AP Psychology (New 5-Unit CED): Video Lessons, Pacing & FRQ Rubrics
Instructor: Dr. Elena Rostova · Biological bases, cognition, development/learning, social/personality, and clinical psychology aligned to the updated 5-Unit Course and Exam Description, including Article Analysis Questions (AAQ) and Evidence-Based Questions (EBQ).
Non-Negotiable Free-Response Scoring Rules
- On the Article Analysis Question (AAQ), identify the exact research method (experiment vs. correlational study) before making any causal claim.
- Operational definitions must specify measurable variables or procedures from the study rather than repeating abstract psychological labels.
- On the Evidence-Based Question (EBQ), state a falsifiable claim in Part A, then explicitly link two separate source citations to named psychological concepts in Parts B and C.
- Discuss generalizability and ethical guidelines using specific sample demographics from the stimulus summary.
CED Topic Pacing & Packet Sequence
| CED Topic | Classroom Lesson Focus | Printable Resource |
|---|---|---|
| AP Psychology (New 5-Unit CED) Topic 1.1 | AP Psychology (New 5-Unit CED) Topic 1.1: Interaction of Heredity and Environment: Twin Studies and Epigenetics AAQ | Packet + Key |
| AP Psychology (New 5-Unit CED) Topic 1.2 | AP Psychology (New 5-Unit CED) Topic 1.2: Overview of the Nervous System: Central, Autonomic, and Somatic Pathways | Packet + Key |
| AP Psychology (New 5-Unit CED) Topic 1.3A | AP Psychology (New 5-Unit CED) Topic 1.3A: The Neuron and Neural Firing: Action Potentials and Neurotransmitters | Packet + Key |
| AP Psychology (New 5-Unit CED) Topic 1.4 | AP Psychology (New 5-Unit CED) Topic 1.4: The Brain and Modern Neuroimaging: Cortex Localization and Lesion EBQ | Packet + Key |
| AP Psychology (New 5-Unit CED) Topic 1.5 | AP Psychology (New 5-Unit CED) Topic 1.5: Sleep, Circadian Rhythms, and REM Consolidation AAQ | Packet + Key |
| AP Psychology (New 5-Unit CED) Topic 1.6A | AP Psychology (New 5-Unit CED) Topic 1.6A: Sensation: Thresholds, Weber's Law, and Signal Detection Theory | Packet + Key |
| AP Psychology (New 5-Unit CED) Topic 1.6B | AP Psychology (New 5-Unit CED) Topic 1.6B: Visual Anatomy and Color Theories: Trichromatic vs. Opponent-Process | Packet + Key |
| AP Psychology (New 5-Unit CED) Topic 1.6C | AP Psychology (New 5-Unit CED) Topic 1.6C: Auditory, Chemical, and Somatosensory Systems + Gate-Control Pain EBQ | Packet + Key |
| AP Psychology (New 5-Unit CED) Topic 2.1 | AP Psychology (New 5-Unit CED) Topic 2.1: Perception: Gestalt Principles, Top-Down Processing, and Depth Cues | Packet + Key |
| AP Psychology (New 5-Unit CED) Topic 2.2 | AP Psychology (New 5-Unit CED) Topic 2.2: Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Heuristics AAQ | Packet + Key |
| AP Psychology (New 5-Unit CED) Topic 2.3 | AP Psychology (New 5-Unit CED) Topic 2.3: Introduction to Memory: Working Memory Model and Multi-Store Encoding | Packet + Key |
| AP Psychology (New 5-Unit CED) Topic 2.5 | AP Psychology (New 5-Unit CED) Topic 2.5: Storing and Retrieving Memories: Context Cues, Serial Position, and Forgetting EBQ | Packet + Key |
| AP Psychology (New 5-Unit CED) Topic 3.1 | AP Psychology (New 5-Unit CED) Topic 3.1: Themes and Methods in Developmental Psychology: Cross-Sectional vs. Longitudinal AAQ | Packet + Key |
| AP Psychology (New 5-Unit CED) Topic 3.4 | AP Psychology (New 5-Unit CED) Topic 3.4: Cognitive Development Across the Lifespan: Piaget, Vygotsky, and Fluid/Crystallized Intelligence | Packet + Key |
| AP Psychology (New 5-Unit CED) Topic 3.7 | AP Psychology (New 5-Unit CED) Topic 3.7: Classical Conditioning: Acquisition, Extinction, and Generalization | Packet + Key |
| AP Psychology (New 5-Unit CED) Topic 3.8 | AP Psychology (New 5-Unit CED) Topic 3.8: Operant Conditioning: Reinforcement Schedules and Observational Learning EBQ | Packet + Key |
Frequently Asked Questions
What changed on the new 5-Unit AP Psychology exam format?
The updated AP Psychology CED reorganizes content into 5 units focused on scientific inquiry and replaces legacy concept-application FRQs with two research-driven tasks: the Article Analysis Question (AAQ) and the Evidence-Based Question (EBQ).
Where can I find AAQ and EBQ practice prompts with annotated scoring rubrics?
Benchmark AP publishes AAQ/EBQ walkthrough videos on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@BenchmarkAP) paired with printable 300-DPI classroom packets and scoring keys at https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/benchmark-ap.