Out of the 500 possible points in the entire course, 120 points of your final course grade will come from section. This course is very work-intensive and requires a lot of effort on your part – there is something due almost every week, so it is important that you stay organized and keep up with all the readings/assignments. The point distribution for the course as a whole is as follows:

• Exams........................................................................................................ 240 points (80 points each)
• Developmental Project......................................................................... 140 points
• Application Paper/Project.................................................................... 40 points
• Group Presentation ..................................................................................30 points
• Research Article Critique...................................................................... 20 points
• Class Participation.................................................................................... 20 points
• Bring in Discussion Article Piece........................................................ 10 points

Your section grade will be determined from the following:

a) Section participation (20 points)
‘Active participation’ means much more than just showing up to class. In order for us to have a dynamic, lively learning environment, I would like to see participation from everyone. The best way to learn this material in a meaningful way is to contribute ideas in discussions, pose questions, and be sincerely engaged in the learning process. Please come to class prepared with at least one question or comment about the reading for that week (this can be in response to the discussion questions posted on the website). Participation points can be lost if you are not being respectful or responsible to yourself or your classmates (talking during class, reading the paper during class, not allowing others a chance to talk, etc.) Again, as outlined above under "General policies", any unexcused absence will result in a 5 point deduction in the final grade.

b) Discussion Article (10 points)
For the third week of section, bring in a recent (past 6 months) newspaper or magazine article written on an issue related to prenatal care or infant development. Be ready to discuss the article and its main points in your groups. Draw connections between what is presented in the article and what has been covered in the lectures, videos, and reading. Write a short outline of key points for discussion.

c) Research Article Summary and Critique (20 points)
This assignment requires that you write a 3-4 page evaluation of an empirical article from a reputable psychology journal. You can pick your own topic for this paper, but the journal must have been published in the year 2000. For this assignment, I would like for you to give relevant background, briefly outline the purpose of the study, hypotheses, methods, and findings (1/2 to 1 page of the paper). More importantly, however, I would like you to think critically and respond to the following questions as they relate to the article:

• How effective (or ineffective) was the study in answering the questions at hand? Discuss strengths and weaknesses of the study.
• How does the study relate to the theories discussed in the textbook?
• Was there a logical reasoning behind the way the study was designed?
• Are the findings generalizable? How relevant is the study cross-culturally?
• Were there important points that were left out that you think should have been given more attention?

Also keep these questions in mind as you do reading for the final project). Please staple a copy of your article to the back of your paper. You will have three due date options to turn in this research article critique. I encourage everyone to do this assignment early on in the semester to alleviate the stress that often arises at the end of the semester. If you are unsure of an article or a journal, please come see me as soon as possible.
The due dates (choose one) for turning in the Research Article Critique are:
September 21^st, October 12^th, and November 2nd.

The following is a list of recommended journals: Child Development, Journal of Developmental Psychology, Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, Journal of Educational Psychology, American Educational Research Journal, Educational Psychologist, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, Journal of Cross-cultural Psychology, Psychological Science, Contemporary Educational Psychology. Journal of Research on Adolescence, Psychology and Aging, Journal of Gerontology, Journal of Marriage and the Family, Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, Infant Behavior and Development, Cognitive Development, Human Development.

c) Group presentation (30 points)
Once during the semester, each person will work with a group of 3 or 4 other students to organize and present a group activity. Each group will tackle a different developmental period and decide on a controversial topic for the class to consider (such as infertility, day care, school violence, teen pregnancy, binge drinking, assisted suicide). You should be creative in your presentation and design an activity that is interactive. (Try to avoid lecturing.) Plan each presentation to last about 30 minutes. Create a presentation that is well-balanced -that is-I'd like for you to present more than one perspective on your issue. Also address how various developmental theories and research findings apply to your topic. For example, does developmental theory help to support or negate your claims? Because of the flexibility in choosing your presentation topic, I would like to meet briefly with each group at least one week before your presentation date to discuss your ideas (this meeting will be 5 points). The remainder of the points will be broken down in the following manner:

• Summary of presentation (10 points): Each group must turn in a brief (3 to 5 pages maximum) written summary of their presentation. The summary should touch upon the main points of your presentation and should include a general statement of the issue, an analysis of how theories and findings of human development apply to your issue, as well as a list of outside references.

• Actual presentation (15 points): I will consider the following aspects of the presentation in assigning a grade:

• Did you successfully relate your topic to developmental research, concepts, and theory?
• Have you interpreted and presented the issues accurately?
• Were your arguments organized and presented in a thoughtful manner?
• Have you included more than one viewpoint (with respect to gender, race, class, culture, age, etc.?)
• Were you effective in engaging the class?

d) Application Paper (40 points)
This short paper (4-5 pages) will give you the opportunity to demonstrate your understanding of the research, theories, and ideas in the text, lecture, and class discussions and apply your knowledge to "real world" situations. There is no need to do outside reading for this paper. Your paper should demonstrate how your knowledge of developmental psychology informs real experiences or issues and may focus on any one of the following:

