Lesson Plans

Psychology, 6th Edition ©2000

by Wade, Tavris

Weeks 19–20

Chapter 14: Development

Performance Objectives:

• Describe physical, social, and cognitive changes from the prenatal period through the lifespan.
• Identify the complex cognitive structures found in the early development of infants and young children.
• Apply lifespan principles to personal experience.
• Explain the distinguishing characteristics of the longitudinal and cross-sectional methods of study.
• Outline the stages of development theory by theorists such as Piaget, Erickson, Kolberg, Gilligan, and so on.
• Recognize how biological and environmental factors linked to societal conceptions of gender shape the experiences of males and females.
• Explore developmental theories as they relate to cultural bias.
• Describe the role of critical periods in development.
• Explain the issues of continuity/discontinuity and stability/instability in development.

Resources:

• Chapter 14: Development—pp. 496–543
• Study Guide and Practice Tests—pp. 379–412
• Instructor's Resource Manual—pp. 473–514
• Test Bank—pp. 322–346

Pacing Guide:

• From Conception to the First Year—days 1 and 2
• Cognitive Development—days 3 and 4
• Gender Development—day 5
• Parents and Peers—day 6
• Adolescence—days 7 and 8
• Adulthood—day 9
• Are Adults Prisoners of Childhood—day 10
• Block Scheduling
  From Conception to the First Year and Cognitive Development should each get one block. Combine Gender Development and Parents and Peers into one block. Adolescence should be given one block, and Adulthood and Are Adults Prisoners should be combined into one block.

Key Words:

Critical Thinking Questions:

1. How can a pregnant woman reduce the risk of damage to the embryo or fetus?
2. How does culture affect how a baby matures physically and socially?
3. Why will most 5-year-olds choose a tall, narrow glass of lemonade over a short, fat one containing the same amount?
4. How would a biologically-oriented psychologist explain why most little boys and girls are so "sexist" in their choice of toys?
5. How do teachers unintentionally reinforce aggressiveness in boys?
6. In what ways do teenagers balance their ethnic identity and cultural membership?
7. What intellectual skills often decline in old age, and which do not?
8. Do traumatic childhood experiences affect a person forever? How do we know?
9. What are the key factors in parental influence on the children's personalities?

Troubleshooting Tips:

• Be prepared to provide extra discussion time when the topics of adolescence and young adulthood come up.
• The stage theories are somewhat controversial, as most developmental psychologists view development as continuous. There is also the Kohlberg dilemma: he published three different (modified) theories on the same subject in as many decades. Outside resources often cite only one of the publications (your book cites all three).

End-of-Chapter Activity: