Blume, L. B., & Zembar, M. J. (2007). Middle childhood to middle adolescence. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson [Vital Source e-reader].
Chapter 8, “Physical Development in Middle Adolescence”In this chapter, the author discusses the physical transformations that typically occur during middle adolescence, including puberty, brain development, and motor development. Focus on how physical development progresses from early to late middle adolescence, as well as how brain development influences adolescents’ reasoning abilities.
Chapter 9, “Cognitive Development in Middle Adolescence”In this chapter, the author explains how the ability to think and process information develops during middle adolescence. Focus on how cognitive development progresses from early to late middle adolescence, how reasoning and decision-making abilities develop, and how intelligence is conceptualized and assessed during this time period.

Steinberg, L. (2007). Risk taking in adolescence: New perspectives from brain and behavioral science. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 16(2), 55–5 9.
Retrieved from the Academic Search Complete database: http://ezp.waldenulibrary.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=24719565&site=ehost-live&scope=site
In this article, the author discusses possible reasons why adolescents are more likely to engage in risky behavior than are older adults. Focus on the implications of cognitive neuroscience for the prevention of risk-taking in adolescents.

Required Media

Laureate Education (Producer). (2011). Understanding the Adolescent Brain, Part 1 [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

Note:  The approximate length of this media piece is 9 minutes.

In this video, Dr. Judy Willis and Dr. Mary-Helen Immordino-Yang discuss characteristics of the adolescent brain. Focus on the behavioral implications of adolescent brain development.
 

This week, you will begin to work on an independent research paper, which is due by Sunday of Week 6.

Over the course of the next 3 weeks, you will research a specific topic of your choice relating to school-age and adolescent development and synthesize this research into a 5- to 7-page research paper.

This week, you will select a topic, submit this topic to your Instructor for approval, and begin to conduct research on this topic. Below, you will find a list of possible topics. Keep in mind that these topics are merely starting points. You will need to select a specific aspect of the topic, as well as a specific age-group of children or adolescents, on which to focus your research efforts. You may also create your own topic and submit it for your Instructor’s approval.

Possible topics:

• Obesity (in early or late middle childhood or adolescence)
• Risk taking in adolescence (early or late)
• Bullying (children or adolescents)
• Developmental disabilities (e.g., autism, cerebral palsy, ADHD, intellectual or learning disabilities, etc.)
• Mental health issues (in children or adolescents)
• Cross-cultural issues (e.g., cultural norms, rites of passage, etc.—any age group)
• Mentoring programs (children or adolescents)
• Adolescents and sleep
• Family issues (e.g., divorce, foster care, adoption, blended or non-traditional families, etc.—any age group)
• Educational/school issues (e.g., gifted or special education, ESL or language immersion programs, standardized testing, teaching styles, etc.—any age group)
• Media/technology influences (e.g., television, magazines, social networking, etc.—any age group)

After selecting a topic, submit a brief description of this topic to the Instructor for approval by Sunday of this week. After you receive approval, you can begin to conduct research on this topic using the Walden Library and other resources. See the Week 6 Required Resources area for links regarding how to write an academic research paper.