In Let’s Get Psyched About Psychology, students will be introduced to some of the fundamental foundations of psychology. Students will explore and apply basic psychological principles including personality, sensation and perception, memory, stages of psychological development, understanding of self, relationships with others, and interactions with social groups. As students are learning the basic principles of psychology throughout the week, they will write a children’s story exhibiting what they have learned. They will create a character who will apply the principles in various scenarios/interactions, culminating in a children’s book they will present at the end of the week.Curriculum

The course will be interactive, using hands-on activities such as inversion goggles and optical illusions to discuss how we “see” with our brain, a taste lab (yum!) to learn about our chemical senses, and memory games (with strategies to improve memory). Campers will be applying personality theories to find their strengths and weaknesses to assist in future career choices and relationships (as well as how it can help to understand others). We will be using stories, discussions and “what if” scenarios to apply social psychology to present-day experiences. At the end of each day students will choose one psychological component they learned and create an “adventure” that their children’s book character applies in their story. By the end of the week students will have a children’s book illustrating some of the psychological principles that they have learned and can now teach to others in a fun and engaging way.