Psychology A

18-Week Course Breakdown

The original syllabus organizes the course by days and modules rather than exactly by 18 calendar weeks. The following breakdown adapts the syllabus into a clear 18-week academic flow, suitable for school planning, parent communication, and live or hybrid instruction.

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Week 1 — Introduction to Psychology and the History of the Field

Students begin by exploring what psychology is and why it matters. They are introduced to psychology as the scientific study of human behavior and mental processes. The week focuses on the history of psychology, early psychologists, and the development of experimental methods. Students begin to understand how psychology became a research-based field and why psychologists use structured methods to study human behavior.

Includes:
Reading lesson content, introductory videos, vocabulary review, journal reflection, quiz, and a short assignment connected to the history of psychology.

Key focus:
Students understand that psychology is not simply advice or opinion. It is a discipline built on observation, research, experimentation, and analysis.

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Week 2 — What Psychologists Do

This week focuses on the role of psychologists and the different fields in which they work. Students explore what psychologists actually do and learn about major areas of psychology, such as clinical, research, educational, developmental, or applied psychology. The goal is to help students understand that psychology is used in many different professional settings, from schools and hospitals to workplaces, sports, counseling, research, and public policy.

Includes:
Lesson readings, videos, vocabulary, learning activity questions, journal reflection, and quiz.

Key focus:
Students learn that psychology has many real-world applications and can help explain behavior in personal, educational, social, and professional contexts.

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Week 3 — Descriptive Studies and Psychological Research

Students begin learning how psychologists gather information. This week introduces descriptive studies and observational methods. Students examine how psychologists describe behavior, collect information, and identify patterns. They begin to understand the difference between simply noticing something and studying it in a systematic way.

Includes:
Reading, videos, learning activities, reflection questions, vocabulary review, and quiz.

Key focus:
Students understand how psychologists use descriptive research methods to observe and document behavior.

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Week 4 — Correlations, Variables, Experiments, and Evaluating Findings

This week deepens students’ understanding of research methods. Students learn about correlations and variables, including how two things may be related without one necessarily causing the other. They then explore experiments and how researchers manipulate or control situations to test psychological questions. The week also introduces the role of statistics and why psychologists use data to evaluate findings.

Includes:
Lessons on correlations, experiments, evaluating findings, quizzes, vocabulary review, and Module 1 preparation.

Key focus:
Students learn the difference between correlation and causation, understand basic experimental logic, and begin to think more critically about evidence.

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Week 5 — Module 1 Assignment and Introduction to Personality

Students complete the first major module assignment and review the key ideas from the Introduction to Psychology module. After that, they begin Module 2, which focuses on theories of personality. The week introduces the question of why people develop different personalities and how psychologists have tried to explain personality development.

Includes:
Module 1 assignment, review for module exam, introduction to psychodynamic theories, journal reflection, vocabulary, and quiz.

Key focus:
Students transition from studying psychology as a field to studying the individual person and the formation of personality.

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Week 6 — Psychodynamic Theories of Personality

This week focuses on psychodynamic theories, especially Freud’s ideas about personality development. Students examine Freud’s stages of personality development and learn about defense mechanisms. They explore how unconscious processes, early experiences, and internal conflicts may influence personality and behavior.

Includes:
Reading, videos, assignment, quiz, journal response, and vocabulary review.

Key focus:
Students understand early psychological theories of personality and begin comparing historical theories with modern perspectives.

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Week 7 — Jung, Object Relations, and Other Psychodynamic Approaches

Students continue studying psychodynamic approaches by examining Carl Jung and object relations theory. They learn how later theorists expanded or revised Freud’s ideas. This week helps students see how psychological theories evolve over time and how different thinkers explain identity, relationships, and inner life.

Includes:
Lesson content, assignment, quiz, vocabulary review, reflection questions, and learning activity responses.

Key focus:
Students compare different psychodynamic perspectives and learn that personality theory includes multiple interpretations of human development.

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Week 8 — Modern Personality Theory and the Big Five

This week shifts from classical psychodynamic theories to modern personality research. Students study the Big Five personality traits and learn how contemporary psychologists describe personality using measurable traits. They begin to see how personality can be studied through patterns of behavior, emotion, and thinking.

Includes:
Reading, videos, assignment, quiz, journal reflection, vocabulary, and application questions.

Key focus:
Students learn a modern framework for understanding personality and begin applying personality concepts to real-life examples.

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Week 9 — Nature, Nurture, Genetics, and Environment

Students explore one of the central debates in psychology: nature versus nurture. They study how genetics and environmental factors influence personality development. The week also examines peer influence and other environmental factors that shape behavior and identity.

Includes:
Lessons on genetic contribution to personality and environmental influences, assignments, quizzes, vocabulary review, and reflection questions.

Key focus:
Students understand that personality is shaped by both inherited traits and life experiences.

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Week 10 — Culture, Identity, Inner Experience, and Self-Actualization

This week explores cultural influences on personality and how cultural norms shape identity and interpersonal interactions. Students also study the ideas of Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers, and Rollo May, especially around self-actualization, personal growth, and inner experience.

