Unit:Learning

ClassicalConditioning

Name:KellyAquilla,TowsonUniversity

CLASSDESCRIPTIONS:

Date:Nov.12,2015

2AElectivePsychology:Classof30students,mixofsophomores,juniorsandseniors.
Femalemajority.Whitemajority.Sixgroupsof4,twogroupsof3.

Unit:Learning
Lesson:ClassicalConditioning

PriorKnowledge:Nopriorknowledge.Openinglessontonewunit.

ALIGNMENT:

Objective:
Studentswillidentify
andapplyaspectsof
classical
conditioninginorder
todeterminethe
effectofclassical
conditioningon
decisionmaking.

Assessment:
DraftingAn
Experiment

Assignment:
Directed
Readingand
Jigsaw
DenverTaste
Aversion
ProjectClip
and
Discussion

MATERIALS:
Student Materials Required: AP Psych Textbook, Pen/Pencil, Cartoon Strip, Science
ExperimentProposalSheet,AssessmentHalfSheet,GraphicOrganizer
TechnologyRequired:PowerPoint,Projector,Speakers,YouTubeAccess

LESSONPROCEDURE:
OpeningActivityTheOfficeClip
TimeAllotted:5MINS

Students will watch this clipfromTheOffice.Thestudentswillwatch theclipandthenexplain

what is happening in the scene. Without knowing what classical conditioning is, studentswill
attempt to determine the learning process. Without giving the process a name, the students
willbemovedintothenextactivityDRL.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nE8pFWP5QDM

TeacherQuestions:
1. WhatishappeningtoDwightinthisscene?
2. HowisJimusingmintsandhiscomputertocontrolDwightsbehavior?
3. What happens to Dwight at the very end of the scene does he have control over
himself?

Adaptations:None.

Transition: Students willbeaskedtoopentheirtextbooksandreadthedirectionslistedon the

boardandlistentothembeingreadaloud.
Activity1DirectedReading(Silent)andJigsaw
TimeAllotted:25MINS

Studentswillbe given agraphicorganizerwithcorereadinginstructionandahighlightedtopic

that they will become an expert in. All students will read about the definition of learning and
Pavlovs Classical Conditioning experiment including the salivating dog, and will be given
either Acquisition, Extinction and Spontaneous Recovery, Generalization or Discrimination or
Applications as an additional reading. Once they have filled out their assigned section of the
reading they will share out with theirgroupmatesandexplainwhatthey read,lettingtheother
groupmembersfillintheiremptyspacesonthegraphicorganizer.

ALLStudents:
DefinitionofLearninginPsychology
PavlovsExperiment
Segments:
Acquisition
ExtinctionandSpontaneousRecovery
GeneralizationandDiscrimination
Applications

Adaptations:None.

Transition: Students will be asked to view the following clip and prepare to answer the
following questions: 1. How is this classical conditioning? 2. What was the unconditioned
stimulus? 3. What was the unconditioned response? 4. What is the conditioned stimulus? 5.
Whatistheconditionedresponse?
Activity2TheDenverZooTasteAversionProject
TimeAllotted:10MINS

StudentswillwatchthisclipfromTheDenverZooonhow theyareusingtasteaversiontoend
animalandhumanconflictinBotswana.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6X4QJQg3cY&list=PLEEwExgOOfsgyonx6WNTvWdjx7
Ku3OkNq&index=6

Aftertheclip,studentswillbeaskedthefollowingquestions.

TeacherQuestions:
1.Howisthisclassicalconditioning?
2.Whatwastheunconditionedstimulus?
3.Whatwastheunconditionedresponse?
4.Whatistheconditionedstimulus?
5.Whatistheconditionedresponse?
6.Howwasclassicalconditioningusedtocreateatasteaversion?
7.Dowethinktheuseofclassicalconditioninginthissituationisethical?

Adaptations:None.

Transition: Students will be asked to brainstorm a taste aversion thattheyhad/haveandwhy

thataversioncametobe.
Activity3CartoonSequence
TimeAllotted:10MINS
Where:CartoonStrip

Students will brainstorm and sketch/write out an experience when they were classically
conditioned in a taste aversion. Prior to students sketching out their own, students will be
givenanexampleofeach.

ConsciouslyConditioned:Vegetarian
SubconsciouslyConditioned:FoodPoisoning


Adaptations: Students are allowed to sketch or write out the experience in the cartoon
sequenceboxes.

Transition: Students will be asked to brainstorm their own classical conditioning experiment
that they could implement. Students will have two minutes to discuss with the person sitting
nexttothemwhiletheteacherpassesouttheexperimentworksheet.
Activity4DraftingAnExperiment
TimeAllotted:25MINS
Where:ScienceExperimentProposalSheet

Students will draft a proposal for a classical conditioning science experiment within their
groups. The proposal will include a thesis statement, experiment process including
unconditioned stimuli and responses, and possible variables that could affect the outcome.
Students will also reflect on how they could test extinction and recovery within their
experimentandtodeterminetheeffectondecisionmaking.

Adaptations:None.

Transition: Students willpassuptheirexperimentdrafts andbegivenahalfsheetofpaperfor

theirassessment.

ClosingRecognizingthePartsofClassicalConditioning(Assessment)
TimeAllotted:810MINS

Students will watch the following clip on a classical conditioning experiment tested within a
highschoolclassroom.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYxUdPjEEY

Following the clip, students will be asked to explain the experiment and how it is a form of
classical conditioning. Students will also extend to look at the effect of classical conditioning
ondecisionmaking.

Prompt:

Basedonthevideoclip,ClassicalConditioninginHighSchool,explainwhytheexperiment
wasaformofclassicalconditioning,identifyingthekeyelementsoftheconditioningprocess.
Concludewithwhyorwhynotstudentsmaintainedchoiceinwhetherornottoturnaround
oriftheirdecisionmakingwascompromised.Usethebackofthissheetifnecessary.

Adaptations:None.

Transition:Studentswillturnintheassessmentastheyleavetheclassroom.