Final Project: Psychology in Action

Assigned Thursday, September 3 · Part 4 Due Monday, September 14Psychology in Action: Your Applied Project

A capstone connecting everything you've learned this quarter to a real audience

Why this matters: All quarter you've studied how the mind and behavior work — from research methods, to the brain, to development, to mental health — using a global, cross-cultural lens. Now it's your turn to use that knowledge. You'll pick a real issue, apply psychological concepts to it, get input from people around you, and create something that could actually help or inform someone.

I can… statements

I can apply psychology concepts from this quarter to a real-world issue or population.
I can gather and use input from other people to strengthen my thinking.
I can create and share an original product that communicates psychology clearly to a real audience.

Step 1: Choose Your Format (Choice Board)

Pick ONE format for your final project. All four let you apply the same psychology content — pick whichever fits how you like to communicate.

🎙️ Podcast Episode

Written script (5-7 min episode) + optional audio recording explaining your topic to listeners.

See a finished example

📢 PSA Campaign

A poster or infographic + a 30-60 second script raising awareness about your issue.

See a finished example

📘 Community Resource Guide

A Google Doc guide (with sections/headers) that a teen or family could actually use.

See a finished example

💬 Ask-a-Psychologist Column

3-4 realistic reader questions + your evidence-based answers, written like an advice column.

See a finished example

These examples show what a finished project looks like — they're for reference only, so you can see the quality bar and the Colleague Input Reflection in action. Notice it is only the written part that is given as an example, not the podcast, infographic, guide, or column. Please don't copy them; your topic, colleagues, and concepts need to be your own.

Step 2: Choose Your Topic

Your topic must connect to at least one of the four areas we studied this quarter. A great place to start: revisit a Global Case Study from one of our Weekly Discussions — many of you already found a story or population that stuck with you.

Scientific Inquiry & Research Methods (how do we know what we know?)
Brain, Body & Cognition (memory, thinking, the nervous system)
Development & Personality (across the lifespan, across cultures)
Mental & Physical Health (stress, disorders, wellness, treatment)

🤝 The Colleague Input Requirement

Real psychologists don't work alone — they check their thinking with colleagues before publishing anything. You will too. Over the project, you'll get input from 3-5 "colleagues":

At least 1 outside colleague — a family member, neighbor, or community member (does not have to be a psychologist!) who you interview using a short question guide.
At least 2 classmate colleagues — peers who read your work and give you structured feedback in Canvas, across two feedback rounds.

You'll log every colleague's input, and your final submission will include a short reflection on how their input changed your project. This is tracked — see your teacher's participation tracker for how this is monitored.

Roadmap

Thu, Sept 3 — Final Project launches alongside this week's regular lesson: explore choice board, pick format & topic (~40 min, added)

Fri, Sept 4 — Assignment 1 due: Proposal & Colleague Plan (10 pts) (~55 min, added)

Sat-Sun, Sept 5-6 — Weekend

Mon, Sept 7 — Labor Day — no school

Tue, Sept 8 — Outside colleague consultation + Peer Round 1 post (~75 min)

Wed, Sept 9 — Assignment 2 due: Consultation & Peer Round 1 Log (15 pts) (~55 min)

Thu, Sept 10 — Build full draft (~85 min)

Fri, Sept 11 — Assignment 3 due: Draft + Peer Round 2 (15 pts) (~65 min)

Mon, Sept 14 — Assignment 4 due: Final Project + Reflection (summative) (60 pts) (~95 min)

Total: 100 points across all 4 assignments.

📅 Office Hours & Support: Book a one-on-one anytime via

. You do not need to wait for a live session to ask for help — message me anytime in Teams or schedule an appointment.

Key Vocabulary

Colleague input: feedback or information you gather from another person before finishing your work.
Consultation: a short, structured conversation or Q&A where you ask someone for their perspective.
Revision: changing your work based on new information or feedback — not just fixing typos.

Academic Integrity: Assignments 1-3 use Canvas text entry or Google Docs. Your Assignment 4 final submission is summative and must be turned in as a Google Doc URL (or a Google Doc containing your link/media) so revision history is visible for review.