Alabama Social Studies SS24.P.1

SS24.P.1 is a cluster heading. These are the individual standards under it.

• SS24.P.1a

  Investigate and describe the history of psychology from its beginning to the modern era, including key contributors to the field.*

• SS24.P.1b

  Differentiate among various schools of thought and perspectives that have developed in psychology since 1879.*

• SS24.P.1c

  Describe how modern psychologists utilize multiple perspectives to understand behavior and mental processes, citing examples.*

01

What Students Need to Do

Students trace how questions from philosophy and methods from physiology led to laboratory psychology. They put key psychologists and schools of thought in order, then use more than one perspective to explain a behavior.

02

What Mastery Looks Like

A student places Wundt’s 1879 lab before behaviorism and cognitive psychology and links Watson to the study of observable behavior. They explain test anxiety using both learned responses and thoughts about failure.

03

Common Misconceptions

Students may think Wundt invented questions about the mind, rather than bringing experiments to them. They may treat Freud’s ideas as all of psychology or assume behaviorism studies thoughts directly.

04

How to Assess It

On an exit ticket, ask students to explain how Wundt’s lab changed the study of the mind, then give behavioral and cognitive explanations for test anxiety.

1. 01

   Give pairs dated philosophy, physiology, and psychologist cards; have them build a timeline from Wundt’s lab through behaviorism and cognitive psychology.

2. 02

   Ask: How would Watson and Neisser explain a student checking their phone during class differently? Write one sentence for each.

3. 03

   Play a matching game with Wundt, James, Freud, Watson, and Maslow cards, pairing each name with a method or main claim.

4. 04

   Show a phone notification screen; have students explain checking behavior using rewards, attention, and brain responses.

• SS24.P.2

  Describe methodologies, research tools, and strategies used by researchers in psychological studies.*

• SS24.S.1

  Describe the development of sociology as a social science field of study.*