I had the pleasure of attending and presenting at the National Council for Social Studies conference in Nashville last November. There were many fascinating and engaging sessions, but the one that caught my attention was about changes to the AP Psychology curriculum. As a veteran AP Psych teacher, I wanted to hear about how my course would be changing in the next year or two. What I learned both excited me and sent me into a bit of a panic.
The new curriculum will feature a dramatically increased emphasis on reading, analyzing and understanding current research studies. In fact, both writing elements on the new exam will include an excerpt from a scientific study that students will be asked to grapple with as they attend to various questions and tasks. This drastic departure from the current free-response format poses the problem of where teachers can find high quality lessons and materials to help their students prepare.
Here’s where I come in: I have always loved curriculum development. It is my favorite aspect of this job, outside of being with my students. I have spent years earning a degree in differentiated instruction and honing my craft when it comes to lesson building. So when I first encountered Retro Report and its wonderful psychology videos like Lobotomy: A Dangerous Fad’s Lingering Effect on Mental Illness and LSD Gets Another Look, I knew that I could have fun creating engaging, high quality lessons that focused on evaluating scientific claims and analyzing new psychological research.
I am ecstatic to be working with Retro Report, an organization dedicated to offering free, equitable access to education, and I plan on continuing with my love of curriculum building and developing resources for as long as I can.
MEGHAN GUTHER teaches AP Psychology and Psychology at Lakes Community High School in Lake Villa, Ill. Meghan has a masters degree in differentiated instruction and has been National Board Certified since 2018. You can subscribe to Retro Report’s education newsletter here and view past newsletters here.
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