I teach my students to look for three things when evaluating theories: Evidence Applications Limitations Let’s make a D.E.A.L Most students are capable of independently explaining these three things. When teaching essay writing on theories I teach students to use my own “Let’s make a D.E.A.L” strategy and not TEACUP. D.E.A.L Describe the theory Explain the Evidence Applications of the theory …
Lesson Idea: Hot Seat – Group Edition
I often lament that I don’t have more time in my class to allow students to develop their presentation skills. This basic consolidation activity is just one small way I can get… Students to review previous content Collaboration and co-operation A sample of student understanding from previous lessons A chance to hear students speak and verbalize their learning Students out …
To prove or not to prove, that is the question.
This is a follow-up to the popular post, “why we rarely use the word ‘prove’ in psychology.” In their first months of studying psychology students love to use the word “prove” when explaining studies. This drives teachers and examiners nuts! But instead of making a blanket rule in class like “you’re never to use the word prove!” I like to …
It’s so easy to get a 7 in Paper One…
….or at least, it should be. Note: This is for the old syllabus, exams 2011 – 2018 Let’s crunch some numbers… 70% is the mark to get a 7 (approximately). 4% of IB Psych’ students get 7s. 46 marks are available in Paper One. 32/46 will get you 70%. So by looking at the above numbers, let’s see one possible …
Flipping the lesson in a whole new way!
This post is for teachers using the CHACER framework for lessons. With anything we have to be careful of things going stale. At the moment I’m into Topic 2.7 in Criminology and I’m thinking, “I need to change it up a bit.” While my kids are loving the unit, I think mixing it up couldn’t hurt. If you’re using the …
Exam Tip: How to explain an etiology of a disorder…
Explaining an etiology of a disorder can be quite tricky for some students because they focus on the disorder in general. But in order to have a really effective explanation you’re better to focus on specific symptoms. A three step approach to explaining an etiology When learning an etiology or planning an exam answer, you can follow these three simple …
Lesson Idea: Psychology in Popular Media
This would be a particularly good TOK lesson. Activity One: Watch a TED Talk Watch this TED Talk by Molly Crockett, one of the researchers in the Passamonti et al.’s experiment on trytophan depletion and its effects on the prefrontal cortex. In this talk she explains why we should be wary of “neurobunk.” [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b64qvG2Jgro&w=560&h=315] After the video, discuss what …
Take the stress out of teacher evaluation observations
This post will be most helpful for teachers who see the value in Themantic Education’s teaching principles and practices, especially those already using our teacher support packs. Having an administrator or even a peer observe your lessons can be a stressful time, even for the most experienced teachers. The practical applications of our themantic model of curriculum design™ can give …
For Teachers: PT Conferences Made-Easy
Yesterday we had Parent-Teacher (PT) conferences at school and I thought I’d share a few things that made for smooth sailing and an enjoyable day for me. We only have ten minutes per interview, so I’ll share how I managed to communicate a whole lot in that short time. New teachers will probably find this a lot more helpful than …
Key Study: Cortisol and Memory (Buchanan and Lovallo, 2001)
This study can be found in Chapter 4 of the Student’s Guide. Background Studies conducted before this experiment in 2001 showed that cortisol can have a detrimental effect on memory. Animal studies, however, had shown the opposite: stress can improve memory. This was the first study (at the time) that investigated the influence of cortisol on emotional memory in humans. …