Infancy & Childhood

Spring 2003

Dr. Travis Langley

Office: McBrien 301-F, 230-5222

Required Texts:

Kail, R. Children and Their Development.

SCHEDULE

UNIT 1 EXAM: Thursday, February 20

Chapters 1-4

UNIT 2 EXAM: Tuesday, March 18

Chapters 5-8

UNIT 3 EXAM: Thursday, April 17

Chapters 9-12

UNIT 4/FINAL

Half cumulative, half on Unit 4 EXAM: Tue., May 10, 10 a.m.

Chapters 13-15

EXAMS

Each unit will conclude with a 40-item multiple choice exam covering lecture notes, assigned readings, and class discussion. Bring number 2 pencils for every test. If you have trouble erasing mistakes completely, bring Liquid Paper or similar correction fluid to cover your erasures. Any answer marked wrong due to an incomplete erasure is simply wrong. After all, if you take any standardized test such as the GRE, LSAT, or MCAT, your answer sheets will simply be run through a machine without anyone else checking your erasures for you.

On every test, you can earn one extra point by putting your name and ID on the front of the answer sheet and on the back of your test. Follow instructions to put your test and answer sheet face down and in the right stack; otherwise the Scantron machine might grade the back of your answer sheet or grade it according to the wrong answer key.

There will be NO makeup tests. As long as you do not miss any tests, your lowest test will be dropped, even if it is the final exam. If you do miss one but have an excused absence, the missing test will be the one that gets dropped. Because the 80-question final will be cumulative, it is strongly advised that you do not miss any exams if you can help it. The final will weigh the same as any other test in figuring your grade.

GRADING

Test questions range in difficulty to get an accurate idea of exactly how much you know and understand about the course material. I do not feel it is right to establish a curve based on the highest grade in the class, in which case only one score would determine everyone's grade. The scale on the 40-point tests (although bonus credit makes them worth more than 40) is simply this:

A 35.1 -->

B 30.1 - 35.0

C 25.1 - 30.0

D 20.1 - 25.0

F <-- 20.0

Your professor reserves the right to assign other values for these grade cutoffs. The professor also reserves the right to subtract any number of points from the grade of someone who disrupts class, or to assign a course grade of F to someone caught cheating.

Anyone who misses two tests may be dropped for absenteeism. The professor reserves the right to drop any student for a pattern of profound absenteeism. The professor does take roll once in awhile, so that if someone has a borderline grade at the end of the term, attendance might be taken into consideration.

GROUP PRESENTATIONS

In groups of three or four, you will all make presentations before the class at some point during the semester. Those who make their presentations earliest will be graded slightly more leniently. Grades for the presentations will be based on quality of presentations, educational value, and amount of work reflected. Each presentation will be worth 40 points, the same as a test.

Not all members of the group have to get up and talk, as long as everyone in the group feels that all have pulled their weight. A group grade will be assigned, with adjustments for individual quality of presentation.

Point value for presentations:

A+ 40 B+ 34 C+ 28 D+ 22 E+ 16 F 6

A 38 B 32 C 26 D 20 E 14 0 0

A- 36 B- 30 C- 24 D- 18 E- 12

Examples of group presentation topics:

aggression

anxiety disorders of childhood

birth defects

child abuse

childhood fears

death and dying (terminally ill children or effects on children)

depression

disruptive behavior disorders

divorce (effects on children)

emotional development

family therapy

family violence

gender differences

gender roles

juvenile delinquency

language development

learning disorders

mental retardation

personality development

personality disorders (early signs in childhood)

sexual abuse

sibling rivalry

sudden infant death syndrome

suicide