Class Information

This year, High School Psychology will be a single semester course that will focus on the very basics on the subject of psychology.  The course will focus on the history of psychology; including the role of Jesus Christ in the field.  We will spend time debating the biggest argument in the field:  Nature vs. Nurture, while learning how each of these concepts contribute to the development of the human brain.  The course will then focus on the brain itself, including how diet, exercise and other various lifestyle decisions affect the most important organ of the human body.  Other topics of focus will be how various neurotransmitters affect how individuals function as well as how to optimize these neurotransmitters.  Toward the end of the semester, the class will focus on some of the basic DSM-V diagnoses such as ADHD, anxiety, and depression.  The course will be taught by a Michigan licensed TLLP Psychologist who currently practices child & adolescent psychology at a private practice in West Bloomfield, MI.

Tentative HS Psych Syllabus
1.    Introductions.  What is psychology?  What psychology is not.
2.    The Grandfathers of psychology:  Philosophers & Psychologists (includes a Christian worldview on the foundations of psychology)
3.    The Fathers of Modern Psychology
4.    Quiz:  Maslow, Ericson, Rogers
5.    2 weeks (Handouts/Lecture)
The Brain:  The Organ of Mystery (Includes the general anatomy of the brain & major neurotransmitters)
6.    Quiz:  Major Brain Functions/Major Neurotransmitters
7.    (Handouts/Lecture) Classical Conditioning/Operant Conditioning
8.    Research Paper:  Nature vs. Nurture:  The Classic Argument
9.    Nutrition & Lifestyle:  How they change the brain.
10.    The modernization of psychology via technology/The importance of sound waves
11.    Demonstration of Low Energy Neurofeedback and Sound Waves
12.    The DSM-V.  (2 weeks) Includes the importance of dialectical thought and overviews of three diagnoses:  ADHD, Anxiety and how it saves our lives, Depression (sadness)
13.    Final Exam:  Comprehensive.  Includes all materials covered throughout the semester.