• TV show/Movie evaluation: Pretend that you are a reviewer for the FCC. Choose a television show or a full-length movie and identify its target audience (e.g., Sesame street – preschoolers). Evaluate the appropriateness of the television show/movie for that age group. What makes it appropriate or inappropriate? What rating would you give the show/movie?
• Observations at a school or other natural setting: Observe a preschool, elementary, or high school lunch or recess for at least 30 minutes. You will need to make all the necessary arrangements, but feel free to ask me for advice or suggestions. Another option is to unobtrusively observe children or adolescents at the mall, library, museum. What aspect of development do you see/overhear? Explain your observations in light of research and theories in human development.
• Intergenerational or cross-cultural interviews: Choose someone of another generation or another culture to interview. Develop interview questions based on what we have learned about childhood. How do these experiences differ from your own? Be sure to relate these issues back to the text and discussions from 350.
• Design your own: You may develop another idea for an application paper as long as it fulfills the requirements discussed above and you discuss it with me in advance.

You have the choice of incorporating your volunteer experience or practica from the current semester into this paper. (More details will be provided on this option in lecture). There are three due date options for the paper; you should choose the date that best fits your schedule. The due dates are October 5th, October 26th, OR November 9th.

• Plagiarism will not be tolerated under any circumstances. Plagiarism does not merely consist of turning in an assignment written by someone else. Plagiarism also occurs when sources of ideas or words are not cited (see attached sheets for further information). Proof of plagiarism or cheating will result in a zero for the assignment, and possibly an F in the class. If you have any question about proper documentation procedures, please come and talk with me. You can also check out the APA writing style web site for help with documentation procedures. www.ldl.net/~bill/aparev.htm.

• Counseling Services: Sometimes certain material can bring up personal feelings/reactions that students may not know how to cope with. Sometimes events in your life may give rise to these feelings as well. Counseling and Psychological Services may be able to help. (3100 Michigan Union: 764-8312)

• Need Help Writing? English Composition Board (1111 Angell Hall: 764-0429) offers a variety of services, including reviewing rough drafts of students’ papers. They also review papers online (www.lsa.umich.edu/swc/OWL/owl.html)

The University of Michigan is a multi-cultural and diverse setting with members who are from a variety of backgrounds and experiences. It extremely important that in this section we create an environment where everyone feels comfortable, supported, and encouraged to express his or her views and concerns. Integral to creating and maintaining this environment is your open-mindedness. You must realize that not everyone feels the same way you may feel about an issue, and not everyone comes from the same background as you. This does not mean that they do not deserve respect or a chance to speak. College is one of the few places where you will get to meet people from all walks of life and with such a variety of experiences. Take this opportunity to learn from what we all have to offer. I’m making a sincere request for everyone here to be responsible in both actions and speech, and maintain a common respect for one another.

Things to keep in mind:

1. Listen carefully to others’ ideas (Especially if they are different from yours, and especially if you have a lot to say.

2. Respect others’ rights to hold opinions different from yours. (Challenge the idea, not the person.)

3. Allow everyone a chance to talk. (And take the lead to ask if others have something to add.)

4. Challenge yourself to see things from others’ points of view, regardless of how you and they may differ in terms of race/ethnicity, gender, nationality, religion, or otherwise. (Everyone deserves equal respect and to be equally understood.)

5. Be courteous by not interrupting others or having private conversation while others are speaking.

6. Try to think of differing ideas without distortion, exaggeration, or caricaturization. (This can be hard, but it is crucial to understanding a new idea or one that is different from yours.

7. Support your statements; use evidence and provide reasoning for your points.

Week

Date

Readings

Assignments

Topic

1

9/7

Chapter 1

Pick 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd choice for presentation week and email me your choices (marachi@umich.edu) by Tuesday September 12^th, 2000^.

Organization/Theories and Methods

2

9/14

Chapters 2, 3, 4

T.B.A.

Prenatal development & teratogens

3

9/21

Chapter 5

Bring in a magazine or news article about prenatal or infant development and prepare to discuss in groups. (10 points)
Research Article Critique – Option 1

Birth and Infancy

4

9/28

Chapter 6

Group Presentation #1: Infancy
PROJECT IDEAS DUE

Infant Development

5

10/5

Chapters 6,7

Application Paper Option #1

Language Development

6

10/12

Chapter 7

Group Presentation #2: Early Childhood
Research Article Critique - Option #2

Socio-Emotional Development

7

10/19

Chapters 8, 9

PROJECT OUTLINES DUE (New Due date: October 26th)

Early Childhood

8

10/26

Chapters 10, 11

Group Presentation #3: Middle Childhood
Application Paper - Option #2

Media, Families, and Gender

9

11/2

Chapters 12, 13

Research Article Critique - Option #3

Education and Development

10

11/9

Chapters 14, 15, 16

Group Presentation #4: Adolescence
Application Paper Option #3

Adolescence

11

11/16

PEER REVIEW (revised requirement)

Tasks of Young Adulthood

X

11/23

Chapter 20

***FINAL PROJECTS ARE DUE THIS WEDNESDAY 11/22 IN LECTURE***
NO SECTION THIS WEEK - HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

12

11/30

Chapter 20, 21, 22

Group Presentation #5: Adulthood

Middle Adulthood

13

12/7

Chapters 23, 24, 25

Group Presentation #6: Late Adulthood