Thursday, October 31, 2013

Thursday October 31st 2013

Circle: Whats the last promise you broke?

Activity: Using your laptop review and encapsulate Ericksons Theory of Identity Formation.  What are the key parts, explain using your own words. Brief presentation.

I AM activity
Fill out sheets and these will be collected.  After completing I AM sheet review the link from last class and write a reaction.  What stands out to you?  What surprises you?  Why do you think everyone writes such similar things?  How does this make you look at  yourself and what you wrote?

Letter to your teenage self: You will be writing a letter to your son or daughter that you will not see until they are 18.  You have volunteered to travel to Mars and the trip lasts 18 years.  Your son, if you are a boy, or your daughter if you are a female,  will need some advice about what its like to be a teenager from their same sex parent.  The only way you will be able to communicate with him is through a letter that you wrote at their birth and will open on their 13th birthday.  What advice would you give them about school, teachers, sex, relationships, peer pressure etc?  This letter should be addressed directly to them.  Please give them a name.  This will be finished for homework.



Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Tuesday October 29th 2013

Circle: How old do  you want to live to and why?

Review notes from "Inside the Teenage Brain"

Activity: Identity formation exercise.  Students will be given 5 minutes to look up Identity Formation and do a brief presentation.  What is it?  What does it mean for you?  What did you learn?

Activity: I am
Students I am Poems

For Next Class
Letter to your teenager

Friday, October 25, 2013

Friday October 25th 2013

Circle: What are you going to do differently when you are a parent of a teenager?

Check Homework

Review notes:
What have we learned so far?

Notes-

Reasonable to assume that no one understands them.
Once kid becomes a teenager its almost like they get invaded by another brain and this throws the parents off.
Teenage years are just another phase of child development.  Parents need to remember this.
Dramatic brain growth just before puberty.
Biology of teen behavior is just starting to be explored through things like CAT scans and MRI's.
Frontal Cortex has a growth spurt right before puberty.  Frontal cortex thickens at this time.
Previous thinking was that the brain stopped changing by age three.  That is changing.
Neural pathways are created and strengthened by using them.  If not they are lost.
Use it or loose it.
We are creating those pathways as a teenager.
Prefrontal Cortex...planning behavior...Chief executive.
Prefrontal Cortex regulates emotions as it grows.  Thats why adults don't have the mood swings.

Finish Inside the Teenage Brain


Homework:
Interview an adult or parent about what they thought was the hardest thing about being a teenager  when they were growing up? (First make a prediction) And what is the hardest thing they think teenagers face today? (First make a prediction)  After the interview share with them what you thought they would say.  Were you right?  If not, explain why you came up with different answers.  These responses must be written down.

For next time
I am
Letter to your teenager

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Wednesday October 23rd 2013

Circle: What is something that has changed about being a teenager since your parents were teenagers?

Handouts:

Review notes:
What have we learned so far?

Notes-

Reasonable to assume that no one understands them.
Once kid becomes a teenager its almost like they get invaded by another brain and this throws the parents off.
Teenage years are just another phase of child development.  Parents need to remember this.
Dramatic brain growth just before puberty.
Biology of teen behavior is just starting to be explored through things like CAT scans and MRI's.
Frontal Cortex has a growth spurt right before puberty.  Frontal cortex thickens at this time.
Previous thinking was that the brain stopped changing by age three.  That is changing.
Neural pathways are created and strengthened by using them.  If not they are lost.
Use it or loose it.
We are creating those pathways as a teenager.
Prefrontal Cortex...planning behavior...Chief executive.

Finish Inside the Teenage Brain


Homework:
Interview an adult or parent about what they thought was the hardest thing about being a teenager  when they were growing up? (First make a prediction) And what is the hardest thing they think teenagers face today? (First make a prediction)  After the interview share with them what you thought they would say.  Were you right?  If not, explain why you came up with different answers.  These responses must be written down.

For next time
I am
Letter to your teenager




Monday, October 21, 2013

Monday October 21st 2013

Circle:
Growing up what is something you thought was going to be different about being a teenager?  Are your teenage years living up to your expectations?

True False Quiz
Handout 5-1

Discussion of Quiz

Inside the Teenage Brain
Preload questions 2 minutes
Notes on movie:
1. Five things you always suspected about being a teenager and the movie confirms.
2. Five things you just learned about being a teenager that you never heard or thought of.

Period 1 Minute 17 of Frontline Video
Period 2 Minute      of Frontline Video

Notes 
Reasonable to assume that no one understands them.
Once kid becomes a teenager its almost like they get invaded by another brain and this throws the parents off.
Teenage years are just another phase of child development.  Parents need to remember this.
Dramatic brain growth just before puberty.
Biology of teen behavior is just starting to be explored through things like CAT scans and MRI's.
Frontal Cortex has a growth spurt right before puberty.  Frontal cortex thickens at this time.
Previous thinking was that the brain stopped changing by age three.  That is changing.
Neural pathways are created and strengthened by using them.  If not they are lost.
Use it or loose it.
We are creating those pathways as a teenager.
Prefrontal Cortex...planning behavior...Chief executive.




Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Thursday October 17th 2013

Circle:
Who are  you more like?  Your Mom or Dad?

Writing Activity:
You will be doing a timed writing activity answering the question which plays a bigger role in academic success, Nature or Nurture?


Compile Data from interviews
Using Google Drive share what you found with the others in class.  You will be airdropping these to each other

Nature and Nurture Article

Using notes, text, articles and class discussions and interviews you will be taking a position on the Nature-Nurture Debate.  You will be using the transcripts to answer the question: Why do some kids thrive in school while others struggle.   This will be a timed writing exercise done in class.  Please bring you computer to class on Thursday!!!!!

Resources for writing your paper:
Transcripts (see previous blogs for link)
Interviews with Teachers
Module 3
Class discussion
Article: Poorer kids often depressed as teenagers  (see previous blogs for link)
Personal Evidence
Circle Questions

Please bring your laptop to class!!!!

Tuesday, October 15, 2013


Circle Question:
Do you think its Nature or Nurture?



Activity forClass:
Interviewing adults in building about biggest influences in students academic achievement?  What can we really do about it?
You will be interviewing staff in the building using the questions generated the previous class.  Going out in groups of two or three you will conduct interviews using the transcripts.
For the interview process make  sure you do the following:
1. Introduce your self
2. Explain that this is part of your Psychology class
3. Use the transcripts as the basis for you questioning.
4. Make sure to record the staff responses.
5. Thank the staff for their time.

Questions Generated in class:
Period 1
1. If we get rid of all the second and third chances...example, Streaked Mountain School, AIP, Credit Recapture, Daly's Program and Summer school, would school be different?  Would kids try harder knowing that they only get one chance?
2.Do all kids have the potential or are we wasting our time and money on some?
3. How much influence do teachers have to do with a students success in school?
4. How much of a role does homelike play in students success in school?  Remember to reference the transcripts!!
5. Which plays a bigger role in students success, nature or nurture?

Period 2
1. Do you believe you are where you are as a result of nature or nurture?
2. Do you think YOU can influence kids to have success in school?
3. How big of a role do parents lay in students success or failure?
4. Are teachers doing enough for both students?
5. If we get rid of all the second, third chances...examples Streaked Mountain School, AIP, Credit Recapture, Daly's Program and Summer school, would school be different?  Would kids try harder knowing that they only get one chance?

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Wednesday October 9th, 2012

Circle:
How much of where you are today is a result of nature or nurture?


Transcript Activity
Breaking into groups you will investigate these transcripts.  What can you tell me about the person in each?  How do we explain their record in school?  What could influence them?  What might there homelife be like?  Friends? Childhood? etc.

Article:
Poorer kids often depressed as teenagers


Homework:
Collect module 3

Activity for Next Class:
Interviewing adults in building about biggest influences in students academic achievement?  What can we really do about it?

Questions Generated in class:
Period 1
1. If we get rid of all the second and third chances...example, Streaked Mountain School, AIP, Credit Recapture, Daly's Program and Summer school, would school be different?  Would kids try harder knowing that they only get one chance?
2.Do all kids have the potential or are we wasting our time and money on some?
3. How much influence do teachers have to do with a students success in school?
4. How much of a role does homelike play in students success in school?  Remember to reference the transcripts!!
5. Which plays a bigger role in students success, nature or nurture?

Period 2
1. Do you believe you are where you are as a result of nature or nurture?
2. Do you think YOU can influence kids to have success in school?
3. How big of a role do parents lay in students success or failure?
4. Are teachers doing enough for both students?
5. If we get rid of all the second, third chances...examples Streaked Mountain School, AIP, Credit Recapture, Daly's Program and Summer school, would school be different?  Would kids try harder knowing that they only get one chance?

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Tuesday October 2, 2013


Circle:
What is currently the biggest influence in your life?  Parents, friends, culture, etc?

Perspectives Test:
Using the movie K-Pax define perspective, explain scene where perspective is being used and then clearly explain HOW that scene is an example of chosen perspective.  This is claim, evidence, warrant format.

Introduce Research Strategies
Handout 2-1 Fact or Falsehood?

Correlation does not imply causation activity
Wikipedia

Transcript Activity
Breaking into groups you will investigate these transcripts.  What can you tell me about the person in each?  How do we explain their record in school?  What could influence them?  What might there homelife be like?  Friends? Childhood? etc.
Transcript #1
Transcript #2

Article:
Poorer kids often depressed as teenagers

Homework:
Vocabulary Match Handout 2-3

Activity for Next Class:
Interviewing adults in building about biggest influences in students academic achievement?  What can we really do about it?