CHFD342 Human Life Span Development

American Public University System (APUS)

CHFD342 Week 1 Discussion Reflection on Nature v. Nurture

In one paragraph please introduce yourself and share with us your career and
course goals, where you live, where you are stationed, work, or live and how
long you have been here with APUS. Then, in a second paragraph, analyze the
concept 'nature vs. nurture' and explain which aspect - nature OR nurture you
tend to agree with more and support your position with references.   It is not
sufficient to simply provide your opinion.  Supporting your position is required
for each forum.

 Important note:  Participating in the Week 1 forum is a requirement of the

University and marks your enrollment in the course.  Failure to complete this
requirement by the end of Week 1 may result in your being dropped from the
course. 

CHFD342 Week 2 Discussion Back to the Future

Forum Week 2: Infancy as Preparation for Adulthood

Instructions: Infancy is viewed by developmental specialists as a period of

"preparation for the future." Select one aspect of human development, ie.
cognitive, social, emotional, etc. and in one paragraph describe caregiver
practices and environmental characteristics that you see as most essential for
supporting preparation work in that area. Then, find out from a family member
about your own development as an infant and share it with the class (in 1 or 2
paragraphs). If this information is not available, interview a parent with a young
child or discuss your own child's development. 

  

CHFD342 Week 2 Assignment - Cultural Differences in Caring for Infants

Cultural Differences in Caring for Infants

The major assumptions of Piaget's theory of cognitive development are
that infants are active agents in constructing knowledge and that the
 interaction of experience and biology leads to growth and development.
The cultural-contextual view agrees with these assumptions but adds two
more: (1) other people make active contributions to infant development,
and (2) cultural practices, which reflect the dominant beliefs and values of
a culture, shape infant interaction with others and, ultimately, shape
cognitive development. Variations in sleeping and feeding behaviors
reflect the role of infants in a culture. Beliefs about babies in different
cultures determine how they are treated, who interacts with them, and,
consequently, how babies experience their world.

Choose a culture other than your own, and fill in the chart with details
contrasting how the 2 cultures care for infants. Use at least 2 resources, cited
using APA style, to support your assertions about the different culture's ways of
caring for infants. Before completing this assignment, be sure that you
understand the definition of culture. Here is a resource that may be helpful.
What is culture? Your references need to relate to concepts learned about culture
and child care and must be scholarly/academic in nature. Use of .com websites
is not appropriate. Please see the Grading Rubric below.

My own culture (give it a A different culture:

name):

Sleeping

Feeding

Who are primary

caretakers

Games and toys

Role of father

CHFD342 Week 3 Discussion Early Childhood Experiences

Forum Week 3: Early Childhood Experiences

Instructions: If you were an educator/guest lecturer for parents of young

children, what do you think are the most important concepts for parents to
understand about the role of early childhood experiences in development?  Give 
at least 3 examples about experiences parents should provide to young children
and provide support for your choices. 
  

CHFD342 Week 4 Assignment 2

Instructions

Assignment Week 4

As children move through middle childhood, parental influence is accompanied

by a number of outside influences that can shape and impact development
during this stage. These outside influences include peers, schools,
television/video games and stress.

For this assignment, you will write an essay style paper detailing which outside
influence you believe has a significant impact on middle childhood development
outside of the home. Your paper should include the following aspects:

 Introduction to your chosen influence and why you chose it.

 Research: Find two current (within the past 5-7 years) research articles
that support your belief or refute your belief regarding your chosen
influence on development. Summarize each article individually to include
purpose of the research, brief description of the methodology of the
research (do not include specific statistics) and the findings of the
research.
 Conclusion: Write a concluding paragraph discussing how your opinion
may or may not have changed on the topic based on your research. Also,
include in your conclusion, two or three strategies for managing this
influence.

      

CHFD342 Week 5 Discussion Adolescence...Here We Grow Again

Forum Week 5: Adolescence…Here We Grow Again!

Instructions: Reflecting on the patterns of adolescent development

described in the readings, how much did your adolescent peer group
follow the developmental patterns you studied?  What aspect of
adolescent development do you think is the most challenging for today's
adolescents and why?  Be sure to support your writing with
references/resources.  Simply giving an opinion is not sufficient.
 
CHFD342 Week 6 discussion

Forum Week 6: Rites of Passage

Instructions: Societal changes have led to a change in the nature of

initiation rites associated with transition into adulthood. Are young adults
better off today as a result of the changes?  What are some initiation rites
that you experienced and did they help or hinder your transition into
adulthood?  If you do not wish to share a personal experience, identify a
rite of passage and discuss its impact on the transition into adulthood. 

CHFD342 Week 6 Assignment 3

Instructions
Assignment 3 (Week 6)

Baby Boomers in Older Adulthood

The largest segment of the U.S. population, the "baby boomers," are
moving into older adulthood.  The advertising and marketing industries
study this age cohort, and it has been increasing in visibility in primetime
television, print ads, and in digital advertising, pop-ups, and internet
solicitation.

Find at least 4 images or video clips of advertising or other popular media

that illustrate this point. Use a caption for each piece of media to explain
the advertisements mirror the specific physical and cognitive changes in
development referred to in our readings and resources this week. Your
captions should combine for a total of no fewer than 500 words.

Use at least 2 resources (other than the images or clips) to support the
claims you are making. Cite these using APA formatting. Your references
need to relate to concepts learned about middle adulthood and must be
scholarly/academic in nature. Use of .com websites is not appropriate.
Please use references other than those included in our Lessons to extend
your research and knowledge.

   

CHFD342 Week 8 Discussion Stages of Dying

Forum week 8 - Stages of Dying

Kübler-Ross's Stages of Dying

Instructions:  Please respond to the following:  Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
proposed five psychological stages of dying: denial and isolation, anger,
bargaining, depression, and acceptance. These stages do not occur in a
specific order, and the stages often overlap. Dying people often have to
rework the stages, and some dying persons may never reach the fifth
stage of acceptance.  Do you think this model applies to other significant
losses in life (e.g., loss of a job or divorce)?  Why or why not?  Support
your writing with information from our readings and resources.

  

CHFD342 Week 8 Assignment 4

Thinking about Retirement

Think about your own retirement. In a 5 paragraph essay of at least 500

words, answer some or all of these questions:

Do you expect to retire at a certain age? How much preplanning will you
need to do? Do you expect to retire to a life of leisure, volunteer activity,
new career, and so on? Where will you live—same family home,
retirement community, part of the year in the north and part in a
southern resort? Do you expect to be active grandparents/great-
grandparents or somewhat disengaged from your offsprings' families?
What are your overall impressions of retirement—is it positive, neutral, or
negative? Why? Use at least 2 references to support your assumptions.
Your references need to relate to concepts learned about retirement and
must be scholarly/academic in nature. Use of .com websites is not
appropriate.