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Suggested Scope and Sequence for

Suggested Scope and Sequence for
a High School Psychology Course


A one-semester course does not provide sufficient time to teach units (standard areas) that enable students to achieve all of the standards. A year-long course ordinarily provides enough time to teach units in all of the standard areas only if the instructor chooses breadth over depth. This section provides some sample course outlines for 5-unit to 10-unit courses of study. A teacher might choose one or another outline on the basis of any of several factors.

For example, instructors may choose outlines that put the areas with which they are most comfortable earlier than other areas. Alternatively, the choice may be made to time content areas to correspond with related current events (e.g., aligning the Social and Cultural Dimensions of Behavior unit to occur near an important election or the Lifespan Development lessons to occur shortly before graduation). An instructor whose students participate in a science fair may choose to emphasize units that seem most likely to generate ideas for research projects. A 5-unit semester course may be desirable when the teacher chooses depth over breadth, whereas a 10-unit semester course may be preferable if the teacher wants students to recognize the wide diversity of the field. Each of the outlines meets the recommendations outlined. Whatever choice the instructor makes, these outlines provide structure for a course that covers psychology at an appropriate level and with appropriate breadth.

Sample Outlines for a 5-Unit Semester

UnitDomain
Introduction and Research MethodsMethods
Biological Bases of BehaviorBiopsychological
MemoryCognitive
Lifespan DevelopmentDevelopmental
Psychological Disorders or SocialSociocultural

Sample Outlines for a 7-Unit Semester

UnitDomain
Plan 1
Introduction and Research MethodsMethods
Social and Cultural Dimensions of BehaviorSociocultural
Psychological DisordersSociocultural
TherapySociocultural
Biological Bases of BehaviorBiopsychological
MemoryCognitive
Lifespan DevelopmentDevelopmental
Plan 2
Introduction and Research MethodsMethods
Lifespan DevelopmentDevelopmental
Biological Bases of BehaviorBiopsychological
Sensation and PerceptionBiopsychological
MemoryCognitive
Psychological DisordersSociocultural
TherapySociocultural

Sample Outlines for an 8-Unit Semester

UnitDomain
Plan 1
Introduction and Research MethodsMethods
Biological Bases of BehaviorBiopsychological
LearningCognitive
MemoryCognitive
Lifespan DevelopmentDevelopmental
Motivation and EmotionBiopsychological
Social and Cultural Dimensions of BehaviorSociocultural
Psychological DisordersSociocultural
Plan 2
Introduction and Research MethodsMethods
MemoryCognitive
Biological Bases of BehaviorBiopsychological
Sensation and PerceptionBiopsychological
States of ConsciousnessCognitive
Lifespan DevelopmentDevelopmental
Personality and AssessmentSociocultural
Stress, Coping, and HealthBiopsychological
Plan 3
Introduction and Research MethodsMethods
Lifespan DevelopmentDevelopmental
Biological Bases of BehaviorBiopsychological
LearningCognitive
MemoryCognitive
Individual DifferencesSociocultural
Psychological DisordersSociocultural
Treatment of Psychological DisordersSociocultural

Sample Outlines for a 10-Unit Course

UnitDomain
Plan 1
Introduction and Research MethodsMethods
Biological Bases of BehaviorBiopsychological
LearningCognitive
MemoryCognitive
Lifespan DevelopmentDevelopmental
Individual DifferencesSociocultural
Motivation and EmotionBiopsychological
PsychologyBiopsychological
Stress, Coping, and HealthSociocultural
Psychological DisordersSociocultural

Plan 2

Introduction and Research MethodsMethods
Lifespan DevelopmentDevelopmental
Biological Bases of BehaviorBiopsychological
Sensation and PerceptionBiopsychological
LearningCognitive
MemoryCognitive
Personality and AssessmentSociocultural
Individual DifferencesSociocultural
Psychological DisordersSociocultural
Treatment of Psychological DisordersSociocultural

Plan 3

Introduction and Research MethodsMethods
SocialSociocultural
LearningCognitive
MemoryCognitive
Biological Bases of BehaviorBiopsychological
Thinking and LanguageCognitive
States of ConsciousnessCognitive
Lifespan DevelopmentDevelopmental
Motivation and EmotionBiopsychological
Stress, Coping, and HealthBiopsychological