EP211 Growth and Development

EP211 Growth and Development

TuTh 9:30-10:45 AM

Room SCC 102

Winter 2000

Instructor: Marvin W. Berkowitz

Phone: 516-7521

Fax: 516-7356

Email: berkowitz@umsl.edu

Mailbox: Outside of room 469 Marillac

Office: G12 Marillac (in the basement)

Office hours: Tu 11:00-12:00

We 10:00-11:00

and by appointment

Required text: Berk, L.E. (1999). Infants, children, and adolescents (3^rd edition). MA: Allyn and Bacon. (Optional: study guide for Berk text)

Course purpose:

This course is designed to introduce students to psychological concepts, methodologies, and theories that focus on the growth and development of children and adolescents. Students will combine informal reflections on observed patterns of growth and development with an analysis of scientific studies by child psychologists in order to understand children's development. Students will investigate the interaction of nature and nurture in shaping human behavior and explaining individual variations in development. This course will provide students with information that will make them more knowledgeable parents, educators, and citizens. The course materials should help prepare the student to take EP 312, The Psychology of Teaching and Learning.

Course Objectives:

Understand the nature of developmental changes in infancy, childhood, and adolescence
To apply developmental models to the interpretation of child and adolescent behavior
To identify the interactive biological and environmental factors affecting individual growth and development
To explain developmental theories: for example, cognitive-developmental, environmental-learning, and ethological models
To analyze the biological and genetic factors affecting growth and development
To analyze the cognitive, social, and linguistic processes that shape growth and development
Recognize the developmental tasks of each stage of pre-adult development
To understand the process of forming a concept of "self"
To compare several models of how moral reasoning, character, and prosocial behavior develop in children and adolescents
To investigate gender identity and gender roles and how they influence development
To make connections between developmental theories and teaching and parenting behaviors
Understand the developmental needs and rights of children and adolescents
To increase observational skills

Instructional Methods:

Class time will predominantly be devoted to lecture and large group discussions. Additionally, small group discussions and individual and small group exercises will be utilized.

Evaluation Criteria: 3 tests (@ maximum 100 points) 55%

Observation analysis (maximum 75 pts.) 14%

Literature analysis (maximum 125 points) 23%

Participation (maximum 50 points) 9%

Total possible points = 550

It is the expectation that all students will actively and honestly participate in all required course activities and assignments. All required readings will be read, preferably before the date they are to be discussed in class. All exams will be taken on the assigned testing date. All written assignments will be completed and handed in on the assigned date. Students will actively participate in all class sessions by asking pertinent questions, offering insightful suggestions or examples, responding to instructor questions, etc.

A A- B+ B B- C+ C D+ D D-

95% 91 88 85 81 78 73 68 65 61

(Note: Less than 61% is a failing grade)

Class Schedule:

DATE TOPIC READINGS

1/11 Introduction to course; History 1(9-15)

1/13 Models, concepts, theories, methods 1(2-9,15-49)

1/18 Genetics; Prenatal development 2;3(94-109)

1/20 Teratology 3(109-129)

1/25 Childbirth 4(130-150)

1/27 The Neonate 4(150-165)

2/1 Infant and toddler physical development 5

2/3 CLASS CANCELLED

2/8 Infant and toddler cognitive development 6(210-237)

2/10 Infant and toddler social/emotional development 7

2/15 TEST ONE 1-7 (NOT 237-251)

2/17 Language development 6(237-251)

2/22 Early Childhood physical development 8

2/24 Early Childhood cognitive development 9

2/29 Early childhood social cognition 10(367-371)

3/2 Gender development; Play 10(374-6;388-396)

3/7 Early childhood social/personality development 10(364-74;376-88; 394-407)

3/9 CLASS CANCELLED

3/14 Middle childhood physical & cognitive development 11;12(436-466)

**Observation report due 3/16**

3/16 School skills 12(466-79)

3/21 Social cognition in middle childhood 13(483-96)

3/23 TEST TWO 8-12,13(only 483-96)

3/28 SPRING BREAK

3/30 SPRING BREAK

4/4 Middle childhood personality development 13(480-483)

4/6 Social world of middle childhood 13(496-523)

4/11 Children's rights Handouts only

4/13 Puberty 14

**Literature Analysis report due 4/18**

4/18 Adolescent Cognitive development 15

4/20 Adolescent Social cognitive development 16(603-617)

4/25 Identity development 16(600-603,617-8)

4/27 Adolescent family and peer relations 16(618-627)

12/16 TEST THREE (8:30-9:45 am) 13(480-483;496-523),14-16

**NOTE: TEST THREE STARTS AT 8:30, NOT 7:45 AS OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED**

Tests:

As noted in the class schedule above, there will be three scheduled tests. The dates for those tests will not change. You are responsible for being there during those test sessions. There will be no make-up exams. If you know in advance that you will be unable to attend on a test date, make arrangements with the instructor as soon as you know of the conflict. If an emergency arises at the last moment, have someone contact the instructor as soon as possible (do not wait until you return to class).

