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 states of consciousness 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
Consciousness
CONTENT STANDARD 1: The different states and levels of consciousness
1.1 Identify states of consciousness
1.2 Distinguish between processing which is conscious (i.e., explicit) and other processing which happens without conscious awareness (i.e., implicit)
1.3 Identify the effects of meditation, mindfulness, and relaxation
1.4 Describe characteristics of and current conceptions about hypnosis
CONTENT STANDARD 2: Characteristics and functions of sleep and theories that explain why we sleep and dream
2.1 Describe the circadian rhythm and its relation to sleep
2.2 Describe the sleep cycle
2.3 Compare theories about the functions of sleep and of dreaming
2.4 Describe types of sleep disorders
CONTENT STANDARD 3: Categories of psychoactive drugs and their effects
3.1 Characterize the major categories of psychoactive drugs and their effects
3.2 Describe how psychoactive drugs work in the brain
3.3 Describe the physiological and psychological effects of psychoactive drugs
Key Terms
consciousness | a person’s awareness of everything that is going on around them at any given time |
waking consciousness | state in which thoughts, feelings, and sensations are clear and organized, and the person feels alert |
altered states of consciousness | occur when a shift takes place in the quality or pattern of mental activity |
explicit | processing that is conscious |
implicit | processing that happens without conscious awareness |
mindfulness | the awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally |
meditation | mental series of exercises meant to refocus attention and achieve a trancelike state of consciousness |
neuroplasticity | the ability of the nervous system to change in response to experience or environmental stimulation |
flow states | events that challenge our skills enough to grow and improve in the skill, but not so difficult that the challenge creates anxiety |
hypnosis | state of consciousness in which a person is especially susceptible to suggestion |
dissociate | break a connection with something |
social-cognitive theory of hypnosis | the hypnotized subject is merely playing a social role |
circadian rhythm | a cycle of bodily rhythm that occurs over a 24-hour period |
REM sleep | stage of sleep in which the eyes move rapidly under the eyelids and the person is typically experiencing a dream |
non-REM sleep | any of the stages of sleep that do not include REM |
adaptive theory | theory of sleep proposing that animals and humans evolved sleep patterns to avoid predators by sleeping when predators are most active |
restorative theory | theory of sleep proposing that sleep is necessary to the physical health of the body and serves to replenish chemicals and repair cellular damage |
sleep deprivation | any significant loss of sleep, resulting in problems in concentration and irritability |
manifest content | the actual dream and its events |
latent content | the symbolic meaning |
collective unconscious | universal information shared by everyone |
archetypes | the symbolic meaning |
activation-synthesis hypothesis | dreams are the result of our brains trying to make sense (“synthesize”) the neural activity (“activation”) that happens during REM sleep |
activation-information-mode | revised version of the activation-synthesis explanation of dreams in which information that is accessed during waking hours can have an influence on the synthesis of dreams |
lucid dream | dream in which certain aspects of wakefulness are maintained during a dream state |
nightmares | bad dreams that occur during REM sleep |
night terrors | relatively rare disorder, in which the person has attacks of extreme fear while sound asleep |
sleepwalking | an episode of moving around or walking around in one’s sleep (somnambulism) |
insomnia | the inability to get to sleep, stay asleep, or get enough or good quality sleep |
sleep apnea | disorder in which a person stops breathing for nearly 10 seconds or more |
narcolepsy | a genetic disorder in which a person suddenly and without warning collapses into REM sleep during the day |
psychoactive drugs | chemical substances that alter thinking, perception, and memory |
stimulants | drugs that increase the functioning of the nervous system |
depressants | drugs that decrease the functioning of the nervous system |
opioids | drugs that reduce pain and produce euphoria |
hallucinogens | drugs that result in profound alterations in sensory and perceptual experiences |
agonist | facilitates neurotransmitter activity |
antagonist | impedes neurotransmitter activity |
dopamine | a type of neurotransmitter that plays a role in how we feel pleasure |
physical dependence | condition occurring when a person’s body becomes unable to function normally without a particular drug |
withdrawal | physical symptoms that can include nausea, pain, tremors, crankiness, and high blood pressure, resulting from a lack of an addictive drug in the body systems |
psychological dependence | the feeling that a drug is needed to continue a feeling of emotional or psychological well-being |
substance use disorders | addictive disorders in which the person often uses more of the substance than they originally intended to and continues to use that substance despite experiencing significant adverse consequences |
Teaching Resources
This unit is often a favorite for students. They enjoy getting the chance to meditate in class, love to share strange dreams they've had, and are always curious to learn about psychoactive drugs! There are loads of fun activities you can include. Here's some options:
Check out states of consciousness 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 the reasons for sleep, a sleep log, a dream journal, a drug project, as well as a bunch more activities, viewing guides, and review activities.
What activities are your favorites for teaching about states of consciousness? Share in the comments!
