This session, AP Psychology – Experienced Teachers with Laura Brandt is offered ONLINE during Event 1: June 17-20, 2025.  

AP Psychology – Experienced Teachers with Laura brandt is also offered in ONLINE Event 2: June 23-26, 2025.  Choose the session that works best for you.

Meet your APSI Consultant for AP Psychology

Laura Brandt teaches AP Psychology and Government at Libertyville High School in Illinois. Formerly Laura taught AP and IB Psychology as well as AP Seminar the College du Leman in Geneva, Switzerland. Laura has served as a reviewer or author for book chapters, course reviews and test banks, and has written the 4th edition of the D&S marketing review books for AP psychology.

Laura has served as a reader, table leader and question leader for the AP psychology reading and serves as an examiner for the IB psychology exams. Laura has served on the TOPSS executive board, which represents high school psychology instructors within the American Psychological Association as member coordinator and chair. Laura and Nancy Fenton are the co-creators of the I-Score 5 review app for the AP Psychology exam and the blog Books for Psychology Class (http://booksforpsychologyclass.weebly.com) a blog which reviews psychology related books and provides class activities for teachers and students. Laura earned her Master’s degree in U.S. History at Northern Illinois University and her Master’s in Psychology from DePaul University in Chicago and her administrative certificate form Concordia University.

 

APSI Course Description for AP Psychology:

The four-day APSI sessions will be personalized to meet the needs of the individual participants but will also cover necessary information regarding the AP exam structure, philosophy and assessment. Preparation for both the multiple-choice and free-response portion of the exam will be addressed as well as a simulation of how the FRQs are graded. 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 two free-response questions.

In addition to focusing on the content of the research unit, we can focus on pedagogy and resources provided by the College Board. This will serve as a model for other chapters. Particular emphasis will be placed on topics that are often challenging for students and instructors. By the end of the week, new instructors to AP Psychology should have the tools necessary to teach and engaging and informative AP Psychology course while experienced teachers 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 high speed, dependable internet connection
  • Access to Canvas, which will be provided by the institute
  • 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, review, assessment, 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. Both new and experienced instructors will align their curriculum to cover the redesigned 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 chapter 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:  9:00-11:30:  Synchronous

  • Address the use of technology, expectations and overview of navigating the resources Introductions of participants and what they want to get out of the week.
  • Discussion of textbook and supplemental materials
  • Websites and resources that are helpful for the teaching of AP Psychology
  • Discussion about equity and access in the Advanced Placement program.

Day 1: 11:30-12:30 Asynchronous

  • 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

 Day 1: Afternoon: 1:30-3:30 Synchronous

  • Examination of Past AP exams (Multiple-Choice and Free-Response)
  • FRQ preparation and strategies for mastering the FRQ and Multiple-Choice portion of the exam

Day 1: 3:30-4:30 Asynchronous

  • Explore the general resources to assist with the teaching of Psychology, set up and explore the resources in AP Central and take the first portion of the 2019 AP exam.
  • Work on a pacing calendar for the year.

Day 2

Morning:   9:00-11:30 Synchronous

Examine Resources, activities, demonstrations and for Unit one Scientific Foundation of Psychology

11:30-12:30 Asynchronous

Explore resources, activities and content for Scientific Foundations of Psychology

Afternoon  1:30-3:30 Synchronous

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

3:30-4:030 Asynchronous

  • Work on the next portion of the practice AP exam and write a past FRQ question.
  • Complete Work on Pacing Calendar.

Day 3

Morning  9:00-11:30 Synchronous

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

11:30-12:30 Asynchronous

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

Afternoon:  1:30-3:30 Synchronous

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

3:30-4:30 Asynchronous

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

Day 4

Morning  9:00-11:30 Synchronous

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

11:30-12:30 Asynchronous

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

Afternoon: 12:30-3:30 Synchronous

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

3:30-4:30  Asynchronous

Work on Blended Learning Choice Board