you will focus a little more on a specific assigned gland.

Because I'm nothing if not whimsical, you will present this information in the form of a "yearbook page" for your gland.  You will then briefly present your page to the class and it will be posted on this website.

You can find the template for your yearbook page here.  You are welcome to copy the page or to create something similar from scratch.  If you choose to create your own template, please make sure you are answering all the same questions.

Here is what you should do to complete this assignment:

1.  Find some information about the endocrine system in general.  Using that information, come up with your school MOTTO and MISSION.  (Note, the word HORMONE should be somewhere in your mission at least).*

2.  Find some information about your assigned gland and use that information to fill in the rest of the page.  Obviously you should be creative, but you also want to make sure that you are communicating useful information about the gland and how it impacts behavior.*

*Make sure you include where you found the information  (copies of the links is fine) on your "thank you!" page.

When you have completed your page, please share it with me - make sure the settings are such that it can be VIEWED but not EDITED.  Once I have all of the pages, I will post links on this website so that you can make yourself familiar with the different glands to prepare for the test.

This is a 25 point assignment.  15 points will be a group grade, based on how clearly and creatively you present information about the endocrine system and your assigned gland (in other words, someone who knows nothing about the endocrine system and your gland could read your page and get a clear understanding of both, but without being bored).  10 points will be an individual grade based on what I see as to your contributions in class and during the presentation, and an assessment done by all members of the group.

Breakfast Club Assignment

You are going to convey what you know about Marcia and the Breakfast Club by filling out a chart.  This assignment will be worth 20 points.

1.  Please click on this link to get to the assigned format.  You can either copy the template directly or go to google docs and recreate your own.

2.  At the top, please write a brief explanation of Marcia's theory in general.

3.  In each box in the chart, explain the premise of an "identity outcome."

4.  In each box, list a character is in that identity outcome, and provide and explain two specific pieces of evidence to support that theory.

Although this is in chart form, YOU MUST WRITE IN FULL SENTENCES.  It is likely that your chart will go onto a second page.  That is entirely fine.

5.  When you have completed the chart, please share it with me at jane_murphy@lsrhs.net, making sure your "sharing" settings are set so that I can EDIT it.

Enjoy your break!

Drug Project Presentations

Here are the links to the google docs.  Feel free to look at info presented by other classes.  I will update the links as the information is sent to me. 

Block 2

Marijuana

LSD

Cocaine

Ecstacy

Heroin

Methamphetamine

Block 3

Methamphetamine

Cocaine

LSD

Marijuana

Heroin

Ecstacy

Block 4

Cocaine

Marijuana

Heroin

Methamphetamine

Ecstacy

LSD

Learning and Memory Syllabus

Sorry for the delay in getting this up.  Here is the Learning and Memory Syllabus.  The link brings you to the assignment schedule for all three psychology classes, so make sure you're checking the correct one.

In class the week of Feb 11 we reviewed the following things:

Classical Conditioning, more specifically the terms Unconditioned Stimulus, Unconditioned Response, Conditioned Stimulus, Conditioned Response.

We talked about Operant Conditioning, and the differences between Positive Reinforcement, Negative Reinforcement, and Punishment.

Finally, we covered information on Schedules of Reinforcement, including Fixed-Ratio, Variable-Ratio, Fixed-Interval, and Variable-Interval Schedules. 

If you missed any of these things, you should get the notes from a classmate and get the practice sheets from me in class. We will begin a project shortly after break that requires you to understand and be able to use these terms.

Have a good vacation!  See you when we return!

Endocrine System

Miss the in-class work about the endocrine system?  You have a couple of options.  You can get the chart from someone in class.  Alternately, you can read the information on the endocrine system as a whole and make sure that you have the following information:

The main functions of the: Hypothalamus, Pituitary Gland, Thyroid, Adrenal Glands, Pineal Gland, Pancreas and Gonads.  You do not need to know all of the hormones listed, but you do need to know: Insulin and Glucagon, Testosterone and Estrogen, Melatonin, and Epinephrine.

Finally, you should figure out how behavior changes if there are problems with these glands (i.e. they are producing too much or too little of their hormones.)

In Class Activity and Paper assignment

Here you can find the assignment for the Prejudice and Discrimination Paper that is due on Monday, October 22nd. 

Today in class we did an online exercise on how small choices often result in widespread segregation.  If you were absent, please do the activity and answer the questions on the sheet provided.

Altruism Articles

Today in class we talked about Altruism, and we read a couple of articles where people failed to help others.

There is the classic case of Kitty Genovese.

The there is the more contemporary case of the gang rape outside of a California high school.

Finally, we talked about the situational explanations given for both the rape itself and for why people didn't help.  We talked about the ways that men and women read the article on the gang rape quite differently.  Part of Social Psychology is understanding that not only our immediate surroundings drive our behavior, but also the broader society in which we live.  To this end, students were given the article Schroedinger's Rapist, which I think does a very good job illuminating the way that the world is a different place for men and women.  Worth a read.

Class Info, October 4-5

Today in class we covered Social Thinking, which encompasses the idea of schema, attribution theory, and cognitive dissonance.

If you missed class, be sure to get the short notes from someone.

Research Methods Info

Clicking around here, you can find pretty much everything from class about research methods, with the exception of the experimental research method.  Those notes will be posted tomorrow.

Here is the Research Methods Chart, which covers the strengths, weaknesses, and optimal time to use each research method.  You should note that this chart is blank.  If you need information, please check with a classmate.

The articles from the Boston Globe that conflate correlation with causation are here.  The in-class worksheet is helpful to tease out the differences between correlation and causation.

Stay tuned for the experimental method.

First Day of Class

Miss class on the first day?

We watched the following video and discussed the questions at the end.

We also read the first three pages of the New Yorker article Don't (which can be found in its entirety at the link).