FHS 1500: Life Span Development

Informed Response Essays (IREs)

2/7/2015
Purpose of the Assignments
Decades ago, a committee of educators, headed by educational psychologist Benjamin Bloom, classified
educational goals and ordered them from most basic to most complex. This classification system
became known as Blooms Taxonomy and is a foundational principle of todays education. According to
the current version of the Taxonomy, here is the order of educational goals, listed from most BASIC to
most COMPLEX:
Remember
Understand
Apply
Analyze/Evaluate/Create
The tests in this class largely measure a students ability to remember/understand, rather than HIGHERorder thinking. Writing goes beyond that, pushing you to apply, analyze, evaluate, etc. If youre having
trouble, use Blooms Taxonomy above to dig deeper. Here are some ideas:
UNDERSTAND: provide greater detail of a given concept. Ask yourself WHY or HOW the
concept operates and explain it in your paper.
APPLY: give examples of a concept. Ask yourself WHEN youve seen the concept in real life.
ANALYZE: Make connections. Discuss how one concept is related to other concepts we have
studied or how an idea ties back to the textbook/class. Tying one idea to another makes you think
more deeply about both concepts.
EVALUATE. Critique a concept as its discussed in the textbook/class. Remember, the
researchers who developed the concept have met the high standards of the scientific community,
so DONT make the mistake of disregarding their research. Instead, disagree: point out counter
examples, give reasoned arguments for a different conclusion, etc.
If you spend the semester pushing yourself into higher-order thinking, YOU WILL LEARN A LOT from
your writing assignments!
At the end of the semester, you will include your signature assignments in an online ePortfolio, where
they can be seen by potential employers, a scholarship committee, etc., so make each assignment as
professional as possible. Do NOT rely on Spell Check to do this for you. It overlooks writing issues like
complete sentences, proper punctuation, etc., and it cant catch spelling errors when you misspell
something but use another actual word (like defiantly when you mean definitely, there when you
mean theyre, to when you mean too, etc., etc., etc.). Sloppy work isnt just unhelpful; its harmful!
Deadlines
As noted in the syllabus, LATE WORK WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. The submission button will
DISAPPEAR at 11:55 p.m. on the due date.
Assignment Instructions
1. Copy the question you are answering from below and paste it at the top of your document.
2. Type your response using Times New Roman font (size 12 ) and 1-inch margins. Unless
otherwise instructed, the response should be one page, double spaced, not including headings,
references, etc. Short responses to questions do not push you to think deeply and are, as a
result, a waste of your time.
3. Do not use individuals real names in your paper. Unless the person has given you permission to

use his/her name, make up a fictitious name to use (and include a note that names have been
changed for privacy reasons).
4. Save your document as a Word (.doc or .docx) file. This is necessary for the file to be processed
by the Turnitin anti-plagiarism software. Microsoft Word is the industry standard, so any word
processing program should allow you to do this. Here is how to do that in common word
processing programs:
a. Google Docs: File >> Download >> Microsoft Word
b. Open Office: File >> Save As >> Save As File Type >> Microsoft Word 97/2000/XP
c. Other programs: File >> Export.
d. Look for something similar in your own word processor. If none of those options are
available, Google the name of your software with save as Word doc and you should be
able to find help on the web.
5. Upload the document on Canvas. EMAILED ASSIGNMENTS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
Grading Criteria
Assignments are graded on a four-point scale consistent with all General Education courses in FHS.
PROFESSIONALISM: The paper is completed in a professional, competent manner, including
proper spelling/grammar, adequate understanding of the course concepts, etc.
ISSUES: The response addresses all assigned topics/subtopics.
CITATION: The paper includes at least one reference to the text, with BOTH an internal (short)
citation AND a Reference List containing the full citation.
LENGTH: The RESPONSE portion of the student's paper is AT LEAST 250 words long.
(Responses of 249 words or less will receive NO CREDIT.)
The reference to the text and ANY other borrowed content (whether directly quoted OR paraphrased)
MUST be accompanied by BOTH an in-text citation and the full citation in a Reference List. In A.P.A.
format, the in-text citation usually appears in parentheses after the borrowed content (but before the
period) and includes author, publication year, and page number, like this: This sentence includes
borrowed content (Berger, 2014, p. 114). The textbooks full citation (for the Reference List) is:
Berger, K. S. (2014). Invitation to the life span (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers.
LIST OF ASSIGNMENTS
UNIT 1 - CHAPTERS 1 & 2
ASSIGNMENT 1 (Complete 1A or 1B)
1A: SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY
According to social learning theory, we learn from what we see others get rewarded/punished for.
Consequently, what special responsibility does the news media have in reporting and covering
such events as teenage suicides, kidnappings, and drive-by shootings? What responsibilities do
athletes have to their young fans? Who are the models you admire most and how have they
affected your behavior? Reminder: Make sure that your responses to these questions are
related to Social Learning Theory.
1B: OPERANT CONDITIONING
Using the concepts of operant conditioning discussed in the text and in class, change the
behavior of someone or something. In your report, identify the target (desired) behavior and the
responses that you reinforced (or punished) in order to direct your subjects behavior. Describe
your subject and the specific steps you took to change the behavior. Describe the results. (Note:
If you are really good, this will even work on stubborn husbands.)