Includes:
Lessons on cultural influences, inner experience, assignment, quiz, vocabulary review, journal reflection, and Module 2 preparation.

Key focus:
Students connect personality development to culture, identity, personal meaning, and human potential.

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Week 11 — Module 2 Assignment and Introduction to Human Development

Students complete the Module 2 assignment and begin Module 3: Development Over the Life Span. They are introduced to the idea that human beings develop across multiple stages of life. The course begins with prenatal development and then moves into infancy.

Includes:
Module 2 assignment, module review, prenatal development lesson, infant development introduction, vocabulary, quiz, and journal response.

Key focus:
Students begin to understand human development as a lifelong process that includes physical, cognitive, emotional, and social change.

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Week 12 — Infant Development and Attachment

This week focuses on early life. Students examine newborn reflexes and their importance for survival. They also study attachment and why early relationships matter for health, survival, emotional development, and well-being.

Includes:
Reading, videos, quizzes, learning activity questions, reflection questions, and vocabulary review.

Key focus:
Students understand the importance of early development and the role of attachment in human well-being.

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Week 13 — Language Development and Cognitive Development

Students study how infants and children begin to communicate and respond to auditory and emotional cues. They then explore cognitive development and how thinking becomes more complex as the brain adapts and processes new information.

Includes:
Lessons on language development and cognitive development, assignment, quiz, vocabulary, journal reflection, and application questions.

Key focus:
Students learn how communication and thinking develop during childhood and how the brain supports learning and adaptation.

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Week 14 — Moral Development, Gender Development, and Adolescence

This week examines how moral reasoning evolves, how biological, cognitive, and learning influences affect gender development, and how adolescence brings major physiological and developmental changes. Students define adolescence and puberty and identify key changes that occur during this stage of life.

Includes:
Reading, videos, quizzes, vocabulary review, journal response, and learning activity questions.

Key focus:
Students understand adolescence as a major developmental stage involving identity, body changes, social development, and moral reasoning.

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Week 15 — Adult Development and Module 3 Assignment

Students study adult development, including Erik Erikson’s eight stages of psychosocial development. They analyze physiological and cognitive changes that occur during middle and late adulthood. The week concludes with the Module 3 assignment, allowing students to synthesize what they learned about development across the life span.

Includes:
Adult development lesson, quiz, vocabulary review, Module 3 assignment, reflection questions, and module exam preparation.

Key focus:
Students recognize that development continues throughout adulthood and that psychological growth does not stop after childhood or adolescence.

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Week 16 — Introduction to Consciousness, Biological Rhythms, and Sleep

Students begin Module 4 by exploring consciousness. They study biological rhythms and circadian rhythms, including how these rhythms affect mood, behavior, and physiological functions. They also begin studying the importance of sleep and common sleep disorders.

Includes:
Lessons on biological rhythms and rhythms of sleep, assignments, quizzes, vocabulary review, videos, and journal reflection.

Key focus:
Students understand that consciousness is connected to biological processes and that sleep plays a critical role in human functioning.

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Week 17 — Stages of Sleep, Dreams, and Hypnosis

This week examines the different stages of sleep and their physiological characteristics. Students also explore the dream world, including leading theories of dreaming and different approaches to understanding dreams. The week continues with hypnosis, including its uses in medical and psychological settings and common misconceptions about hypnosis.

Includes:
Lessons on realms of sleep, dreams, hypnosis, assignment, quizzes, vocabulary, and reflection questions.

Key focus:
Students learn how psychologists study altered states of consciousness and how sleep, dreams, and hypnosis connect to the mind and body.

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Week 18 — Consciousness-Altering Drugs, Module 4 Assignment, and Course Review

The final week focuses on consciousness-altering drugs and their effects on the nervous system. Students identify different types of substances that affect consciousness and examine their physiological effects. The course concludes with the Module 4 assignment, review of major concepts, and preparation for the final module exam.

Includes:
Lesson on consciousness-altering drugs, quiz, Module 4 assignment, vocabulary review, reflection questions, and final course review.

Key focus:
Students complete the course by understanding how substances can affect the brain, nervous system, behavior, and consciousness. They also reflect on the broader themes of the course: human behavior, personality, development, consciousness, and self-awareness.

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Overall 18-Week Learning Arc

Across 18 weeks, students move through a clear intellectual journey:

They first learn how psychology works as a science.
Then they study how personality forms.
Next, they examine how people develop across life.
Finally, they explore consciousness, sleep, dreams, hypnosis, and substances that affect awareness.

By the end of the course, students should have a strong introductory understanding of psychology and be able to connect psychological concepts to real life. They should be more capable of thinking critically about behavior, understanding research, recognizing the complexity of personality and development, and reflecting on their own thoughts, habits, identity, and growth.

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Students complete regular quizzes, journal responses, learning activity questions, vocabulary review, reflection questions, and module assignments. Each module includes lessons, quizzes, and a final module assignment. Students are encouraged to keep a notebook for lesson notes, reflection questions, and learning activity responses, which helps them prepare for module exams.

