When preparing to teach a new unit, I find it's helpful to have important information in one easy-to-access location. So here you'll find the standards for teaching the development across the lifespan unit of a psychology course, the key terms and definitions that should be covered throughout the unit, as well as some teaching resources and suggested activities for students to complete.
Standards
Life Span Development
CONTENT STANDARD 1: Methods and issues in life span development
1.1 Explain the interaction of environmental and biological factors in development, including the role of the brain in all aspects of development
1.2 Explain issues of continuity/discontinuity and stability/change
1.3 Distinguish methods used to study development
1.4 Describe the role of sensitive and critical periods in development
CONTENT STANDARD 2: Physical, cognitive, and social development across the life span (prenatal, infancy, childhood, adolescence, emerging adulthood, adulthood, and older adulthood)
2.1 Identify key features of physical development from prenatal through older adulthood
2.2 Identify key features of cognitive development from prenatal through older adulthood
2.3 Identify key features of social development from prenatal through older adulthood
Key Terms
human development | the scientific study of the changes that occur in people as they age from conception to death |
nature | refers to heredity, the influence of inherited characteristics on personality, physical growth, intellectual growth, and social interactions |
nurture | refers to the influence of the environment, including parenting styles, physical surroundings, economic factors, and anything that does not come from within a person |
continuity/discontinuity | issue that explores whether development happens in a smooth, continuous progression, or in a series of clear-cut stages |
stability/change | issue that explores how people remains stable over the course of human development and what changes |
longitudinal design | research design in which one participant or group of participants is studied over a long period of time |
cross-sectional design | research design in which several different age-groups of participants are studied at one point in time |
cross-sequential design | research design in which participants are first studied by means of a cross-sectional design but are also followed and assessed for a period of no more than six years |
critical periods | a specific time period, particularly in early development, in which something has to happen in a specific way to develop normally, also referred to as sensitive periods |
physical development | involves growth and changes in the body and brain, the senses, motor skills, and health and wellness |
germinal period | first two weeks after fertilization, during which the zygote moves down to the uterus and begins to implant in the lining |
embryonic period | the period from two to eight weeks after fertilization, during which the major organs and structures of the organism develop |
fetal period | the time from about eight weeks after fertilization until the birth of the child |
teratogens | any factor that can cause a birth defect |
newborn | stage of development from birth to two-months |
reflexes | inborn automatic responses to particular forms of stimulation |
infancy | stage of development from birth to one year |
motor skills | the ability to move one’s body and manipulate objects |
childhood | stage of development from one to about 13 years |
neurogenesis | the formation of new neurons |
adolescence | stage of development from 13 to about 18 years or the early 20s |
puberty | the period during which adolescents reach sexual maturity and become capable of reproduction |
pituitary gland | gland that influences all other hormone-secreting glands, secretes growth hormone, controls levels of salt and water, and controls onset of labor and lactation |
pre-frontal cortex | brain region that modulates higher-order (executive) cognitive process |
adulthood | stage of development from around 20 years old; has three distinct stages: early, middle, and late |
early adulthood | stage of adulthood from 20 to early 40s |
middle adulthood | stage of adulthood from 40s to 60s |
late adulthood | stage of adulthood from 60s on |
cellular clock theory | cells are limited in the number of times they can reproduce to repair damage |
free radical theory | free radicals (oxygen molecules that have an unstable electron) bounce around the cell stealing electrons from other molecules and increasing the damage to structures inside the cell |
activity theory | an elderly person adjusts more positively to aging when remaining active in some way |
cognitive development | involves learning, attention, memory, language, thinking, reasoning, and creativity |
object permanence | the knowledge that an object exists even when it is not in sight |
child-directed speech | the way adults and older children talk to infants and toddlers; higher pitch, repetitious, sing-song speech patterns that they attend to more closely |
egocentrism | the inability to see the world through anyone else’s eyes |
conservation | a logical thinking ability that allows a person to determine that a certain quantity will remain the same despite adjustment of the container, shape, or apparent size |
personal fable | type of thought common to adolescents in which they believe themselves to be unique and protected from harm |
imaginary audience | type of thought common to adolescents in which they believe that other people are just as concerned about their own thoughts and characteristics as they themselves are |
Alzheimer's disease | the most common cause of dementia, a continuous decline in thinking, behavioral and social skills that affects a person's ability to function independently |
psychosocial development | involves emotions, personality, and social relationships |
temperament | innate traits that influence how one thinks, behaves, and reacts with the environment |
trust vs. mistrust | stage in which individuals learn to trust (or mistrust) that basic needs, such as nourishment and affection, will be met |
attachment | emotional bond between infant and primary caregiver |
autonomy vs. shame | stage in which individuals develop a sense of independence in many tasks —may feel shame when unsuccessful |
initiative vs. guilt | stage in which individuals take initiative on some activities—may develop guilt when unsuccessful or boundaries overstepped |
industry vs. inferiority | stage in which individuals develop self-confidence in abilities when competent or a sense of inferiority when not |
identity vs. confusion | stage in which individuals experiment with and develop identity and roles |
self-concept | an idea of the self constructed from the beliefs one holds about oneself and the responses of others |
intimacy vs. isolation | stage in which individuals aim to establish intimacy and relationships with others |
intimacy | an emotional and psychological closeness that is based on the ability to trust, share, and care while maintaining one’s sense of self |
generativity vs. stagnation | stage in which individuals aim to contribute to society and be part of a family |
generativity | providing guidance to one’s children or the next generation, or contributing to the well-being of the next generation through career or volunteer work |
integrity vs. despair | stage in which individuals assess and make sense of life and meaning of contributions |
ego integrity | sense of wholeness that comes from having lived a full life possessing the ability to let go of regrets |
Teaching Resources
This unit is widely enjoyed students. They like learning more about the stage of life they're currently experiencing and having open conversations about what it's like to be a teenager. They also enjoy thinking about their past and future through creating a lifeline project, and it's always fun to explore their how their own developing brains work! There are loads of fun activities you can include. Here's some options:
Check out development resources to make teaching this unit fun and engaging for you AND your students. Resources include teacher presentation slides to streamline the content, guided notes to keep students engaged in the content delivery, a TED Talk viewing guide to explore their developing brains, a lifeline project to understand stages of development, as well as a bunch more activities, viewing guides, and review activities.
What activities are your favorites for teaching about development across the lifespan? Share in the comments!
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