ASSIGNMENT 2 (Complete 2A or 2B)

2A: GENETIC ADVICE
A close friend confides in you that he thinks that one of "his" children is not his. When pressed
for details he points out to you that both he and his wife have dark brown hair and that his baby
has blonde hair. In the conversation he adds that although his mother was a blonde and his
wife's father was a blonde, that it is pretty obvious that neither he nor his wife have blonde genes.
What do say to your friend? Use a chart or diagram to support your conclusions.
2B: ABORTION
The topic of abortion is very controversial, but nothing has ever been learned by avoiding tough
subjects. What are your views on abortion? Under what circumstances, if any, would you
consider it? If you were a lawmaker, what would be your stand on this issue? (*In India, boys are
valued more than girls and amniocentesis has become widespread. In one province, only one in
thousands of abortions following amniocentesis was that of a male fetus, the rest were females.
How do you feel about abortion as a tool for gender selection? Suppose that one of the female
fetuses in the previous example was also identified as having suffered severe mental and
physical damage to the point that, after birth, the resulting child would mentally and physically be
unable to care for itself. Would this information influence (change) your decision?)
UNIT 2 - CHAPTER 3 & 4
ASSIGNMENT 3 (Complete 3A or 3B)
3A: MILESTONE CHARTS
You have two good friends who both have thirteen-month-old children. One parent proudly states
that her child was able to walk at ten months. The other parent sadly states that her child has not
yet started walking. It is obvious from the conversation that the parent of the walking child
believes her child to be advanced and that the parent of the non-walking child is deeply
concerned about her childs lack of progress. What do you tell these parents?
3B: MOTHERS AND FATHERS
Except for the birthing process and breast feeding, do you think that a mother's position as a care
giver of an infant or child is biologically different from that of a father? Why?
UNIT 3 - CHAPTERS 5 & 6
ASSIGNMENT 4 (Complete 4A, 4B or 4C)