Each test covers approximately 33% of the course material. Each test is weighted the same and counts for approximately 18% of your final grade in this course. There will be no cumulative tests.

You are responsible for all material covered on the test. This includes all lectures, all handouts, and all assigned readings. The test format will be a mixture of multiple choice, definition, and short essay questions. The predominant focus will be on lecture material. There will also, however, be questions from the text that were not covered in lecture.

Observation:

This project requires attendance at and observation of a full day in elementary classroom day. You may make more than one visit to amass a full day's worth of observation. You must find and schedule the classroom to be observed. You may observe in pairs, but in no larger groups. Be sure to get advance permission from the classroom teacher.

In advance of the observation day, select one of the following topics to observe:

Reading and writing development
Self-esteem
Critical thinking
Computers in classrooms
Mainstreaming

Then read about that topic in your book and from at least one additional professional source. Be sure the second source is from a scholarly journal or an advanced book (not an introductory text book or a book intended for a general audience; do not use internet sources). Be sure to give the full reference for the source in your written report.

On the day of the observation, take good notes on what you are noticing in the classroom regarding your topic.

You will be graded on your written report (if you do this as a team and elect to submit a joint authored paper, then both members get the same grade. You may, however, observe together but write separate reports).

The report should use the following structure:

Cover page with your name, the course number, information on your observation (where, dates and hours of observation, name of teacher observed, grade of class observed, whether observation was solo or team, etc.)
Introduction to topic (do a brief conceptual and empirical description of the topic you selected; write this as a literature review, with references, etc.)
Observational method (describe in detail how you observed including how you arranged for the observation, the physical environments you observed, the class and teacher you observed, how you recorded your observations, etc.)
Observations (describe what you observed; be organized and clear; it is okay to use tables, charts, appendices, etc. if needed)
Conclusions (what did you conclude from your literature research and observations? Be sure to focus on the connection between theory/research and your observations. Justify any conclusions, not just by claiming it or "I think.")

CAUTION: Be sure that I cannot legitimately ask "how do you know?" for any of your claims. In other words, don't make unsupported claims either about child development and education or about your observations. Literature Analysis:

     This project is intended to give you experience applying theory and research to a case study analysis. Your case will be from literature. You will be required to read a novel, biography or autobiography in which at least one of the main characters is an adolescent (for at least a significant portion of the text). You will be supplied with a list of books from which to choose. (A separate handout will explain t his assignment further.)
     You will be required to read the entire book and write a report analyzing the selected adolescent character. You must use at least three different psychological concepts in your analysis and you must clearly demonstrate how the text material demonstrates the concept. In doing so, you must rely on scientific evidence for the concept (see section on Observation above). This evidence must come from your text, and (for each concept) a second source published in a scientific research journal.
     This project is to be done individually.

Participation:

9% of your final grade will be based on participation. You are expected to actively contribute to this course through your attendance, participation in class discussions, and fulfillment of all required activities.

Academic honesty:

You are expected to engage in all assigned course activities honestly. It is especially important to understand plagiarism. Plagiarism is any time you represent someone else's work as your own. This can occur through copying another's writing and not putting it in quotation marks and indicating the source. This can occur by collaborating on individual assignments. This can occur by having someone else write a paper for you.

There will be no toleration of any form of academic dishonesty. Your submitted work will be taken as your pledge that it was done honestly.

Please sign this page and return it to the instructor as a commitment to fulfill the requirements of this course honestly and consistently with principles of academic integrity.

I hereby pledge that

all work I submit for this class will be my own work unless I explicitly indicate otherwise,
that I will make an honest effort to fulfill all class requirements,
that I will not misrepresent other people's work, words or ideas as my own, and
that I will adhere to and uphold principles of academic integrity.

PRINT NAME: ____________________________________

SIGNATURE: ____________________________________

DATE: ______________________

EP 211