EDU 359 is a psychology course for juniors & seniors who are personally or professionally interested in American adolescents. Given the amount of reading, the level of participation expected in each seminar, and the writing and analytical skills needed to write weekly essays, sophomores may not take this course without the professor's permission. The course explores the research & controversies related to adolescents & examines the most recent programs for counseling, teaching and working with adolescents.

Text: Adolescence: A Contemporary View by Linda Nielsen (Harcourt Brace, 3rd edition)

Four Exams  Four tests with 60 multiple choice questions taken from questions at end of chapters.

Seminars All classes are conducted as seminars, not as lectures. In each seminar you will discuss the previous week's documentary and the assigned readings by answering these two questions: What information in the reading or in the documentary surprised you most or upset you most & why? What related to your adolescence? You will record your participation every week. Participation can add from 1-10 points to your final grade.

Essays - You will watch a series of documentary films. After each, you will write a 1 page, single space typed paper in which you answer these questions: (l) What were the major issues or controversial questions raised in this documentary?(2) What specific issues or specific information from the textbook did the documentary demonstrate? A = 260 points B = 230 points C = 200 points
4 tests = 60 points each for 240 possible total
Essays = 40 points total. 5 points per film.
Participation = 1-10 points based on your participation throughout the semester