4A: BIG LIPPED PARENTS

Your new neighbors have just received U.S. citizenship and plan to make their home in your
neighborhood for the rest of their lives. The couple, originally from a small tribe in Africa, have had plates
placed in their lips, which over the years have stretched their lips out about six inches. In their culture,
this is a significant sign of beauty and they therefore wish to pass this tradition on to their young daughter.
Seeing that this might cause their daughter a certain amount of stress as she enters the U.S. public
school system, you suggest that the parents not do this to their daughter. The parents refuse your advice
and proceed with their plans to have the plates placed in their daughters lips. Could this be construed as
child abuse? Defend your response. What would you do?
4B: CONSERVATION TASKS
Identify two children, one in the preoperational stage (2 - 7 years) and one in the concrete operations
stage (7 - 11), and conduct two of the conservation tasks identified on pages 183 & 184 of the text. In
addition, ask each child the following questions and record their answers. "In a bunch or flowers with two
yellow daises and six red roses, are there more roses or flowers?" "Are you (the child's name) or are you
a child?" Conduct your study individually with each child. Record the age and sex of the child and
his/her response to the task or question. Compare and contrast the responses of the two children. Did
your results conform with those predicted in our class discussion? Give your reaction.
4C: CHILD CARE
If you were considering leaving your three year-old child in a child care facility (family day care or child
care center), what would be your major concerns? Why? Would your concerns be different, if your child
were an infant? Explain. Would you prefer an academic or a child-centered preschool for your child?
Why?
UNIT 4 - CHAPTER 7 & 8
ASSIGNMENT 5 (Complete 5A or 5B)
5A: COOPERATION VS. COMPETITION
Based on your knowledge of American culture and child development, respond to BOTH of the following
sets of questions:
1. Is competition over-emphasized in American Society? Why? What are the advantages of such a
competitive attitude? What are the disadvantages?
2. Identify situations that you have observed in which competition has actually interfered with people
achieving a goal. Is competition emphasized in children? What recommendations would you make to
parents regarding their child's participation in soccer, baseball, etc.?
5B: INTELLIGENCE
Respond to BOTH of the following sets of questions:
1. Think of intelligent people whom you know well. What unintelligent things do they do? All of them are
bound to do some unintelligent things, so why do you consider them to be intelligent people? Were you
emphasizing some factors at the expense of others? Explain.
2. Did you ever consider that the homeless shelter might be filled with people of tremendous potential?
There might be a world-class archer, a great poet, a magnificent violinist, and a great president.
However, the archer never happened to try the bow, the poet never tried writing, the violinist ignored
music, and the president never ran for office. Instead, they worked at other things and weren't very good.
Some might think of themselves as failures, although they would have been successful if they had only
tried these other things. What argument is being made by these statements? How would the concept of
a general intelligence refute this argument?
UNIT 5 - CHAPTERS 9 & 10
ASSIGNMENT 6 (Complete 6A or 6B)
6A: ADOLESCENCE
Do you think that other factors besides changes in cognitive development may contribute to adolescent
egocentrism? How might the emphasis in TV commercials on appearance affect an adolescent's concern
with self? Can you recall any specific instances from your adolescence when your thinking underwent a

change? How might this change have related to your cognitive development?
6B: ADVICE TO PARENTS
Just one question. How can parents help their teenagers deal with the conflicts of adolescence?
UNIT 6 - CHAPTERS 11, 12, & 13
ASSIGNMENT 7 (Complete 7A, 7B or 7C)
7A: OBESITY
Our text indicates that during early adulthood, we can expect a 20% increase in our average body weight.
Given your frame and height, at what point would you consider yourself to be overweight? What would
you do if you found yourself in this situation? Discuss dieting with someone who has been on a diet.
What recommendations would they make to someone who wants to lose weight? What is your response
to their recommendations? At what point, if any, does excess body weight begin to impact a persons job
performance? What would you do if your spouse began to gain an excessive amount of weight?
7B: VOCATIONAL & EDUCATIONAL CHOICES
There is a large body of literature that suggests a high correlation between education and lifelong
earning capacity. Yet, 40% of all college students drop out within their first year of college. You have a
friend who is seriously considering dropping out of college and comes to you for advice. What advice
would you offer and why?
7C: SOCIAL CLOCK
You may choose to respond to this assignment yourself or interview another person. We often hear
people commenting that their biological or social clock is ticking. What are the settings on your social
clock? At what age do (did) you expect to be married? Have children? If you do (did) not marry by this
time, what would you do? If you were told that you could not have children, what would you do? How
would the absence of a spouse and/or children impact your plans for the future?
ASSIGNMENT 8 (Complete 8A, 8B, or 8C)
8A: OBESITY
See description above.
8B: VOCATIONAL & EDUCATIONAL CHOICES
See description above.
8C: SOCIAL CLOCK
See description above.
UNIT 7 - CHAPTERS 14, 15, & Epilogue (Note: you will also be turning in an Observation.)
ASSIGNMENT 9 (Complete 9A, 9B or 9C)
9A: DIVORCED GRANDPARENTS
When a family with children divorces, the visitation rights and privileges of both parents are specifically
spelled out. But what about the rights of the grandparents? Should the grandparents have visitation
rights to see their grandchildren? Should the grandparents be allowed to take their grandchildren to visit
their home? Should the custodial parent have the right to prohibit the grandparents from seeing the
grandchildren? What would you recommend in the situation where the father was abusive and is not
allowed to see his children, but the grandparents want to see them? Should grandparents have the right
to file for visitation rights in the court system? Explain your views.
9B: AGEISM
Ageism has been identified as an important issue in the lives of older Americans. Do you think that
ageism is a mild, moderate or serious issue in our culture? Is ageism more obvious in some settings
than others? Please give examples to support your answers. What, if anything, can we do to prevent
ageism in our society?

