Final Project - Instruction and Topic book

Intro and Topics

Introduction   After reading this page turn to page two......

For this final activity you are to create a movie or video presentation to share your knowledge and understanding of a certain topic in Psychology.  Your project must include visuals, Audio, and text.  

You can use paper or photo animations, live action, or images/photos and text to tell your story!

Start early.  Be creative. 

Topics - Choose one:

  If you have another idea or topic you would like to explore, you may discuss it with me by email before beginning.  Some of these topics are quite open ended, so be creative.  Your video should be between 3-5 minutes only!

• Outline a history of Psychology.  Talk about some of the important historical figures and  their ideas, in chronological order. 

• You may design a mini experiment that you can complete and record your process and results in a movie format.  Correlational studies that use surveys and questionnaires are easily done with little equipment.  Remember you are not looking at cause and effect, just whether two things go together or not. For example, “Do students (in my Neighborhood) who get grades have a lot of friends”.  You must state a hypothesis, outline how you got your sample population, State the questions/surveys and list the collected results, draw a conclusion, and discuss possible problems.

• Explain and compare some of the developmental psychologists theories of development.  You may choose one theory and theorist to discuss in detail or you may briefly compare and contrast two or three. ( choose from Erikson's Psychosocial Theory, Piaget and Cognitive development, Kohlberg's Moral developmental theory, Bandura and Social learning, Baurmind and parenting styles

• Explain and compare some of the personality theorists and their theories.  You may choose one theory and theorist to discuss in detail,  or you may briefly compare and contrast two or three.  (choose from Freud, Jung, Maslow, Rogers, Gordon Allport, R Cattell, Eysnck)

• Choose one brain disorder from this list http://brainfoundation.org.au/disorders Make sure you choose a disorder that affect behaviour.  Show the area of the brain affected, describe the normal function of the area affected and the abnormal or damaged area.  Discuss the effect on a person’s life, personality and behavior.

• Explain and compare some of the intelligence  theorists and their theories.  You may choose one theory and theorist to discuss in detail,  or you may briefly compare and contrast two or three. Choose from these Galton, Binet, Simon,Stanford, Yerkes and Group testing, Wecshler verbal and non verbal test, Spearman - factor analysis and two factor theory, R. Catell -fluid and crystalized intelligence, Sternberg - Triarchic intelligence, Howard Gardner - multiple intelligences 

• Define and discuss human sensation and perception.  Discuss in detail either human senses, or the ideas about human perception. ( how we perceive things)

Project instruction and video tips

More info about the FINAL project: 

 Get creative! 

If you have practiced making videos for other classes, this should be fun for you.  You can film live action, or set up a camera to do a photo animation of some sort.  You can also use images you collect and put them in the video.  IF you are not going to use video footage, or pictures in movie making software,there may be few other options you can try. (Some students have used prezzi and added narration for example) The goal is to have visual and audio portions so that you can explain what your know. Please e-mail me to let me know what you plan to do if you choose an option other than the movie presentation.

  A quick way to make a movie without a camera or movie software is to make a powerpoint type of presentation and record your narration.  There are two ways to do this

1. You may use KEYNOTE on a mac,
2. You may use microsoft POWERPOINT on a PC 

IF you use a MAC use KEYNOTE: This is a video showing you how to create a movie from a keynote (mac) presentation software.

 If you have a PC- USE powerpoint .  I have embedded video instructions for you here.

if You use a mac, but don't have Keynote, It is best to make a movie with movie making software.  IF you don't have any movie software, you can use Powerpoint, Make sure you record your narration, (look at the first part of the video above ) and then you must email it to me, so it does not get changed to much......there may be some issues depending on what version you use. click here to check out these instructions to turn your ppt into a video on macs:   http://help.storemedia.vudat.msu.edu/ppt_mac/

MOVIE musts:

Length:  Only 2-3 minutes please! (unless you have so much info and it is fascinating!)  No more than 4!

Images and music: Carefully give credit to all photos and music ( if you are putting it up on You tube after.... keep in mind, some countries will not allow copywrited music --- sorry no cool bands!)

Audio:  you can use automatic speech software if you like... but I prefer to hear your own voice!  (it is easy to speak into your computer's microphone in imove or other software)  Make sure you are in a quiet place!

Credits: put your name, and date on the movie and list everyone who helped you.  Titles at the beginning and in strategic places in the movie help!

Have fun and be creative!

Submitting your movie

Export your movie,

Name it  PerPsyFinalProjectLastFirstName. 

Sign in to your Google drive,

click on upload,

choose your movie file from your computer,

Student examples

Here is where I will showcase creative and interesting examples of videos made by students who took this course....You should make it your goal to appear here!!  All videos used with permission!

Dana J- sensation song

student examples

Jenna B

Video styles - Examples and tips...

Just in case you are stuck for ideas on how to show what you know.....

Draw pictures, video tape a skit, draw an animation.... write and sing a song and put it into a video with pics.... the ideas are endless!

watch a few seconds of these videos to get ideas of the styles you can use. ( drawing photo animations, or videos)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFs9WO2B8uI

how to make a paper cut out type animation...

  good video presentations are short, have good visuals, and a concise script.