AP Psychology – Dr. Laura Brandt

This session: AP Psychology – with Dr. Laura Brandt is offered ONLINE during Week 1: June 15-18, 2026. 

Meet your APSI Consultant for AP Psychology – Dr. Laura Brandt

Dr. Laura Brandt currently teaches AP Psychology and serves as the Social Studies Department Chair at Libertyville High School in the Chicago suburbs. Laura also teaches AP Psychology online for the Center for Talent Development through Northwestern University. Laura recently taught AP Psychology, IB Psychology and AP Seminar at the College du Leman in Geneva, Switzerland, and has also taught History, Government, Constitutional Law, and a Law and Psychology course.

Laura has served on the Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools (TOPSS) executive board, which represents high school psychology instructors within the American Psychological Association. She has served in many roles for the AP Psychology exam reading, including table and question leader, and also serves as an examiner for IB psychology.  

Laura is a co-creator of the I-Score 5 review app for the AP Psychology exam, and a co-creator of the Books for Psychology Class blog which reviews psychology related books and provides classroom activities for teachers and students. Laura is the co-author of the Laura the 3 rd edition AMSCO AP Psychology book and has served as a reviewer, contributor to other textbooks, test banks and reviews guides related to AP Psychology.

Laura earned her Bachelor’s degree in Social Studies education at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, a Master’s degree in U.S. History from Northern Illinois University and Master’s degree in Psychology from DePaul University. Laura received her Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from Concordia University.

APSI Session Description

This four-day institute is intended to help both new and experienced instructors of AP Psychology. The session will be personalized to meet the needs to the individual participants but will also cover necessary information regarding the AP exam structure, philosophy and assessment. Preparation for planning and pacing the curriculum will be addressed as well as both the multiple-choice and free-response portions of the AP exam. There will also be a simulation of how the FRQs are graded at the AP reading. While the session will cover all Units in the AP curriculum, we will spend an extended period of time on research methods as a theme that runs throughout the course and is covered each year by one of the Article Analysis Question (AAQ).

In addition to focusing on the content of the research unit, we will focus on pedagogy and resources provided by the College Board as well as the instructor’s materials and ideas from participants. Particular emphasis will be placed on topics that are often challenging for students and instructors. By the end of the week, instructors for AP Psychology should have the tools necessary to teach an engaging and informative AP Psychology course and should leave with new activities, demonstrations and resources to use with their students.

Materials

• • • A computer (phone’s or I-pads will likely not be enough for full participation)

    • Access to Google drive (presenter materials will be distributed through Google Drive)

    • If possible, a copy of the textbook you will be using and any supplemental materials

    • Creation of an AP Central account

    • Access to College Board Materials which will be provided by the Institute

    • If possible, please consider bringing a favorite lesson or demonstration you have found useful in the classroom, even if the idea was created for a different subject that you are willing to share for the benefit of the group.

Course Objectives

1. Participants will understand how the Curriculum and Exam Description (CED) aligns

with day-to-day classroom activities.

2. Participants will be able to navigate AP Central in order to access the resources

provided for both students and instructors.

3. Instructors will align their curriculum to cover the five units outlined in the AP

Psychology Course Description.

4. All participants will complete a pacing guide for the upcoming academic school year.

5. Instructors will understand the scope and sequence of the AP curriculum and will

have an opportunity to delve deeply into a number of units to explore best

practices, assessments techniques, challenging topics and available resources.

6. Participants will leave with a clear understanding of the expectations for writing and

grading free-response questions and strategies for covering and later assessing

multiple-choice question on the AP exam.

7. Participants will be able to implement strategies during the course of the academic

year that prepare students for both the free-response and multiple-choice section

of the AP exam.

8. Participants will understand the opportunities for interleaving material throughout

multiple chapters of the course for increased students practice and learning.

9. Participants will develop a network of Psychology instructors with whom they can

continue to develop relevant materials for the AP Psychology course.

10. Participants will be prepared to take on the AP psychology course with their

students in the Fall.

Agenda

Note: Based on the needs and the preferences of the participants registered for the session, this agenda may be modified while still by necessity meeting the criteria of 30 contact hours from the College Board and the guidelines of the Walton Institute.

Day 1:

Morning:

• • • Overview of navigating the resources Introductions of participants and what they want to get out of the week

• • • Discussion of textbook and supplemental materials and access to the course

• • • Websites and resources that are helpful for the teaching of AP Psychology

• • • Provide an overview of the Course and Exam Description (CED), specifically focusing on changes from the previous course description

• • • Pacing recommendations, the course for year-long, block schedules and resources for different courses

Afternoon:

• • • Examination of Multiple-Choice assessment on past exams and strategies for preparing students

• • • FRQ preparation and strategies for mastering the FRQ portion of the exam

• • • Work on a pacing calendar for the year

Day 2:

Morning:

• • • Explore the resources in AP Central and take the first portion of the 2019 AP exam

    • Explore resources, activities and content for Scientific Foundations of Psychology

Afternoon:

• • • Discussion and sharing of resources, activities, content and demonstrations for Biological Bases of Behavior and Sensation/Perception

• • • Complete Work on Pacing Calendar

Day 3:

Morning:

• • • Discussion and sharing of resources, activities, content and demonstrations for Learning and Cognition

Afternoon:

• • • Discussion and sharing of resources, activities, content and demonstrations for Development, Motivation/Emotion and Personality

• • • Put together First Unit (day-to-day calendar, activities, demonstrations, in-class materials, assessments, homework)

Day 4:

Morning:

• • • Discussion and sharing of resources, activities, content and demonstrations for Disorders and Treatment and Social Psychology

• • • Discussion of review materials and post exam projects and ideas, reading and planning based on the Instructional Planning report

Afternoon:

• • • Simulated grading of written FRQs and going over questions from the Multiple-Choice AP exam.