American Psychological Association
Using Psychological Perspectives to Answer Questions on Behavior
Perspective is everything when it comes to assessing human behavior. Class members examine a series of statements and identify the perspective represented by each to demonstrate their understanding of different psychological perspectives.
American Psychological Association
Statistical Significance
Our survey says ...! High school psychology scholars analyze how people create surveys. Three different scenarios help them discover the meaning behind statistical significance. Armed with new knowledge, novice psychologists uncover what...
Curated OER
School Climate
Students examine school climate in relation to the physical structure of the school building. A Luann cartoon can be used to stimulate thinking and promote discussion which focuses on feelings of alienation that can occur in large high...
Curated OER
Keep Your Eye On the Prize
High schoolers learn about citizens who were actively involved in the civil rights movement, and the strategies they used to overcome the Jim Crow laws that were so prevalent in the 1960s. They investigate the voting amendments of the US...
Curated OER
Class Reunion
High schoolers explore the process of decision making regarding their own goals and objectives. They consider their future and preparation for life beyond high school by completing a Class Reunion sheet.
American Psychological Association
Counting Fidgets: Teaching the Complexity of Naturalistic Observation
Why do psychologists conduct experiments in controlled laboratory settings? High schoolers gain an understanding of the importance of controls with an activity that involves naturalistic observations with no imposed controls.
Curated OER
Are We Scaring Ourselves to Death?
Interesting! Have your high schoolers watch this 13-minute clip from the documentay, "Are We Scaring Ourselves to Death?" It examines the fear we have as a culture about death and whether or not the media increases those fears. The focus...
Curated OER
The Mozart Effect
Music has been said to effect short term memory. Learners test out this hypothesis, graphing how knowledge retention in a biology classroom changes when music is played in the background. In the end, a better appreciation of the dynamics...
Foreign Policy Research Institute
The Mind of a Terrorist: A Psychosocial Perspective
What a great way to make a psychology lesson on personality development socio-politically relevant! Class members investigate causes of radicalism--specifically, becoming a terrorist. This resource includes background information, key...
American Psychological Association
Research Ethics
Psychologists designing experiments to research human behavior must consider weighty ethical concerns. Class members act as members of an institutional review board and examine proposals to determine whether included provisions...
Curated OER
The Story of Magic: Centuries of Deception
Students examine the history of magic and the men and women who practice the art. The Story of Magic would be useful for classes on Religion, Culture, Mythology, Physics and Psychology. It is appropriate for middle school and high school.
Curated OER
Decision Making and Teen Parenthood
Students analyze psychology by completing worksheets in class. In this decision making lesson, students identify the important choices they will need to make as they enter adulthood and discuss appropriate methods to communicating with...
Curated OER
Effective Parent/Student/Teacher Communication
Sixth graders engage in a lesson which address the concerns and issues around new 6th grade students arriving at middle school. They, parents and teachers use this strategy to effectuate good communication.
Global Oneness Project
The Man and the Wolf
Human attitudes toward the big bad wolf come into focus in a photo essay that asks viewers to consider their own feelings about the endangered species.
Curated OER
Music As Survival: Alma Rose and the Auschwitz Women's Orchestra
Pupils explore a period of European history in which musicians have used theri musical talents and abilities to survive and rise above extremely difficult situations. The psychological uses of music by the Nazis is examined in this seven...
Curated OER
Dealing With Bullying
Pupils define bullying, assess the place of bullying in their lives, evaluate how adults can help kids deal with bullying, and explore how families and schools can address bullying.
Global Oneness Project
Our Shared Humanity
Ann Shin's award-winning documentary, My Enemy, My Brother introduces viewers to Zahed Haftlang and Najah Aboud, two child soldiers on opposite sides during the Iran-Iraq war. After viewing the film, class members are asked to reflect on...
Smithsonian Institution
POWs
Why did Vietnam POWs and their families receive more media attention than POWs in previous wars? To answer this question, class members view artifacts, read articles, and engage in class discussion. Individuals then assume the voice of...
Curated OER
Empowered Barbie
Students access prior knowledge of vocabulary on feminism and psychoanalytic theory, and gender schema. In this Empowered Barbie lesson, students recreate a Barbie doll. Students write a reflection on how they changed Barbie's body and...
Global Oneness Project
Freedom to Change
Here's something unusual and thoughtful: have your scholars do some pensive reflection themselves before tackling how such meditative techniques are used in prison rehabilitation programs. They watch the "Path of Freedom" video found...
Indiana University
World Literature: "One Evening in the Rainy Season" Shi Zhecun
Did you know that modern Chinese literature “grew from the psychoanalytical theory of Sigmund Freud”? Designed for a world literature class, seniors are introduced to “One Evening in the Rainy Season,” Shi Zhecun’s stream of...
Curated OER
The Juvenile Death Penalty
Sensitive material is discussed in this lesson. Please review to ensure that the content is suitable for your class. The topic is the Eighth Amendment and how the U.S. Supreme Court makes determinations about what constitutes cruel and...
Curated OER
Do You Have a Blog?
Ask learners about their personal writing habits, such as whether they keep a journal or a blog, or if they'd ever want to. Though this is not a fully developed lesson, you can use this article and question to provoke discussion and...
Curated OER
Rorschach Inkblot Test
Students express their creativity in making their own Rorschach Inkblot Test.