Students are expected to design and conduct basic psychological research. The course differs from the standard Psychology course in that students use a college textbook, examine topics in greater depth, participate more frequently in research and experimentation,read and write more extensively, and produce a wider variety of products. First semester topics include trends and schools of modern psychology, characteristics and methods of psychological research, learning, perception, motivation, and the life cycle. Second semester topics include personality theories, mental disorder and abnormal behavior, psychotherapeutic approaches to treatment of medical disorders, psychological assessment, and emerging professional specialties in the field of psychology. This yearlong class is for able students desiring a freshman college-level course in American government.
Students use college-level textbooks and engage in seminars, simulations, discussions, and debates.
The course is a broad survey of the structure and function of American government and politics, beginning with an in-depth analysis of the Constitution as the foundation of the American political system. Students next study the three branches of government as well as the administrative agencies that support each branch, the role of political behavior in the democratic process, and the workings of political parties and interest groups. Throughout the course, students use the concepts of rights and responsibilities to help make judgments about the workings of American government and politics. This yearlong course is designed for able students interested in a college-level course in U.S. History. The course is a survey of the history of the United States from 1607 to the present, using a college level text and requiring outside reading, short research projects, and essays.