9C: EUTHANASIA.
If someone you loved was in pain and you knew that the person had less than a week to live, would you
consider euthanasia? What if the person had asked for it? What if the person had not specifically asked
for it? What are your attitudes toward Euthanasia? Under what circumstances would it be justified?
Under what circumstances would it be unjustified?
ePORTFOLIO REFLECTION
REQUIRED: ePORTFOLIO REFLECTION
In addition to the ePortfolio signature assignments discussed in the syllabus, you MUST also include in
your ePortfolio a 2- to 3-paragraph reflection of your learning as it relates to your signature assignments.
You may answer any or all of the following questions: How does your performance on this assignment
(your signature assignments) demonstrate achievement of, or progress toward the SLCC College-wide
learning objectives? How does this assignment (or the whole course) connect with what you learned in
other General Education courses? What impact did the assignment have on you or your understanding
of the world; did it challenge any of your assumptions? What process did you go through to complete the
assignment? What do your signature assignments demonstrate about your learning? How do the
assignments illustrate the growth/change/progression you have had in this class? Please keep in mind
that the reflection is not the place to evaluate the course or the instructor. The purpose is to reflect upon
your individual learning as it relates to this assignment.
OPTIONAL MAKE-UP ASSIGNMENT
OPTIONAL: FEATURED FILMS
Occasionally, our lives get busy and we miss an assignment. You may complete this optional extra
assignment, and the points from this assignment will be applied to your assignment score. You cannot
earn more than 100 percent for the assignments, so carefully consider whether you need to do this
assignment. This assignment may only be completed once. Watch a film with a central message/theme
that relates to something we have studied in this course. Write a 1-2 page reaction paper that uses
examples from the movie to explain how the individuals in the film demonstrated a concept from the
course. The score from this assignment can replace the lowest score from your essay assignments this
semester. (Basically, your lowest essay assignment score will be dropped.) This score cannot be applies
to your test scores.
Here are JUST A FEW examples of appropriate films and the topics they address:
Field of Dreamsadult development
Good Will HuntingGardners model of multiple intelligences
High School Musical (or either of its sequels)Identity versus Role Confusion
John QKohlbergs model of moral development
Mean Girlsadolescence, relational aggression
Steel MagnoliasKubler-Ross stages of grief
The IncrediblesEriksons psychosocial tension for each of the main characters
Tree of LifeBaumrinds parenting styles

Grade Tracker next page

FHS 1500
Use this area to keep track of your grade for the following assignments.
Tests (35%)
Test #1 (1 & 2)

Test #2 (3 & 4)

Test #3 (5 & 6)

Test #4 (7 & 8)

Test #5 (9 & 10)

__ Test #6 (11 - 13)

__ Test #7 (14, 15 & Epilogue)

Observations (15%)
Observation #1

Observation #2

Observation #4

Observation #5

Observation #3

*Assignments (25%) Choose 9 Assignments-as indicated in CANVAS

Social Learning Theory or Operant Conditioning
Milestone Chart

Mothers and Fathers

Big Lipped Parents

Conservation Tasks

Cooperation vs. Competition

Intelligence

Adolescence

Advice to Parents

Obesity

Vocational Choices

Divorced Grandparents?

__ Ageism

Euthanasia

__ ePortfolio Reflection

__Individual Project (10%)

__ Genetic Advice or Abortion

Child Care

Social Clock

__ Final Project will be linked to an FCCLA Star Event (15%)

*The instructor reserves the right to assign additional assignments.