Assignments may include:
Research-based responses
Personal reflection journals
Short written explanations
Vocabulary activities
Lesson quizzes
Module assignments
Application questions connecting psychology to everyday life
Preparation for module exams

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Ελληνικά
Οι μαθητές ολοκληρώνουν συχνά κουίζ, απαντήσεις σε journal activities, ερωτήσεις μαθησιακών δραστηριοτήτων, επανάληψη λεξιλογίου, ερωτήσεις αναστοχασμού και εργασίες ανά ενότητα. Κάθε ενότητα περιλαμβάνει μαθήματα, κουίζ και μία τελική εργασία ενότητας. Οι μαθητές ενθαρρύνονται να κρατούν σημειώσεις σε τετράδιο για το περιεχόμενο των μαθημάτων, τις ερωτήσεις αναστοχασμού και τις μαθησιακές δραστηριότητες, ώστε να προετοιμάζονται καλύτερα για τις εξετάσεις των ενοτήτων.

Οι εργασίες μπορεί να περιλαμβάνουν:
Απαντήσεις βασισμένες σε έρευνα
Προσωπικά journals αναστοχασμού
Σύντομες γραπτές αναλύσεις
Δραστηριότητες λεξιλογίου
Κουίζ μαθημάτων
Εργασίες ενοτήτων
Ερωτήσεις εφαρμογής που συνδέουν την ψυχολογία με την καθημερινή ζωή
Προετοιμασία για εξετάσεις ενοτήτων

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Through this course, students develop:

Critical thinking and analysis
Research literacy and understanding of experimental methods
Self-awareness and reflection
Understanding of human behavior and development
Communication and written expression
Psychological vocabulary and academic language
Ability to compare theories and perspectives
Ability to connect psychological concepts to real-life situations
Empathy and awareness of individual differences
Understanding of biological, social, cultural, and environmental influences on behavior

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Ελληνικά
Μέσα από το μάθημα, οι μαθητές αναπτύσσουν:

Κριτική σκέψη και ανάλυση
Κατανόηση ερευνητικών και πειραματικών μεθόδων
Αυτογνωσία και αναστοχασμό
Κατανόηση της ανθρώπινης συμπεριφοράς και ανάπτυξης
Επικοινωνία και γραπτή έκφραση
Ακαδημαϊκό λεξιλόγιο ψυχολογίας
Ικανότητα σύγκρισης θεωριών και διαφορετικών προσεγγίσεων
Ικανότητα σύνδεσης ψυχολογικών εννοιών με πραγματικές καταστάσεις
Ενσυναίσθηση και κατανόηση της διαφορετικότητας
Κατανόηση βιολογικών, κοινωνικών, πολιτισμικών και περιβαλλοντικών επιρροών στη συμπεριφορά

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By the end of the course, students will be able to:

Explain the basic history and purpose of psychology
Describe what psychologists do and how they study human behavior
Understand descriptive studies, correlations, experiments, and the role of statistics in evaluating findings
Compare major theories of personality
Explain the influence of genetics, environment, culture, and peer relationships on personality development
Describe major stages of human development from infancy through adulthood
Explain concepts such as attachment, language development, cognitive development, moral development, adolescence, and adult development
Understand biological rhythms, sleep, dreams, and hypnosis
Identify the effects of consciousness-altering substances on the nervous system
Develop greater self-awareness and a deeper understanding of human behavior

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Ελληνικά
Με την ολοκλήρωση του μαθήματος, οι μαθητές θα μπορούν να:

Εξηγούν τη βασική ιστορία και τον σκοπό της ψυχολογίας
Περιγράφουν τι κάνουν οι ψυχολόγοι και πώς μελετούν την ανθρώπινη συμπεριφορά
Κατανοούν τις περιγραφικές μελέτες, τις συσχετίσεις, τα πειράματα και τον ρόλο της στατιστικής στην αξιολόγηση των αποτελεσμάτων
Συγκρίνουν βασικές θεωρίες προσωπικότητας
Εξηγούν πώς η κληρονομικότητα, το περιβάλλον, ο πολιτισμός και οι σχέσεις με συνομηλίκους επηρεάζουν την ανάπτυξη της προσωπικότητας
Περιγράφουν βασικά στάδια ανθρώπινης ανάπτυξης από τη βρεφική ηλικία έως την ενήλικη ζωή
Εξηγούν έννοιες όπως η προσκόλληση, η γλωσσική ανάπτυξη, η γνωστική ανάπτυξη, η ηθική ανάπτυξη, η εφηβεία και η ενήλικη ζωή
Κατανοούν τους βιολογικούς ρυθμούς, τον ύπνο, τα όνειρα και την ύπνωση
Αναγνωρίζουν τις επιδράσεις ουσιών που επηρεάζουν τη συνείδηση στο νευρικό σύστημα
Αναπτύσσουν μεγαλύτερη αυτογνωσία και βαθύτερη κατανόηση της ανθρώπινης συμπεριφοράς

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