High school psychology teachers can expand their knowledge with these videos of presentations from psychology conferences. The videos are sponsored by the APA Education Directorate and Committee of Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools (TOPSS), and funded by the American Psychological Foundationopens in new window through the generous support of Lee Gurel, PhD. APA's Division 2 (Society for the Teaching of Psychology) also provided support for one of these videos.
The videos listed below are organized by units of the National Standards Teacher Resources.
Resources for teachers and students
APA TOPSS: A Community (and Resources!) for High School Psychology Teachers
In this video, learn about valuable, free teaching resources and other opportunities through TOPSS.
High School Psychology: Better Understand Your World
Discover how taking a psychology course in high school can teach you how to be a better student, prepare you for any career, and help you better understand your world.
Infusing Diversity and Representation into the Psychology Course: An APA TOPSS Webinar
This webinar presented by Allison Shaver, MA, and Sue Orsillo, PhD, shared new resources developed by TOPSS to help psychology teachers infuse diversity and representation into their curriculum. Resources highlighted focused on the identity dimensions of race, racialized identity, disability, and neurodiversity. The webinar was supported by funding from the American Psychological Foundation David and Carol Myers Fund to Support Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools.
Understanding APA’s National Standards
Using APA's revised National Standards: An APA TOPSS webinar
In this webinar, National Standards Working Group chair Tina Athanasopoulos shared an update for teachers on the revised curriculum standards, including what has changed since the 2011 standards and how the integrative themes and new pillar model give teachers more choice in class.
National Standards for High School Psychology Curricula: Best Practices in Advocacy
This webinar provided high school psychology teachers and their allies with best practices in advocating for APA’s revised National Standards for High School Psychology Curricula to state boards of education.
Biological Pillar
Featured: Perplexing neurons and the mysterious axon potential
In this Biological Bases of Behavior lecture, Eastern Illinois University psychologist Jeffrey Stowell, PhD, provides a comprehensive review of how neurons work. Topics include the sodium-potassium pump, action potentials and myelination.
Biological Bases of Behavior
Consciousness
Cognition Pillar
Featured: TOPSS unit lesson plan on Cognition
In 2021, the APA Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools (TOPSS) published a three-lesson unit lesson plan on Cognition for high school psychology teachers. In this video, lesson plan authors Codey Fickes, Dana Melone, and Cedar Riener, PhD, describe how teachers can use the resource and share an overview of the lessons and activities provided in unit plan. The resource provides three lessons on Cognitive Processes Involved in Understanding Information, Problem Solving, and Judgment and Decision Making.
Cognition
Development and Learning Pillar
Featured: Design for the Mind: Leveraging Psychology for Teaching Psychology
Michelle Miller, PhD, of Northern Arizona University, presented this Learning keynote address at the Virtual Workshop for High School Psychology Teachers: Teaching Psychological Science, on July 27, 2021. This workshop was held with generous support from the American Psychological Foundation/Education Directorate Lee Gurel Fund for Professional Development of High School Teachers of Psychology.
Life Span Development
Social and Personality Pillar
Featured: Tea with TOPSS and Beverly Daniel Tatum, PhD
The APA TOPSS Committee held this hour-long conversation on September 15, 2020 with Beverly Daniel Tatum, PhD, president emerita of Spelman College. The conversation began with an interview with Tatum, followed by time for questions and answers.
This talk was held with support from the American Psychological Foundation David and Carol Myers Fund to Support Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools.
Mental and Physical Health Pillar
Featured: Understanding the DSM-5: What every teacher needs to know
Greg Neimeyer, PhD, APA Education Directorate associate executive director for continuing education, reviews changes in the DSM-5 in this lecture. These changes include the elimination of the traditional multiaxial system and the reorganization of numerous disorders previous held under different categories, among others. The DSM-5 is a publication of the American Psychiatric Association. This video was supported by a grant from the American Psychological Foundation, thanks to generous support from Lee Gurel, PhD.
Research Method and Scientific Inquiry
Featured: Go-to Lessons to Promote Scientific Thinking: An APA TOPSS Webinar
In this webinar sponsored by APA's Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools (TOPSS), Annette Nielsen (Woods Cross High School, Utah) and Kristin Whitlock (The College Board) discussed the importance of promoting scientific thinking in high school psychology classes and emphasizing the role of critical thinking skills and research methods in understanding psychology. They introduced various lab activities to reinforce the idea that psychology is a science. APA resources available for teachers to access current research were also shared. The webinar was held with support from the American Psychological Foundation David and Carol Myers Fund to Support Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools.